Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Reference abbreviations -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 Shi'i communities in history -- Origins and early history of Shi'i Islam -- The Twelvers -- The Ismailis -- The Zaydis -- Notes -- Further reading -- Chapter 2 The study of the Ismailis: Phases and issues -- Medieval Muslim perceptions -- Medieval European perceptions -- Orientalistic studies of the Ismailis -- Modern progress in Ismaili studies -- Notes -- Chapter 3 Ismaili history and literary traditions -- Early Ismaili traditions -- Ismaili traditions of the Fatimid period -- Niz?r? Ismaili traditions of the Alam?t period -- Post-Alam?t Niz?r? Ismaili traditions -- Note -- Chapter 4 Idr?s ?Im?d al-D?n and medieval Ismaili historiography -- Notes -- Chapter 5 A major schism in the early Ism???l? movement -- Notes -- Chapter 6 Ismaili da?wa under the Fatimids -- Notes -- Chapter 7 The concept of H.ujja in Ismaili thought -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Chapter 8 Cyclical time and sacred history in medieval Ismaili thought -- Notes -- Chapter 9 ?Al? in classical Ismaili theology -- Notes -- Chapter 10 Al-Q??? al-Nu?m?n, Ism???l? law and Im?m? Sh??ism -- Notes -- Chapter 11 The Iranian school of philosophical Ismailism* -- Notes -- Chapter 12 The medieval Ism???l?s of the Iranian lands -- The early period -- The F??imid period -- The Alam?t period -- The early post-Alam?t centuries -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Chapter 13 The 'Order of the Assassins': J. von Hammer and the orientalist misrepresentations of the Nizari Ismailis -- Notes -- Chapter 14 Ismaili-Seljuq relations: Conflict and stalemate -- Notes -- Chapter 15 Sin?n and the Niz?r? Ismailis of Syria -- Notes -- Chapter 16 Hidden imams and Mahdis in Ismaili history -- Notes