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Among the Shias
of South Asia the Ithna-Asharis
are in the majority while the Khojas
and Bohras of Western South Asia belong
to the two internal divisions of the
Isma`ili
school of Muslims - the Nizaris (Khojas)
with Satpanth Ismaili and the the
Musta‘lis (Bohras or Bohri) with Tayyibi
Ismaili. The Bohras
are subdiveded into three main sects:
Dawoodi,
Sulaimani
and Alavi.
Most Bohras are Dawoodi
(Daudi) Ismailis, small
Sulaimani branch is located in
Yemen and the smaller Alavi Bohras.
Alavi Bohra are a subsect of Shia
Isma`ili
Mustaali school. They are mostly concentared
in Pakistan
and India. The Mustaali group of Ismaili
Muslims are so named because they
accepted the legitimacy of the Fatimid
caliph Al-Musta'li, after Mustansir,
and not Nizar, whom the Aga Khan school
or Nizaris consider as their Imam.
This group is also referred to as
the Taiyabi or Tayyibi group, named
after the last Imam recognized by
them, Taiyab abi al-Qasim. Originally,
there was a distinction between Taiyabi
Mustaalis and Hafizi Mustaalis (who
recognized the Fatimid rulers of Egypt
between 1130-1169 as legitimate Imams,
not Taiyab abi al-Qasim). However
the Hafizi Mustaali view lost all
support after the downfall of the
Fatimid dynasty in Egypt, and current-day
Mustaalis are Taiyabis.
In 1592, a leadership struggle caused
the Taiyabi Mustaalis to be split
into Sulaimani (sometimes formerly
also called Makramis) and Dawoodis.
The Sulaimani Bohra (named after their
27th Dai Sulaiman bin Hassan) are
mainly concentrated in Yemen, while
the Dawoodi Bohras are strongest in
Pakistan and India. Later, there was
a further split in the Dawoodi Bohras
sect and a new subsect formed the
Alavi Bohras. The Dawoodi Bohra has
split again as a smaller Progressive
Dawoodi Bohra subsect has formed in
1980s.
Page last updated:
Friday, November 25, 2005 22:08:31 -0500 |
