A short film from the听Ismaili Special Collections Unit听(ISCU) and Department of Communications and Development (DCD) premiered at the听Aga Khan听Centre in late April.
The film,听Islamic Heritage Past and Present: IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Ja士far al-峁⒛乨iq (d. 765), as his successor. in History and Myth听features IIS Director Emeritus Dr Farhad Daftary on the topic of myths perpetuated about Ismailis and how modern scholarship is able to challenge them due to manuscripts held in our collection.
During the event, the team shared insights into the production process behind the series, and the objective of reaching broader audiences to showcase the riches in the ISCU heritage collection.
In the film, Dr Daftary invites the viewer to look on some of the historic manuscripts and rare printed books held by the ISCU including:
- Denis Lebey de Batilly,听罢谤补颈肠迟茅听de l鈥橭rigine des Anciens Assassins听dated 1603 CE, the earliest independent book written on the Ismailis
- A 1633 CE copy of听Itinerarium Benjaminis听authored by French Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela, detailing his travels through Europe and west Asia from 1165-1173
- A 1707 CE copy of the听Haft听b膩b听of 岣san-i Ma岣奴d-i K膩tib, an important literary work from the Nizari branch of Isma鈥檌lism
- A 1694 CE copy of the听D墨w膩n-i Q膩示imiyy膩t听of 岣san-i Ma岣奴d-i K膩tib, a 13th century Ismaili poet
Some of the featured manuscripts were in the room for the audience to look at before and after the film and Q&A session.
The event was introduced by Professor Zayn Kassam, IIS Director, who said:
鈥淎 community that does not preserve its heritage is gradually lost in the mists of time. Without evidence that tells us how our forebears lived, what events shaped their lives, what issues animated their writings, what their deepest aspirations were, all our claims about who we are and the contributions we have made to Muslim life and Islamic thought are like houses built on sand.鈥
The Institute of Ismaili studies holds a significant repository related to the heritage of Ismaili communities and other Muslim traditions. These include nearly 3,000 manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Indic, and other languages. The collection also holds coins, medals, and other historical artefacts, photographs and audio-visual materials, rare and special printed materials including periodicals and magazines.
Professor Kassam also noted that 鈥淥ne way the collection is brought to light is when scholars turn to manuscripts for their own research to shed light on the past. This series of videos shows the value of the collections held by the Institute and opens them up to a wide audience.鈥
Dr Wafi Momin, Head of the ISCU further observed that: 鈥淚t is ten years since the creation of the Ismaili Special Collections Unit which was founded with a view to preserve, study and facilitate research on the heritage of the community. Ten years on, I think we can do more to disseminate the research work that we have done and continue to do.
鈥淚n this video series we want to bring the treasures, manuscripts and edited materials to life and to show what scholars have been working on. We aim to cover the breadth of our collections and show what they have to offer beyond just reading them. In this way we can show visually what the treasures are and why they are important to us.鈥
Islamic Heritage Past and Present: Ismailis in History and Myth with Dr Farhad Daftary
The first in a series of videos featuring scholars and the treasures of the Ismaili Special Collections Unit at the Institute of Ismaili Studies.
