https://pakobserver.net/aga-khans-role- ... -creation/
Aga Khan’s role in Pakistan’s creation
By
News desk -
July 11, 2019
Prof Dr Riaz Ahmed
HIGH Highness Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, Aga Khan-III GCSI GCMG GCIE GCVO PC was the 48th Imam of Ismaili Shia Muslims. He was not only the first President of the All-India Muslim League, but did help in promoting the cause of the Muslims of British India whenever he was needed in uniting them and serving as a strong force behind Quaid-i-Azam, the Founder of Pakistan, in the Pakistan Movement. He was born in Karachi on 2 November 1877, but passed away in Versoix, Switzerland on 11 July 1957. After Sir Syed Khan, he played a leading role not only in strengthening the political role of the Muslims of the Indo-Pak subcontinent, the cause of Aligarh Muslim University but the Pakistan Movement also. He was in close liaison with the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan in all the critical moments of the Movement. On the creation of Pakistan Sir Aga Khan congratulated Quaid-i-Azam in these words: “Thanks to the immense and almost miraculous efforts of Governor-General Jinnah, who alone brought about the greatest Muslim State in the world. Pakistan is now an accomplished fact”. Thus he is also remembered as a Veteran of the Pakistan Movement.
First President of All India Muslim League 1908-1913: First meeting of the All India Muslim League was held at Aligarh on 18-19 March 1908. It was at this session that Sir Aga Khan III was unanimously elected as first President of the All India Muslim League. Actually, Presidents of the Party were of two kinds. First there was the permanent President who was elected for three years. The other pattern was that some prominent Muslim leader of the country was asked to preside over the session, but his position was temporary and honorary. Since 1912, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had started his efforts for the Hindu-Muslim unity. Though he was not member of the AIML before 1913, he was invited to attend the meeting of the AIML Council on instructions from the Aga Khan by the Secretary of the AIML Syed Wazir Hasan. It was at this meeting under the presidentship HH Sir Aga Khan that the AIML adopted its new policy of “self-government suitable to India” on a motion by Quaid-i-Azam. It was ratified by the next session held in March 1913. HH the Aga Khan also attended the next 7th session of AIML held at Agra on 30-31 December 1013 where the Hon. President was Sir Ibrahim Rahimtullah, a Bombay business magnate, who delivered his presidential address.
HH the Aga Khan, as President of the Party, himself moved a resolution for the creation of “Muslim National Fund” whose aim was “political progress and advancement of Musalmans” at provincial level. This resolution was passed with great “acclamation”. Seconding this resolution the Raja of Mahmudabad appreciated the vision of HH the Aga Khan. In matters of discussion on other resolutions also, the presence of HH Aga Khan had sobering effect on the proceedings of the Muslim League. Thereafter, HH the Aga Khan resigned from the presidentship of the AIML. Despite his resignation from the AIML, HH the Aga Khan had close contact with Jinnah especially during his efforts for the Hindu-Muslim unity during 1914-1916. His contribution in the Pakistan Movement: Sir Aga Khan was also the president of the All Parties Muslim Conference held in 1928-29. During 1930-33, he also attended the Round Table Conferences held in London for settling the future of the Muslims as delegate.
Quaid-i-Azam was also attended the first two conferences in London. Both jointly pleaded the cause of the Muslims. They were very close to each other and were in regulation private and confidential correspondence, apart from the participation in the committees of the RTCs in London. They share a lot of private consultation regarding the future of the Muslims. Sir Aga Khan’s letters of 20 January 1931, 29 March 1931, 20 June 1931 and many others indicate the kind of consultation both had regarding the future of the Muslims before going to different sessions of the RTC. This showed that both the leaders were highly confiding with each other and jointly making strategy regarding the future of the Muslims in British India. Sir Aga Khan was nominated to represent India at the League of Nations in 1932, where he continued to work until the outbreak of the World War II. He was an excellent statesman and was elected President of the League of Nations (now known as the United Nations Organization) in July 1937. He was the only Asian to have been appointed to this high office. During the Pakistan Sir Aga Khan signally contributed towards the Pakistan Movement. Quaid-i-Azam and Sir Aga Khan were regularly in contact with each other for the furthering of the Pakistan Movement.
Even when the AIML became united about the time when the Pakistan Movement was to be started and 24th session of AIML held in Bombay on 11-12 1936 exhibiting the unity of the Muslim Conference and the All India Muslim League the contribution of Sir Aga Khan was thus recorded: “There was no person in India except His Highness the Aga Khan who could make all the parties unite on one platform”. During 1940-1947 at all the critical times, Quaid-i-Azam and Sir Aga Khan had close contact with each other and had a lot of consultation with each other on the issues such as Gandhi-Jinnah Talks, Cabinet Mission Plan and the Partition issues during May-August 1947. Sir Aga Khan fell ill in 1954 during his visit to Dhaka and from then on struggling with ill health, passed away on 11 July 1957, in Switzerland and is buried in Aswan, Egypt. On the occasion of his birth anniversary on 02 November, we pay tribute to a great Muslim leader by renewing our pledge to make Pakistan a prosperous and advanced country.
—The writer is Ex-Director, National Institute of Historical & Cultural Research, & Prof. Quaid-i-Azam Chair, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah - Nov. 2nd birth & History
https://khybernews.tv/pm-imran-taking-t ... r-firdous/
July 11, 2019
PM Imran taking tough decisions to break status quo: Dr. Firdous
SLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said Prime Minister Imran Khan is taking tough decisions like institutional reforms and breaking the status quo in the country.
She was addressing a seminar on the 62nd death anniversary of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III in Islamabad this afternoon.
Paying rich tribute to Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III, the Special Assistant emphasized on protecting national heritage and national heroes of Pakistan, who played a pivotal role in creation of Pakistan .
She said Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III had arranged finances to procure Gwadar Port, which indicates his vision as the port offers greater regional connectivity and has the potential to become economic hub of the area.
Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the youth should learn from the struggle of national heroes. She said a leader always focuses on long term policies, securing future of the coming generations, and keeps national interest supreme.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan says current challenges being faced by Pakistan are due to attempts of previous rulers to undermine national institutions for their personal interests.
Talking to media in Islamabad this afternoon, she said the government of PTI has been making sincere efforts for rebuilding the damaged institutions.
She said we are taking forward the institutional reforms agenda of the government. She said parliament is a very important pillar of state. Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said some political pundits want to run the senate according to their wishes. She said the no confidence motion move by the opposition parties against Chairman Senate has raised serious questions in the minds of ordinary people about the designs of these parties. She said government will protect the national institutions from onslaught of opposition.
Referring to upcoming visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to the US, she said this will help strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. She said it is first time that peace loving efforts of Pakistan have been recognized by the US. Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said the international standing of the country has improved due to its visionary leadership and foreign policy. She said the visit will also improve the standing of Pakistan’s passport in the world.
July 11, 2019
PM Imran taking tough decisions to break status quo: Dr. Firdous
SLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said Prime Minister Imran Khan is taking tough decisions like institutional reforms and breaking the status quo in the country.
She was addressing a seminar on the 62nd death anniversary of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III in Islamabad this afternoon.
Paying rich tribute to Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III, the Special Assistant emphasized on protecting national heritage and national heroes of Pakistan, who played a pivotal role in creation of Pakistan .
She said Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III had arranged finances to procure Gwadar Port, which indicates his vision as the port offers greater regional connectivity and has the potential to become economic hub of the area.
Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the youth should learn from the struggle of national heroes. She said a leader always focuses on long term policies, securing future of the coming generations, and keeps national interest supreme.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan says current challenges being faced by Pakistan are due to attempts of previous rulers to undermine national institutions for their personal interests.
Talking to media in Islamabad this afternoon, she said the government of PTI has been making sincere efforts for rebuilding the damaged institutions.
She said we are taking forward the institutional reforms agenda of the government. She said parliament is a very important pillar of state. Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said some political pundits want to run the senate according to their wishes. She said the no confidence motion move by the opposition parties against Chairman Senate has raised serious questions in the minds of ordinary people about the designs of these parties. She said government will protect the national institutions from onslaught of opposition.
Referring to upcoming visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to the US, she said this will help strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. She said it is first time that peace loving efforts of Pakistan have been recognized by the US. Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said the international standing of the country has improved due to its visionary leadership and foreign policy. She said the visit will also improve the standing of Pakistan’s passport in the world.
[Aug 17]Today in history: Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah succeeded to the Imamat
Posted by Nimira Dewji
Imam Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III succeeded as Imam on August 17, 1885 at the age of eight years, leading the Nizari Ismailis as Imam for 72 years, longer than any of his predecessors. At the age of nine, he received the honorific title of ‘His Highness’ from Queen Victoria (r. 1837-1901).
In 1892, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah commissioned the building of what came to be known as the Aga Khan Palace in Poona (modern-day Pune), India, to create employment for the poor who had been devastated by a recent famine. Mahatma Gandhi, his wife, and several dignitaries stayed at the palace during the political uprising from 1942 to 1944.
In February 1969, during a visit to India, Mawlana Hazar Imam donated the Palace to the Indian Government. In 2003, it was declared a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (The.Ismaili). The Palace is now Gandhi National Memorial Museum.
Aga Khan palace pune gandhi memorial
Aga Khan Palace, now Gandhi National Memorial
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah’s commitment to the Islamic ideals of the brotherhood of humanity, peace among nations, and respect for human dignity inspired him to be involved as a statesman on the world scene.
In 1902, when attending the coronation of Edward VII (r. 1901-1910) in London, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah received the rank of Grand Knight Commander. In the same year, Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, appointed him to his Legislative Council at Calcutta. In 1906, he was elected first president of All-India Muslim League, an organisation that was established to support the advancement of Muslims, particularly with respect to their education and legal status in British India.
Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III arriving to preside over the All India Muslim Conference in Delhi in 1928. Source: Ismaili Mirror, Centenary Issue, November 1977
In 1912, Imam was decorated as Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India by George V during his coronation celebrations in India. Additionally, in recognition of his work in international affairs, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah was bestowed numerous honours by several countries.
Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (seated 5th from far left) and other delegates at the first conference held in London in November 1930. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Due to his poor health, Imam retreated from political life, spending a few years in Switzerland, where he wrote India in Transition: A Study in political Evolution (1918). In 1920, he re-entered politics, becoming a prominent figure at the All-India Muslim Conference in Delhi in 1928-1929. In 1934, he became a member of the Privy Council, and also served as the delegate for British India at the Disarmament Conference and as chief delegate of India to the Assembly of the League of Nations. In 1937, Imam was elected President of the League and presided over its eighteenth assembly. The League of Nations was an international organisation, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, created after the First World War to provide a forum for resolving international disputes. It was replaced by the United Nations in 1945.
Aga Khan III League United Nations
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah addressing the Assembly. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah also devoted much of his time and resources to consolidating and organising the Nizari Ismaili communities in the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. He was particularly concerned with introducing reforms that would transform the Ismaili community into a modern self-sufficient one, with high standards of education and welfare. To meet the needs of the community in South Asia and East Africa, he established networks of schools, health clinics, hospitals, and jamatkhanas. On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of his Imamat, he established scholarship programmes to provide assistance to students.
Imam supported a range of initiatives in East Africa and Asia that had a positive impact on the well-being of Muslim societies and others in the region. In 1945, he founded the East African Muslim Welfare Society, “that aimed to improve the living standards of Muslims in East Africa through education and social welfare initiatives. One such effort culminated in the establishment of Mombasa Institute of Muslim Education (today known as Mombasa Polytechnic), the first post-secondary institutions for Muslims in coastal East Africa.” (The Ismailis An Illustrated History p 227). In 1951, Imam made his first and only visit to the community in Mahallat, Persia (modern-day Iran).
Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan Persia
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah and Mata Salamat with members of the jamat in Mahallat, Persia. Source: Ismaili Mirror, Centenary Issue, November 1977
The strengthening of the religious and social well-being of Ismaili communities remained the focus of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah. In 1905, Imam issued a written set of ‘Rules and Regulations’ for the Ismailis of East Africa, which served as the Constitution. This document was revised and printed several times until 1954 when a revised version was issued. Similar rules were also issued for the Ismailis in British India. The ‘Rules and Regulations’ described the organisational structure of the community with a hierarchy of councils and office-bearers, their administrative procedures, and local and regional constituencies. The Constitution also re-affirmed the centrality of the Imam’s absolute authority over the affairs of the community.
In 1952, Imam “called a conference of councillors from East Africa at Evian [France] in order to discuss their future needs, resulting in the revised constitution of 1954, In the same year, he published his autobiography, Memoirs of Aga Khan: World Enough and Time…” (The Ismailis An Illustrated History p 227).
First Constitution
The Ismaili Constitution was issued at Zanzibar in 1905 in Gujarati, under the title Khoja Shia Imami Ismaili Counsilna Kayadani Book: Prakaran Pelu thata Biju (The Rule Book of the Khoja Shia Imami Ismaili Council: Parts 1 and 2). This document was instituted along with the first Supreme Council for Africa.
Ismaili constitution Aga Khan zanzibar
Front inside cover of the Ismaili constitution issued at Zanzibar. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Within six months of the issue of the rule book in Zanzibar, the Ismaili community based in Gwadur (in modern-day Pakistan) received the Khoja Shia Imami Ismailia Counsilna Kaydani Book: Bhag Pelo thata Bijo, printed in March 1906.
Ismaili constitution zanzibar aga khan
Front inside cover of the constitution issued to Gwadur Ismaili community, printed in March 1906 in Bombay. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
First Supreme Council for Africa
Ismaili aga khan constitution
First Supreme Council for Africa. Left to right: Top, standing: Mohamed Bhanji, Gulamhusein Harji Sumar Muhamed Rashid Alana, Ali Valli Issa, Gulamhussein Karmali Bhaloo Middle, seated: Pirmohamed Kanji, Visram Harji, President Vizier Mohamed Rahemtulla Hemani, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah al-Husayni Aga Khan III, Fazal Essani, Gulamhusien Bhaloo Kurji. Bottom row, seated: Mukhi Rajabali Gangji, Vizier Kassam Damani, Janmohamed Hansraj, Rai Mitha Jessa, Juma Bhagat Ismail, Kamadia (Itmadi) Jiwan Laljee, Salehmohamed Walli Dharsee, Janmohamed Jetha, Kamadia Fazal Shivji. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
On the occasions of the Diamond and Platinum Jubilees of his Imamat, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah founded the Jubilee Investment Trust and the Platinum Jubilee Investments Limited, which have assisted the growth of various co-operative societies. Diamond Jubilee Schools for Girls were established throughout the remote northern areas of Pakistan and in India. Companies such as the Diamond Jubilee Investment Trust (now Diamond Trust Bank of Kenya ) and the Jubilee Insurance company, which are today quoted on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, have become important national economic institutions. The scholarship programmes, founded during his Golden Jubilee, were progressively expanded.1
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah died on July 11, 1957 and was buried at Aswan, Egypt. He was succeeded by Mawlana Hazar Imam.
Aga Khan III Aswan
Mausoleum of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah in Aswan, Egypt. Photo: via Pinterest.
Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III SUltan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III
Sultan Muhammd Shah Aga Khan III Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III
Sources:
The Ismaili Community, The.Ismaili
The Ismaili Imamate
Ismaili Mirror, Centennial Issue, November 1977
Farhad Daftary, Zulfikar Hirji, The Ismailis, An Illustrated History, Azimuth Editions in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London, 2007
The Ismaili Imamat: Contemporary Period, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
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Imam Hasan Ali Shah Aga Khan I began the modern phase in the history of the Nizari Ismailis
Imam Hasan Ali Shah Aga Khan I began the modern phase in the history of the Nizari Ismailis
In "Imamat and Imams"
Imam Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, a notable visionary and statesman
Imam Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, a notable visionary and statesman
In "Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah"
[April]This month in history: Imam Aqa Ali Shah Aga Khan II succeeded to the Imamat
[April]This month in history: Imam Aqa Ali Shah Aga Khan II succeeded to the Imamat
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nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2019/08/17/aug-17today-in-history-imam-sultan-muhammad-shah-succeeded-to-the-imamat/?utm_source=Direct
Posted by Nimira Dewji
Imam Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III succeeded as Imam on August 17, 1885 at the age of eight years, leading the Nizari Ismailis as Imam for 72 years, longer than any of his predecessors. At the age of nine, he received the honorific title of ‘His Highness’ from Queen Victoria (r. 1837-1901).
In 1892, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah commissioned the building of what came to be known as the Aga Khan Palace in Poona (modern-day Pune), India, to create employment for the poor who had been devastated by a recent famine. Mahatma Gandhi, his wife, and several dignitaries stayed at the palace during the political uprising from 1942 to 1944.
