Ismailis of China: history, culture and tradition
The lecture will take place in person at Aga Khan Centre and online via Zoom. It will start at 17:00 and end at 18:30 GMT.
The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) will host a hybrid lecture on 16 September 2026 as part of the Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series (IHTLS). Dr Amier Saidula will explore the social history and cultural life of the Ismaili Tajiks in Xinjiang, examining how rites, rituals and oral traditions sustain religious heritage and collective identity amid historical change. The session will be moderated by Dr Orkhan Mir-Kasimov.
This lecture examines the social history and cultural life of the Ismaili Tajiks in Xinjiang. It traces how rites, rituals, oral traditions and vernacular knowledge sustain religious and spiritual heritage and collective identity in times of transition. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and oral histories, the presentation shows how cultural practices function as lived expressions of faith and belonging. They also serve as repositories of memory, resilience and continuity. By situating the Ismaili Tajiks within Chinese, Central Asian and wider Ismaili contexts, the lecture challenges perceptions of marginality and instead positions the community within broader narratives of adaptation and meaning-making.
The lecture considers ritual practice, religious symbolism, storytelling and intergenerational transmission. It demonstrates how traditions are continually reconfigured while remaining central to communal life. Ethnography, in this framework, is not only descriptive scholarship but also an act of preservation. Recording practices at a moment of transition affirms their value and secures them as part of the cultural record. The lecture argues that the heritage of the Ismaili Tajiks is both fragile and resilient: vulnerable to erasure, yet rich with resources for continuity, revival and identity-making in the face of change.
Senior Research Associate
Dr Amier Saidula is a Senior Research Associate at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. He holds degrees in Chinese Law, Islamic Studies and Humanities, and a Master of Laws from SOAS University of London. He completed his PhD in Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh.
Before joining IIS, he served as a state prosecutor in the High Procuratorate of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. His research focuses on the history, culture and traditions of Muslims in China, with particular attention to the Ismaili community in Xinjiang.
Associate Professor
Dr Orkhan Mir-Kasimov is an Associate Professor at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. He is Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and his teaching focuses on Islamic history, Shiʿi history and thought, and Islamic mysticism. Find out more on Dr Mir-Kasimov’s research and publications.
Register: https://iis-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oAQkGA8pSIy5LlDMM5Rd8Q#/registration
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 will host a hybrid lecture on 16 September 2026 as part of the Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series (IHTLS). Dr Amier Saidula will explore the social history and cultural life of the Ismaili Tajiks in Xinjiang, examining how rites, rituals and oral traditions sustain religious heritage and collective identity amid historical change. The session will be moderated by Dr Orkhan Mir-Kasimov.This lecture examines the social history and cultural life of the Ismaili Tajiks in Xinjiang. It traces how rites, rituals, oral traditions and vernacular knowledge sustain religious and spiritual heritage and collective identity in times of transition. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and oral histories, the presentation shows how cultural practices function as lived expressions of faith and belonging. They also serve as repositories of memory, resilience and continuity. By situating the Ismaili Tajiks within Chinese, Central Asian and wider Ismaili contexts, the lecture challenges perceptions of marginality and instead positions the community within broader narratives of adaptation and meaning-making.The lecture considers ritual practice, religious symbolism, storytelling and intergenerational transmission. It demonstrates how traditions are continually reconfigured while remaining central to communal life. Ethnography, in this framework, is not only descriptive scholarship but also an act of preservation. Recording practices at a moment of transition affirms their value and secures them as part of the cultural record. The lecture argues that the heritage of the Ismaili Tajiks is both fragile and resilient: vulnerable to erasure, yet rich with resources for continuity, revival and identity-making in the face of change.SpeakerDr Amier SaidulaSenior Research AssociateDr Amier Saidula is a Senior Research Associate at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. He holds degrees in Chinese Law, Islamic Studies and Humanities, and a Master of Laws from SOAS University of London. He completed his PhD in Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh.Before joining IIS, he served as a state prosecutor in the High Procuratorate of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. His research focuses on the history, culture and traditions of Muslims in China, with particular attention to the Ismaili community in Xinjiang.ModeratorOrkhan Mir-KasimovAssociate ProfessorDr Orkhan Mir-Kasimov is an Associate Professor at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. He is Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and his teaching focuses on Islamic history, Shiʿi history and thought, and Islamic mysticism. Find out more on Dr Mir-Kasimov’s research and publications. Register: https://iis-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oAQkGA8pSIy5LlDMM5Rd8Q#/registration &source=https://dmluoj0wft2i7.cloudfront.net/thumbnails/media_slide_16x9/cdn/images/6a1ec6b75ba0c.jpg "LinkedIn")
 will host a hybrid lecture on 16 September 2026 as part of the Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series (IHTLS). Dr Amier Saidula will explore the social history and cultural life of the Ismaili Tajiks in Xinjiang, examining how rites, rituals and oral traditions sustain religious heritage and collective identity amid historical change. The session will be moderated by Dr Orkhan Mir-Kasimov.This lecture examines the social history and cultural life of the Ismaili Tajiks in Xinjiang. It traces how rites, rituals, oral traditions and vernacular knowledge sustain religious and spiritual heritage and collective identity in times of transition. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and oral histories, the presentation shows how cultural practices function as lived expressions of faith and belonging. They also serve as repositories of memory, resilience and continuity. By situating the Ismaili Tajiks within Chinese, Central Asian and wider Ismaili contexts, the lecture challenges perceptions of marginality and instead positions the community within broader narratives of adaptation and meaning-making.The lecture considers ritual practice, religious symbolism, storytelling and intergenerational transmission. It demonstrates how traditions are continually reconfigured while remaining central to communal life. Ethnography, in this framework, is not only descriptive scholarship but also an act of preservation. Recording practices at a moment of transition affirms their value and secures them as part of the cultural record. The lecture argues that the heritage of the Ismaili Tajiks is both fragile and resilient: vulnerable to erasure, yet rich with resources for continuity, revival and identity-making in the face of change.SpeakerDr Amier SaidulaSenior Research AssociateDr Amier Saidula is a Senior Research Associate at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. He holds degrees in Chinese Law, Islamic Studies and Humanities, and a Master of Laws from SOAS University of London. He completed his PhD in Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh.Before joining IIS, he served as a state prosecutor in the High Procuratorate of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. His research focuses on the history, culture and traditions of Muslims in China, with particular attention to the Ismaili community in Xinjiang.ModeratorOrkhan Mir-KasimovAssociate ProfessorDr Orkhan Mir-Kasimov is an Associate Professor at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. He is Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and his teaching focuses on Islamic history, Shiʿi history and thought, and Islamic mysticism. Find out more on Dr Mir-Kasimov’s research and publications. Register: https://iis-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oAQkGA8pSIy5LlDMM5Rd8Q#/registration "Facebook")