Following his expulsion from Egypt over his support for the Ismaili Imam Nizar b. Mustansir, Hasan-i Sabbah found that his co-religionists, the Ismailis, were scattered throughout Iran, with a strong presence in the northern and eastern regions, particularly in Daylaman, Khorasan and Quhistan.

The Fatimid Caliphate was ruled by seven leaders, after which a dispute regarding leadership developed between two brothers – Nizar and Mustali – ultimately resulting in the defeat of Nizar and his followers (" Nizari " Ismailis ), many of whom left Egypt for the region of Iran.

Most Ismailis living within the countries under direct rule of the Fatimids accepted the Imamate of al-Mustali but those who supported Nizar as their Imam were forced to accept the Imamat of al-Mustali, who was duly installed as the 9th Fatimid Caliph in Cairo.

Like the Ismailis, Nethanel al-Fayyumi argued that haShem sent different prophets to various nations of the world, containing legislations suited to the particular temperament of each individual nation.

The Ismailis further argued that the Imam being masum ( infallible ) could not make an error of Judgement and therefore the first nass ( designation ) of Imam Ja ’ far al-Sadiq was the correct one.

Citing the example of one of the first written applications of the Arabic term hashish to the Ismailis by 13th century historian Abu Shama, de Sacy demonstrated its connection to the name given to the Ismailis throughout Western scholarship.

Originally, a " local and popular term " first applied to the Ismailis of Syria, the label was orally transmitted to Western historians and thus found itself in their histories of the Nizaris.

The first Mongol attack on the Ismailis came in April 1253 AD, when many of the Quhistani fortresses were lost to the Christian Mongol general Ket-Buqa.

Citing the example of one of the first written applications of the Arabic term hashishi to the Ismailis by historian Abu Shams ( d. 1267 ), de Sacy demonstrated its connection to the name given to the Ismailis throughout Western scholarship.

Originally, a “ local and popular term ” first applied to the Ismailis of Syria, the label was orally transmitted to Western historians and thus found itself in their histories of the Nizaris.

Ismailis of the Northern Areas of Pakistan, namely Chitral, Ghizr, Gilgit, Hunza, as well as the border regions of China, were some of the first communities to adopt the jamatkhana into their ritual life.

The mausoleum is also the resting place of Aqa Ali Shah's grandfather, Shah Khalil Allah, who was the forty-fifth Imam of the Nizari Ismailis, and for whom the mausoleum was first constructed.

Although most of the members of the community signed a document issued by Hasan Ali Shah summarizing the practices of the Ismailis, a group of dissenting Khojas surprisingly asserted that the community had always been Sunni.

The assassinations were against those whose elimination would most greatly reduce aggression against the Ismailis and, in particular, against those who had perpetrated massacres against the community.

So inflated had this association grown, that in the work of orientalist scholars such as Bernard Lewis, the Ismailis were equated to the politically active fida ' is and thus regarded as a radical and heretical sect known as the Assassins.

So inflated had this association grown, that in the work of orientalist scholars such as Bernard Lewis the Ismailis were virtually equated to the politically active fida ' is.

The Ismailis and other occupied peoples of Iran held shared resentment for the ruling Seljuqs, who had divided the country ’ s farmland into iqtā ’ ( fiefs ) and levied heavy taxes upon the citizens living therein.

The assassinations were against those whose elimination would most greatly reduce aggression against the Ismailis and, in particular, against those who had perpetrated massacres against the community.

So inflated had this association grown, that in the work of Orientalist scholars such as Bernard Lewis the Ismailis were virtually equated to the politically active fida ’ is.

With regard to the Shia Twelver claims that Imam Ismail had pre-deceased Musa al-Kazim, the Ismailis believe that Imam Ja ’ far al-Sadiq observed taqiyya ( dissimulation ) and gave a chance to his real successor to go underground so that their enemy, the Abbasids, did not pursue Ismail, and that his Imamat and his activities went un-noticed.

Strong Abbasid persecution had put the entire Shia movement on guard and had indeed driven the general run of the Shias, particularly the Ismailis, underground.

This decision, however, had far-reaching effects on the future aspiration of the Ismailis, who were totally split on this point of succession.

Upon taking the position of Imam, the Aga Khan IV stated that he intended to continue the work his grandfather had pursued in building modern institutions to improve the quality of life of the Nizari Ismailis.

Finally, in 1987, while writing how the Aga Khans III and IV had modified Khoja Nizari Ismaili religious practices, which contained " mystical-Indian " Hindu aspects, to conform more with " prophetic-Arabic " Islamic practices, Ali S. Asani noted that the Khoja group of Nizari Ismailis accepted the changes in part because of their strong belief and trust in the guidance offered by their " divinely-appointed " Imam.

