Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

The Islamic Research Association came into being on February 1, 1933 in Bombay. Its founder President was Ali Muhammad R. Macklai (1894-1971) with Asaf A.A. Fyzee (1899-1981), the Principal of Bombay Law College, as the Secretary. Its founder members were Jogesharini Ismail, M.B. Rahman, Dr. U.M. Daudpota, Saif F.B. Tayyib and W. Ivanow (1886-1970). Lui Messignon (Paris), D.H. Margoliuth (Oxford), R.A. Nicholson (Cambridge), K.S. Zotarstin (Apsila), A.Fisher (Lipzig), H.A.R. Gibb (London) and O.J. Vensik (Leiden) had accepted to become the fellows of the Associations. At the end of 1933, the Association composed of seven fellows, three life members and eight members. In 1933, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah became its patron and Sir Ross Masud, the vice-chancellor of Aligadh University became its Vice-Patron. Its first publication was the Diwan of Khaki Khorasani by W. Ivanow in 1933. W. Ivanow (1886-1970), a distinguished Russian scholar in Ismaili studies, who had left Russia soon after the October Revolution and spent next forty years in India, and played prominent role in the foundation and promotion of this research institution with his colleagues in the executive committee. The span of the Islamic Research Association, Bombay was about 13 years. It was dissolved in place of the Ismaili Society in 1946.