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History & Heritage
The cultural heritage of this denomination is traced to the traditions of the Fatimid Imams, descendants of Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatema. The Fatimids ruled over North Africa from the 10th to 11th century CE.

The Fatimid Imams
The Fatimids, from the lineage of the Hashimites of Mecca, ruled over North Africa and Egypt, Hejaz, and Levant in the 10th and 11th centuries, and established a religious movement, al-Da'wah al-Hadiyah (lit. 'the righteously-guiding mission'), across the Islamic world.​

The Fatimids flourished during what Maurice Lombard called the Golden age of Islam and were patrons of arts, learning, and scientific discovery. The 14th Imam al-Mui’zz founded what is the modern day city of Cairo and established Al-Azhar University, which is one of the oldest universities in the world.

Before the decline of the empire, Al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah, the 20th Fatimid Imam, directed his grand emissary, Arwa bint Ahmad, the Sulayhid queen of Yemen, to establish the office of the Da'i al-Mutlaq (lit. 'unrestricted missionary') to act as vicegerent of his son, the 21st Imam At-Tayyib Abu'l-Qasim while he was in occultation, and to lead al-Da'wah al-Hadiyah as the representative of his son At-Tayyib.​ Arwa bint Ahmad appointed Zoeb bin Musa as the first Da'i al-Mutlaq.​

The present incumbent to the office is the 53rd al-Da'i al-Mutlaq  Mufaddal Saifuddin.

Origins in India
The roots of the community’s establishment in India go back to the Fatimid era, when Imam Mustansir, the 18th Imam, sent a Dai named Abd Allah from Yemen to initiate the Da’wah on his behalf. Abd Allah arrived in Cambay (modern day Khambhat, Gujarat) in AD 1067/ H 460 and soon won many converts, including local rulers.

The seclusion of al-Tayyeb led to the establishment of the office of al-Dai al-Mutlaq in Yemen. Subsequently, the Indian community which had pledged allegiance to the Fatimids continued to remain loyal to the Dais in Yemen. This resulted in a secession with the Hafizis, led by Al-Tayyeb’s uncle, Abd al-Majid.

Twenty three Dais operated from their mountain bases in Yemen for nearly four centuries, preserving the faith and authoring seminal works. The 19th Dai, Idris Imaduddin wrote numerous works, including a comprehensive and detailed history of the Fatimid faith.

Meanwhile, the community in Gujarat had maintained ties with their leaders in Yemen, who closely supervised their affairs and regularly welcomed Bohra delegations from Gujarat. During this time, the community grew in size, especially in Cambay, Patan, Sidhpur, and Ahmedabad.

Yusuf bin Sulayman, originally from Sidhpur, a town in Gujarat, was one of the  Bohras who travelled to Yemen to seek knowledge from the Dai. Najmuddin arrived in Yemen while still in his youth and first studied under Hasan bin Nuh al-Bharuchi. He was eventually nominated by the twenty-third Dai as his successor and became the first from the Indian community to lead the Tayyibi Da’wa as the twenty-fourth al-Dai al-Mutlaq. When Najmuddin died in CE 1567/H 974, the central headquarters of the Da’wa were transferred from Yemen to Gujarat by his Indian successor, Jalal bin Hasan, who established residence at Ahmedabad.

When the 26th al-Dai al-Mutlaq died in CE 1589 /H 997, he was succeeded by his deputy, Dawood bin Qutubshah. However, three years later, Sulayman bin Hasan, a high-ranking dignitary in Yemen, claimed the succession to the leadership of the community for himself. This succession dispute was brought before the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1597. A special tribunal decided in favour of Dawood bin Qutubshah. However, this did not dissolve tensions, leading to a schism in the community. A majority of  Bohras acknowledged Dawood bin Qutubshah as the rightful successor and henceforth came to be known as Dawoodis (or Da’udis.)

Major Centres
Over the next few centuries, the Bohra headquarters moved within India with the changing location of the Dai. The centre of the Da’wah has shifted six times: Ahmedabad (eight Dais, from 1567/974 to 1655/1065); Jamnagar in the Kathiawar region of Gujarat (five Dais, from 1655/1065 to 1737/1150); Ujjan in present day state of Madhya Pradesh (two Dais, from 1737/1150 to 1779/1193); Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh (one Dai, from 1779/1193 to 1785/1200); Surat in present day state of Gujarat (eight Dais, from 1785/1200 to 1933/1351) and Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra where the current Dai resides.

Surat
Beginning from early 19th century, several community members emigrated to different lands in search for better livelihoods. The first wave of Bohra traders migrating to East Africa took place in the aftermath of a severe drought in Kathiawar. The 43rd Dai, Abdeali Saifuddin, invited 12,000 of his followers to Surat, and provided food, work and lodgings for all of them. His only conditions were that they learn and practice vocational skills, and he gave them their earnings when it was time for them to leave Surat. Many from this group decided to use this capital to venture forth to trade in East Africa.

Mumbai
A century on from Abdeali Saifuddin, Taher Saifuddin succeeded him to the office of al-Dai al-Mutlaq as the 51st Dai, and his leadership was challenged almost immediately upon assuming his office. Taher Saifuddin is credited with revitalising the community by restructuring the community’s organisation on modern lines.

He shifted the community headquarters from Surat to Mumbai, which had become a major centre of trade and commerce in India. His emphasis on acquiring higher education across disciplines saw many young Dawoodi Bohras go on to settle in different parts of the globe resulting in thriving new communities over there.