Shams-ud-Din, the chief judge of Qazvin, had denounced the menace of the Ismailis.

Verbal history indicates that at one point they were Muslim Shia Ismailis ( who had been called once: Aga Khani / Khanawara ).

The gnostic-influenced Druze sect has also been affiliated with the Ismailis, but some of its followers go so far as to see it as a distinct religion altogether.

Since his ascension to the Imamate of Nizari Ismailis in 1957, the Aga Khan has been involved in complex political and economic changes which have affected his Nizari Ismaili followers, including the independence of African countries from colonial rule, expulsion of Asians from Uganda, the independence of Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan from the former Soviet Union and the continuous turmoil in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In light of the request expressed in his grandfather's will, the Aga Khan IV has sometimes been referred to by Nizari Ismailis as the " Imam of the Atomic Age.

During the medieval period, Western scholarship on the Ismailis contributed to the popular view of the community as a radical sect of assassins, believed to be trained for the precise murder of their adversaries.

Likewise during the revolt against the Seljuqs, several fortresses served as spaces of refuge for the Ismailis.

With its astronomical instruments and rare collection of works, the library attracted scholars and scientists of a variety of religious persuasions from around the world who visited it for many months at a time, hosted by the Ismailis.

Still, the most significant factor in determining the defeat of the Ismailis at Alamut was the command by the Imam for the surrender of the castles in the valley.

Likewise during the revolt against the Seljuqs, several fortresses served as spaces of refuge for the Ismailis.

During the medieval period, Western scholarship on the Ismailis contributed to the popular view of the community as a radical sect of assassins, believed to be trained for the precise murder of their adversaries.

Badakhshan is a region inhabited by Pamiri Ismailis, known for their sung spiritual poetry called madah.

For the Ismailis in the aftermath of the Mongol onslaught of the Alamut state in 1256 CE, the need to practice taqiyya became necessary, not only for the protection of the community itself, which was now stateless, but also for safeguarding the line of the Nizari Ismaili Imamate during this period of unrest.

Indeed for the Ismailis, the persistence and prosperity of the community today owes largely to the careful safeguarding of the beliefs and teachings of the Imams during the Ilkhanate, the Safawid dynasty, and other periods of persecution.

The end of taqiyya: reaffirming the religious identity of Ismailis in Shughnan, Badakhshan – political implications for Afghanistan.

Its importance for Muslims is indicated by its status as one of the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam, of the Ten Practices of the Religion of Twelver Shiʿi Islam and of the seven pillars of Mustaʿlī Ismailis.

Ismailis believe that Musa al-Kazim gave his own life as a sacrifice for the sake of his brother Ismail, the true Imam.

In 1986, the Aga Khan ordained the current Ismailia Constitution – an ecclesiastical decree affirming to Nizari Ismailis his " sole right to interpret the Qur ' an and provide authoritative guidance on matters of faith " and formalizing his sole discretion, power and authority for the governance of Nizari Ismaili jamats ( places of worship ) and institutions.

" The Aga Khan IV graduated from Harvard in 1959, two years after becoming the Imam of the Nizari Ismailis, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Islamic History ( with Cum Laude honors ) and his varsity H for soccer.

During the time of the 46th, 47th, and 48th Imams ( Aga Khan I, Aga Khan II, and Aga Khan III ) of the Nizari Ismaili community, respectively – and particularly prior to the creation of the independent country of Pakistan ( a major hub for Nizari Ismailis ) in 1947 – virtually all available sources of information indicated that the position of the Imam in Nizari Ismailism was that of the incarnation of God and / or the manifestation of God.

However, since a certain number of undefined years after the formation of the independent country of Pakistan ( a major hub for Nizari Ismailis, as indicated earlier ) in 1947, and particularly since the advent of the 49th Imam of the Nizari Ismailis, the Aga Khan IV, in 1957, the bulk of the public information available on the position of the Imam in Nizari Ismailism indicates that the position may be viewed as ' less divine ' than during the lives of previous Nizari Ismaili Imams – or, even, not divine altogether.

These range from the establishment of the US $ 450 million international Aga Khan University with its Faculty of Health Sciences and teaching hospital based in Karachi, the expansion of schools for girls and medical centers in the Hunza region ( one of the remote parts of Northern Pakistan bordering on China and Afghanistan that is densely populated with Nizari Ismailis ), to the establishment of the Aga Khan Rural Support Program in Gujarat, India – and the extension of existing urban hospitals and primary health care centers in Tanzania and Kenya.

Güyük reversed several unpopular edicts of his mother the regent and made a surprisingly capable khan, appointing Eljigidei in Persia in preparation for an attack on Baghdad and the Ismailis and pursuing the war against the Song Dynasty.