ALI (4th Sunni and 1st Shiah Khalifa murdered in Kufa)
(2) Hasan poisoned A.D. 680
(3) Husain killed at battle of Kerbela A.D. 680
(4) Ali II
(5) Mohammed
(6) Jafar-as-Sadik
Choice of ISMAILIS
(7) Ismail
Mohammed disappeared circ. 770
Choice of IMAMIAS or ISNA-ASHARIAS
(7) Abu'I Hasan Musa
(8) Ali III
(9) Abu Jafar Mohammed
(10) Ali
(11) Abu Mohammed al Askari
(12) Mohammed al Mahdi

SHIAHS
ISMAILIS circ. A.D. 770
BATINIS (founded by Abdullah ibn Maymun) circ. A.D. 872
FATIMITES (under Ubeidallah 1st Fatimite Khalifa) A.D. 909
Fatimite Khalifas of Egypt A.D. 977
HAKIM 6th Fatimite Khalifa A.D. 996
Founds Dar-ul-Hikmat A.D. 1004
ASSASSINS (under Hasan Saba) A.D. 1090
DRUSES (under Hazza) circ. A.D. 1021
KARMATHITES (under Hamdan Karmath) A.D. 896

THE SUCCESSORS OF THE PROPHET

The above table shows the rival lines of Khalifas--on the left the
elected successors, choice of the Sunnis; on the right the lineal
descendants, choice of the Shiahs. The figure at the side of each
name indicates the number in succession of the Khalifa mentioned.
The table inset shows the sects to which the disputes over the
succession gave birth.

]

So far, however, in spite of divisions, no body of Shiahs had ever
deviated from the fundamental doctrines of Islamism, but merely claimed
that these had been handed down through a different line from that
recognized by the Sunnis. The earliest Ismailis, who formed themselves
into a party at about the time of the death of Mohammed, son of Ismail
(i.e. circ. A.D. 770), still remained believers, declaring only that the
true teaching of the Prophet had descended to Mohammed, who was not dead
but would return in the fullness of time and that he was the Mahdi whom
Moslems must await. But in about A.D. 873 an intriguer of extraordinary
subtlety succeeded in capturing the movement, which, hitherto merely
schismatic, now became definitely subversive, not only of Islamism, but
of all religious belief.

This man, Abdullah ibn Maymun, the son of a learned and fre