Students and researchers at the IIS, particularly those studying Satpanth Ismaili traditions will remember with great admiration and affection an esteemed scholar, Zawahir (Noorally) Moir, who passed away in London on 9th听February 2024 at 91.
Zawahir was born in Karachi in 1933. She obtained a BA in Arabic and Islamic Culture from听听in 1956, where she went on to study for her masters in Islamic History in 1958. After completing her studies, she received a scholarship from His Highness the听Aga Khan听to pursue her MA from the听听(SOAS) in London. After completing her MA, she returned to Karachi and joined the then Ismailia Association for Pakistan for almost 15 years before returning to London in 1979. Once back in London, she worked at IIS, cataloguing听Khojki听manuscripts in its collection. Even after leaving the IIS, she continued to teach听Khojki听to interested IIS students. She participated in multiple international conferences in France, Iran, India, Pakistan, and the UK.
Zawahir鈥檚 contributions to research on Satpanth Ismaili history and literature have left a lasting impact on the study of the Indian Ismaili tradition. Professor听Ali Asani, a scholar of Ginanic studies and a member of the IIS鈥 Board of Governors, acknowledged,听鈥淲e are all indebted to Zawahir Moir for her pioneering studies on the Satpanth Ismaili tradition鈥︹. On hearing the news about Zawahir鈥檚 passing away,听Zayn Kassam, the Director of IIS, exclaimed,听鈥
I find myself filled with gratitude for Zawahir鈥檚 presence鈥攆or the person she was, and the many, many contributions she made in training students in reading听KhojkiA script historically developed among the Khojas of the Indian subcontinent to record their literature., the study of听驳颈苍腻苍蝉,听and for her fine scholarship on the subject.
There is hardly any contemporary scholar of Ginanic studies who has not benefited from her academic advice and support. She often mentioned how Gulshan Khaki requested her assistance in reading and deciphering some听Khojki听Ginan听manuscripts preserved at the then Ismailia Association for Pakistan (now ITREB Pakistan). In her diary, she mentions how Professor Azim Nanji benefitted from the first cataloguing work of 110听Khojki听manuscripts that she carried out in Karachi. She often fondly spoke about Professor Ali Asani鈥檚 visit to Karachi as a graduate student studying at Harvard and their continued association for decades. While remembering her contribution,听听writes, 鈥淶awahir Moir, a much beloved scholar, laid the foundation for work on听Khojki听manuscripts with her painstaking work on the first catalogue of听Khojki听manuscripts鈥.
The list of researchers who benefited from her expertise, academic advice and generosity in sharing manuscript copies and materials is too long to be recounted here.听Dr Wafi Momin听highlighted: 鈥淪he was a great person and always selflessly supported students and younger scholars in their research and scholarship.鈥 He added the importance of acknowledging 鈥渉er important contributions, and especially the support and learnings, both formal and informal, she provided to IIS students in a number of areas,听Khojki听[script], South Asian Ismaili tradition, and Ginans.鈥 On hearing the news,听Dr Laila Halani听wrote: 鈥渟he has spent a considerable amount of her time helping IIS students study听Khojki听so that we had enough scholars to read and analyse the听Khojki听manuscripts in our collection.鈥
Zawahir鈥檚 published works continue to guide students of Ginanic studies.听She has published widely in this area, making significant contributions, especially on the history of the lives of the Satpanth听pirLit. 鈥榚lder.鈥 (like the Arabic shaykh). Spiritual director (=murshid), who may be the founder of a Sufi 峁璦r墨qa. The earliest Qasim Shahi Imams were referred to as pirs. In the…s (saint-teachers), and on the period of the arrival of the first听Aga Khan听to India. Further, the book she co-authored with her friend and colleague听,听(1992), was a major intervention in the study of Satpanth literature. Not only did it provide a translation and analysis of several poems from the corpus of听驳颈苍腻苍A Sanskrit word meaning knowledge. In particular, a poetic composition in an Indian language More听literature into English for the first time, its critical introduction also assessed the history, philology, and prosody of the Ismail听驳颈苍腻苍听literature in pathbreaking ways.
The scholarly accomplishments of Zawahir Moir and the care she and her husband had for their students and colleagues are noted by many who would visit her to learn more about听驳颈苍腻苍s. As Christopher Shackle writes in the book that was produced in her honour,听听(2010), 鈥楳artin and Zawahir鈥檚 wonderfully embracing and hospitable attic flat in Hampstead鈥 must, over the years, have been the scene of more听驳颈苍腻苍ic听interchanges than any other home in London.鈥 Another close friend of Zawahir, the late Dominique Sila-Khan, similarly notes in her听听(1997), 鈥淭he growth of the field of听驳颈苍腻苍听studies owes so much to Zawahir Moir鈥檚 ability to succor others, to her encouragement of their efforts, and her consistent willingness to share knowledge without looking for personal returns or even due acknowledgement鈥.
Her contribution to the field is not limited to two major Catalogues of the听Khojki听work (unpublished) but numerous articles that she contributed to academic journals, edited volumes and community publications.
Zawahir was working closely with scholars of Ismaili studies in the 1960s and 70s.听Wladimir Ivanow, a Russian orientalist and leading pioneer in modern Ismaili studies, regularly communicated with her and relied on her support during his stay in Karachi. In September 1968, when approached by听Dr Farhad Daftary听to help him with his research on the history of Ismaili Imams, Ivanow requested Zawahir to put Dr Daftary in touch with Bernard Lewis. She participated in the historic conference that was held in Paris in 1975. The conference deliberations led to the establishment of 国产视频 in 1977.
Her enriching life stories and deep commitment to the poetic traditions of South Asia, and especially the Ismaili听驳颈苍腻苍s, will continue to inspire the researchers. The maxim 鈥榯hose who love us never leave us鈥 will remain ever true for us in our memories of Zawahir. Although she now rests, the legacy of her scholarly work, and her enthusiastic spirit, will continue to shape the field of Ismaili Studies in the years to come.鈥疶he South Asian Studies Unit at the IIS will dedicate a panel in her honour at its upcoming conference,听Listening in Many Tongues: Multilingual Interpretive Communities听that will be held at the AKC, London (21-22 October 2024).
May her soul rest in Eternal Peace.
Note: Those interested in knowing more on her life and works can refer to 鈥渁 bio-bibliography of Zawahir Moir鈥 put together by听Wafi Momin, her student and now the Head of the Ismaili Special Collections Unit at the IIS, in听听(2010).
