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AGA KHAN
Aga Khan is the title of the spiritual leader of the Ismaili branch of Islam.
The first imam to bear the title of Aga Khan was Aga Hasan Ali Shah in the mid 19th century.
List of those who have held the title of Aga Khan
Aga Khan I= Aga Hasan Ali Shah = HH Shah Hasan Ali Shah Mehalatee Aga Khan I (1800-1881), 46th Imam (1817-1881)
Aga Khan II = Ali Shah = HH Ali Shah
(about 1830 - 1885), 47th Imam (1881-1885)
Aga Khan III = Sultan Mohammed Shah, HRH Sir Sultan Mohammad shah (1877-1957),
48th Imam (1885-1957)
Aga Khan IV = Karim Aga Khan = HRH Prince Karim Aga Khan (Prince Karim El Husseni) (b. 1936), 49th Imam of the Ismaelis (from 1957)
Aga Khan I
( Aga Hasan Ali Shah )
Aga Khan I (1800-1881), was the title accorded by general consent to Hasan Ali Shah (born
in Persia, 1800), when, in early life, he first settled in Bombay under the protection of the British government.
He was believed to have descended in direct line from Ali by his wife Fatima Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Ali's son, Husain, having married a daughter of one of the rulers of Persia before the time of Muhammad, the Aga Khan traced his descent from the royal house of Persia from the most remote, almost prehistoric, times. His ancestors had also ruled in Egypt as Caliphs of the Fatimid dynasty for a number of years, at a period coeval with the Crusades.
Before the Aga Khan emigrated from Persia, he was appointed by the emperor Fateh Ali Shah to be governor-general of the extensive and important province of Kerman. His rule was noted for firmness, moderation and high political sagacity, and he succeeded for a long time in retaining the friendship and confidence of his master the shah, although his career was beset with political intrigues and jealousy on the part of rival and court favourites, and with internal turbulence. At last, however, the fate usual to statesmen in oriental countries overtook him, and he incurred the mortal displeasure of Fateh Ali Shah. He fled from Persia and sought protection in British territory, preferring to settle down eventually in India, making Bombay his headquarters. At that period the First Anglo-Afghan War was at its height, and in crossing over from Persia through Afghanistan the Aga Khan found opportunities of rendering valuable services to the British army, and thus cast in his lot for ever with the British. A few years later he rendered similar conspicuous services in the course of the Sind campaign, when his help was utilized by Napier in the process of subduing the frontier tribes, a large number of whom acknowledged the Aga's authority as their spiritual head. Napier held his Muslim ally in great esteem, and entertained a very high opinion of his political acumen and chivalry as a leader and soldier. The Aga Khan reciprocated the British commander's confidence and friendship by giving repeated proofs of his devotion and attachment to the British government, and when he finally settled down in India, his position as the leader of the large Ismaili section of Muslim British subjects was recognized by the government, and the title of His Highness was conferred on him, with a large pension.
From that time until his death in 1881 the Aga Khan, while leading the life of a peaceful and peacemaking citizen, under the protection of British rule, continued to discharge his sacerdotal functions, not only among his followers in India, but towards the more numerous communities which acknowledged his religious sway in distant countries, such as Afghanistan, Khorasan, Persia, Arabia, Central Asia, and even distant Syria and Morocco. He remained throughout unflinchingly loyal to the British Raj, and by his vast and unquestioned influence among the frontier tribes on the northern borders of India he exercised a control over their unruly passions in times of trouble, which proved of invaluable service in the several expeditions led by British arms on the north-west frontier of India. He was also the means of checking the fanaticism of the more turbulent Muslims in British India, which in times of internal troubles and misunderstandings finds vent in the shape of religious or political riots.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, Aga Khan II. This prince continued the traditions and work of his father in a manner that won the approbation of the local government, and earned for him the distinction of a knighthood of the Order of the Indian Empire and a seat in the legislative council of Bombay.
Aga Khan II
(Aqa Ali Shah )
Aga Khan II (1830-1835) Aqa Ali Shah was born in 1830 at Mahallat in Iran. He was the eldest son of Aga Khan I and the only surviving male issue of his father with Sarv-i Jahan Khanum (transliteration: Sarv-i Jah¨¡n Kh¨¡num, d. 1882).
