Constructing Ismaili Subjectivities: Religious Formation and Institutions among the Nizari Ismailis of South Asia and Beyond

Abstract

The twentieth century saw major shifts in the religious and educational institutions developed among the Nizari Ismailis of South Asia. These institutions concerned themselves with religious and moral formation of the Ismailis through a diverse range of activities, including publishing, preaching, formal imparting of religious education through a well-defined curriculum in schools and other means. My paper will examine the contours of these developments, as transpired mainly in South Asia, as well as their transregional transformations as the Ismaili communities became increasingly globalised. In doing so, I will examine the trends of homogenization of discourse and voices of dissent which continue to have a marked impact on how Ismaili subjectivities and identities are produced and channelised in the twenty-first century.