Abstract
The Ismaʿili Agha Khani Khojas of South Asia can be distinguished from other Shiʿi Muslims by their non-observance of the ritual practices commemorating the martyrdom of the grand-son of the Prophet, Ḥusayn, in Kerbala, Iraq, on 10 Muharram 61 A.H./10 October 680 A.D. We know that a process of charismatic centralization around the figure of the āghā khān as the Ismaili imām present hic et nunc (ḥażir imām) contributed to the abandoning of the cult of Husayn among the Ismaili Agha Khani Khojas. Based on a study of two devotional texts, this article demonstrates that the cult of Husayn was transposed in the second half of the 19th century to a new cult surrounding the āghā khān and members of his family before being abandoned in the context of dissidence against the āghā khān.
Published Version
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