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

This article explores late nineteenth-century identity formation and caste boundaries among the Khōjā of colonial Zanzibar. The central concern regarding children born to a non-Khōjā parent was what status, particularly regarding rights of inheritance, the multiracial children born of these relationships had within the caste structure. The case of Nasur Jesa v. Hurbayee suggests that the attitude toward these children was inconsistent; sometimes they were embraced,and at other times they were shunned by the Khōjā community.

The Guptı¯s of Bhavnagar, India, represent an unexplored case of taqiyya, or precautionary dissimulation, and challenge traditional categories of religious identity in South Asia. Taqiyya is normally practiced by minority or otherwise
disadvantaged groups of Muslims who fear negative repercussions should their real faith become known. Historically, the Shı¯‘a, whether Ithna¯ -‘asharı¯ or Ismaili, have commonly dissimulated as Sunnı¯s, who form the dominant community.