When Muslim rule in Kashmir ended in 1820, Sikh and later Hindu Dogra Rulers gained power, but the country was still largely influenced by Sunni religious orthodoxy. This book traces the impact of Sunni power on Shi'i society and how this changed during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The book identifies a distinctive Kashmiri Shi'i Islam established during this period. Hakim Sameer Hamdani argues that the Shi'i community's religious and cultural identity was fostered through practices associated with the martyrdom of Imam Husayn and his family in Karbala, as well as other rituals of Islam, in particular, the construction and furore surrounding M'arak, the historic imambada (a Shi'i house for mourning of the Imam) of Kashmir's Shi'i. The book examines its destruction, the ensuing Shi'i -Sunni riot, and the reasons for the Shi'i community's internal divisions and rifts at a time when they actually saw the strong consolidation of their identity.

The book highlights the challenges faced by the Shia community in Kashmir and other parts of the world, and calls for greater awareness, understanding, and action to address these issues. The book begins by providing an overview of the Shia community in Kashmir, which represents a significant minority within the predominantly Sunni Muslim region. Despite their numerical minority, Shias have played an important role in the cultural, social, and political fabric of Kashmir for centuries. However, the community has also faced significant challenges, including discrimination, marginalization, and violence, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict in the region.The author then delves into the specific challenges faced by the Shia community in Kashmir. These include issues related to political representation, economic development, and social exclusion. The author describes how the government and society have largely ignored the concerns of the Shia community, leaving them vulnerable to discrimination andviolence.One of the most significant examplescited in the book is the 2019 rape case, in which a Shia girl was allegedly raped by a man. The perpetrator was supported by his community,which led to tensions and violence in the region.The book argues that such incidents highlight the vulnerability of the Shia community and the urgent need for greater protection and support.The book also discusses the potential consequences of Kashmir falling under Pakistani control or becoming liberated. In either case, the author argues that the situation for the Shia community could become even more precarious, with the potential for violence and discrimination to increase. The book emphasizes the need for government and society to work together to address these issues and ensure that the community's rights are protected.Finally, the book discusses the situation of Shia Muslims in other countries, such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia. The author describes the discrimination and persecution that Shias often face in these countries, including violence, harassment, and exclusion from political and economic power. The book argues that the challenges faced by the Shia community in Kashmir are not unique, and that there is a broader pattern of discrimination and marginalization that needs to be addressed.Overall, the book provides a detailed analysis of the challenges faced by the Shia community in Kashmir and other parts of the world. It highlights the need for greater awareness, understanding, and action to address these issues, and emphasizes the importance of protecting the rights of vulnerable communities

Charts the history and development of Twelver Shi'ismAs many as 40 different Shi`i groups existed in the 9th and 10th centuries; only 3 forms remain. Why is Twelver Shi`ism one of them? As the established faith in modern Iran, the majority faith in Iraq and areas in the Gulf and with its adherents forming sizeable minorities elsewhere in the region, it is arguably the most successful branch of Shi'ism. Andrew Newman charts the history Twelver Shi'ism, uncovering the development of the key distinctive doctrines and practices which ensured its survival in the face of repeated challenges. He argues that the key to the faith's endurance has been its ability to institutionalise responses to the changing, often localised circumstances in which the community has found itself, thereby remaining remarkably resilient in the face of both internal disagreements and external opposition.

The Shias of Pakistan are the world's second largest Shia community after that of Iran, but comprise only 10-15 per cent of Pakistan's population. In recent decades Sunni extremists have increasingly targeted them with hate propaganda and terrorism, yet paradoxically Shias have always been fully integrated into all sections of political, professional and social life without suffering any discrimination. In mainstream politics, the Shia- Sunni divide has never been an issue in Pakistan. Shia politicians in Pakistan have usually downplayed their religious beliefs, but there have always been individuals and groups who emphasised their Shia identity, and who zealously campaigned for equal rights for the Shias wherever and whenever they perceived these to be threatened. Shia 'ulama' have been at the forefront of communal activism in Pakistan since 1949, but Shia laymen also participated in such organisations, as they had in pre-partition India. Based mainly on Urdu sources, Rieck's book examines, first, the history of Pakistan's Shias, including their communal organisations, the growth of the Shia 'ulama' class, of religious schools and rivalry between "orthodox" "ulama" and popular preachers; second, the outcome of lobbying of successive Pakistan governments by Shia organisations; and third, the Shia-Sunni conflict, which is increasingly virulent due to the state's failure to combat Sunni extremism.

As sectarian violence spirals alarmingly in Pakistan the need for a rigorous history of its Shia population is met by Rieck's definitive account.

Contributed articles.

Kashmir Under Sultans introduces the reader to a subject that begins with the foundation of the Sultanate and ends with the conquest of Kashmir by Akbar. During the Sultanate period, Kashmir had achieved a high standard of culture, but with the disappearance of her independence, her culture gradually declined. Poets, painters, and scholars had to leave the Valley and seek their livelihood elsewhere owing to the absence of local patronage. They then entered the service of the Mughal emperors and were added to the court, thereby lessening the cultural impoverishment of Kashmir. The book encloses political, social, economic and cultural activities that had a lasting influence on the Kashmir Valley in that period. It is of considerable value to social historians as Professor Mohibbul Hasan offers insights into political and cultural currents and crosscurrents in Kashmir. This title is co-published with Aakar Books. Print editions not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan)