Alamut had fallen, the Imam had been slain by his Mongol captors and the Ismaili empire lay in tatters. Ismailis were massacred and dispersed across the region.
The history of the next 500 years is obscure, as Ismaili scholars themselves admit. For the first 200 years the Imams were unknown and even now our Ismaili friend will only claim to know their names.
The remaining Ismaili community disguised themselves as Sufi, Sunni, Twelver Shia and Hindus as they spread out from their traditional bases. Four separate communities developed in Persia, Syria, Central Asia and India.
The literature that emerged from these areas is diverse and so disguised as to be almost unrecognisable at times as Ismaili. Many strikingly Sufi texts are still revered in Central Asia as sacrosanct Ismaili works. Similarly in India, where Hinduism permeated the belief structure and Ismailism began to take root in the 14th century. Indian converts from Hinduism became known as the 'Khojas' and now account for perhaps the most significant Ismaili bloc.
Meanwhile, further splits in the Imamate occurred, this time between the supposed grandsons of Imam Khurshah (murdered at the hands of the Mongols). The majority of Ismailis followed one line, only for another line to spring up in Anjudan, Iran in the 15th Century and take the reigns of leadership. It is this line that our Ismaili friend adheres to now.
Nevertheless, it wasn't until the mid-18th century that the Imams came out of hiding and obscurity and began to lead the worldwide Ismaili community ...
Originally published 1 year ago