In February 1969, during a visit to India, Mawlana Hazar Imam donated the Palace to the Indian Government. In 2003, it was declared a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (The.Ismaili). The Palace is now Gandhi National Memorial Museum.
Aga Khan palace pune gandhi memorial
Aga Khan Palace, now Gandhi National Memorial
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah’s commitment to the Islamic ideals of the brotherhood of humanity, peace among nations, and respect for human dignity inspired him to be involved as a statesman on the world scene.
In 1902, when attending the coronation of Edward VII (r. 1901-1910) in London, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah received the rank of Grand Knight Commander. In the same year, Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, appointed him to his Legislative Council at Calcutta. In 1906, he was elected first president of All-India Muslim League, an organisation that was established to support the advancement of Muslims, particularly with respect to their education and legal status in British India.
Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III arriving to preside over the All India Muslim Conference in Delhi in 1928. Source: Ismaili Mirror, Centenary Issue, November 1977
In 1912, Imam was decorated as Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India by George V during his coronation celebrations in India. Additionally, in recognition of his work in international affairs, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah was bestowed numerous honours by several countries.
Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (seated 5th from far left) and other delegates at the first conference held in London in November 1930. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Due to his poor health, Imam retreated from political life, spending a few years in Switzerland, where he wrote India in Transition: A Study in political Evolution (1918). In 1920, he re-entered politics, becoming a prominent figure at the All-India Muslim Conference in Delhi in 1928-1929. In 1934, he became a member of the Privy Council, and also served as the delegate for British India at the Disarmament Conference and as chief delegate of India to the Assembly of the League of Nations. In 1937, Imam was elected President of the League and presided over its eighteenth assembly. The League of Nations was an international organisation, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, created after the First World War to provide a forum for resolving international disputes. It was replaced by the United Nations in 1945.
Aga Khan III League United Nations
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah addressing the Assembly. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah also devoted much of his time and resources to consolidating and organising the Nizari Ismaili communities in the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. He was particularly concerned with introducing reforms that would transform the Ismaili community into a modern self-sufficient one, with high standards of education and welfare. To meet the needs of the community in South Asia and East Africa, he established networks of schools, health clinics, hospitals, and jamatkhanas. On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of his Imamat, he established scholarship programmes to provide assistance to students.
Imam supported a range of initiatives in East Africa and Asia that had a positive impact on the well-being of Muslim societies and others in the region. In 1945, he founded the East African Muslim Welfare Society, “that aimed to improve the living standards of Muslims in East Africa through education and social welfare initiatives. One such effort culminated in the establishment of Mombasa Institute of Muslim Education (today known as Mombasa Polytechnic), the first post-secondary institutions for Muslims in coastal East Africa.” (The Ismailis An Illustrated History p 227). In 1951, Imam made his first and only visit to the community in Mahallat, Persia (modern-day Iran).
Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan Persia
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah and Mata Salamat with members of the jamat in Mahallat, Persia. Source: Ismaili Mirror, Centenary Issue, November 1977
The strengthening of the religious and social well-being of Ismaili communities remained the focus of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah. In 1905, Imam issued a written set of ‘Rules and Regulations’ for the Ismailis of East Africa, which served as the Constitution. This document was revised and printed several times until 1954 when a revised version was issued. Similar rules were also issued for the Ismailis in British India. The ‘Rules and Regulations’ described the organisational structure of the community with a hierarchy of councils and office-bearers, their administrative procedures, and local and regional constituencies. The Constitution also re-affirmed the centrality of the Imam’s absolute authority over the affairs of the community.
In 1952, Imam “called a conference of councillors from East Africa at Evian [France] in order to discuss their future needs, resulting in the revised constitution of 1954, In the same year, he published his autobiography, Memoirs of Aga Khan: World Enough and Time…” (The Ismailis An Illustrated History p 227).
First Constitution
The Ismaili Constitution was issued at Zanzibar in 1905 in Gujarati, under the title Khoja Shia Imami Ismaili Counsilna Kayadani Book: Prakaran Pelu thata Biju (The Rule Book of the Khoja Shia Imami Ismaili Council: Parts 1 and 2). This document was instituted along with the first Supreme Council for Africa.
Ismaili constitution Aga Khan zanzibar
Front inside cover of the Ismaili constitution issued at Zanzibar. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Within six months of the issue of the rule book in Zanzibar, the Ismaili community based in Gwadur (in modern-day Pakistan) received the Khoja Shia Imami Ismailia Counsilna Kaydani Book: Bhag Pelo thata Bijo, printed in March 1906.
Ismaili constitution zanzibar aga khan
Front inside cover of the constitution issued to Gwadur Ismaili community, printed in March 1906 in Bombay. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
First Supreme Council for Africa
Ismaili aga khan constitution
First Supreme Council for Africa. Left to right: Top, standing: Mohamed Bhanji, Gulamhusein Harji Sumar Muhamed Rashid Alana, Ali Valli Issa, Gulamhussein Karmali Bhaloo Middle, seated: Pirmohamed Kanji, Visram Harji, President Vizier Mohamed Rahemtulla Hemani, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah al-Husayni Aga Khan III, Fazal Essani, Gulamhusien Bhaloo Kurji. Bottom row, seated: Mukhi Rajabali Gangji, Vizier Kassam Damani, Janmohamed Hansraj, Rai Mitha Jessa, Juma Bhagat Ismail, Kamadia (Itmadi) Jiwan Laljee, Salehmohamed Walli Dharsee, Janmohamed Jetha, Kamadia Fazal Shivji. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
On the occasions of the Diamond and Platinum Jubilees of his Imamat, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah founded the Jubilee Investment Trust and the Platinum Jubilee Investments Limited, which have assisted the growth of various co-operative societies. Diamond Jubilee Schools for Girls were established throughout the remote northern areas of Pakistan and in India. Companies such as the Diamond Jubilee Investment Trust (now Diamond Trust Bank of Kenya ) and the Jubilee Insurance company, which are today quoted on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, have become important national economic institutions. The scholarship programmes, founded during his Golden Jubilee, were progressively expanded.1
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah died on July 11, 1957 and was buried at Aswan, Egypt. He was succeeded by Mawlana Hazar Imam.
Aga Khan III Aswan
Mausoleum of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah in Aswan, Egypt. Photo: via Pinterest.
Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III SUltan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III
Sultan Muhammd Shah Aga Khan III Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III
Sources:
The Ismaili Community, The.Ismaili
The Ismaili Imamate
Ismaili Mirror, Centennial Issue, November 1977
Farhad Daftary, Zulfikar Hirji, The Ismailis, An Illustrated History, Azimuth Editions in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London, 2007
The Ismaili Imamat: Contemporary Period, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
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Imam Hasan Ali Shah Aga Khan I began the modern phase in the history of the Nizari Ismailis
Imam Hasan Ali Shah Aga Khan I began the modern phase in the history of the Nizari Ismailis
In "Imamat and Imams"
Imam Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, a notable visionary and statesman
Imam Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, a notable visionary and statesman
In "Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah"
[April]This month in history: Imam Aqa Ali Shah Aga Khan II succeeded to the Imamat
[April]This month in history: Imam Aqa Ali Shah Aga Khan II succeeded to the Imamat
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Last edited by kmaherali on Tue Aug 18, 2020 7:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1514408
Aga Khan III
From the Newspaper
November 02, 2019
TODAY on the occasion of the 142nd birthday of Sir Aga Khan III, we should remember this great man, who was among the prominent Muslim leaders of the world during the 19th century. At a very young age, he showed the signs of being a promising leader. At the age of 25 he was appointed as a member of the Imperil Legislative Council. As an advocate of Muslims’ rights at the global level, he worked for improving the quality of life of Muslims in the subcontinent.
He brought political awareness among Muslims by leading the Simla deputation and later on being instrumental in forming the All India Muslim League and was unanimously appointed its first president.
In 1937, he was also appointed chairman of the League of Nations. His contribution to Aligarh University made him a great figure in the history of the Subcontinent. In recognition of his services to education he was appointed chancellor of Aligarh University.
In 1946, he suggested that Arabic should be Pakistan’s national language. A network of Aga Khan schools and healthcare institutions was set up by him. A part from being a dynamic political figure, he was also the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, following in his footsteps, his grandson and successor Prince Karim Aga Khan established a network of social, cultural and economic institutions which is now serving are more than 25 under developing countries.
Kamran Khamiso Khowaja
Sujawal
Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2019
Aga Khan III
From the Newspaper
November 02, 2019
TODAY on the occasion of the 142nd birthday of Sir Aga Khan III, we should remember this great man, who was among the prominent Muslim leaders of the world during the 19th century. At a very young age, he showed the signs of being a promising leader. At the age of 25 he was appointed as a member of the Imperil Legislative Council. As an advocate of Muslims’ rights at the global level, he worked for improving the quality of life of Muslims in the subcontinent.
He brought political awareness among Muslims by leading the Simla deputation and later on being instrumental in forming the All India Muslim League and was unanimously appointed its first president.
In 1937, he was also appointed chairman of the League of Nations. His contribution to Aligarh University made him a great figure in the history of the Subcontinent. In recognition of his services to education he was appointed chancellor of Aligarh University.
In 1946, he suggested that Arabic should be Pakistan’s national language. A network of Aga Khan schools and healthcare institutions was set up by him. A part from being a dynamic political figure, he was also the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, following in his footsteps, his grandson and successor Prince Karim Aga Khan established a network of social, cultural and economic institutions which is now serving are more than 25 under developing countries.
Kamran Khamiso Khowaja
Sujawal
Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2019
https://twitter.com/ChitralToday/status ... 5089215488
A tribute to Aga Khan III on 142nd birth anniversary
November 2, 2019
By Faiza Virani
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III, born on November 2, 1877, was the 48th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. A prime advocate of modern education, his contributions to society spanned healthcare, education, political reform, social development as well as the economic upliftment and development of Muslims in the subcontinent.
A tribute to Aga Khan III on 142nd birth anniversaryEducated at Eton and Cambridge, he was well-versed in Eastern and Western literature, as well as ancient and modern history. Speaking Persian, Arabic, English and French, he was well-informed on religious philosophy and politics, making him adept in speaking on matters of the state.
Under the leadership of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, numerous institutions for social and economic development were established across the Indian subcontinent. The foundation of the current education and healthcare system being run by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) were created by Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, where the work carries forward today by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. Today, the Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan operates 156 schools enlightening over 44,000 students all across Pakistan. Health initiatives undertaken almost a century ago have grown in size and stature the past few decades with the establishment of the Aga Khan Health Services and the Aga Khan University Hospital.
Presently,numerous agencies of the AKDN network work to improve the welfare and well-being of the people of Pakistan. Their valuable contributions across education, health, natural and built environments, food security, access to financial services and economic opportunity, as well as the cultural areas of traditional music, architecture and art are lauded globally.
An advocate of modern education,Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah strived for educational advancement in the subcontinent, attesting the primary cause of political weakness of Muslims to a lack of education. Committed to providing and improving access to quality education for all Muslims throughout his life,he gave it the same priority as national defense – stating that it was only through education that eminent literary men and women would ultimately emerge to develop every facet of human life–intellectual, spiritual and religious.
He established over 200 schools during the first half of the 20th century, the first in 1905 in Zanzibar, Africa and in Gwadar, Pakistan. That era also gave birth to the Diamond Jubilee schools for girls, throughout the remote northern areas of present-day Pakistan.Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s greatest contribution to the Muslims of the subcontinent was his role in the establishment of the Aligarh Muslim University through the provision of funds, leadership and guidance. He not only advocated the role of higher education but also emphasized the importance of primary education. In 1911, the Aga Khan himself raised funds to realize Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s vision of improving Aligarh Muslim University. He increased the annual grant that he had been giving to the college for many years, and promised to contribute a substantial amount to University funds including donating money for the “Aga Khan Foreign Scholarship.”
At the young age of 25, because of his devoted services to the cause of Muslim education, he was appointed as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council. In his Presidential address at the Mohammadan Education Conference in Delhi, he stated that this goal was to establish an institution capable of providing young Muslim individuals with not only the finest education that can be provided in India, but one that was globally competitive.
He is remembered today for playing a pivotal role in making the Pakistan Movement a success by inculcating political awareness among the Muslims of the subcontinent. On the 1st of October 1906, he led a distinguished delegation of 35 well-known Muslim leaders to Simla, where he presented a memorandum on behalf of the Muslims of the subcontinent. In a historical address, he urged the British Viceroy to accept and recognize Muslims as a separate nation and grant sufficient rights of representation both on the Local Bodies and in the Legislative Council. Following the success of the Simla Deputation, the Muslim leaders enacted an independent platform of their own leading to the formation of the All India Muslim League in 1906. Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was elected its first president, which he served for seven years, from 1906-1913.
“[The] Muslims of India should not be regarded as a mere minority but a separate nation, whose rights and obligations should be guaranteed by statue, and this was sought to be achieved through adequate and separate representation for Muslims both on Local Bodies and in Legislative Councils.”(The Memoirs of Aga Khan)
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah also had the privilege to be the representative for India in the Disarmament Conference. Recognizing the statesmanship of His Highness, he was unanimously elected as the chairman of the League of Nations,now known as the United Nations.
Following World War I, the first Round Table Conference organised by the British government in London was attended by Quaid-i-Azam, the Aga Khan Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Sir Mohammed Shafi, Maulana Mohammed Ali and Maulana Fazlul Huq. During this conference, the delegation of Muslim leaders elected the Aga Khan as their leader and spokesman at which Allama Iqbal graciously spoke about the services rendered by the Aga Khan for the Muslims and the Round Table Conference stating,“We have placed these demands before the conference under the guidance of His Highness the Aga Khan, that worthy of statesman whom we all admire and whom the Muslims of India love for the blood that runs through his veins.” (Letters and writings of Iqbal: B.A Dar, Iqbal Academy, Karachi 1967, p. 72)
Throughout his life, the Aga Khan remained markedly committed to furthering the cause of Islam and Muslims. He called Islam “the greatest unifying, civilizing, and fraternizing influence in the world” and “a great cultural and spiritual force for the unity of the world and the fraternity of the nations.” Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah passed away on the 11th of July 1957 at Villa Barakat, in Versoix, Geneva and was laid to rest in Aswan, Egypt.
-------------
Last Year:
Pioneering role of Aga Khan III in promotion of education
November 2, 2018
https://www.chitraltoday.net/sultan-mah ... education/
A tribute to Aga Khan III on 142nd birth anniversary
November 2, 2019
By Faiza Virani
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III, born on November 2, 1877, was the 48th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. A prime advocate of modern education, his contributions to society spanned healthcare, education, political reform, social development as well as the economic upliftment and development of Muslims in the subcontinent.
A tribute to Aga Khan III on 142nd birth anniversaryEducated at Eton and Cambridge, he was well-versed in Eastern and Western literature, as well as ancient and modern history. Speaking Persian, Arabic, English and French, he was well-informed on religious philosophy and politics, making him adept in speaking on matters of the state.
Under the leadership of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, numerous institutions for social and economic development were established across the Indian subcontinent. The foundation of the current education and healthcare system being run by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) were created by Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, where the work carries forward today by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. Today, the Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan operates 156 schools enlightening over 44,000 students all across Pakistan. Health initiatives undertaken almost a century ago have grown in size and stature the past few decades with the establishment of the Aga Khan Health Services and the Aga Khan University Hospital.
Presently,numerous agencies of the AKDN network work to improve the welfare and well-being of the people of Pakistan. Their valuable contributions across education, health, natural and built environments, food security, access to financial services and economic opportunity, as well as the cultural areas of traditional music, architecture and art are lauded globally.
An advocate of modern education,Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah strived for educational advancement in the subcontinent, attesting the primary cause of political weakness of Muslims to a lack of education. Committed to providing and improving access to quality education for all Muslims throughout his life,he gave it the same priority as national defense – stating that it was only through education that eminent literary men and women would ultimately emerge to develop every facet of human life–intellectual, spiritual and religious.
He established over 200 schools during the first half of the 20th century, the first in 1905 in Zanzibar, Africa and in Gwadar, Pakistan. That era also gave birth to the Diamond Jubilee schools for girls, throughout the remote northern areas of present-day Pakistan.Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s greatest contribution to the Muslims of the subcontinent was his role in the establishment of the Aligarh Muslim University through the provision of funds, leadership and guidance. He not only advocated the role of higher education but also emphasized the importance of primary education. In 1911, the Aga Khan himself raised funds to realize Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s vision of improving Aligarh Muslim University. He increased the annual grant that he had been giving to the college for many years, and promised to contribute a substantial amount to University funds including donating money for the “Aga Khan Foreign Scholarship.”
