Challenging narratives of ‘Missionary’ Ismaʿilism in Buyid Iran : reconsidering the Sira of al-Muʾayyad fī al-Din al-Shirazi through socio-economic contextualisation

Abstract

The Sira of al-Muʾayyad fi al-Din al-Shirazi (d. 1078 C.E. / 470 A.H.) offers a first-hand account of the politics of religion in South-West Iran in the 11th century. However, the limited studies of this text to date do not fully explore how al-Muʾayyad’s activities related to the socio-economic situation of the localities they targeted. In light of the lack of information, both in the Sira and more generally, on the tactics and objectives of Iranian duʿat (s.g. daʿi) like al-Muʾayyad before the Ismaʿili succession struggle (i.e. pre-1094 / 487) and the common translation of this term as ‘missionary’ in much literature, this paper will use a range of textual and non-textual sources to set his activities in their proper historical context. It will thereby seek to show that this context closely guided his movements in targeting those people and places most important to maintaining temporal sovereignty.