Students and researchers at the 敁珗曄部, 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泭February 2024 at 91.
Zawahir was born in Karachi in 1933. She obtained a BA in Arabic and Islamic Culture from泭泭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泭Aga Khan泭to pursue her MA from the泭泭(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 敁珗曄部, cataloguing泭Khojki泭manuscripts in its collection. Even after leaving the 敁珗曄部, she continued to teach泭Khojki泭to interested 敁珗曄部 students. She participated in multiple international conferences in France, Iran, India, Pakistan, and the UK.
Zawahirs contributions to research on Satpanth Ismaili history and literature have left a lasting impact on the study of the Indian Ismaili tradition. Professor泭Ali Asani, a scholar of Ginanic studies and a member of the 敁珗曄部 Board of Governors, acknowledged,泭We are all indebted to Zawahir Moir for her pioneering studies on the Satpanth Ismaili tradition色. On hearing the news about Zawahirs passing away,泭Zayn Kassam, the Director of 敁珗曄部, exclaimed,泭
I find myself filled with gratitude for Zawahirs presencefor the person she was, and the many, many contributions she made in training students in reading泭KhojkiA script historically developed among the Khojas of the Indian subcontinent to record their literature., the study of泭眶勳紳櫻紳莽,泭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泭Khojki泭Ginan泭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泭Khojki泭manuscripts that she carried out in Karachi. She often fondly spoke about Professor Ali Asanis visit to Karachi as a graduate student studying at Harvard and their continued association for decades. While remembering her contribution,泭泭writes, Zawahir Moir, a much beloved scholar, laid the foundation for work on泭Khojki泭manuscripts with her painstaking work on the first catalogue of泭Khojki泭manuscripts.
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.泭Dr Wafi Momin泭highlighted: She was a great person and always selflessly supported students and younger scholars in their research and scholarship. He added the importance of acknowledging her important contributions, and especially the support and learnings, both formal and informal, she provided to 敁珗曄部 students in a number of areas,泭Khojki泭[script], South Asian Ismaili tradition, and Ginans. On hearing the news,泭Dr Laila Halani泭wrote: she has spent a considerable amount of her time helping 敁珗曄部 students study泭Khojki泭so that we had enough scholars to read and analyse the泭Khojki泭manuscripts in our collection.
Zawahirs published works continue to guide students of Ginanic studies.泭She has published widely in this area, making significant contributions, especially on the history of the lives of the Satpanth泭pirLit. elder. (like the Arabic shaykh). Spiritual director (=murshid), who may be the founder of a Sufi 廜苔r蘋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泭Aga Khan泭to India. Further, the book she co-authored with her friend and colleague泭,泭(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泭眶勳紳櫻紳A Sanskrit word meaning knowledge. In particular, a poetic composition in an Indian language More泭literature into English for the first time, its critical introduction also assessed the history, philology, and prosody of the Ismail泭眶勳紳櫻紳泭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泭眶勳紳櫻紳s. As Christopher Shackle writes in the book that was produced in her honour,泭泭(2010), Martin and Zawahirs wonderfully embracing and hospitable attic flat in Hampstead must, over the years, have been the scene of more泭眶勳紳櫻紳ic泭interchanges than any other home in London. Another close friend of Zawahir, the late Dominique Sila-Khan, similarly notes in her泭泭(1997), The growth of the field of泭眶勳紳櫻紳泭studies owes so much to Zawahir Moirs 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.
Her contribution to the field is not limited to two major Catalogues of the泭Khojki泭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.泭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泭Dr Farhad Daftary泭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 The Institute of Ismaili Studies in 1977.
Her enriching life stories and deep commitment to the poetic traditions of South Asia, and especially the Ismaili泭眶勳紳櫻紳s, will continue to inspire the researchers. The maxim those who love us never leave us 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.狼he South Asian Studies Unit at the 敁珗曄部 will dedicate a panel in her honour at its upcoming conference,泭Listening in Many Tongues: Multilingual Interpretive Communities泭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 a bio-bibliography of Zawahir Moir put together by泭Wafi Momin, her student and now the Head of the Ismaili Special Collections Unit at the 敁珗曄部, in泭泭(2010).