At the young age of 25, because of his devoted services to the cause of Muslim education, he was appointed as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council. In his Presidential address at the Mohammadan Education Conference in Delhi, he stated that this goal was to establish an institution capable of providing young Muslim individuals with not only the finest education that can be provided in India, but one that was globally competitive.
He is remembered today for playing a pivotal role in making the Pakistan Movement a success by inculcating political awareness among the Muslims of the subcontinent. On the 1st of October 1906, he led a distinguished delegation of 35 well-known Muslim leaders to Simla, where he presented a memorandum on behalf of the Muslims of the subcontinent. In a historical address, he urged the British Viceroy to accept and recognize Muslims as a separate nation and grant sufficient rights of representation both on the Local Bodies and in the Legislative Council. Following the success of the Simla Deputation, the Muslim leaders enacted an independent platform of their own leading to the formation of the All India Muslim League in 1906. Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was elected its first president, which he served for seven years, from 1906-1913.
“[The] Muslims of India should not be regarded as a mere minority but a separate nation, whose rights and obligations should be guaranteed by statue, and this was sought to be achieved through adequate and separate representation for Muslims both on Local Bodies and in Legislative Councils.”(The Memoirs of Aga Khan)
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah also had the privilege to be the representative for India in the Disarmament Conference. Recognizing the statesmanship of His Highness, he was unanimously elected as the chairman of the League of Nations,now known as the United Nations.
Following World War I, the first Round Table Conference organised by the British government in London was attended by Quaid-i-Azam, the Aga Khan Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Sir Mohammed Shafi, Maulana Mohammed Ali and Maulana Fazlul Huq. During this conference, the delegation of Muslim leaders elected the Aga Khan as their leader and spokesman at which Allama Iqbal graciously spoke about the services rendered by the Aga Khan for the Muslims and the Round Table Conference stating,“We have placed these demands before the conference under the guidance of His Highness the Aga Khan, that worthy of statesman whom we all admire and whom the Muslims of India love for the blood that runs through his veins.” (Letters and writings of Iqbal: B.A Dar, Iqbal Academy, Karachi 1967, p. 72)
Throughout his life, the Aga Khan remained markedly committed to furthering the cause of Islam and Muslims. He called Islam “the greatest unifying, civilizing, and fraternizing influence in the world” and “a great cultural and spiritual force for the unity of the world and the fraternity of the nations.” Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah passed away on the 11th of July 1957 at Villa Barakat, in Versoix, Geneva and was laid to rest in Aswan, Egypt.
-------------
Last Year:
Pioneering role of Aga Khan III in promotion of education
November 2, 2018
https://www.chitraltoday.net/sultan-mah ... education/
https://www.brecorder.com/2019/11/02/54 ... education/
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah: Enriching lives through education
By HENNA TAJANI on November 2, 2019
While making the inaugural speech at the All India Mohammedan Educational Conference of 1911, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah stated, “In order to raise our people to their legitimate sphere of power, influence and usefulness, we must have a serviceable and extended system of education…If our people take to science and scientific education in the right spirit, the industrial and economic future of our community will no longer be in doubt."
A firm believer in the necessity of education and its role in human society, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah did not think of education as merely a medium of instruction and training but rather as a force that could uplift the human condition. As a highly regarded political figure, religious leader and stalwart supporter of humanitarian causes across the world, he was strongly positioned to drive progress in the field of education and his efforts made a lasting impact that resonates to this day.
Born in Karachi on 2 November 1887, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was a prominent Muslim leader in pre-partition India who believed that the problems being faced by the Indian Muslim community were caused by their neglect of education. He advocated that education was the means through which the Muslims of India could develop a strong political presence and the Muslim community at large could establish themselves as a valuable and prosperous community on the world stage. He worked tirelessly from a young age to increase access to education by establishing schools across India and East Africa, including remote and neglected areas. In recognition of his efforts to impart modern education to the Muslims of India, he was appointed to the Imperial Legislative Council by Viceroy Lord Curzon at the age of 25, making him the youngest member on the Council.
The founding of the Aligarh Muslim University in India was made possible by his passion and dedication to establish a centre of learning for the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. As Chairman of the Funds Collection Committee, he collected three million rupees besides making significant contributions from his own wealth. After the university was founded, he was named its first Chancellor and remained actively involved in its progress and development.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah sought to establish Islamic centres of learning that would propagate Islamic culture, history and values. He envisioned Aligarh Muslim University as a modern educational institution that would emulate the standards of the leading universities of the time and play the same role in retaining Islamic heritage that Western universities had played in preserving the tradition of their cultures.
Furthermore, he expressed his desire that Muslim educational institutions embody the spirit of Islam so that students could gain an understanding of Muslim values. He found education to be incomplete without a sense of morality saying, “The far-sighted amongst the Muslims of India desire a university where the standard of learning shall be the highest and where with scientific training there shall be that moral education – that indirect but constant reminder of the eternal difference between right and wrong which is the soul of education." He believed that if Muslims were not taught to uphold Islamic values, the Muslim community would be unable to achieve lasting success and prosperity.
In a time where the education of the female child was not considered a matter of importance, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah fervently advocated for female education and asserted that educating women was not only important but also vital for the progress of Muslim society, stating, “How can we expect progress from the children of mothers who have never shared, or even seen, the free social intercourse of modern mankind?… The body of Muslim society will be poisoned to death by the permanent waste of all the women of the nation."
Evidence of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah's commitment to education and the impact of his contributions are not difficult to uncover. In the 1940s, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, the 48th Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, dedicated the gifts he received from his followers on his Diamond Jubilee to the development of education and healthcare in the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. The money was used to establish schools, hostels, medical centres and maternity homes.
One such initiative was the Diamond Jubilee schools founded in the northern areas of Pakistan. In the remote and treacherous terrain of Northern Pakistan, where quality education was hard to come by, this initiative propelled communities forward and began a wave of progress which continues to this day. The message imparted by Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah- that of the importance of education – has been passed down to younger generations. In the Northern Pakistan valley of Hunza, almost every child, boy or girl, is given an education, which is considered a necessity and priority. In a country with an overall literacy rate of 55%, the valley of Hunza boasts a literacy rate of 95%. This is due, in no small part, to the movement started by Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah with the Diamond Jubilee schools.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah passed away in 1957 after spending his last days in Villa Barakat in Versoix, Switzerland and was laid to rest in Aswan, Egypt. His legacy has been carried forward by his grandson and successor Prince Karim Aga Khan, founder of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). AKDN is global network of development agencies with a mandate that encompasses social, cultural and economic development. Under the present Aga Khan's leadership, it operates a widespread network of schools – 156 schools in Pakistan alone, the Aga Khan Academies in India, Kenya and Mozambique, the Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah: Enriching lives through education
By HENNA TAJANI on November 2, 2019
While making the inaugural speech at the All India Mohammedan Educational Conference of 1911, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah stated, “In order to raise our people to their legitimate sphere of power, influence and usefulness, we must have a serviceable and extended system of education…If our people take to science and scientific education in the right spirit, the industrial and economic future of our community will no longer be in doubt."
A firm believer in the necessity of education and its role in human society, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah did not think of education as merely a medium of instruction and training but rather as a force that could uplift the human condition. As a highly regarded political figure, religious leader and stalwart supporter of humanitarian causes across the world, he was strongly positioned to drive progress in the field of education and his efforts made a lasting impact that resonates to this day.
Born in Karachi on 2 November 1887, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was a prominent Muslim leader in pre-partition India who believed that the problems being faced by the Indian Muslim community were caused by their neglect of education. He advocated that education was the means through which the Muslims of India could develop a strong political presence and the Muslim community at large could establish themselves as a valuable and prosperous community on the world stage. He worked tirelessly from a young age to increase access to education by establishing schools across India and East Africa, including remote and neglected areas. In recognition of his efforts to impart modern education to the Muslims of India, he was appointed to the Imperial Legislative Council by Viceroy Lord Curzon at the age of 25, making him the youngest member on the Council.
The founding of the Aligarh Muslim University in India was made possible by his passion and dedication to establish a centre of learning for the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. As Chairman of the Funds Collection Committee, he collected three million rupees besides making significant contributions from his own wealth. After the university was founded, he was named its first Chancellor and remained actively involved in its progress and development.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah sought to establish Islamic centres of learning that would propagate Islamic culture, history and values. He envisioned Aligarh Muslim University as a modern educational institution that would emulate the standards of the leading universities of the time and play the same role in retaining Islamic heritage that Western universities had played in preserving the tradition of their cultures.
Furthermore, he expressed his desire that Muslim educational institutions embody the spirit of Islam so that students could gain an understanding of Muslim values. He found education to be incomplete without a sense of morality saying, “The far-sighted amongst the Muslims of India desire a university where the standard of learning shall be the highest and where with scientific training there shall be that moral education – that indirect but constant reminder of the eternal difference between right and wrong which is the soul of education." He believed that if Muslims were not taught to uphold Islamic values, the Muslim community would be unable to achieve lasting success and prosperity.
In a time where the education of the female child was not considered a matter of importance, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah fervently advocated for female education and asserted that educating women was not only important but also vital for the progress of Muslim society, stating, “How can we expect progress from the children of mothers who have never shared, or even seen, the free social intercourse of modern mankind?… The body of Muslim society will be poisoned to death by the permanent waste of all the women of the nation."
Evidence of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah's commitment to education and the impact of his contributions are not difficult to uncover. In the 1940s, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, the 48th Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, dedicated the gifts he received from his followers on his Diamond Jubilee to the development of education and healthcare in the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. The money was used to establish schools, hostels, medical centres and maternity homes.
One such initiative was the Diamond Jubilee schools founded in the northern areas of Pakistan. In the remote and treacherous terrain of Northern Pakistan, where quality education was hard to come by, this initiative propelled communities forward and began a wave of progress which continues to this day. The message imparted by Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah- that of the importance of education – has been passed down to younger generations. In the Northern Pakistan valley of Hunza, almost every child, boy or girl, is given an education, which is considered a necessity and priority. In a country with an overall literacy rate of 55%, the valley of Hunza boasts a literacy rate of 95%. This is due, in no small part, to the movement started by Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah with the Diamond Jubilee schools.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah passed away in 1957 after spending his last days in Villa Barakat in Versoix, Switzerland and was laid to rest in Aswan, Egypt. His legacy has been carried forward by his grandson and successor Prince Karim Aga Khan, founder of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). AKDN is global network of development agencies with a mandate that encompasses social, cultural and economic development. Under the present Aga Khan's leadership, it operates a widespread network of schools – 156 schools in Pakistan alone, the Aga Khan Academies in India, Kenya and Mozambique, the Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
Among the many historical documents collected by the Heritage Society, there is a letter written by Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah to his cousin, the prince of Persia on 26 July 1946 in perfect French.
All of the documents written, signed or containing the seal of Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah, in French, English, Persian, Arabic and even Khojki script will be made available with their English translation once catalogued.
However, as this one is handy, I am posting it here. Remember this is in 1946 and the letter is written from Nairobi in Kenya..
All of the documents written, signed or containing the seal of Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah, in French, English, Persian, Arabic and even Khojki script will be made available with their English translation once catalogued.
However, as this one is handy, I am posting it here. Remember this is in 1946 and the letter is written from Nairobi in Kenya..
At the age of 20, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah was instrumental in the development of the vaccine for the bubonic plague
Posted by Nimira Dewji
In his Memoirs, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah states:
“During the previous year [1896] there had been sinister rumours that an epidemic of bubonic plague was sedulously and remorselessly spreading westwards across Asia. There had been a bad outbreak in Hong King; sporadically it appeared in towns and cities farther and farther west. When in the late summer of 1897 it hit Bombay there was a natural and general tendency to discredit its seriousness; but within a brief time we were all compelled to face the fact that it was indeed an epidemic of disastrous proportions. Understanding of the ecology of plague was still extremely incomplete in the nineties. The medical authorities in Bombay were overwhelmed by the magnitude, and (as it seemed) the complexity, of the catastrophe that had descended on the city. Their reactions were cautious and conservative. Cure they had non, and the only preventative that they could offer was along lines of timid general hygiene, vaguely admirable but unsuited to the precise problem with which they had to deal. Open up, they said, let fresh air and light into the little huts, the hovels and the shanties in which hundreds of thousands of the industrial and agricultural proletariat in Bombay Presidency lived; and when you have let in fresh air, sprinkle as much strong and strong-smelling disinfectant as you can. These precautions were not only ineffective; they ran directly counter to deep-rooted habits in the Indian masses. Had they obviously worked, they might have been forgiven, but as they obviously did not, and the death-roll mounted day by day, it was inevitable that there was a growing feeling of resentment.
It was a grim period. The plague had its ugly, traditional effect on public morals. Respect for law and order slipped ominously. There were outbreaks of looting and violence. Drunkenness and immorality increased; and there was a great deal of bitter feeling against the Government for the haphazard and inefficient way in which they were tackling the crisis. …
Now it happened that the Government of Bombay had at their disposal a brilliant scientist and research worker, Professor Haffkine, a Russian Jew, who had come to work on problems connected with cholera, who had induced the authorities to tackle cholera by mass inoculation and had had in this sphere considerable success. He was a determined and energetic man. He was convinced that inoculation offered a method of combating bubonic plague. He pressed his views on official quarters in Bombay without a great deal of success. Controversy seethed around him; but he had little chance to put his views into practice. Meanwhile people were dying like flies – among them many of my own followers.
I knew that something must be done, and I knew that I must take the initiative. I was not, as I have already recounted, entirely without scientific knowledge; I knew something of Pasteur’s work in France. I was convinced that the Surgeon-General’s Department was working along the wrong lines. I by-passed it and addressed myself direct to Professor Haffkine. He and I formed an immediate alliance and a friendship that was not restricted solely to the grim business that confronted us. This, by now, was urgent enough, I could at least and at once give him facilities for his research and laboratory work. I put freely at his disposal one of my biggest houses, a vast, rambling palace not far from Aga Hall (it is now a part of St. Mary’s College, Mazagaon); here he established himself, and here he remained about two years until the Government of India, convinced of the success of his methods, took over the whole research project and put it on a proper, adequate, and official footing.
Meanwhile, I had to act swiftly and drastically. The impact of the plague among my own people was alarming. It was in my power to set an example. I had myself publicly inoculated, and I took care to see that the news of what I had done was spread as far as possible as quickly as possible. My followers could see for themselves that I, their Imam, having in full view of many witnesses submitted myself to this mysterious and dreaded process, had not thereby suffered. The immunity, of which my continued health and my activities were obvious evidence, impressed itself on their consciousness and conquered their fear.
I was twenty years old. I ranged myself (with Haffkine, of course) against orthodox medical opinion of the time – among Europeans no less than among Asiatics. And if the doctors were opposed to the idea of inoculation, what of the views of ordinary people, in my own household and entourage, and in the public at large? Ordinary people were extremely frightened. Looking back across more than half a century, may I not be justified in feeling that the young man that I was showed a certain amount of courage and resolution?
At any rate it worked. Among my own followers the news circulated swiftly, as I had intended it to do, that their Imam had been inoculated, and that they were to follow his example. Deliberately I put my leadership to the test. It survived and vindicated itself in a new and perhaps dramatic fashion. My followers allowed themselves to be inoculated, not in a few isolated instances but as a group. Within a short time statistics were firmly on my side; the death-rate from plague was demonstrably far, far lower among Ismailis than in any other section of the community; the number of new cases, caused by contamination, was sharply reduced; and finally the incidence of recovery was far higher.
A man’s first battle in life is always important. Mine had taught me much, about myself and about other people, I had fought official apathy and conservatism, fear, and ignorance. My past foretold my future, for they were foes that were to confront me again and again throughout my life.
Sultan Muhammad Maoimed Aga Khan III
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah. Photo: Aga Khan Studs
By the time the crisis was passed I may have seemed solemn beyond my years, but I possessed an inner self-confidence and strength that temporary and transient twists of fortune henceforth could not easily shake. A by-product of the influence and the authority which I had exerted was that others than my own Ismaili followers looked to me for leadership.”
