Ismaili Missionary Activity

Timeline

1. 1026–1028Nishapur · NishapurIsmaili missionaries used Khurasan towns as nodes, spreading the doctrine through secret gatherings, letter networks, and merchant channels, attracting local elites and merchants dissatisfied with the Ghaznavid court and Sunni religious scholars.
2. 1026–1029Bukhara · BukharaDawa envoys entered the cities of Transoxiana along the Silk Road, developing followers in Bukhara, Samarkand, and elsewhere, entering ideological competition with local Sunni scholars and Ghaznavid-appointed local officials.
3. 1028–1029Sistan · SistanGhaznavid authorities and Abbasid orthodox scholars joined forces to suppress open preaching; some believers went underground or moved to remote fortresses, accumulating manpower and social resources for the militarized Nizari communities of the mid-to-late 11th century.