IIS held a conference entitled,The Renaissance of Shi尪i Islam in the 15th17th Centuries: Facets of Thought and Practice,from 3-5 October 2018 at theAga KhanCentre. The conference investigated and evaluated the intellectual contributions of Shii Muslims during this complex period.
- Watch highlights of the conference
- Keynote address by Dr Farhad Daftaryon The Shii Milieu of Post-Mongol Iran
- Keynote address by Prof. Gerhard B Gerhard B繹weringon The Confluence of Mysticism and Messianism in Islamic Theosophy (Irfan) in the 15th17th centuries
The 15th century marked a renaissance for the Ismaili and Twelver Shi尪i traditions after centuries of marginalisation. It was with the commencement of theImamatof Mustansir bi尨llah II around 868/1463 1464, that the Anjudan revival of the Nizari IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Ja尪far al-廜〢diq (d. 765), as his successor. began. Around the same time, several Shi尪i messianic movements emerged in Iran and spread to neighbouring countries. One of these, theSafavidsA major Shi’i dynasty which ruled Persia (1501-1732 CE), and was succeeded by the Afsharids. (See also Qizilbash, Safawiyya.), became particularly successful. In 1500, led by the youthful Ismail I, the Safavid forces defeated the army of the Aq Qoyunlu, and a year later, in the summer of 1501, took their capital Tabriz, therefore establishing the Safavid state which then became an empire and the first major Shi尪i power since the fall of theFatimidsin 1171. The conference sought to examinemany unexplored questions from this multifaceted era.
Held at the newly openedAga KhanCentre in Londons Knowledge Quarter, this international conference brought together established and emerging scholars from around the world, as well as educators, researchers, students, and those with a general interest in the subject.
An edited publication based on papers from the conferenceis planned to be released in the future, under theShii Heritage Series. Publications in this series focus onShii Islam,promoting a better understanding of its history, doctrines and practices in their historical and contemporary contexts.
