This dissertation is a study of the Nizari Ismailis from the advent of the Safavids until the zenith of their power, i.e. from the beginning of Isma'il I's reign when he declared himself shah in 907/1501, up to and including the reign of Shah 'Abbas I (r. 996--1038/1588--1629). Although one might assume that Shah Isma'il I's adoption of Twelver Shi'ism at the beginning of his reign would have promised a more favorable environment for the Nizaris living in the Safavid realm, this was not always the case. Under Safavid rule, the Nizaris were sometimes persecuted, though not always because of their religious beliefs. This dissertation attempts to provide some meaningful answers to the following questions: What was the nature of the relationship that existed between the Safavid shahs and the Nizaris? What challenges did the Nizaris face under Safavid rule, particularly with respect to their religious identity? In times of hardship (be it for religious or other reasons), what factors allowed the Nizaris to preserve their religious identity and maintain their spiritual aspirations, especially given that they were a religious minority in the Safavid dispensation, and what factors helped them to cope with the situation they faced?

To answer these questions, this dissertation investigates the religious identity of a certain Shah T&dotbelow;ahir al-H&dotbelow;usayni al-Dakkai (d. ca. 956/1549) during the reign of Shah Isma'il I. While scholars have assumed that he was a Twelver Shi'i theologian or an Imam of a community that formed as a result of a split in the Nizari community in the eighth/fourteenth century, a re-examination of the sources suggests that he may have been a da'i loyal to the Nizari Imam in Anjudan. This dissertation also looks at the role of the Nizari da'wa, especially the role of the h&dotbelow;ujjat, during the reign of Shah T&dotbelow;ahmasp I (r. 930-84/1524-76) in providing religious instruction and guidance to the community. An analysis of the writings of a certain Khayrkhwah-i Harati (d. after 960/1553) suggest that in the absence of the Imam, the h&dotbelow;ujjat functioned as a gateway through whom the Imam could be recognized; an authoritative source of spiritual knowledge and edification; and a stimulator toward spiritual realization. In addition, this dissertation explores the challenges faced by a certain Nizari community in Dizbad during the reign of Shah 'Abbas I and the articulation and preservation of the religious identity of its members as Nizari Ismaili Muslims. The Nizaris of Dizbad faced at least two major challenges: oppression from the local tax officials; and maintaining their identity as Nizari Ismailis in a religious and political environment that favored Twelver Shi'ism. With regard to this first challenge, it appears that the Nizaris of Dizbad benefited from the amicable relationship that existed between the Nizari Imam and the Safavid shah. The second challenge is examined in the context of social identity theory of intergroup behavior. Based on the writings of a certain Khaki Khurasani (d. after 1056/1646), the Nizaris of Dizbad articulated their identity in two parts: first, in opposition to "out-groups", employing an oft-cited Hadith that predicted the Muslim community being split into some seventy-odd divisions; and second, in terms of their own "in-group" belief in the need for a present, living Imam in order to attain salvation.