A Short History of

the Ismailis
Traditions of a Muslim Community

Farhad Daftary

EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS

 Contents

Preface vii
Note on Transliteration, Dates and Abbreviations viii

r Ismaili History and Historiography: Phases, Sources

and Studies 1
Phases in Ismaili History I
Evolution of Ismaili Historiography 4
Anti-Ismaili Writings of Other Muslims 9
The Assassin Legends of Medieval Westerners 13
Orientalist Perspectives 14
Modern Progress in Ismaili Studies 16
Notes 18

2 Origins and Early History: ShI'is, Ismailis and Qarma~Is 21

Diversity in Early Islam 21
Origins of ShI'ism 23
Early History of Shi'ism: The Kaysaniyya and the Imamiyya 25
Ja'far al-$adiq's lmamate, Abu'l-Khanab and Isma'Il 29.,
The Earliest Ismailis 34·
The Da'wa of the 3rd/9th Century 36
The Schism of 286/899 and its Consequences 45
Early lsmaili Doctrines 50
Notes 58

3 The Fatimid Age: Dawla and Da'wa 63

Overview 63
Foundation and Consolidation of the Fatimid Caliphate 68
Fatimid Achievements under al-Mu'izz 75
Philosophical Ismailism of the Iranian Dtns 8r
Fatimid Ismaili Da'wa and Dii'is: Cairo and the "Islands" 89
The NizarI-Musta'li Schism of 487 /1094 106
Later Fatimids and Early Musta'li Ismailism 108
Notes 114

4 The Alamut Period in Nizi.iri Ismaili History 120

Overview 120
}:Iasan Sabbah and the Revolt of the Persian Ismailis 122

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The Doctrine of Ta'lim and Consolidation of the NizarT State 131

The Nizan-Saljuq Stalemate 135
Proclamation of Qiyama or Resurrection 138
Rapprochement with Sunni Islam and al-Tusi's
Interpretations 145
The Final Decades 150
Notes 153

5 Later Developments: Continuity and Modernisation 159

Post-Alaml1t Patterns and Research Problems 159
Early Post-Alamut Centuries and Nizari Relations
with Sufism 161
The Anjudan Revival in Nizari history 170
The Khojas and Satpanth Ismailism 177
The Bohras and TayyibI Ismailism 185
Modern Developments in the Nizari Community 193
Notes 209

Glossary 2 17
Select Bibliography 221
Index 231

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