Dr Farhad Daftary Appointed to the Board of Encyclopaedia Iranica

Dr Farhad Daftary, Co-Director of the Institute, has been elected to the membership of the Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation’s Board of Directors. He has been and continues to be a consulting editor with them.

The Encyclopaedia Iranica is dedicated to the study of Iranian civilisation in the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. This academic reference work will eventually cover all aspects of Iranian history and culture as well as all Iranian languages and literatures, facilitating the whole range of Iranian studies research from Archaeology to Political Sciences.

Dr Daftary has also recently published a Historical Dictionary of the Ismailis through Scarecrow Press, an imprint of the Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group. This comprehensive new reference work is the first of its kind on the Ismailis and presents a summary of the findings of modern scholarship on Shi‘a Ismaili Muslims and different facets of their heritage.

The dictionary covers all phases of Ismaili history as well as the main doctrines of the community. It includes an introductory chapter, which provides a broad historical survey of the Ismailis, followed by alphabetical entries on all major aspects of the community, such as key figures, institutions, traditions, and doctrines. It also contains a chronology, genealogical tables, a glossary, and a substantial bibliography. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone interested in knowing more about the Ismailis.

Dr Daftary will be launching this and other publications, including A Modern History of the Ismailis, and Fortresses of the Intellect - Ismaili and other Islamic Studies in Honour of Farhad Daftary in Dubai later in 2012.