Our research
CASU undertakes research on a wide range of themes and subjects related to the history, intellectual traditions, cultural practices and written heritage of Central Asian Muslims, particularly the Ismaili communities in conjunction with other faiths and traditions in the region. CASU is also engaged in the exploration of the oral traditions of the IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (d. 765), as his successor. in the Badakhshan regions of Tajikistan and Afghanistan. The geographical scope of the CASU research extends to Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan and Western China which share a common history and heritage with the rest of Central Asia.
CASU publications
CASU has published critical editions of works by eminent Muslim thinkers of Central Asia, monographs, edited volumes, conference proceedings, etc. It has also translated selected IIS publications into Central Asian and Russian languages to make them accessible to the academic and wider readership in the region.
To address the paucity of publications on the history and intellectual heritage of the Central Asian Muslims, particularly the Ismailis, CASU has initiated a Central Asian Studies Series (CASS) which aims to promote a better understanding of the history and intellectual traditions of Central Asian Muslims. CASS will include monographs, collective volumes, conference proceedings, translations and other important works related to the culture and traditions of the Muslims in the region. In addition to the publication of works by CASU members, the CASS is also a venue for the publication of relevant works by external and commissioned scholars.