Aqa Ali Shah was a member of the Iranian royal family, as his mother was the daughter of Fat¡äh Ali Shah, the second ruler of the Qajar dynasty.[1] His rank as a prince of the royal family was also recognized by Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar when Aqa Ali Shah's father died. Nasser al-Din himself carried out a ceremony performed among Persian princes to mark the end of mourning of deceased relations. In addition, Nasser al-Din sent a robe of honour and the emblem of the Persian Crown studded with diamonds to Aga Ali Shah as a sign of the Shah's relationship with the Aga Khan's family.[2]
On his father's side, Aga Ali Shah traced his ancestry to the Prophet Muhammad, through his daughter Fatima and his son-in-law Ali b. Abi Talib. He also descended from the Fatimid caliphs of Egypt.[3] He spent his early years in Mahallat; however, his father¡¯s attempts to regain his former position as governor of Kirman made residence there difficult, and so Aqa Ali Shah was taken to Iraq with his mother in 1840. There he studied Arabic, Persian, and Nizari Ismaili doctrine,[1] and soon gained a reputation as an authority on Persian and Arabic literature, as a student of metaphysics, and as an exponent of religious philosophy.[2] In the late 1840s, changed political circumstances allowed Aqa Ali Shah to return to Persia where he took over some of his father's responsibilities.[4] In 1853, Sarv-i Jahan Khanum and Aqa Ali Shah joined Aga Khan I in Bombay. As his father's heir apparent to the Ismaili Imamat, Aqa Ali Shah frequently visited various Ismaili communities in India, particularly those in Sind and Kathiawar.[1]
Aga Khan III
( Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah )
Aga Khan III (November 2, 1877 - July 11, 1957), also known as Sultan Mahommed Shah, was the only son of Aga Khan II, and succeeded him on his death in 1885, becoming the head of the family. Under the care of his mother, a daughter of the ruling house of Persia, he was given not only that religious and oriental education which his position as the religious leader of the Ismailis made indispensable, but a sound European training, a boon denied to his father and grandfather. This blending of the two systems of education produced the happy result of fitting this Muslim chief in an eminent degree both for the sacerdotal functions which appertain to his spiritual position, and for those social duties required of a great and enlightened leader which he was called upon to discharge by virtue of his position.
The Aga Khan travelled in distant parts of the world to receive the homage of his followers, and with the object either of settling differences or of advancing their welfare by pecuniary help and personal advice and guidance. The distinction of a knight commander of the Indian Empire was conferred upon him by Queen Victoria in 1897, and he received like recognition for his public services from the German emperor, the sultan of Turkey, the shah of Persia and other potentates.
He was succeded by Aga Khan IV
He married, in 1893, Shahazda Begum.
He married, in 1903, Teresia Magliano.
He married, in 1929, Andrð"Josö�ine Carron.
He married, in 1944, Yvette Blanche Labrousse, elected ?Miss Lyon 1929?, then ?Miss France 1930?, named Om Habibah September 10, 1944, and later called HH Begum Mata Salamat (Mother of the Peace)
Aga Khan IV
( Shah Karim )
Aga Khan IV (Karim Aga Khan or Karim El Husseni) (born December 13 1936) is the current (49th) Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims since July 11, 1957.
At the age of 20 he succeeded his grandfather, Sultan Mahommed Shah, as Imam. He is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through the Prophet's daughter, Fatima, and her husband, Ali, the first Shia Imam.
Aga Khan IV is the son of Prince Ali Solomon Khan, (November 17, 1911 - May 12, 1960), and his first wife, Hon. Joan Yarde-Buller, of the Viscounts Camrose, renamed Princess Tadjudowlah, (b. 1908). He was born in Geneva. He spent his early childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, and then attended the Institute Le Rosey in Switzerland. He graduated from Harvard University in 1959 with a BA Honors Degree in Islamic history.
He married his first wife Sarah Frances (Sally) Croker Poole, titled HH Begum Salima, on 22 October 1969.
He married his second wife, Gabrielle Renate Thyssen, nð"Homey (b. 1 April 1963), in Aiglemont 30 May 1998.. She is now titled HH Begum Inaara.
The Meaning of 'Aga Khan'
As is universally acknowledged, the conferment of a title is a mark of distinction recognizing performance, achievement, eminence and excellence. A title, be it civil or military, temporal or ecclesiastical, denotes a designation of class, stature and dignity. By the same token, all titles do have basic meanings and background in their conferment.