The Memoirs of Aga Khan, Cassell and Company Ltd., London, 1954, p36-39
Posted by Nimira Dewji
In his Memoirs, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah states:
“During the previous year [1896] there had been sinister rumours that an epidemic of bubonic plague was sedulously and remorselessly spreading westwards across Asia. There had been a bad outbreak in Hong King; sporadically it appeared in towns and cities farther and farther west. When in the late summer of 1897 it hit Bombay there was a natural and general tendency to discredit its seriousness; but within a brief time we were all compelled to face the fact that it was indeed an epidemic of disastrous proportions. Understanding of the ecology of plague was still extremely incomplete in the nineties. The medical authorities in Bombay were overwhelmed by the magnitude, and (as it seemed) the complexity, of the catastrophe that had descended on the city. Their reactions were cautious and conservative. Cure they had non, and the only preventative that they could offer was along lines of timid general hygiene, vaguely admirable but unsuited to the precise problem with which they had to deal. Open up, they said, let fresh air and light into the little huts, the hovels and the shanties in which hundreds of thousands of the industrial and agricultural proletariat in Bombay Presidency lived; and when you have let in fresh air, sprinkle as much strong and strong-smelling disinfectant as you can. These precautions were not only ineffective; they ran directly counter to deep-rooted habits in the Indian masses. Had they obviously worked, they might have been forgiven, but as they obviously did not, and the death-roll mounted day by day, it was inevitable that there was a growing feeling of resentment.
It was a grim period. The plague had its ugly, traditional effect on public morals. Respect for law and order slipped ominously. There were outbreaks of looting and violence. Drunkenness and immorality increased; and there was a great deal of bitter feeling against the Government for the haphazard and inefficient way in which they were tackling the crisis. …
Now it happened that the Government of Bombay had at their disposal a brilliant scientist and research worker, Professor Haffkine, a Russian Jew, who had come to work on problems connected with cholera, who had induced the authorities to tackle cholera by mass inoculation and had had in this sphere considerable success. He was a determined and energetic man. He was convinced that inoculation offered a method of combating bubonic plague. He pressed his views on official quarters in Bombay without a great deal of success. Controversy seethed around him; but he had little chance to put his views into practice. Meanwhile people were dying like flies – among them many of my own followers.
I knew that something must be done, and I knew that I must take the initiative. I was not, as I have already recounted, entirely without scientific knowledge; I knew something of Pasteur’s work in France. I was convinced that the Surgeon-General’s Department was working along the wrong lines. I by-passed it and addressed myself direct to Professor Haffkine. He and I formed an immediate alliance and a friendship that was not restricted solely to the grim business that confronted us. This, by now, was urgent enough, I could at least and at once give him facilities for his research and laboratory work. I put freely at his disposal one of my biggest houses, a vast, rambling palace not far from Aga Hall (it is now a part of St. Mary’s College, Mazagaon); here he established himself, and here he remained about two years until the Government of India, convinced of the success of his methods, took over the whole research project and put it on a proper, adequate, and official footing.
Meanwhile, I had to act swiftly and drastically. The impact of the plague among my own people was alarming. It was in my power to set an example. I had myself publicly inoculated, and I took care to see that the news of what I had done was spread as far as possible as quickly as possible. My followers could see for themselves that I, their Imam, having in full view of many witnesses submitted myself to this mysterious and dreaded process, had not thereby suffered. The immunity, of which my continued health and my activities were obvious evidence, impressed itself on their consciousness and conquered their fear.
I was twenty years old. I ranged myself (with Haffkine, of course) against orthodox medical opinion of the time – among Europeans no less than among Asiatics. And if the doctors were opposed to the idea of inoculation, what of the views of ordinary people, in my own household and entourage, and in the public at large? Ordinary people were extremely frightened. Looking back across more than half a century, may I not be justified in feeling that the young man that I was showed a certain amount of courage and resolution?
At any rate it worked. Among my own followers the news circulated swiftly, as I had intended it to do, that their Imam had been inoculated, and that they were to follow his example. Deliberately I put my leadership to the test. It survived and vindicated itself in a new and perhaps dramatic fashion. My followers allowed themselves to be inoculated, not in a few isolated instances but as a group. Within a short time statistics were firmly on my side; the death-rate from plague was demonstrably far, far lower among Ismailis than in any other section of the community; the number of new cases, caused by contamination, was sharply reduced; and finally the incidence of recovery was far higher.
A man’s first battle in life is always important. Mine had taught me much, about myself and about other people, I had fought official apathy and conservatism, fear, and ignorance. My past foretold my future, for they were foes that were to confront me again and again throughout my life.
Sultan Muhammad Maoimed Aga Khan III
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah. Photo: Aga Khan Studs
By the time the crisis was passed I may have seemed solemn beyond my years, but I possessed an inner self-confidence and strength that temporary and transient twists of fortune henceforth could not easily shake. A by-product of the influence and the authority which I had exerted was that others than my own Ismaili followers looked to me for leadership.”
The Memoirs of Aga Khan, Cassell and Company Ltd., London, 1954, p36-39
Shi‘a Isma‘ilis, Aga Khan III, and the Broader Discourse for Islamic Reform
Abstract
Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III was known and revered as the 48th hereditary Imam of the Isma‘ili Muslims. He was also an important Muslim reformer who championed the cause of socioeconomic progress and the status of women. His politico-religious career was marked by a prominent position in international affairs and dedication toward the advancement of education among Muslims. As a prominent Muslim leader, Aga Khan III favored a “this-worldly” interpretation of Islam, inspired by ethico-religious principles. His interpretive tendency was also influenced by the Sufi concept of wahdat al-wujud. A closer examination of Aga Khan III’s legacy and efforts further contribute to understanding the broader Muslim reformist debates of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
https://link.springer.com/referencework ... 1-1#citeas
Abstract
Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III was known and revered as the 48th hereditary Imam of the Isma‘ili Muslims. He was also an important Muslim reformer who championed the cause of socioeconomic progress and the status of women. His politico-religious career was marked by a prominent position in international affairs and dedication toward the advancement of education among Muslims. As a prominent Muslim leader, Aga Khan III favored a “this-worldly” interpretation of Islam, inspired by ethico-religious principles. His interpretive tendency was also influenced by the Sufi concept of wahdat al-wujud. A closer examination of Aga Khan III’s legacy and efforts further contribute to understanding the broader Muslim reformist debates of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
https://link.springer.com/referencework ... 1-1#citeas
The Pioneer II Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III Official Documentary
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo
Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, Aga Khan III November 1877 – 11 July 1957 was the 48th Imam of the Nizari Ismaili religion. He was one of the founders and the first permanent president of the All-India Muslim League (AIML). His goal was the advancement of Muslim agendas and protection of Muslim rights in India. The League, until the late 1930s, was not a large organization but represented the landed and commercial Muslim interests of the British ruled 'United Provinces.He shared Sir Syed Ahmad Khan's belief that Muslims should first build up their social capital through advanced education before engaging in politics. Aga Khan called on the British Raj to consider Muslims to be a separate nation within India, the so-called 'Two Nation Theory'. Even after he resigned as president of the AIML in 1912, he still exerted major influence on its policies and agendas. He was nominated to represent India to the League of Nations in 1932 and served as President of the League of Nations from 1937–38.The Documentary Pioneer covers his whole life history and explains the remarkable achievements of Sir sultan Muhammad shah.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo
Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, Aga Khan III November 1877 – 11 July 1957 was the 48th Imam of the Nizari Ismaili religion. He was one of the founders and the first permanent president of the All-India Muslim League (AIML). His goal was the advancement of Muslim agendas and protection of Muslim rights in India. The League, until the late 1930s, was not a large organization but represented the landed and commercial Muslim interests of the British ruled 'United Provinces.He shared Sir Syed Ahmad Khan's belief that Muslims should first build up their social capital through advanced education before engaging in politics. Aga Khan called on the British Raj to consider Muslims to be a separate nation within India, the so-called 'Two Nation Theory'. Even after he resigned as president of the AIML in 1912, he still exerted major influence on its policies and agendas. He was nominated to represent India to the League of Nations in 1932 and served as President of the League of Nations from 1937–38.The Documentary Pioneer covers his whole life history and explains the remarkable achievements of Sir sultan Muhammad shah.
On this day 75 years ago Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah called the first Ismailia Association Conference
Posted by Nimira Dewji
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah called the first Ismailia Association Conference for Africa on July 20, 19451 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The objectives of the conference were to establish an Ismailia Association for Africa, independent from the Association for India, and to address the training of teachers to impart religious education to young boys and girls.
The Conference, held in the assembly hall of Aga Khan Boys’ Secondary School, took place over three days and was attended by about one-hundred delegates. The President of the Ismailia Association of India (formerly known as the Recreation Club and Institute, established by Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah in 1920), Mr. A. R. Mecklai, was invited to the conference. Imam praised the work done by Mecklai:
“…we all owe a great debt of gratitude to Mr. Mecklai who has done wonderful work …
he has done a great deal of work that will remain historical, and has made a great name
for Ismailis amongst all learned circles by establishing the Islamic Research Association
and by getting men like Dr. Ivanow and Mr. Fyzee to look into the ancient documents.”
Imam explained the need for a Mission Centre:
“…Very little of our religion is generally known….There is a very important ayat in the Quran: Inna lillahi wa inna ilehi raajay,-oon that is, we are for God and unto Him we are returning. Shariati people do not understand this. This is the thing that must be understood. According to Ismaili religion, Allah is the ocean. Ali, during his life on earth was the river separated from the ocean of the Almighty, separated from it and running towards it overcoming all material resistances. He was running towards the origin. The haqiqati people should understand the meaning of this ayat, from haqiqati point of view.
Then of course, Pir Sadardin and other (Pirs) have put forward the doctrine that all momins are the small streams starting from the earth then joining the ocean through the river. This is the doctrine of the Ismailis. It is perfectly clear. … It is like a river which flows through the earth, stones, rocks and various other obstacles but reaches the ocean carrying with it all kinds of smaller streams. Now, all [this] has already been made clear by Ismaili writers and thinkers, and sifted and made clear and printed in Iran. This is the doctrine which is the true heart of the Ismaili religion.”
The conference resulted in the establishment of
Ismailia Association for Africa. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah appointed Alijah Nimji Zaver Kassam as its President and Mr. Shamsuddin Ahmed Mohammed as the Honorary Secretary.
Mission Centre in Dar es Salaam in May 1947 to train teachers to impart religious education. Imam appointed Abualy Alibhai Aziz of Bombay as the Principal of the Centre.
Imam instructed to implement a “pension scheme for the professional missionaries and another scheme for the honorary missionaries.”
During the conference, it was discussed that documents recorded in the Khojki script preserved in Bombay could not be printed in Tanzania due to censorship rules. Imam entrusted the delegates to present to him a plan for opening a printing press by Ismailis in Tanzania to enable the printing of material that would be compiled by the teachers of the Mission Centre. Imam explained that “the real danger is that all religious authorities gradually become materialistic and forget the spiritual interpretation.” Imam instructed the appointment of a committee to select Ginans to teach, also advising to select verses of Nasir-i Khusraw’s devotional work, and that Nasir-i Khusraw’s “philosophy is better than Masnawi.”
Participants from various regions included:
Bombay
Missionary Hameer Lakha
Missionary Haji Mohammed Fazal
Missionary Amirali Khudabaksh Talib
Missionary Gulamhusain Juma Patel
Missionary Kadarali B. Patel
Itmadi Husainali Kassamali Jarveri
Alimohammed Rehmatulla Mecklai
Dar es Salaam
Varas Kassum Sunderji Samji
Varas Ismail Jivraj Pirani
Varas Karji Nanji
V.M. Nazerali
Moshi
Hasanali Virani
Zanzibar
Diwan Gulamhusain Naseer Jindani
Varas Abdulla Hasham Gangji
Varas Amershi Kanji
Nairobi
Varas Eboo Pirbhai
Ibrahim Nathoo
Allijah Nimji Zaver Kassam
Shamsuddin Ahmed Mohammed
Kisumu
Varas Hasham Jamal
Alijah Ibrahim Jamal
Mombasa
Varas Fatehali Dhalla
Kassamali Rajabali Paroo
Dhanji Bhatia
Alijah Ismail M. Jaffer Chhotoo
Kampala
Varas Hassan Kassam Lakha
Bahadurali K. S Verjee
/nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2020/07/20/on-this-day-75-years-ago-imam-sultan-muhammad-shah-called-the-first-ismailia-association-conference/
Posted by Nimira Dewji
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah called the first Ismailia Association Conference for Africa on July 20, 19451 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The objectives of the conference were to establish an Ismailia Association for Africa, independent from the Association for India, and to address the training of teachers to impart religious education to young boys and girls.
The Conference, held in the assembly hall of Aga Khan Boys’ Secondary School, took place over three days and was attended by about one-hundred delegates. The President of the Ismailia Association of India (formerly known as the Recreation Club and Institute, established by Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah in 1920), Mr. A. R. Mecklai, was invited to the conference. Imam praised the work done by Mecklai:
“…we all owe a great debt of gratitude to Mr. Mecklai who has done wonderful work …
he has done a great deal of work that will remain historical, and has made a great name
for Ismailis amongst all learned circles by establishing the Islamic Research Association
and by getting men like Dr. Ivanow and Mr. Fyzee to look into the ancient documents.”
Imam explained the need for a Mission Centre:
“…Very little of our religion is generally known….There is a very important ayat in the Quran: Inna lillahi wa inna ilehi raajay,-oon that is, we are for God and unto Him we are returning. Shariati people do not understand this. This is the thing that must be understood. According to Ismaili religion, Allah is the ocean. Ali, during his life on earth was the river separated from the ocean of the Almighty, separated from it and running towards it overcoming all material resistances. He was running towards the origin. The haqiqati people should understand the meaning of this ayat, from haqiqati point of view.
Then of course, Pir Sadardin and other (Pirs) have put forward the doctrine that all momins are the small streams starting from the earth then joining the ocean through the river. This is the doctrine of the Ismailis. It is perfectly clear. … It is like a river which flows through the earth, stones, rocks and various other obstacles but reaches the ocean carrying with it all kinds of smaller streams. Now, all [this] has already been made clear by Ismaili writers and thinkers, and sifted and made clear and printed in Iran. This is the doctrine which is the true heart of the Ismaili religion.”
The conference resulted in the establishment of
Ismailia Association for Africa. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah appointed Alijah Nimji Zaver Kassam as its President and Mr. Shamsuddin Ahmed Mohammed as the Honorary Secretary.
Mission Centre in Dar es Salaam in May 1947 to train teachers to impart religious education. Imam appointed Abualy Alibhai Aziz of Bombay as the Principal of the Centre.
Imam instructed to implement a “pension scheme for the professional missionaries and another scheme for the honorary missionaries.”
During the conference, it was discussed that documents recorded in the Khojki script preserved in Bombay could not be printed in Tanzania due to censorship rules. Imam entrusted the delegates to present to him a plan for opening a printing press by Ismailis in Tanzania to enable the printing of material that would be compiled by the teachers of the Mission Centre. Imam explained that “the real danger is that all religious authorities gradually become materialistic and forget the spiritual interpretation.” Imam instructed the appointment of a committee to select Ginans to teach, also advising to select verses of Nasir-i Khusraw’s devotional work, and that Nasir-i Khusraw’s “philosophy is better than Masnawi.”
Participants from various regions included:
Bombay
Missionary Hameer Lakha
Missionary Haji Mohammed Fazal
Missionary Amirali Khudabaksh Talib
Missionary Gulamhusain Juma Patel
Missionary Kadarali B. Patel
Itmadi Husainali Kassamali Jarveri
Alimohammed Rehmatulla Mecklai
Dar es Salaam
Varas Kassum Sunderji Samji
Varas Ismail Jivraj Pirani
Varas Karji Nanji
V.M. Nazerali
Moshi
Hasanali Virani
Zanzibar
Diwan Gulamhusain Naseer Jindani
Varas Abdulla Hasham Gangji
Varas Amershi Kanji
Nairobi
Varas Eboo Pirbhai
Ibrahim Nathoo
Allijah Nimji Zaver Kassam
Shamsuddin Ahmed Mohammed
Kisumu
Varas Hasham Jamal
Alijah Ibrahim Jamal
Mombasa
Varas Fatehali Dhalla
Kassamali Rajabali Paroo
Dhanji Bhatia
Alijah Ismail M. Jaffer Chhotoo
Kampala
Varas Hassan Kassam Lakha
Bahadurali K. S Verjee
/nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2020/07/20/on-this-day-75-years-ago-imam-sultan-muhammad-shah-called-the-first-ismailia-association-conference/
https://www.dawn.com/news/1573083
From The Past Pages Of Dawn: 1945: Seventy-five years ago: Aga Khan’s view
Dawn Delhi 07 Aug 2020
LOURENCO MARQUES: The fear that establishment of an Indian Central Government might be impracticable was expressed by the Aga Khan on his arrival at Lourenco Marques en route to the South African Union.
