Ismailis in History and Myth with Dr Farhad Daftary

This short film 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.

This first episode forms part of a new series from the Ismaili Special Collections Unit (ISCU) and the Department of Communications and Development (DCD), which premiered at the Aga Khan Centre in late April. The series will showcase items of historical importance held at The Institute of Ismaili Studies, and highlight their contemporary relevance today.

00:00 Introduction
1:52 The Ismailis and reasons for their misrepresentation
3:05 The nature and examples of these misrepresentations and legends
6:31 Orientalist perpetuation of the legends
8:22 Why misconceptions persisted despite the richness of Ismaili literature
10:16 The recovery and study of Ismaili textual sources, and the role of IIS
13:01 Conclusion

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Learn more about the film series: https://www.iis.ac.uk/news/2023/may/p...