We, the Ismailis associate ourselves deeply with the name or rather the title 'Aga Khan' and we are so much used to being addressed by our beloved Imam as 'Yours affectionately' - 'Aapke Pyare' - 'Shafqat ke Saath' - 'Tamaro Mamtarru' Aga Khan that we seldom pause to think of how the title of 'Aga Khan' to our last four Imams came to be, or what it really means.
This essay attempts to describe how and when the title was invested in our 46th Imam, Mowlana Hasan Ali Shah; and what its origin and meaning are.
In l742, Aga Mohammed Khan founded Qajar Dynasty in Persia and became the first king in l796. He was murdered shortly afterwards in 1797, and was succeeded by his nephew, Fateh Ali Shah who ruled for over 38 years.
Mowlana Shah Khalil Allah ascended the throne of Imamat in 1792 and soon after his accession, he transferred the seat of Imamat from Kirman to Kahak. Imam Shah Khalil Allah married Bibi Sarkara who gave birth to our 46th Imam, Mowlana Hasan Ali Shah.
In l815, Mowlana Shah Khalil Allah moved to Yazd, situated between Isphahan and Kirman on the route to Baluchistan and Sindh. Perhaps, the Imam was motivated to do this by his desire to be near the followers from the sub-continent who frequently made pilgrimage to see their Imam in Persia.
It was at Yazd two years later in l817 that the Imam became a victim of the intrigues of Ithnasheri Ullema and lost his life. One Mulla Husain Yazdi collected a mob and attacked the Imam's residence. In the ensuing encounter, Mowlana Shah Khalil Allah and several of his followers were brutally murdered.
Mowlana Shah Khalil Allah had very good relations with the second Qajar ruler, Fateh Ali Shah. At the time of moving to Yazd, Shah Khalil Allah had left his wife, Bibi Sarkara and the children in Kahak to live off the family holdings in the Mahallat area. However, familial disputes left the family unprovided for. Out of the frustrations of the hardships that the family had to face, Bibi Sarkara, mother of Mowlana Hasan Ali Shah who was quite young at the time pleaded in the Qajar court in Tehran for justice for her husband's murder. Her pleas were accepted favourably. The instigators of Mowlana Shah Khalil Allah's murder were punished even though after a fashion, Fateh Ali Shah gave the young Imam more lands in Mahallat area and offered one of his daughters, Sarv-i-Jahan Khanum in marriage to Mowlana Hasan Ali Shah.
At the same time, Fateh Ali Shah appointed him as governor of Qum and bestowed upon him the 'honorific' title of 'AGA KHAN'. Actually, more correctly it is AQA KHAN even though commonly it has come to be referred to as 'Aga Khan'.
Thenceforth, Imam Hasan Ali Shah became generally known as Aga Khan Mahallati. And the title of Aga Khan became hereditary. Bernard Lewis write that' in l8l8, the Shah of Persia had appointed him governor of Mahallat and Qum, and had given him the title of 'Aga Khan'.. It is by this title that he and his descendents are usually known.' The investiture took place in the grand palace of Qasr -e-Qajar.
The title thus bestowed was a singular honour that the Ismaili Imam had earned on the basis of his illustrious descent and station. In fact, Mowlana Hasan Ali Shah was the first Imam after Almaut to have received official cognizance of his spiritual role by the Persian Empire.
Mowlana Hasan Ali Shah - Aga Khan I arrived in India from Persia in l842. He is known to have rendered commendable services to the British. For example, in Sindh, he placed his cavalry at their disposal and endeavoured to convince the Talpur Amir of Kalat, to cede Karachi to the British. Due to the co-operation extended by him, the whole of Sindh was annexed to become British India. In Baluchistan also, the Aga Khan I helped the British militarily and diplomatically.
For his services and support thus rendered to the British, he received government protection in British India as the spiritual head of the Ismailis, which strengthened his position and helped him in the exercise of his authority. In recognition of his services and support to the British government, he was awarded the title 'HIS HIGHNESS' in l844. From then on, Mowlana Hasan Ali Shah was called 'His Highness the Aga Khan.' This conferment also suggests the acceptance and recognition of the chief lordship of the 'Aga Khan'.
