Politics of Despotic Leaders

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(Robert L. Canfield, Professor Emeritus of Sociocultural Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis)

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(Manfred Henningsen, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of Hawaii at Manoa)

The book studies the Hazara Ismailis of Afghanistan - a community that endured years of marginalization in a repressive environment, persevered and sustained the faith while maintaining and practicing Taqiyya, dissimulation of their faith. It examines policies and actions of local authoritarian Ismaili religious leaders in controlling every aspect of the community affairs. The book also explores the status of Ismailis during and after the US-NATO occupation period and efforts by the Ismaili spiritual leader, the Aga Khan, who in 2002 with a stroke of a pen removed the tyrant Ismaili leaders - abolished the hereditary system of leadership in the Ismaili community, established modern institutional structures and appointed new generation of leaders to guide the community for a three-year term renewable once - a system of leadership that liberated Ismailis from bondage to their local religious and tribal leaders and allowed grassroots participation of the people in the daily affairs of their community.