Examining the connection between the concept of authority and the transformation of the Ismaili imamate, Authority without Territory is the first study of the imamate in contemporary times with a particular focus on Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary leader of Shi?a Imami Ismaili Muslims.
"This original study reveals in a scholarly manner, and within an interesting theoretical framework, how the present Nizari Ismaili Imam has succeeded in bestowing aspects of the authority of the Imam to the office of the Imamate, transcending the Weberian boundaries of ideal types of authority. This has resulted in the institutionalisation of what the author calls 'authority without territory.' The author also meticulously examines the network of the institutions created and legitimised by the present Imam, known as the Aga Khan Development Network." - Dr. Farhad Daftary, Co-Director of The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK