This post is from the Ismaili Special Collections Unit at The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) for History Day 2024.
In celebration of History Day, we explore blogs, podcasts and videos, most of which were created by ISCU (Ismaili Special Collections Unit) team members in 2024.
The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) holds a significant repository of heritage materials related to Ismaili communities and other Muslim traditions. These collections include nearly 3,000 manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Indic and other languages, as well as coins, glass weights, medals and other historical artefacts, photographs and audio-visual materials, rare and special printed materials (including periodicals and magazines) and archival collections, among others.
In 2013, the IIS established the Ismaili Special Collections Unit (ISCU) as part of its continuing endeavours to systematically preserve, develop, digitise and catalogue these collections, as well as to study and facilitate research on these materials so as to contribute to the Institute’s vision of promoting scholarship on the heritage of Ismaili communities and that of other Muslim groups.
In line with its mandate of disseminating heritage materials, we explore below some outputs created by ISCU team members this year:
Video Series: Islamic Heritage, Past and Present
The video series aims to showcase items of historical importance held at The Institute of Ismaili Studies and highlight their contemporary relevance today.
The highlighted short episode features Dr Gurdofarid Miskinzoda, Co-Head (Interim) of the Department of Community Relations at the Institute of Ismaili Studies, exploring a compendium of supplications known as al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya, attributed to ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn Zayn al-‘Abidīn (d. 713), the great-grandson of Prophet Muhammad. We bring here the context, transmission and significance of al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya, as well as the aesthetics and material aspects from the manuscript tradition of this important compendium of prayers.
Podcast Series: Voices of History
The Voices of History is a podcast series of the IIS Oral History Project, by the Ismaili Special Collections Unit of the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS). The project documents the contemporary histories, cultures and traditions of the Ismaili Muslim communities around the world in multiple languages.
The first episode, “From Zanzibar to London: Prof Farouk Topan on Cosmopolitanism, Community, and Education,” features Prof Topan’s story of growing up in Zanzibar, studying in England, and establishment of the IIS in London.
Keep an eye on our YouTube and Spotify for more stories from the archive.
Conference: Rethinking Texts and their Contexts in Muslim Societies
This interdisciplinary conference, organised by ISCU, explored the diverse trajectories and contexts of texts in Muslim societies from oral cultures to the digital age.
The conference programme included a keynote address titled, “The Innate and Essential Pluralism of Religious Texts” by Professor Wendy Doniger. Professor Wendy Doniger is Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor Emerita of the History of Religions, in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations, and the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago.
To explore the upcoming videos from the conference as well as those relating to heritage materials, subscribe to the IIS YouTube channel.
Oral Histories: Inspiring stories, lasting legacies: Laghle Zamrud
For International Women’s Day this year, one of the stories we celebrated was the inspiring story of Laghle Zamrud (1949–2023), the first female healthcare professional from the Chitral region of Pakistan. Laghl’s story is one of strength and resilience and serves as a testament to the remarkable lives of Ismaili women.
Blog Series: Celebrating Heritage
Housed at the Ismaili Special Collections Unit are heritage items relating to different individuals and their histories. One such collection of items is donated by Mukhi Fatehali Count Manji Janmohamed. The donated photographs and archival materials relate to his parents, Count Manji Janmohamed and Countess Santokbai Manji.
For more information on ISCU, please contact naureenali@iis.ac.uk