Kahak (, also

Romanize In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...

d as Kohak) is a village in

Do Dehak Rural District Do Dehak Rural District () is in the Central District of Delijan County, Markazi province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west ...

, in the

Central District Central District may refer to: Places * Central District (Botswana) * Central district, Plovdiv, Bulgaria * Central District, Xiamen, China, now Siming District, Fujian * Central, Hong Kong, also called Central District * List of Central District ...

Delijan County Delijan County () is in Markazi province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Delijan. Demographics Population At the time of the 2006 National Census, the county's population was 43,388 in 12,578 households. The following census in 2011 cou ...

Markazi Province Markazi province () is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Arak. The present borders of the province date to 1977, when the province was split into the current Markazi and Tehran provinces, with portions being annexed b ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. At the 2006 census, its population was 116, in 40 families. During

Safavid The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

times, the village enjoyed some importance, and was the site of a large

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and Caravan (travellers), caravans. They were present throughout much of the Islamic world. Depending on the region and period, they were called by a ...

, now in ruins. During the late medieval period, the village was the centre of the Qasim-Shahi line of

Nizari Isma'ili Nizari Isma'ilism () are the largest segment of the Isma'ilism, Ismailis, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasise independent reasoning or ''ijtihad''; Pluralism (philosophy), pluralism— ...

imams Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, and provide relig ...

, which transferred its residence from nearby

Anjudan Anjudan (, also Romanized as Anjedān; also known as Andījān, Anjidān, and Injadān) is a village in Amanabad Rural District, in the Central District of Arak County, Markazi province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 446, in 154 ...

to Kahak during the early imamate of Shah Nizar II (1680–1722). His mausoleum in the western end of the village survives to this day, although a restoration in 1966 destroyed many of its original elements and fixtures. The

Nizari Nizari Isma'ilism () are the largest segment of the Isma'ilism, Ismailis, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasise independent reasoning or ''ijtihad''; Pluralism (philosophy), pluralism— ...

imams abandoned Kahak for

Kerman Province Kerman province () is the largest of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Kerman. The province is in the southeast of Iran. In 2014 it was placed in Region 5. Mentioned in ancient times as the Achaemenid satrapy of Carma ...

in the mid-18th century, but

Shah Khalil Allah III Shah Khalil Allah III (‎; 1740–1817) was the 45th Imam of the Nizari Ismaili Shia Islam community. Khalilullah Ali III was born in 1740 in the city of Kerman. His upbringing in Mahallat, Iran began under the care of his uncle, Mirza Muhamm ...

(1792–1817) re-established himself there shortly into his imamate until 1815, when he moved to

Yazd Yazd (; ) is a city in the Central District of Yazd County, Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. At the 2016 census, its population was 529,673. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is rec ...

. Kahak was the birthplace of Shah Khalil Allah's son and successor,

Aga Khan I Prince Hasan Ali Shah (; 1804 – 12 April 1881), known as Aga Khan I (), was the 46th hereditary imam of the Nizari Isma'ilis. He served as the governor of Kerman and a prominent leader in Iran and later in the Indian subcontinent. He was t ...

, in 1804.

References

Populated places in Delijan County History of Nizari Isma'ilism {{Delijan-geo-stub