“It must be remembered that the territories of British India were brought together by British conquest within the last 150 years, and there are wide historical language and racial differences,” he said. “It will be easy to unite them as a Commonwealth but, on the other hand, I have great fear that a Central Government for them may not be practical politics.”
Asked if he thought that world peace would be maintained, the Aga Khan said that if it is possible to bring about in Europe, Asia and later Africa, confederation of vast economic units with equal facilities for movement of population, goods and wealth such as existed in the United States of America, he believed, a permanent world peace was possible. If [not], sooner or later, difficulties in obtaining the necessities for bare living would lead to friction, enmity and hostilities. The Aga Khan thanked the Portuguese Government and people for kindness always shown to the Indians especially his own followers, the Ismailis.
Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2020
From The Past Pages Of Dawn: 1945: Seventy-five years ago: Aga Khan’s view
Dawn Delhi 07 Aug 2020
LOURENCO MARQUES: The fear that establishment of an Indian Central Government might be impracticable was expressed by the Aga Khan on his arrival at Lourenco Marques en route to the South African Union.
“It must be remembered that the territories of British India were brought together by British conquest within the last 150 years, and there are wide historical language and racial differences,” he said. “It will be easy to unite them as a Commonwealth but, on the other hand, I have great fear that a Central Government for them may not be practical politics.”
Asked if he thought that world peace would be maintained, the Aga Khan said that if it is possible to bring about in Europe, Asia and later Africa, confederation of vast economic units with equal facilities for movement of population, goods and wealth such as existed in the United States of America, he believed, a permanent world peace was possible. If [not], sooner or later, difficulties in obtaining the necessities for bare living would lead to friction, enmity and hostilities. The Aga Khan thanked the Portuguese Government and people for kindness always shown to the Indians especially his own followers, the Ismailis.
Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2020
https://dailynewsegypt.com/2020/09/06/d ... mausoleum/
DNE Buzz takes us on a journey to Aswan’s Aga Khan Mausoleum
Mausoleum of Ismaili religious leader behind story of impossible love between Indian prince and French florist
Daily News Egypt September 6, 2020
The Aga Khan Mausoleum sits high on the west bank of the River Nile at Aswan, a hark back to Egypt’s former status as the centre of Fatimid power.
DNE Buzz takes us on a journey to the location that has witnessed one of the most famous love stories of the 20th Century.
Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah, the third Aga Khan and the 48th Imam of the Nizari Ismaili sect, was born in Karachi, the then-capital of Sindh province in British India, now modern-day Pakistan.
He was one of the founders and the first permanent president of the All-India Muslim League (AIML). As the 48th Imam of the Shia’a Nizari Ismaili sect, he aimed for the advancement of Muslim agendas and the protection of Muslim rights in India. In 1932 he was nominated to represent India at the League of Nations, and served as the league’s President in 1937.
The Aga Khan expressed that, following his death, he was to be buried near his villa in the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan, a city where he frequently spent the winter season. His deep love of the city stemmed from ill health, having been recommended to travel to Aswan following paralysis in one leg.
The Mausoleum, constructed following his death in 1957, is built in the style of the Fatimid tombs in Cairo. Its pink limestone exterior, in which the tomb of white Carrara marble sits, serves as a defining feature on Aswan’s landscape.
At first sight, the Fatimid styled Mausoleum seems an isolated building, but it serves as a romantic start point, encouraging lovers from all over the world to go explore the area.
The Aga Khan’s love story started in the late 1930s, and ended in 2000, when destiny brought him together with a French woman named Yvonne Blanche Labrousse. The two met while attending a royal party in Egypt, to which Labrousse had been invited following her winning the Miss France title in 1930.
It is said that the then-68-year-old prince fell in love with the French beauty at first sight. And as with most stories of this sort, their love suffered from the constrictions of social norms and traditions at the time. The prince was heavily criticised for wanting to marry a florist, especially one thirty years his junior.
However, love knows no bounds and the couple were married one year later. Since then, Labrousse was known as Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan, the prince’s fourth and final wife.
The couple preferred to stay in Aswan, where the Aga Khan prepared a palace for his wife to stay. It was in Egypt that the couple remained until his death in 1957.
It is said that Begum Om Habibeh used to put a red rose inside a silver cup on his tomb every day until her own death in 2000, a practice that continues until the present day. She also planted the palace garden with the same roses that the Aga Khan preferred.
Begum Om Habibeh gained fame for her generosity towards the poor and the elderly, frequently undertaking acts of compassion to ensure their welfare. After her husband’s death, she returned to France, visiting Aswan annually to commemorate her late husband’s memory.
In 2000, Begum Om Habibeh died at the age of 94 in France, with her remains returned to Aswan to be buried by her husband’s side in the mausoleum.
Following her death, the mausoleum became a shrine for lovers due to its backstory reminding visitors of the never-ending love between the prince and his French florist.
The mausoleum’s beautiful interior features red carpets, with the building’s light colours giving it a certain timbre contrasting with the ethnic style.
The only way to reach the monument, located at Aswan’s southern end on the western side of the River Nile, is via sailing boat.
Unfortunately, the mausoleum is no longer open to the public, but you can still drink in the exterior beauty, and the building’s unique setting on the hills that rise above the River Nile. The added experience of navigating the surrounding waters are reasons enough to make a visit to this magical place in Egypt.
DNE Buzz takes us on a journey to Aswan’s Aga Khan Mausoleum
Mausoleum of Ismaili religious leader behind story of impossible love between Indian prince and French florist
Daily News Egypt September 6, 2020
The Aga Khan Mausoleum sits high on the west bank of the River Nile at Aswan, a hark back to Egypt’s former status as the centre of Fatimid power.
DNE Buzz takes us on a journey to the location that has witnessed one of the most famous love stories of the 20th Century.
Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah, the third Aga Khan and the 48th Imam of the Nizari Ismaili sect, was born in Karachi, the then-capital of Sindh province in British India, now modern-day Pakistan.
He was one of the founders and the first permanent president of the All-India Muslim League (AIML). As the 48th Imam of the Shia’a Nizari Ismaili sect, he aimed for the advancement of Muslim agendas and the protection of Muslim rights in India. In 1932 he was nominated to represent India at the League of Nations, and served as the league’s President in 1937.
The Aga Khan expressed that, following his death, he was to be buried near his villa in the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan, a city where he frequently spent the winter season. His deep love of the city stemmed from ill health, having been recommended to travel to Aswan following paralysis in one leg.
The Mausoleum, constructed following his death in 1957, is built in the style of the Fatimid tombs in Cairo. Its pink limestone exterior, in which the tomb of white Carrara marble sits, serves as a defining feature on Aswan’s landscape.
At first sight, the Fatimid styled Mausoleum seems an isolated building, but it serves as a romantic start point, encouraging lovers from all over the world to go explore the area.
The Aga Khan’s love story started in the late 1930s, and ended in 2000, when destiny brought him together with a French woman named Yvonne Blanche Labrousse. The two met while attending a royal party in Egypt, to which Labrousse had been invited following her winning the Miss France title in 1930.
It is said that the then-68-year-old prince fell in love with the French beauty at first sight. And as with most stories of this sort, their love suffered from the constrictions of social norms and traditions at the time. The prince was heavily criticised for wanting to marry a florist, especially one thirty years his junior.
However, love knows no bounds and the couple were married one year later. Since then, Labrousse was known as Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan, the prince’s fourth and final wife.
The couple preferred to stay in Aswan, where the Aga Khan prepared a palace for his wife to stay. It was in Egypt that the couple remained until his death in 1957.
It is said that Begum Om Habibeh used to put a red rose inside a silver cup on his tomb every day until her own death in 2000, a practice that continues until the present day. She also planted the palace garden with the same roses that the Aga Khan preferred.
Begum Om Habibeh gained fame for her generosity towards the poor and the elderly, frequently undertaking acts of compassion to ensure their welfare. After her husband’s death, she returned to France, visiting Aswan annually to commemorate her late husband’s memory.
In 2000, Begum Om Habibeh died at the age of 94 in France, with her remains returned to Aswan to be buried by her husband’s side in the mausoleum.
Following her death, the mausoleum became a shrine for lovers due to its backstory reminding visitors of the never-ending love between the prince and his French florist.
The mausoleum’s beautiful interior features red carpets, with the building’s light colours giving it a certain timbre contrasting with the ethnic style.
The only way to reach the monument, located at Aswan’s southern end on the western side of the River Nile, is via sailing boat.
Unfortunately, the mausoleum is no longer open to the public, but you can still drink in the exterior beauty, and the building’s unique setting on the hills that rise above the River Nile. The added experience of navigating the surrounding waters are reasons enough to make a visit to this magical place in Egypt.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40029957
Business Recorder
Champion for humanity
Anita Karim 02 Nov 2020
There are many dimensions to Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III’s demeanour in his public life. Born on the 2ndof November, 1877, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah became the 48th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims at the tender age of eight years old. From that time, he was actively involved in social endeavours in education, healthcare, politics and international development. On the occasion of his 143rd birth anniversary, his achievements for progress prove unparalleled.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah became a standard bearer for reform when he joined hands with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in The Aligarh Movement. His untiring sympathy towards the common man led him to raise his voice for eradicating sati, servitude, torture and mutilation as he referred to these bans for “standard of human feeling and sentiment.” His tenacity in politics prepared him as the President of the League of Nations, the predecessor of the United Nations, Head of the All-India Muslim League, Patron of the London Muslim League, Head of the 1906 Muslim Deputation to the Viceroy of India, President of the All Indian Muhammadan Educational Conference, Head of the British Indian Delegation to the Roundtable Conference, Delegate to the Disarmament Conference and the Head of the Simla Delegation, to name a few indicators of his active involvement in the Pakistan Movement. On the 15thof December, 1932, a meeting of National League members was held in London in Committee, where the poet of the East, Allama Iqbal remarked in regards to the services of Aga Khan III, “We have placed these demands before the Conference under the guidance of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III that worthy of statesman whom we all admire and whom the Muslims of India love for the blood that runs through the veins.”
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah paid a sizeable amount to Oman for acquiring Gwadar where the first Aga Khan School was established in 1905. Today Gwadar is featured in the $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Pakistan’s history. As a result of his grand Diamond Jubilee, a network of more than 200 Diamond Jubilee Aga Khan Schools were established in Northern Pakistan, which forms the basis for the 90% literacy rate of Hunza in Gilgit-Baltistan. Today this network has changed the very face of GB as the networkcomprises of an array of institutions under the aegis of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), led by his grandson, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. AKDN is an institutional set-up of not-for-profit and for-profit organisations, which endeavour to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life of the underserved communities in Asia and Africa.
As an ardent reformer, activist and religious leader, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah went to the extent of stating, “Personally, if I had two children, and one was a boy and the other a girl, and if I could afford to educate only one, I would have no hesitation in giving the higher education to the girl.” His followers have been religiously following this guidance till date. Advocating for quality education, he also supported the Aligarh University Movement by providing funds, leadership and guidance. The Aga Khan III’s endeavour “for the relief of humanity” reflects in today’s AKDN institutions which support humanity in social, cultural and economic spheres of life. At the stone laying ceremony of Aligarh he said, “We want to create for our people an intellectual capital – a city that shall be a home of elevated ideals, a centre from which light and guidance shall be diffused amongst the Muslims of India and out of India too, and shall hold up to the world model standard of justice and virtue and purity of our faith”. His passion for education manifests through his words for the foundation of Aligarh University and he said “As a mendicant, I am now going out to beg from house to house and from street to street for the children of Muslim India.” He contributed Rs.100,000 for the university and was able to raise three million Rupees for the university all by himself, as he held that he wanted to “build a mighty university worthy of Islam in India.” Aga Khan III laid the foundation for institutions such as the Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Platinum Jubilee Investments Limited, which are pivotal in growing various types of cooperative societies in Pakistan.
Having the prestige to represent India in the Disarmament Conference, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was elected as the Chairman of the League of Nations, which is known today as the United Nations. Due to his endeavours for the Muslim world, countries like Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt were included in the League of Nations. On account of his services, he was awarded with multiple titles by Iran, Syria and Indonesia. During the Khilafat Movement, Aga Khan III fought to curb the breakup of the Caliphate by highlighting the issue at international forums. He personally sent letters to The Times of London to campaign for the continuation of the Caliphate. Another noteworthy delegation he led comprised of Indian Muslim leaders to the British Prime Minister, Lloyd George. Sir Theodore Morison, a British educationalist and a supporter of Pakistan Movement stated, “I am hopeful that during the next half century, the Aga Khan will play that part in directing the destinies of the world of Islam for which his position and abilities so eminently qualify him.” In recognition for his humanitarian efforts, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in January 1924, for his work in sustaining peace between Turkey and the western powers after the peace agreement.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s grandson and successor, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV recalled, “My grandfather was a most gifted person, and amongst his many qualities, one of them had always particularly impressed me. While the past was a book he had read and re-read many times, the future was just one more literary work of art into which he used to pour himself with deep thought and concentration. Innumerable people since his death have told me how he used to read in the future, and this certainly was one of his very great strengths.” Some scholars have rightly called Aga Khan III a “Sufi at heart” for his political pursuits, lifestyle and interests. Notwithstanding, he was a great advocator of humanity and a reputed world leader that the subcontinent has ever produced.
Business Recorder
Champion for humanity
Anita Karim 02 Nov 2020
There are many dimensions to Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III’s demeanour in his public life. Born on the 2ndof November, 1877, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah became the 48th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims at the tender age of eight years old. From that time, he was actively involved in social endeavours in education, healthcare, politics and international development. On the occasion of his 143rd birth anniversary, his achievements for progress prove unparalleled.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah became a standard bearer for reform when he joined hands with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in The Aligarh Movement. His untiring sympathy towards the common man led him to raise his voice for eradicating sati, servitude, torture and mutilation as he referred to these bans for “standard of human feeling and sentiment.” His tenacity in politics prepared him as the President of the League of Nations, the predecessor of the United Nations, Head of the All-India Muslim League, Patron of the London Muslim League, Head of the 1906 Muslim Deputation to the Viceroy of India, President of the All Indian Muhammadan Educational Conference, Head of the British Indian Delegation to the Roundtable Conference, Delegate to the Disarmament Conference and the Head of the Simla Delegation, to name a few indicators of his active involvement in the Pakistan Movement. On the 15thof December, 1932, a meeting of National League members was held in London in Committee, where the poet of the East, Allama Iqbal remarked in regards to the services of Aga Khan III, “We have placed these demands before the Conference under the guidance of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III that worthy of statesman whom we all admire and whom the Muslims of India love for the blood that runs through the veins.”
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah paid a sizeable amount to Oman for acquiring Gwadar where the first Aga Khan School was established in 1905. Today Gwadar is featured in the $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Pakistan’s history. As a result of his grand Diamond Jubilee, a network of more than 200 Diamond Jubilee Aga Khan Schools were established in Northern Pakistan, which forms the basis for the 90% literacy rate of Hunza in Gilgit-Baltistan. Today this network has changed the very face of GB as the networkcomprises of an array of institutions under the aegis of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), led by his grandson, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. AKDN is an institutional set-up of not-for-profit and for-profit organisations, which endeavour to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life of the underserved communities in Asia and Africa.
As an ardent reformer, activist and religious leader, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah went to the extent of stating, “Personally, if I had two children, and one was a boy and the other a girl, and if I could afford to educate only one, I would have no hesitation in giving the higher education to the girl.” His followers have been religiously following this guidance till date. Advocating for quality education, he also supported the Aligarh University Movement by providing funds, leadership and guidance. The Aga Khan III’s endeavour “for the relief of humanity” reflects in today’s AKDN institutions which support humanity in social, cultural and economic spheres of life. At the stone laying ceremony of Aligarh he said, “We want to create for our people an intellectual capital – a city that shall be a home of elevated ideals, a centre from which light and guidance shall be diffused amongst the Muslims of India and out of India too, and shall hold up to the world model standard of justice and virtue and purity of our faith”. His passion for education manifests through his words for the foundation of Aligarh University and he said “As a mendicant, I am now going out to beg from house to house and from street to street for the children of Muslim India.” He contributed Rs.100,000 for the university and was able to raise three million Rupees for the university all by himself, as he held that he wanted to “build a mighty university worthy of Islam in India.” Aga Khan III laid the foundation for institutions such as the Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Platinum Jubilee Investments Limited, which are pivotal in growing various types of cooperative societies in Pakistan.
