Wladimir Ivanow and Modern Ismaili Studies Set to Open at AKC Gallery
will open at the Aga Khan Centre Gallery on December 1.
The exhibition follows the pioneering Russian scholar of Ismaili studies, Wladimir Ivanow (1886-1970), across the Muslim world. His life and work traced the contours of a transformative and decisive period in modern history 鈥� encompassing revolution and the struggle against European empires, as well as their dissolution into new nations. During this period there was also a significant shift in the academic study of Islam, and of Ismaili Shi鈥檌sm in particular.
Whether it was the British presence in India or the Russian presence in Central Asia, what was then called 鈥渙rientalism鈥� came to dominate the study of Islam and Muslims. By the middle of the twentieth century, however, Muslim communities were no longer tied to polemical or fantastical orientalist accounts of the 鈥榦ther鈥�, and increasingly began to inform and even direct the study of their tradition in unprecedented ways.
From his early travels in Iran to his arrival and settlement in Bombay and entanglements with its various Muslim communities, Wladimir Ivanow and Modern Ismaili Studies positions this scholar and his research at the very heart of this transformative period. The exhibition illustrates the historical contexts of the period but also hopes to shed light on how Ivanow鈥檚 life was directed by his chosen field of study: Ismaili history and thought. Drawing on archival material, photography from the period, and Ivanow鈥檚 own collection of manuscripts, the exhibition will also provide an introduction to the history of modern Ismaili studies and implicitly some features of the history of the Ismailis.
The exhibition is accompanied by a short documentary film featuring interviews with historians and academics, including IIS Co-Director, Dr聽Farhad聽Daftary, who himself has been greatly influenced by聽Ivanow聽and has continued to build on his legacy and work.聽
In many ways, the endeavours of聽Ivanow聽prefigured the scholarly work of the聽IIS聽more broadly, and his prolific output聽to a great extent聽mirrors the current areas of research聽at聽the Institute, particularly the disciplines of Central Asian, South Asian and聽Shi士i聽Studies.
In the words of Dr Daftary, 鈥淚t is about time for us to properly recognise the contributions of Wladimir聽Ivanow聽as the foremost pioneer of Ismaili studies.鈥澛犅�
Wladimir Ivanow and Modern Ismaili Studies will open at the Aga Khan Centre Gallery on December 1st and run until 31 March 2022.
