Cover; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Table of Contents; List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Transliteration; Introduction; 1 Historical context of Badakhshan and Ismailis; 2 The authority of religious leaders in Badakhshan in the pre-Soviet period; 3 The Ismaili leaders in the period of transition from the pre-Soviet to Soviet periods; 4 Political leadership and the Ismailis during the Soviet period; 5 The Tajik civil war and the Ismailis; 6 The modern vision of leadership of the Ismailis; Conclusion; Appendix One: The positive aspect of Soviet ideology
Appendix Two: Badakhshan's development in the Soviet periodGlossary; Bibliography; English sources; Russian and Tajik-Persian sources; List of interviews; Index
Summary
This book explores the unfolding of world history in a remote corner of Central Asia: the region of Badakhshan. The history of this region has commonly been explored through the lens of the major superpowers who competed over its territory in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including Britain, Russia, and China. Here, we are offered a comprehensive overview of the history of the Ismaili community in Tajikistan. Leadership and Authority in Central Asia identifies traditional forms of religious authority within the network of religious functionaries at a range of levels and discu