Leadership and Authority in Central Asia

This book explores the unfolding of world history in a remote corner of Central Asia: the region of Badakhshan. It offers a comprehensive overview of the history of the Ismaili community in Tajikistan and analyses the ways in which expressions of political and religious authority have evolved and how they have been adapted to different political contexts and radical social upheaval. Skilfully applying an interdisciplinary approach, this book challenges the ways religious and secular categories have been distinguished in recent scholarship

Auteur

Otambek N. Mastibekov received his PhD from SOAS, University of London. Currently affiliates with the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, London. His research interest and other publications are on Religion and Politics in Central Asia, Ethics, Morality and Islamic philosophy.

Contenu

1. Introduction 2.Historical Context of Badakhshan and Ismailis 3. The Authority of Religious Leaders in Badakhshan in the pre-Soviet Period 4. The Ismaili Leaders in the Period of Transition from the pre-Soviet to Soviet periods 5.Political Leadership and the Ismailis During the Soviet Period 6. The Tajik Civil War and the Ismailis 7. The Modern Vision of Leadership of the Ismailis 8. Conclusion