alled the Twelvers, because they followed a line of 11 imams directly descended from Ali, until the 12th (the "Hidden Imam") went into seclusion in 874. The most numerous minority Shiite group, the Seveners or Ismailis, traced their descent from the 7th imam, whose name was Ismail. According to Hourani, the more militant Shiite sects, including the Ismailis, were "elitist and conspiratorial" (205). Throughout its history, Hourani says that "Shi'ism in its radical version has had a natural attraction for tribal and other solidarity groups seeking to replace the political power" (204).
Shiites in the form of the Ismaili offshoot, the Fatimids (969-1250), held power in Egypt for about 300 years. The Twelver version of Shia became the official religion of Persia during the Safavid Empire (1501-1722) and has remained, in one form or another, the dominant religious force there ever since. Otherwise, except for brief intervals, the Shiites have been excluded from political power and, according to Ruthven, have "drawn upon the historic experience of defeat and martyrdom" (187).
Limited Role of the Shiites in Muslim Rule in India
The conquest of India by Islam was largely accomplished by Turkic and Afghani warriors (ghazi) who acted at the direction of the Sunni Caliphs in central Islam or later on their own. They came in successive waves beginning in 712 and completed their occupation of most of India by the end of the 12th century. According to Hodgson, the f
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