Reviewed by Mansoor Murad – Dawn Pakistan
Therefore, it was with great anticipation that I picked up Ismailis: Their History and Doctrines by Farhad Daftary. The book is meticulously researched and, for a scholarly text, reasonably easy to read. The language is quite plain, and the sentences clearly constructed and easy to understand.
This text should not be inaccessible to people of any level of proficiency in the language, and there is no attempt to impress the reader with impressive vocabulary. Quite the reverse in fact, as things are explained in as plainly as possible.
Readers may initially be daunted by the size of the book, but much of the latter third is taken up with meticulous and highly detailed endnotes. It is an extremely wise decision to transfer a great deal of secondary exposition to the endnotes as, although the information contained in these can be very important for a scholarly study, a reader seeking a broader understanding can choose which areas to seek more in-depth information about.
I found myself dipping into the endnotes at intervals throughout my read. Although this process did interrupt the flow of the narrative somewhat, it also meant that I could skim over areas where the main text sufficed for my requirements.
Dr Daftary is clearly an expert in the field, and the great strength of the book is the detailed discussion of the evolution of the Ismailis from their origins to the modern day. This is a vast period of time to encompass, and the author does it well, dealing with the history in chronological order. He refers heavily to the historical accounts maintained by Ismaili scholars, but also refers to other sources of research, predominantly stemming from the West.
Ismailimail 