Were the Shi'as of colonial India at the periphery of the Shi'i religious universe, or did they develop an autonomous identity of their own? What were their hopes and fears about the creation of Pakistan?In this episode of Thinking Islam, we explore the themes of Professor Justin Jones's landmark book Shi'a Islam in Colonial India. The conversation begins by challenging the assumption that Iran and the shrine cities of Iraq form the sole heartland of Shi'ism, and traces the indigenous character of Indian Shi'ism after the fall of Awadh in 1856. We discuss the rise of madrasas, the different categories of ulama and Indian mujtahids who provided autonomous leadership without always looking westward, the consolidation of the Shi'a as a distinct qaum rather than a firqa, and the question of political quietism in their relationship with the British Raj. The discussion then turns to the Pakistan Movement, where Shi'a presence in the Muslim League sat uneasily alongside the deep apprehension that Pakistan would become a "Sunnistan," and the striking alliance between Indian Shi'as and Ambedkar's untouchable movement, where Imam Husain emerged as a universal model for social justice and the struggle against oppression.Professor Justin Jones is a historian of Islam in modern South Asia at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on religious revitalisation, the remaking of religious authority, and the social history of Muslim communities in the subcontinent. His work on Shi'i Islam has opened scholarly conversations on Shi'i religious thought, community formation, and politics from the fall of Awadh to independence in north India.Audio Chapters:0:00 – Highlights01:52 – Why Shi'a Islam in South Asia06:31 – Indian Shi'as in the Shi'i Religious Universe14:00 – Relation with Najaf and Qom25:00 – Role of Ulama and Mujtahids41:27 – Shi'as as a Separate Qaum55:10 – Shi'as and the Pakistan Movement1:03:30 – Imam Husain, Untouchables, & Freedom1:13:43 – Ghulats, Usulis, & Akhbaris in India1:22:00 – Decline of Shi'ism in India?1:32:11 – Thinking Islam Question