Having the prestige to represent India in the Disarmament Conference, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was elected as the Chairman of the League of Nations, which is known today as the United Nations. Due to his endeavours for the Muslim world, countries like Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt were included in the League of Nations. On account of his services, he was awarded with multiple titles by Iran, Syria and Indonesia. During the Khilafat Movement, Aga Khan III fought to curb the breakup of the Caliphate by highlighting the issue at international forums. He personally sent letters to The Times of London to campaign for the continuation of the Caliphate. Another noteworthy delegation he led comprised of Indian Muslim leaders to the British Prime Minister, Lloyd George. Sir Theodore Morison, a British educationalist and a supporter of Pakistan Movement stated, “I am hopeful that during the next half century, the Aga Khan will play that part in directing the destinies of the world of Islam for which his position and abilities so eminently qualify him.” In recognition for his humanitarian efforts, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in January 1924, for his work in sustaining peace between Turkey and the western powers after the peace agreement.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s grandson and successor, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV recalled, “My grandfather was a most gifted person, and amongst his many qualities, one of them had always particularly impressed me. While the past was a book he had read and re-read many times, the future was just one more literary work of art into which he used to pour himself with deep thought and concentration. Innumerable people since his death have told me how he used to read in the future, and this certainly was one of his very great strengths.” Some scholars have rightly called Aga Khan III a “Sufi at heart” for his political pursuits, lifestyle and interests. Notwithstanding, he was a great advocator of humanity and a reputed world leader that the subcontinent has ever produced.
Lessons Learnt from the Life of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah
The 2nd of November, 2020 marks the 143rd birth anniversary of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III. He succeeded his father as the 48th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili sect of Shia Muslims at the tender age of eight. He was a founding member of the Aligarh University, which became India’s first Muslim university based on the modern education system. He also served as the President of the League of Nations from 1937 to 1938. While his magnificent life and substantial endeavours demonstrate many philanthropic lessons, five significant lessons taken from his autobiography, The Memoirs of Aga Khan, hope to prove relevant and useful to readers today, regardless of caste or creed.
The first lesson, which especially holds true during a pandemic, was to stay ahead of the curve. In 1896, an outbreak of the bubonic plague was spreading west from Hong Kong. When it hit Bombay in 1897 there was no cure in sight and the recommended preventive measure were akin to general hygiene – keeping safe distance from others, using disinfectants and allowing light and air into houses. This scenario, very similar to the current COVID-19 situation, remained a teaching moment from history for generations to come. It showed the importance of following preventative guidelines to curb a greater medical emergency affecting the world over. Furthermore, when the time comes, it will be just as important to embrace and ensure access to inoculation just as Aga Khan III had done. As a leader in the Ummah, he was quick to get himself vaccinated in public so that others would follow suit.
Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah made it a point to include physical exercise in his daily routine - the second lesson, to exercise regularly. His lifestyle allowed him to live to the age of 79 at a time when the average life expectancy in the Indian subcontinent was a meagre 31 years. His daily physical activities ranged from boxing and cycling tours till his fifties, tennis, golf and walking otherwise. Daily exercise remains crucial for a healthy and happy life. While health indicators and life expectancy have drastically increased today – currently standing at 67 years in Pakistan – daily exercise is continually prescribed for physical and mental well-being.
The third lesson learnt from the life of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah was to set a routine. For over 70 years, the Aga Khan followed the same daily routine which started early in the morning with dedicated prayer and meditation. After breakfast he would read the news, exercise and then work till mid-day. Lunch was a balanced meal consisting of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and desert. After finishing work, in the evenings he enjoyed time at the theatre or reading, and had a light dinner of fruits or raw vegetables. These rules of following a routine and of consuming nutritious and balanced meals are still important today. Multiple studies show that creating healthy habits and following routines are beneficial to physical health, sleep and lower stress and anxiety.
During his travels across India, Aga Khan III found his way to the Anglo-Muslim College where he met Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Nawab Mohsen-ul-Molk. From there began his journey of promoting the cause of improving Muslim higher education. The fourth lesson, therefore, was to dedicate oneself to a worthy cause. In his own words, “I was on fire to see Aligarh's scope widened and its usefulness extended…” Such was the dedication of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah to the cause of Aligarh University that he spoke of it continuously to his friends, colleagues and groups of Muslims, both rich and poor, across India. This level of commitment allowed the Aga Khan to collect three million rupees in funds for the university. This dedicated and arduous journey to fulfilling the dream of Aligarh as a university was a great example of the results of hard work. It showed the importance of remaining steadfast in one’s efforts and that dreams do not become reality overnight, rather they require continuous dedication.
Finally, in the words of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III, “Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best we can but a lofty and exalted destiny.” The fifth lesson, to live life to the fullest, was regarded by Aga Khan III who lived a full and busy life filled with both enjoyment and responsibility. This is an important lesson to follow during the COVID-19 lockdown when it is easy to become victim to the overwhelming boredom. It is vital to use this time intelligently, as an opportunity to develop new skills and endeavours which would be beneficial to us, our families and our country.
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/news/activ ... homed-shah
The 2nd of November, 2020 marks the 143rd birth anniversary of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III. He succeeded his father as the 48th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili sect of Shia Muslims at the tender age of eight. He was a founding member of the Aligarh University, which became India’s first Muslim university based on the modern education system. He also served as the President of the League of Nations from 1937 to 1938. While his magnificent life and substantial endeavours demonstrate many philanthropic lessons, five significant lessons taken from his autobiography, The Memoirs of Aga Khan, hope to prove relevant and useful to readers today, regardless of caste or creed.
The first lesson, which especially holds true during a pandemic, was to stay ahead of the curve. In 1896, an outbreak of the bubonic plague was spreading west from Hong Kong. When it hit Bombay in 1897 there was no cure in sight and the recommended preventive measure were akin to general hygiene – keeping safe distance from others, using disinfectants and allowing light and air into houses. This scenario, very similar to the current COVID-19 situation, remained a teaching moment from history for generations to come. It showed the importance of following preventative guidelines to curb a greater medical emergency affecting the world over. Furthermore, when the time comes, it will be just as important to embrace and ensure access to inoculation just as Aga Khan III had done. As a leader in the Ummah, he was quick to get himself vaccinated in public so that others would follow suit.
Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah made it a point to include physical exercise in his daily routine - the second lesson, to exercise regularly. His lifestyle allowed him to live to the age of 79 at a time when the average life expectancy in the Indian subcontinent was a meagre 31 years. His daily physical activities ranged from boxing and cycling tours till his fifties, tennis, golf and walking otherwise. Daily exercise remains crucial for a healthy and happy life. While health indicators and life expectancy have drastically increased today – currently standing at 67 years in Pakistan – daily exercise is continually prescribed for physical and mental well-being.
The third lesson learnt from the life of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah was to set a routine. For over 70 years, the Aga Khan followed the same daily routine which started early in the morning with dedicated prayer and meditation. After breakfast he would read the news, exercise and then work till mid-day. Lunch was a balanced meal consisting of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and desert. After finishing work, in the evenings he enjoyed time at the theatre or reading, and had a light dinner of fruits or raw vegetables. These rules of following a routine and of consuming nutritious and balanced meals are still important today. Multiple studies show that creating healthy habits and following routines are beneficial to physical health, sleep and lower stress and anxiety.
During his travels across India, Aga Khan III found his way to the Anglo-Muslim College where he met Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Nawab Mohsen-ul-Molk. From there began his journey of promoting the cause of improving Muslim higher education. The fourth lesson, therefore, was to dedicate oneself to a worthy cause. In his own words, “I was on fire to see Aligarh's scope widened and its usefulness extended…” Such was the dedication of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah to the cause of Aligarh University that he spoke of it continuously to his friends, colleagues and groups of Muslims, both rich and poor, across India. This level of commitment allowed the Aga Khan to collect three million rupees in funds for the university. This dedicated and arduous journey to fulfilling the dream of Aligarh as a university was a great example of the results of hard work. It showed the importance of remaining steadfast in one’s efforts and that dreams do not become reality overnight, rather they require continuous dedication.
Finally, in the words of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III, “Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best we can but a lofty and exalted destiny.” The fifth lesson, to live life to the fullest, was regarded by Aga Khan III who lived a full and busy life filled with both enjoyment and responsibility. This is an important lesson to follow during the COVID-19 lockdown when it is easy to become victim to the overwhelming boredom. It is vital to use this time intelligently, as an opportunity to develop new skills and endeavours which would be beneficial to us, our families and our country.
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/news/activ ... homed-shah
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2270908/si ... f-humanity
Tuesday, 03 Nov 2020
Sir Aga Khan III – a champion of humanity
Remembering Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s achievements for progress on his 143rd birth anniversary
Anita Karim November 03, 2020
There are many dimensions to Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III’s demeanour in his public life. Born on November 2, 1877, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah became the 48th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims at the tender age of eight years old. From that time, he was actively involved in social endeavours in education, healthcare, politics and international development. On the occasion of his 143rd birth anniversary, his achievements for progress prove unparalleled.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah became a standard bearer for reform when he joined hands with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in The Aligarh Movement. His untiring sympathy towards the common man led him to raise his voice for eradicating sati, servitude, torture and mutilation as he referred to these bans for “standard of human feeling and sentiment.” His tenacity in politics prepared him as the President of the League of Nations, the predecessor of the United Nations, Head of the All-India Muslim League, Patron of the London Muslim League, Head of the 1906 Muslim Deputation to the Viceroy of India, President of the All Indian Muhammadan Educational Conference, Head of the British Indian Delegation to the Roundtable Conference, Delegate to the Disarmament Conference and the Head of the Simla Delegation, to name a few indicators of his active involvement in the Pakistan Movement. On the 15th of December, 1932, a meeting of National League members was held in London in Committee, where the poet of the East, Allama Iqbal remarked in regards to the services of Aga Khan III, “We have placed these demands before the Conference under the guidance of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III that worthy of statesman whom we all admire and whom the Muslims of India love for the blood that runs through the veins.”
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah paid a sizeable amount to Oman for acquiring Gwadar where the first Aga Khan School was established in 1905. Today Gwadar is featured in the $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Pakistan’s history. As a result of his grand Diamond Jubilee, a network of more than 200 Diamond Jubilee Aga Khan Schools were established in Northern Pakistan, which forms the basis for the 90% literacy rate of Hunza in Gilgit-Baltistan. Today this network has changed the very face of GB as the network comprises of an array of institutions under the aegis of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), led by his grandson, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. AKDN is an institutional set-up of not-for-profit and for-profit organisations, which endeavour to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life of the underserved communities in Asia and Africa.
As an ardent reformer, activist and religious leader, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah went to the extent of stating, “Personally, if I had two children, and one was a boy and the other a girl, and if I could afford to educate only one, I would have no hesitation in giving the higher education to the girl.” His followers have been religiously following this guidance till date. Advocating for quality education, he also supported the Aligarh University Movement by providing funds, leadership and guidance. The Aga Khan III’s endeavour “for the relief of humanity” reflects in today’s AKDN institutions which support humanity in social, cultural and economic spheres of life. At the stone laying ceremony of Aligarh he said, “We want to create for our people an intellectual capital – a city that shall be a home of elevated ideals, a centre from which light and guidance shall be diffused amongst the Muslims of India and out of India too, and shall hold up to the world model standard of justice and virtue and purity of our faith”. His passion for education manifests through his words for the foundation of Aligarh University and he said “As a mendicant, I am now going out to beg from house to house and from street to street for the children of Muslim India.” He contributed Rs.100,000 for the university and was able to raise three million Rupees for the university all by himself, as he held that he wanted to “build a mighty university worthy of Islam in India.” Aga Khan III laid the foundation for institutions such as the Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Platinum Jubilee Investments Limited, which are pivotal in growing various types of cooperative societies in Pakistan.
Having the prestige to represent India in the Disarmament Conference, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was elected as the Chairman of the League of Nations, which is known today as the United Nations. Due to his endeavours for the Muslim world, countries like Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt were included in the League of Nations. On account of his services, he was awarded with multiple titles by Iran, Syria and Indonesia. During the Khilafat Movement, Aga Khan III fought to curb the breakup of the Caliphate by highlighting the issue at international forums. He personally sent letters to The Times of London to campaign for the continuation of the Caliphate. Another noteworthy delegation he led comprised of Indian Muslim leaders to the British Prime Minister, Lloyd George. Sir Theodore Morison, a British educationalist and a supporter of Pakistan Movement stated, “I am hopeful that during the next half century, the Aga Khan will play that part in directing the destinies of the world of Islam for which his position and abilities so eminently qualify him.” In recognition for his humanitarian efforts, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in January 1924, for his work in sustaining peace between Turkey and the western powers after the peace agreement.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s grandson and successor, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV recalled, “My grandfather was a most gifted person, and amongst his many qualities, one of them had always particularly impressed me. While the past was a book he had read and re-read many times, the future was just one more literary work of art into which he used to pour himself with deep thought and concentration. Innumerable people since his death have told me how he used to read in the future, and this certainly was one of his very great strengths.” Some scholars have rightly called Aga Khan III a “Sufi at heart” for his political pursuits, lifestyle and interests. Notwithstanding, he was a great advocator of humanity and a reputed world leader that the subcontinent has ever produced.
Tuesday, 03 Nov 2020
Sir Aga Khan III – a champion of humanity
Remembering Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s achievements for progress on his 143rd birth anniversary
Anita Karim November 03, 2020
There are many dimensions to Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III’s demeanour in his public life. Born on November 2, 1877, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah became the 48th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims at the tender age of eight years old. From that time, he was actively involved in social endeavours in education, healthcare, politics and international development. On the occasion of his 143rd birth anniversary, his achievements for progress prove unparalleled.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah became a standard bearer for reform when he joined hands with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in The Aligarh Movement. His untiring sympathy towards the common man led him to raise his voice for eradicating sati, servitude, torture and mutilation as he referred to these bans for “standard of human feeling and sentiment.” His tenacity in politics prepared him as the President of the League of Nations, the predecessor of the United Nations, Head of the All-India Muslim League, Patron of the London Muslim League, Head of the 1906 Muslim Deputation to the Viceroy of India, President of the All Indian Muhammadan Educational Conference, Head of the British Indian Delegation to the Roundtable Conference, Delegate to the Disarmament Conference and the Head of the Simla Delegation, to name a few indicators of his active involvement in the Pakistan Movement. On the 15th of December, 1932, a meeting of National League members was held in London in Committee, where the poet of the East, Allama Iqbal remarked in regards to the services of Aga Khan III, “We have placed these demands before the Conference under the guidance of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III that worthy of statesman whom we all admire and whom the Muslims of India love for the blood that runs through the veins.”
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah paid a sizeable amount to Oman for acquiring Gwadar where the first Aga Khan School was established in 1905. Today Gwadar is featured in the $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Pakistan’s history. As a result of his grand Diamond Jubilee, a network of more than 200 Diamond Jubilee Aga Khan Schools were established in Northern Pakistan, which forms the basis for the 90% literacy rate of Hunza in Gilgit-Baltistan. Today this network has changed the very face of GB as the network comprises of an array of institutions under the aegis of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), led by his grandson, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. AKDN is an institutional set-up of not-for-profit and for-profit organisations, which endeavour to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life of the underserved communities in Asia and Africa.
As an ardent reformer, activist and religious leader, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah went to the extent of stating, “Personally, if I had two children, and one was a boy and the other a girl, and if I could afford to educate only one, I would have no hesitation in giving the higher education to the girl.” His followers have been religiously following this guidance till date. Advocating for quality education, he also supported the Aligarh University Movement by providing funds, leadership and guidance. The Aga Khan III’s endeavour “for the relief of humanity” reflects in today’s AKDN institutions which support humanity in social, cultural and economic spheres of life. At the stone laying ceremony of Aligarh he said, “We want to create for our people an intellectual capital – a city that shall be a home of elevated ideals, a centre from which light and guidance shall be diffused amongst the Muslims of India and out of India too, and shall hold up to the world model standard of justice and virtue and purity of our faith”. His passion for education manifests through his words for the foundation of Aligarh University and he said “As a mendicant, I am now going out to beg from house to house and from street to street for the children of Muslim India.” He contributed Rs.100,000 for the university and was able to raise three million Rupees for the university all by himself, as he held that he wanted to “build a mighty university worthy of Islam in India.” Aga Khan III laid the foundation for institutions such as the Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Platinum Jubilee Investments Limited, which are pivotal in growing various types of cooperative societies in Pakistan.
