Abstract:
The activity of the Ismailis in Isfahan began in the third century AH. Information regarding these activities is dark and obscure until the second half of the fifth century. During these centuries, Ahmad ibn Husayn, known as Dandan and Abu Hatim al-Razi, have been introduced in sources related to the Ismailis of this city. The peak of Ismaili activities in Isfahan was during the Seljuk era. Two famous da'is of this period, Abd al-Malik ibn Atash and his son Ahmad, held the leadership of the Ismailis. During the era of Abd al-Malik, Isfahan was the center of Ismaili activity. In this article, while examining the efforts of the Ismailis in Isfahan, their connection with the Fatimids of Egypt, the Nizari Ismailis of Alamut, and the Shafi'i and Hanafi Sunni scholars is stated; and finally, the individuals who were assassinated by the Ismailis of Isfahan are introduced.
Machine summary:
The chaotic situation of the Caliphate, the great social and economic changes of the fifth century, the expansion of the Fatimid da'wah in the areas under Abbasid control in the early and mid-century, the killing of Khwaja Nizam al-Mulk, the greatest enemy of the Ismailis, and the constant wars between Barkiyaruq and Muhammad, along with the relatively turbulent situation of the Seljuk realms, prepared the ground for the expansion of the Ismaili da'wah in Isfahan, the center of the Seljuks.
Ismaili Da'is of Isfahan during the Seljuk Era Abd al-Malik ibn Atash From the second half of the fifth century AH, as the Ismailis of the eastern regions of the Caliphate saw the power of the Fatimids declining, they were no longer expecting to rely on central leadership from the da'wah base in Cairo, although they were not yet ready to declare their independence and separation from the Fatimids until after the death of the Fatimid Caliph, al-Mustansir (d.
57 The Relationship of the Ismailis of Isfahan with the Fatimids and the Nizaris Abd al-Malik ibn Atash, the leader of the Ismailis in the Iranian regions, is considered the last Fatimid da'i of Iran.
It is probable that Ahmad ibn Abd al-Malik, without being under the supervision of the Fatimid leadership or the leadership of Hasan Sabbah in Alamut, independently led the Ismailis of Isfahan with beliefs that leaned towards the Nizaris.
Post-Seljuk sources such as Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh by Ibn al-Athir, Jami' al-Tawarikh by Rashid al-Din Fazlullah, and Zubdat al-Tawarikh by Kashani, largely attribute the assassinations in Isfahan to the Nizari fida'is of Alamut.
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