Shia schisms repeat because of contested political succession

Evidence

Their rise, efflorescence, and decline illustrate another characteristic aspect of Shi ite history—the recurring tendency to split into rival and sometimes con­ flicting groups. In these conflicts among the Shi a, as in the larger dispute between the Shi a and the Sunni Muslims, the original issue was a political one—the question of leadership. All the Shi a were at one in rejecting the Sunni caliph, but they often differed among themselves over his replacement. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 1443

Categorization

• XREF: Mirrors the recurring-succession schism pattern seen across many religious movements, e.g. early Christian councils and succession disputes. — connects to: The Sunni-Shi’a split originated from political succession struggles — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 317; The Sunni-Shi’a split originated from political succession struggle, not theology.
• ADDENDUM: Parallel to the leadership-contest logic in ‘On Sacrifice’ regarding sacral kingship legitimation.