When Mowlana Hasan Ali Shah, the Aga Khan, returned to Mahallat, the celebrated panegyrist called Qa'ani composed a qasida the opening lines of which read:
'Eternal life in the world would be required to sing one tenth of the Aqa Khan's praises.'
The said qasida is an early source containing the words 'Aga Khan' implying that this was the first time in history for this term, 'Aga Khan' to be documented.
Having learnt how the Imam became the recipient of this unique title, let us now try to understand its meaning.
In Ottoman Empire, the word 'agha' was used to mean chief or master. It is also believed that this Turkish word is derived from Greek, 'akha' or 'akhai' which later came to be used as 'agha' in Turkey.
Iran borrowed the word 'aga' or 'agha' from Turkey. The Qajar emperors made 'aga' or 'aqa' a title for nobility, and 'Aga Khan' (or Aqa Khan) was the title denoting honour reserved for noblemen of lofty standing, mostly the governors. Encyclopaedia Britannica defines it as 'a title of respect, Aga has also been used for Islamic religious leaders, notably for the leader of the Ismaili sect of Shia community.'
Most works, dictionaries and lexicons in various languages have defined the word 'aga' or 'aqa' or 'agha' as a great lord, master, commander, chief, a title signifying respect, dignity, status, great wealth and influence.
And now, the word 'khan' generally, people tend to associate the word 'khan' with Pathans who mostly use this as surname. The word 'khan' is also a Turkish title. Under the Seljuk rulers 'khan' signified a high title of nobility taking precedence over 'malik' and 'amir'.
'Ka'an' was adopted by Ottoman sultans as a title. In India, 'khan' was the title of the eminent nobles mainly of Persian or Afghan descent. It is said that a khan commanded ten thousand soldiers, a malik one thousand and an amir one hundred! Actually, the Afghans did not adopt the Turkish term, 'khan' for centuries and not until the odhi sultans of Delhi began to bestow such a title upon their Afghan supporters. Persia also adopted the term 'khan' - In the provinces especially, 'khan' meant originally what 'chieftain' meant in Scotland among the clans.
The Reader's Digest Encyclopaedic Dictionary notes:'Aga Khan', title given to Hasan Ali Shah. Turk 'aga' master; 'khan' ruler, king' Again, according to the various dictionaries and encyclopaedias, the meaning of 'khan' is given as an emperor a king, a prince, a governor, a great lord and master, a supreme ruler.
Originally, the Turkish rulers combined the terms Agha and Beg - 'Agha Beg' - a title awarded to a person of high repute and standing. The Qajar rulers followed a similar pattern in Persia. They joined 'Aga' and 'Khan' or 'Aqa Khan' and awarded this supreme title to our 'supreme nobleman'.
To the world at large, our beloved Imam-e-Zaman addressed as the Aga Khan is popularly identified as a nobleman, a prince, a philantropist - whose development network extends world wide. But to the Ismailis, the Aga Khan is much more. There cannot be a better definition than the one recorded by Mowlana Sultan Mohammed Shah in his Memoirs when he speaks of his illustrious ancestry: 'My grandfather was as I am and have been for close on seventy years, the hereditary Imam or Spiritual Chief of the Ismaili sect of the Shia Muslims. He was a Persian nobleman, closely related to the then reigning dynasty in Persia, but also in his own right the most princely blood in the Islamic world, for our family claims direct descent from the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and his beloved son-in-law Ali: and we are also descended from the Fatimite Caliphs of Egypt.'
In proclaiming Mowlana Shah Karim as his successor, he willed:'…I appoint my grandson Karim…, to succeed to the title of AGA KHAN and to the IMAM and PIR of all Shia Ismaili followers.'
Accordingly, Mowlana Hazar Imam, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV has said: 'Since my grandfather, the late Aga Khan died, I have been the bearer of the Noor, which means Light and has been handed down in direct descent from the Prophet.'
The abstract of this article therefore, is not to say simply that 'Aga Khan' is a title awarded to the Imam of the Ismailis. In the words of Pir Sadardin,
Aga ne tope hira jagmage
Janniye to oobho gokul mahen lo qanji.
Therefore, 'Aga' is Ali, the Chosen One, and the Exalted. He is our Spiritual Lord, our Aqa-e-Do Jahan. He is our Aga Khan! And when he says: 'Yours Affectionately, Aga Khan' he means 'Yours Affectionately, Ali!'
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