Having the prestige to represent India in the Disarmament Conference, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was elected as the Chairman of the League of Nations, which is known today as the United Nations. Due to his endeavours for the Muslim world, countries like Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt were included in the League of Nations. On account of his services, he was awarded with multiple titles by Iran, Syria and Indonesia. During the Khilafat Movement, Aga Khan III fought to curb the breakup of the Caliphate by highlighting the issue at international forums. He personally sent letters to The Times of London to campaign for the continuation of the Caliphate. Another noteworthy delegation he led comprised of Indian Muslim leaders to the British Prime Minister, Lloyd George. Sir Theodore Morison, a British educationalist and a supporter of Pakistan Movement stated, “I am hopeful that during the next half century, the Aga Khan will play that part in directing the destinies of the world of Islam for which his position and abilities so eminently qualify him.” In recognition for his humanitarian efforts, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in January 1924, for his work in sustaining peace between Turkey and the western powers after the peace agreement.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s grandson and successor, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV recalled, “My grandfather was a most gifted person, and amongst his many qualities, one of them had always particularly impressed me. While the past was a book he had read and re-read many times, the future was just one more literary work of art into which he used to pour himself with deep thought and concentration. Innumerable people since his death have told me how he used to read in the future, and this certainly was one of his very great strengths.” Some scholars have rightly called Aga Khan III a “Sufi at heart” for his political pursuits, lifestyle and interests. Notwithstanding, he was a great advocator of humanity and a reputed world leader that the subcontinent has ever produced.
https://nation.com.pk/17-May-2020/anoth ... 20Portugal
Another contribution of Aga Khan
6 Nov 2020
Celebrated Philanthropist and Leader of the Shia Ismailia community, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, has contributed 250,000 euros to the Global Response to COVID-19 Conference. This conference was held on 4 May 2020 in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal. The President of Portugal praised the noble work of Prince Karim Aga Khan while addressing the conference.
The first Muslim Leader to contribute for combating with this flaring epidemic, Prince Karim Aga Khan is known all over the world for His philanthropy. A development agency, known as Aga Khan Development Network, is working in more than 25 underprivileged countries of the world, including Pakistan. Aga Khan University, Aga Khan Foundation, Aga Khan Education Services and Aga Khan Rural Support programs are some of the organizations of Aga Khan Development network which are working in Pakistan.
Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan, the Grandfather of Prince Karim Aga Khan, played an active role in Pakistan’s independence. He was of the view that only education can change the destiny of Muslims of the subcontinent as this vision guided him to establish Aligarh Muslim University which was not only the desire of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan but also an indispensable need of Muslims at that time. Whenever the subcontinent came under the onslaught of infectious diseases, he stepped out to support masses in different ways.
After independence, Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan paid a sizable amount of money to Pakistan for procuring Gwadar Port from Oman which is nowadays a beacon of hope for Pakistan’s frail economy as Pakistan has pinned its hope on CPEC.
Prince Karim Aga Khan has been awarded countless awards, titles and honorary degrees for his marvellous contributions to humanity. His yet another move for the sake of humanity is laudable and exemplary.
KAMRAN KHAMISO KHOWAJA,
Sujawal
Another contribution of Aga Khan
6 Nov 2020
Celebrated Philanthropist and Leader of the Shia Ismailia community, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, has contributed 250,000 euros to the Global Response to COVID-19 Conference. This conference was held on 4 May 2020 in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal. The President of Portugal praised the noble work of Prince Karim Aga Khan while addressing the conference.
The first Muslim Leader to contribute for combating with this flaring epidemic, Prince Karim Aga Khan is known all over the world for His philanthropy. A development agency, known as Aga Khan Development Network, is working in more than 25 underprivileged countries of the world, including Pakistan. Aga Khan University, Aga Khan Foundation, Aga Khan Education Services and Aga Khan Rural Support programs are some of the organizations of Aga Khan Development network which are working in Pakistan.
Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan, the Grandfather of Prince Karim Aga Khan, played an active role in Pakistan’s independence. He was of the view that only education can change the destiny of Muslims of the subcontinent as this vision guided him to establish Aligarh Muslim University which was not only the desire of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan but also an indispensable need of Muslims at that time. Whenever the subcontinent came under the onslaught of infectious diseases, he stepped out to support masses in different ways.
After independence, Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan paid a sizable amount of money to Pakistan for procuring Gwadar Port from Oman which is nowadays a beacon of hope for Pakistan’s frail economy as Pakistan has pinned its hope on CPEC.
Prince Karim Aga Khan has been awarded countless awards, titles and honorary degrees for his marvellous contributions to humanity. His yet another move for the sake of humanity is laudable and exemplary.
KAMRAN KHAMISO KHOWAJA,
Sujawal
Last edited by Admin on Mon Dec 07, 2020 1:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
https://www.dailyparliamenttimes.com/20 ... july-1957/
Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan, A Visionary Muslim Leader (2 November 1877 to 11 July 1957
By Parliament Times -
November 4, 2020
Kamran Khamiso Khowaja
The leaders who played a Vital Role in the independence of Pakistan, Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan was one of those. A leader who made all efforts for the progress and advancement of the Muslims of the Subcontinent. He was an illustrious Muslim Leader who was respected and honored by Muslims, Hindus as well as British leaders for his progressive thoughts and a visionary approach. ir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan was born on 2 November 1877 in Karachi. At the very young age of 8 years, he succeeded his father Agha Ali Shah as the 48th Spiritual leader of Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims while their family traces its roots from Ismail IBN-E- Jaffar, ( Jaffar Ibne-Ali was the Sixth Imam of Shia Sect). At a very young age, he met with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan who further elevated his desires for serving Muslim Ummah. Right from the beginning, he believed that only education can change the destiny of Muslims, and Living a balanced life would improve their quality of life. To make Aligarh College a University a strong campaign of fundraising was set into motion by him and he managed to collect substantial amounts during that campaign and eventually Aligarh became a University and the dream of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Came true. Acknowledging his services for Education he was appointed the first chancellor of Aligarh University that played a crucial role in the creation of Pakistan. In 1906 for the separate political identity of Muslims he led Simla Deputation and convinced British Rulers to recognize Muslims as a separate political force of the subcontinent. As a result of that recognition, All India Muslim Leauge came into existence and Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan III was appointed its first President. He also advocated female education and emphasized that if a woman is educated she will educate first a whole family and then the whole society. In an address he said that; “personally if I had two children, and one was a boy and other was a girl, and I could afford to educate only one, I would have no hesitation in giving the higher education to the girl. He represented India in Disarmament Conference in Leagues of Nation and was the Unanimously elected its President, Where he raised voice for the impoverished Muslims of the Subcontinent and made the world realize about the hardships being confronted by them. Besides playing an active role in the field of education he also did exemplary work in the field of Health by establishing Maternity and Child care centers in different parts of the Subcontinent. During the 20th cent ry when the subcontinent came under the onslaught of an infectious disease (Smallpox) he remained on the front to help the poor masses. After the end of World WarII, he made arrangements for the settlement of Afghan Migrants. In 1952 he donated money for establishing the Department of Islamic studies in the Universities of European countries. After independence when the language crisis were sprouting he proposed that Arabic should be made the national language of Pakistan because it would strengthen our ties with Muslim countries and the issue of Language would be resolved once for all. In the initial days,Pakistan was under an acute crisis, but at that time Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah paid a sizable amount of money to the Pakistan Government for procuring Gwadar port that Oman was going to sell to India in case of Pakistan’s Denial to Purchase it. And now everyone is aware of the port,s importance. In his Massage, on the eve of Pakistan,s Independence He Said; that Pakistan Is the Now an Accomplished Fact And It will only Progress if we will Serve it with Unity and Faith in Almighty Allah. His Grandson and Successor Prince Karim Aga Khan like Him has always remained Generous to Pakistan. He has always supported Pakistan in crucial times. A Network of different institutions has been formed by him that is working in more than 25 developed as well as underdeveloped countries of the world to improve the quality of life of the people. Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah was an Eminent Political Figure, A philosopher, A Humanitarian, A Religious scholar, and More Importantly He was a Visionary Leader who made Pakistan,s creation possible with his efforts and commitment. The Muslim Leaders of Today Must Learn from his Contributions for the Ummah.
(-The writer is a Law Student and Columnist .based in Sujawal )
Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan, A Visionary Muslim Leader (2 November 1877 to 11 July 1957
By Parliament Times -
November 4, 2020
Kamran Khamiso Khowaja
The leaders who played a Vital Role in the independence of Pakistan, Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan was one of those. A leader who made all efforts for the progress and advancement of the Muslims of the Subcontinent. He was an illustrious Muslim Leader who was respected and honored by Muslims, Hindus as well as British leaders for his progressive thoughts and a visionary approach. ir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan was born on 2 November 1877 in Karachi. At the very young age of 8 years, he succeeded his father Agha Ali Shah as the 48th Spiritual leader of Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims while their family traces its roots from Ismail IBN-E- Jaffar, ( Jaffar Ibne-Ali was the Sixth Imam of Shia Sect). At a very young age, he met with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan who further elevated his desires for serving Muslim Ummah. Right from the beginning, he believed that only education can change the destiny of Muslims, and Living a balanced life would improve their quality of life. To make Aligarh College a University a strong campaign of fundraising was set into motion by him and he managed to collect substantial amounts during that campaign and eventually Aligarh became a University and the dream of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Came true. Acknowledging his services for Education he was appointed the first chancellor of Aligarh University that played a crucial role in the creation of Pakistan. In 1906 for the separate political identity of Muslims he led Simla Deputation and convinced British Rulers to recognize Muslims as a separate political force of the subcontinent. As a result of that recognition, All India Muslim Leauge came into existence and Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan III was appointed its first President. He also advocated female education and emphasized that if a woman is educated she will educate first a whole family and then the whole society. In an address he said that; “personally if I had two children, and one was a boy and other was a girl, and I could afford to educate only one, I would have no hesitation in giving the higher education to the girl. He represented India in Disarmament Conference in Leagues of Nation and was the Unanimously elected its President, Where he raised voice for the impoverished Muslims of the Subcontinent and made the world realize about the hardships being confronted by them. Besides playing an active role in the field of education he also did exemplary work in the field of Health by establishing Maternity and Child care centers in different parts of the Subcontinent. During the 20th cent ry when the subcontinent came under the onslaught of an infectious disease (Smallpox) he remained on the front to help the poor masses. After the end of World WarII, he made arrangements for the settlement of Afghan Migrants. In 1952 he donated money for establishing the Department of Islamic studies in the Universities of European countries. After independence when the language crisis were sprouting he proposed that Arabic should be made the national language of Pakistan because it would strengthen our ties with Muslim countries and the issue of Language would be resolved once for all. In the initial days,Pakistan was under an acute crisis, but at that time Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah paid a sizable amount of money to the Pakistan Government for procuring Gwadar port that Oman was going to sell to India in case of Pakistan’s Denial to Purchase it. And now everyone is aware of the port,s importance. In his Massage, on the eve of Pakistan,s Independence He Said; that Pakistan Is the Now an Accomplished Fact And It will only Progress if we will Serve it with Unity and Faith in Almighty Allah. His Grandson and Successor Prince Karim Aga Khan like Him has always remained Generous to Pakistan. He has always supported Pakistan in crucial times. A Network of different institutions has been formed by him that is working in more than 25 developed as well as underdeveloped countries of the world to improve the quality of life of the people. Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah was an Eminent Political Figure, A philosopher, A Humanitarian, A Religious scholar, and More Importantly He was a Visionary Leader who made Pakistan,s creation possible with his efforts and commitment. The Muslim Leaders of Today Must Learn from his Contributions for the Ummah.
(-The writer is a Law Student and Columnist .based in Sujawal )
Mawlana Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, a notable visionary and statesman
Posted by Nimira Dewji
“Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best as we can but a lofty and exalted destiny.”
Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III, Memoirs of Aga Khan: World Enough and Time
Image: Daftary, The Ismaili Imams
Mawlana Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III was born on November 2, 1877 in Karachi in British India, now in Pakistan. Imam was educated in Bombay (Mumbai) and Puna (Pune), where he studied Arabic, Persian literature, and calligraphy. He succeeded to the Imamat on August 17, 1885 at the age of eight years.
K.K. Aziz states that through his intimate knowledge of Eastern as well as Western cultures, Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah “was uniquely placed to play a significant role in the international affairs of his time, and his long public career had many dimensions” (Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah p vi).
His involvement on the world stage resulted in many honours being bestowed on Imam in recognition of his service. In 1898, Imam set out for France and Britain, where he was invited to dine with Queen Victoria who had recently commemorated her Diamond Jubilee. During his return journey home to Bombay, Imam travelled to Zanzibar, visiting the jamat there for the first time.
Sultan Muhammad Maoimed Aga Khan III
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah. Image: Aga Khan Studs
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah became a notable figure in British India, receiving the rank of Grand Knight Commander in 1902 when he attended the coronation of Edward VIII (r. 1901-1910). In the same year, Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India appointed him to his Legislature Council at Calcutta.
In 1906, Imam was elected as the first president of All-India Muslim League, an organisation that was established to support the education and legal status of Muslims in British India. Through his concerted efforts, along with others, the Muhammadan Anglo-Indian College at Aligarh received its charter as a university. In 1912, he was decorated as Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India by George V during his coronation celebrations in India.
During World War I, Imam travelled to Europe offering his support to the British. When the war ended, Imam gained princely status in the Bombay Presidency, but was forced to retreat from political life due to illness. He spent the next three years in Geneva, Switzerland, during which time he wrote India in Transition: A Study in Political Evolution (published in1918). Imam returned to politics in the late 1920s, becoming a prominent figure at the All-India Muslim Conference held in Delhi in 1928-1929.
In 1934, Imam became a member of the Privy Council, an influential body that advises the British sovereign. At the same time, he served as the delegate for British India at the Disarmament Conference as chief Indian delegate to the Assembly of the League of Nations (1934-1937), an international organisation founded in Paris in 1919 after World War I, which aimed to settle disputes peacefully and ensuring world security. Imam was appointed president of the League in 1937 and presided over its eighteenth assembly. The League was replaced by the United Nations in 1945.
Aga Khan III League United Nations
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah addressing the Assembly. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
During the post-war, there were remarkable developments in the international political scene including, among many others:
- The United States and the Soviet Union emerged as major powers;
- European colonies in Africa and Asia, where many Ismaili communities resided, witnessed intense struggles for independence;
- Syria gained independence from France (1946);
- British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan (1947);
- Persia experienced internal struggles.
To prepare the global Ismaili communities for changes that lay ahead, Imam established schools in East Africa as well as in the Indian subcontinent for the education of all, including girls. Under his guidance, over 200 schools were established during the first half of the twentieth century, the first of them in 1905 in Zanzibar, Gwadar in Pakistan, and Mundra in India. These are now part of the Aga Khan Education Services, an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network founded by Mawlana Hazar Imam Aga Khan IV. In 1905, Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah sent to the jamat of East Africa a set of Rules and Regulations that served as the first constitution that aimed to improve the community’s social situation particularly by means of education and through a hierarchy of local and regional councils and their administrative procedures. This set of Rules and Regulations was issued to the Khoja community of British India in 1906.
Ismaili constitution Aga Khan zanzibar
Front inside cover of the Ismaili constitution issued at Zanzibar. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
For the Ismailis living in Soviet controlled Central Asia, the death of Stalin in 1935 resulted in some relaxation of repressive policies which had forced religious practices underground. During Soviet rule, there was limited contacted between the Ismailis of this region and the Imamat as well between the Ismaili communities.
On the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of his Imamat, from the proceeds of the diamonds gifted by the community and against which he was weighed, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah established the Diamond Jubilee Investment Trust (now Diamond Trust of Kenya), which served to fund a range of social projects including schools and cooperative societies in several Ismaili communities. These companies are now publicly quoted national economic development institutions. Schools were also established in India – Diamond Jubilee School for Girls in Mumbai founded in 1947, and Diamond Jubilee High School in Hyderabad founded in 1949.
Similar initiatives were established during Imam’s Platinum Jubilee commemorated during 1954-1955, such as the Platinum Jubilee High School, Warangal, India, established in 1953; the Platinum Jubilee Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, opened in 1958 by Mawlana Hazar Imam, and is now the Aga Khan University Hospital.
After the war, Imam continued to visit the jamat in Africa and Asia, establishing a range of initiatives for improving the quality of life of all citizens. In 1945 he founded the East African Muslim Welfare Society that aimed to improve the education and social welfare standards of Muslims in Africa. One of the resulting initiatives was the establishment of the Mombasa Institute of Muslim Education (today known as Mombasa Polytechnic), the first post-secondary institution for Muslims in coastal East Africa. Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah had also made a financial contribution to the creation of the Gordon Memorial College in Khartoum, the first college in the Sudan and the forerunner to the University of Khartoum.
