The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines

by Farhad Daftary

• ISBN13: 9780521850841
• ISBN10: 0521850843
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-10-22
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The Ismailis represent the second largest Shii Muslim community after the Twelvers, and are today scattered throughout more than twenty-five countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America. The second edition of this authoritative book traces the history and doctrinal development of the Ismailis from their origins in the formative period of Islam to the present day, a period of more than twelve centuries. All the major phases of Ismaili history are covered, including the pre-Fatimid period, the Fatimid 'golden age', the Tayyibi-Mustali period and the history of the Nizari Ismailis of Persia and Syria before the Mongol invasions. The final part traces the history of the modern Ismailis, particularly the socio-economic progress of the Nizari communities. The new edition is a thorough revision and incorporates new material, an expanded bibliography and new illustrations. It will be invaluable reading for students of Islamic and Middle Eastern history.

Author Biography

Farhad Daftary is Associate Director and Head of the Department of Academic Research and Publications at the Institute of Ismaili Studies

Table of Contents

Illustrations and maps	p. x
Foreword	p. xiii
Preface to the first edition	p. xv
Preface to the second edition	p. xix
Note on the text and abbreviations	p. xx
Introduction: progress in the study of the Isma'ilis	p. 1
Phases in Isma'ili history	p. 2
Isma'ili historiography	p. 4
Anti-Isma'ili writings of other Muslims	p. 7
Medieval European perceptions of the Isma'ilis	p. 10
Orientalist perspectives	p. 22
Modern progress in Isma'ili studies	p. 30
Origins and early development of Shi'ism	p. 34
Origins of Shi'ism	p. 36
Early history of Shi'ism	p. 41
al-Mukhtar and the mawali	p. 52
The Kaysaniyya, the ghulat and the early Imamiyya	p. 57
Ja'far al-Sadiq's imamate and the 'Abbasids	p. 71
Imam al-Sadiq's teachings	p. 80
Early Isma'ilism	p. 87
The earliest Isma'ilis	p. 88
The da'wa of the 3rd/9th century	p. 98
The Isma'ili-Qarmati schism of 286/899	p. 116
Establishment of Fatimid rule	p. 126
Aspects of early Isma'ili teachings	p. 128
The Fatimid period until 487/1094: dawla and da'wa	p. 137
Consolidation of the Fatimid caliphate in North Africa	p. 140
Digression on Qarmati communities	p. 147
al-Mu'izz and the conquest of Egypt	p. 156
The religious policy of al-Mu'izz	p. 163
al-Qadi al-Nu'man and Isma'ili jurisprudence	p. 167
al-'Aziz and the Fatimid campaigns in Syria	p. 172
al-Hakim, the Isma'ili da'wa and the Druze movement	p. 178
al-Zahir and Sitt al-Mulk	p. 191
al-Mustansir's long reign	p. 193
Organization of the Fatimid dawla and the Isma'ili da'wa	p. 211
Philosophical Isma'ilism of the Iranian da'is	p. 223
The Ikhwan al-Safa' and their Epistles	p. 234
The later Fatimids and Musta'lian Isma'ilism	p. 238
The Nizari-Musta'li schism of 487/1094	p. 241
al-Musta'li and al-Amir	p. 243
al-Hafiz and the Hafizi-Tayyibi schism	p. 246
The later Fatimids and early Hafizi Isma'ilism	p. 248
The Hafizi Musta'lian da'wa in Yaman	p. 255
The early Tayyibi Musta'lian da'wa in Yaman	p. 261
Aspects of Tayyibi thought	p. 269
The early Tayyibi da'wa in India	p. 276
The Da'udi Sulaymani-'Alawi schism in Tayyibi Isma'ilism	p. 280
The Da'udi Bohra da'wa and community	p. 282
The Sulaymani da'wa and community	p. 295
Nizari Isma'ili history during the Alamut period	p. 301
Nizari Isma'ili historiography	p. 303
Hasan-i Sabbah and the struggle of the Persian Isma'ilis	p. 310
Commencement of Nizari activities in Syria	p. 331
Consolidation of the Nizari state and the doctrine of ta'lim	p. 335
Buzurg-Ummid and the Nizari-Saljuq stalemate	p. 344
Muhammad b. Buzurg-Ummid	p. 355
The proclamation of qiyama or resurrection	p. 358
Sinan and the Syrian Nizaris	p. 367
Rapprochement with Sunni Islam	p. 375
'Ala' al-Din Muhammad III and Nizari thought of the period	p. 377
Final decades of the Nizari state	p. 386
The post-Alamut centuries and modern developments in Nizari Isma'ili history	p. 403
Patterns and research problems in post-Alamut Nizari history	p. 403
Early post-Alamut centuries and Nizari relations with Sufism	p. 410
The Anjudan revival in Nizari Isma'ilism	p. 422
The Nizari Khojas and Satpanth Isma'ilism	p. 442
The Muhammad-Shahi imams and the Nizaris of Central Asia	p. 451
The later Qasim-Shahi Nizari imams	p. 456
The Aga Khans and the modern period in Nizari history	p. 463
Genealogical tables and lists	p. 505
Glossary	p. 514
Notes	p. 523
Select bibliography	p. 667
Index	p. 697
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.