Using ans?b literature, hagiographical lore, interviews carried out during fieldwork, and historical sources, this paper will explore the significance of sayyid pedigree in Shughnan, Badakhshan, the ways in which religious and political authority in Shughnan have been legitimated through sayyid descent, and the mythical aspects of foundational stories and their relation with the formation of communal identity. The paper will be divided into three parts: 1) first, a review of the published and unpublished nasab-n?mas and a discussion of their significance; 2) second, an examination of the legendary narratives about Sh?h Malang recorded in published works and conveyed orally to me during fieldwork; and 3) third, my concluding remarks.