Until recently the Isma`ilis were judged almost exclusively on the basis of the hostile accounts of their Muslim enemies and the fanciful tales of the Crusaders. As a result, numerous misconceptions were disseminated about the teachings and practices of the Isma'ilis, known in European tradition as the Assassins. In the 1930s, however, authentic Isma`ili texts began to be recovered from private collections which shed new light on mediaeval Isma`ili history and thought. This collective volume brings together some of the original results of modern scholarship in the area, written by leading contemporary authorities, as well as distinguished Islamists.