In 1952, Imam called a conference of councillors from East African countries at Evian, France, to discuss future needs of the jamat, resulting in the revised constitution of 1954, which replaced the first set of Rules and Regulations.
“Imam’s efforts in modernising the organisational and civic structures of the community were accompanied by public declarations of his role as Imam, the workings of the community, and clarity about the religious identity of the community. But owing to each individual community’s specific historical trajectory, be it in Africa, British India, Central Asia, Afghanistan, China, Persia or Syria, the extent to which the process of modernisation, and the means by which social reforms were implemented by the Imamate, inevitable differed” (The Ismailis An Illustrated History p 203).
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah published his autobiography Memoirs of Aga Khan: World Enough and Time in 1954. He died on July 11, 1957 and was succeeded by his grandson. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah was buried in Aswan Egypt, where his mausoleum lies.
Aswan Aga Khan Egypt
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah’s mausoleum at Aswan. Image: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
K.K. Aziz states “no historian can neglect the life and work of such a statesman: the Aga Khan has a high claim on our attention on grounds both of personal impact and of long term influence” (Selected Speeches p 3).
Sources:
K.K. Aziz, Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, Kegan Paul International, 1998
Farhad Daftary, Zulfikar Hirji, The Ismailis An Illustrated History, Azimuth Editions in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies
https://nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2021/ ... statesman/
Posted by Nimira Dewji
“Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best as we can but a lofty and exalted destiny.”
Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III, Memoirs of Aga Khan: World Enough and Time
Image: Daftary, The Ismaili Imams
Mawlana Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III was born on November 2, 1877 in Karachi in British India, now in Pakistan. Imam was educated in Bombay (Mumbai) and Puna (Pune), where he studied Arabic, Persian literature, and calligraphy. He succeeded to the Imamat on August 17, 1885 at the age of eight years.
K.K. Aziz states that through his intimate knowledge of Eastern as well as Western cultures, Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah “was uniquely placed to play a significant role in the international affairs of his time, and his long public career had many dimensions” (Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah p vi).
His involvement on the world stage resulted in many honours being bestowed on Imam in recognition of his service. In 1898, Imam set out for France and Britain, where he was invited to dine with Queen Victoria who had recently commemorated her Diamond Jubilee. During his return journey home to Bombay, Imam travelled to Zanzibar, visiting the jamat there for the first time.
Sultan Muhammad Maoimed Aga Khan III
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah. Image: Aga Khan Studs
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah became a notable figure in British India, receiving the rank of Grand Knight Commander in 1902 when he attended the coronation of Edward VIII (r. 1901-1910). In the same year, Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India appointed him to his Legislature Council at Calcutta.
In 1906, Imam was elected as the first president of All-India Muslim League, an organisation that was established to support the education and legal status of Muslims in British India. Through his concerted efforts, along with others, the Muhammadan Anglo-Indian College at Aligarh received its charter as a university. In 1912, he was decorated as Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India by George V during his coronation celebrations in India.
During World War I, Imam travelled to Europe offering his support to the British. When the war ended, Imam gained princely status in the Bombay Presidency, but was forced to retreat from political life due to illness. He spent the next three years in Geneva, Switzerland, during which time he wrote India in Transition: A Study in Political Evolution (published in1918). Imam returned to politics in the late 1920s, becoming a prominent figure at the All-India Muslim Conference held in Delhi in 1928-1929.
In 1934, Imam became a member of the Privy Council, an influential body that advises the British sovereign. At the same time, he served as the delegate for British India at the Disarmament Conference as chief Indian delegate to the Assembly of the League of Nations (1934-1937), an international organisation founded in Paris in 1919 after World War I, which aimed to settle disputes peacefully and ensuring world security. Imam was appointed president of the League in 1937 and presided over its eighteenth assembly. The League was replaced by the United Nations in 1945.
Aga Khan III League United Nations
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah addressing the Assembly. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
During the post-war, there were remarkable developments in the international political scene including, among many others:
- The United States and the Soviet Union emerged as major powers;
- European colonies in Africa and Asia, where many Ismaili communities resided, witnessed intense struggles for independence;
- Syria gained independence from France (1946);
- British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan (1947);
- Persia experienced internal struggles.
To prepare the global Ismaili communities for changes that lay ahead, Imam established schools in East Africa as well as in the Indian subcontinent for the education of all, including girls. Under his guidance, over 200 schools were established during the first half of the twentieth century, the first of them in 1905 in Zanzibar, Gwadar in Pakistan, and Mundra in India. These are now part of the Aga Khan Education Services, an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network founded by Mawlana Hazar Imam Aga Khan IV. In 1905, Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah sent to the jamat of East Africa a set of Rules and Regulations that served as the first constitution that aimed to improve the community’s social situation particularly by means of education and through a hierarchy of local and regional councils and their administrative procedures. This set of Rules and Regulations was issued to the Khoja community of British India in 1906.
Ismaili constitution Aga Khan zanzibar
Front inside cover of the Ismaili constitution issued at Zanzibar. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
For the Ismailis living in Soviet controlled Central Asia, the death of Stalin in 1935 resulted in some relaxation of repressive policies which had forced religious practices underground. During Soviet rule, there was limited contacted between the Ismailis of this region and the Imamat as well between the Ismaili communities.
On the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of his Imamat, from the proceeds of the diamonds gifted by the community and against which he was weighed, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah established the Diamond Jubilee Investment Trust (now Diamond Trust of Kenya), which served to fund a range of social projects including schools and cooperative societies in several Ismaili communities. These companies are now publicly quoted national economic development institutions. Schools were also established in India – Diamond Jubilee School for Girls in Mumbai founded in 1947, and Diamond Jubilee High School in Hyderabad founded in 1949.
Similar initiatives were established during Imam’s Platinum Jubilee commemorated during 1954-1955, such as the Platinum Jubilee High School, Warangal, India, established in 1953; the Platinum Jubilee Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, opened in 1958 by Mawlana Hazar Imam, and is now the Aga Khan University Hospital.
After the war, Imam continued to visit the jamat in Africa and Asia, establishing a range of initiatives for improving the quality of life of all citizens. In 1945 he founded the East African Muslim Welfare Society that aimed to improve the education and social welfare standards of Muslims in Africa. One of the resulting initiatives was the establishment of the Mombasa Institute of Muslim Education (today known as Mombasa Polytechnic), the first post-secondary institution for Muslims in coastal East Africa. Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah had also made a financial contribution to the creation of the Gordon Memorial College in Khartoum, the first college in the Sudan and the forerunner to the University of Khartoum.
In 1952, Imam called a conference of councillors from East African countries at Evian, France, to discuss future needs of the jamat, resulting in the revised constitution of 1954, which replaced the first set of Rules and Regulations.
“Imam’s efforts in modernising the organisational and civic structures of the community were accompanied by public declarations of his role as Imam, the workings of the community, and clarity about the religious identity of the community. But owing to each individual community’s specific historical trajectory, be it in Africa, British India, Central Asia, Afghanistan, China, Persia or Syria, the extent to which the process of modernisation, and the means by which social reforms were implemented by the Imamate, inevitable differed” (The Ismailis An Illustrated History p 203).
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah published his autobiography Memoirs of Aga Khan: World Enough and Time in 1954. He died on July 11, 1957 and was succeeded by his grandson. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah was buried in Aswan Egypt, where his mausoleum lies.
Aswan Aga Khan Egypt
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah’s mausoleum at Aswan. Image: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
K.K. Aziz states “no historian can neglect the life and work of such a statesman: the Aga Khan has a high claim on our attention on grounds both of personal impact and of long term influence” (Selected Speeches p 3).
Sources:
K.K. Aziz, Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, Kegan Paul International, 1998
Farhad Daftary, Zulfikar Hirji, The Ismailis An Illustrated History, Azimuth Editions in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies
https://nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2021/ ... statesman/
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40130554 ... -education
Remembering a hero of the nation: Sir Aga Khan's drive for education
02 Nov 2021
The 2nd of November marks the birth anniversary of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan (1877-1957) who made significant contributions to the social, cultural, political, economic and educational growth of Muslims.
A social reformer, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan was an ardent supporter of the educational advancement of Muslims in the subcontinent. From early on, he had realized that a promising future of the Muslims laid in the fundamental message of their faith that is to acquire knowledge. For Sir Aga Khan, this ideal formed the basis of the splendour of Islam during its Golden Age and it was indispensable for Muslims of the subcontinent to commit themselves wholeheartedly to the pursuit of modern education to return to that glory.
Sir Aga Khan preached the importance of education throughout his life. If his interest in education was a passion, his efforts for the dissemination of knowledge amongst Muslims were a true battle. His first appearance on the national stage, at only 25 years of age, was at the All-India Mahomedan Educational Conference in 1902.
The same year the Viceroy, Lord Curzon, nominated him to the Imperial Legislative Council in recognition of his sheer determination to educate Muslims, making Sir Aga Khan the Council's youngest member. His speeches in the Council identified him as a promising leader, and he went on to spearhead numerous educational initiatives championed by Muslims for many subsequent years.
It was at that time when he began to see the vision of a university in which Muslim youth of the subcontinent could cultivate. The best way to the intellectual development of Muslims was to make an Anglo-Oriental College, a 'Muslim Oxford,' that would "restore the faded glories of our people."
The great Aligarh movement, initiated by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, believed that it held the key to salvation for Muslims. With his outstanding contribution to the Muslims of the subcontinent, his prominent role was in the formation of Aligarh University. He took on the enormous task of raising funds for the development of this great centre of learning and excellence, "As a mendicant, I am now going out to beg from house to house and from street to street for the children of Muslim India."
From his wealth, Sir Aga Khan graciously donated an amount of Rs 100,000. With his sincere efforts and fervour, he was able to collect three million rupees for the university and succeeded in laying the foundation for the future Aligarh University in 1920.
Considered as one of his greatest services to Islam, it also serves as a historical reminder of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan's contribution to the continuation of his ancestor's quest in pioneering educational traditions in Egypt and elsewhere, including the foundation of Al-Azhar, the world's oldest university.
Looking ahead, Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah Aga Khan outlined the groundwork for the current education system of the Aga Khan Schools in Pakistan, establishing over 200 schools during the twentieth century, the first in 1905 in Zanzibar and Gwadar (Balochistan).
The Diamond Jubilee Schools for Girls, or DJ schools, were founded throughout what is now Pakistan's remote northern regions. Today, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which is led by his grandson, Prince Karim Aga Khan, continues to play an instrumental role in enhancing the level of education in the region and the country.
The AKDN has adopted a wider position, articulated in an international framework, of the largest array of agencies and institutions in the world, where Muslims live in majority or minority, to aid the government's structures for poverty alleviation and improving quality of life.
Furthermore, for Sir Aga Khan, without the involvement of women in upholding society's essential and preserving values, social transformation was impossible. Supporting the emancipation of women and giving them an equal space in the educational sphere, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah went so far as to say, "Personally, if I had two children, and one was a boy and the other a girl, and if I could afford to educate only one, I would have no hesitation in giving the higher education to the girl."
He was a great believer of the highest quality of education and training in science and technology. This kind of instruction, he once said, must be one of the "main practical objects of our energy and ambitions."
In Sir Aga Khan's view, every level or stage of education was equally important. In his Inaugural Address at the All-India Mahomedan Educational Conference in 1911, he noted that the foundation of society was a sound primary education as, "No solid superstructure can stand safely on softer soil." The masses could not produce leaders capable of raising the nation to its legitimate sphere of power, influence and usefulness if they lacked rudimentary education.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan will be remembered as one of the most illustrious and well-known global leaders and diplomats throughout the golden history of the freedom movement.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
Remembering a hero of the nation: Sir Aga Khan's drive for education
02 Nov 2021
The 2nd of November marks the birth anniversary of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan (1877-1957) who made significant contributions to the social, cultural, political, economic and educational growth of Muslims.
A social reformer, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan was an ardent supporter of the educational advancement of Muslims in the subcontinent. From early on, he had realized that a promising future of the Muslims laid in the fundamental message of their faith that is to acquire knowledge. For Sir Aga Khan, this ideal formed the basis of the splendour of Islam during its Golden Age and it was indispensable for Muslims of the subcontinent to commit themselves wholeheartedly to the pursuit of modern education to return to that glory.
Sir Aga Khan preached the importance of education throughout his life. If his interest in education was a passion, his efforts for the dissemination of knowledge amongst Muslims were a true battle. His first appearance on the national stage, at only 25 years of age, was at the All-India Mahomedan Educational Conference in 1902.
The same year the Viceroy, Lord Curzon, nominated him to the Imperial Legislative Council in recognition of his sheer determination to educate Muslims, making Sir Aga Khan the Council's youngest member. His speeches in the Council identified him as a promising leader, and he went on to spearhead numerous educational initiatives championed by Muslims for many subsequent years.
It was at that time when he began to see the vision of a university in which Muslim youth of the subcontinent could cultivate. The best way to the intellectual development of Muslims was to make an Anglo-Oriental College, a 'Muslim Oxford,' that would "restore the faded glories of our people."
The great Aligarh movement, initiated by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, believed that it held the key to salvation for Muslims. With his outstanding contribution to the Muslims of the subcontinent, his prominent role was in the formation of Aligarh University. He took on the enormous task of raising funds for the development of this great centre of learning and excellence, "As a mendicant, I am now going out to beg from house to house and from street to street for the children of Muslim India."
From his wealth, Sir Aga Khan graciously donated an amount of Rs 100,000. With his sincere efforts and fervour, he was able to collect three million rupees for the university and succeeded in laying the foundation for the future Aligarh University in 1920.
Considered as one of his greatest services to Islam, it also serves as a historical reminder of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan's contribution to the continuation of his ancestor's quest in pioneering educational traditions in Egypt and elsewhere, including the foundation of Al-Azhar, the world's oldest university.
Looking ahead, Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah Aga Khan outlined the groundwork for the current education system of the Aga Khan Schools in Pakistan, establishing over 200 schools during the twentieth century, the first in 1905 in Zanzibar and Gwadar (Balochistan).
The Diamond Jubilee Schools for Girls, or DJ schools, were founded throughout what is now Pakistan's remote northern regions. Today, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which is led by his grandson, Prince Karim Aga Khan, continues to play an instrumental role in enhancing the level of education in the region and the country.
The AKDN has adopted a wider position, articulated in an international framework, of the largest array of agencies and institutions in the world, where Muslims live in majority or minority, to aid the government's structures for poverty alleviation and improving quality of life.
Furthermore, for Sir Aga Khan, without the involvement of women in upholding society's essential and preserving values, social transformation was impossible. Supporting the emancipation of women and giving them an equal space in the educational sphere, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah went so far as to say, "Personally, if I had two children, and one was a boy and the other a girl, and if I could afford to educate only one, I would have no hesitation in giving the higher education to the girl."
He was a great believer of the highest quality of education and training in science and technology. This kind of instruction, he once said, must be one of the "main practical objects of our energy and ambitions."
In Sir Aga Khan's view, every level or stage of education was equally important. In his Inaugural Address at the All-India Mahomedan Educational Conference in 1911, he noted that the foundation of society was a sound primary education as, "No solid superstructure can stand safely on softer soil." The masses could not produce leaders capable of raising the nation to its legitimate sphere of power, influence and usefulness if they lacked rudimentary education.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan will be remembered as one of the most illustrious and well-known global leaders and diplomats throughout the golden history of the freedom movement.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
A moment in time: Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III’s Platinum Jubilee was commemorated
Posted by Nimira Dewji
To mark seventy years of his Imamat, Ismailis wished to weigh Imam in platinum. The first ceremony was held on February 3, 1954 in Karachi, Imam’s birthplace.
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah addressing gathering on the occasion of his Platinum Jubilee at Karachi. Image: Poppperfoto/Ilm
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah succeeded his father to the Imamat on August 17, 1885 reigning for seventy-two years, longer that any of his predecessors. K.K. Aziz states that Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah “occupies a place which …. may be called unique…. The positions he held in public life, the parties and organizations he led or patronized, the long innings he played on the stage of history, the variegated conditions in which he was called upon to act, the range of problems he had to face and solve, the wide compass of commitments and engagements which drew him into a strenuous life, the heavy responsibilities which he carried and discharged on the whole with success, the diversity of causes he upheld and fought for, and the supremely active and interesting life that he lived till the very end – all this makes him a giant among his contemporaries; and these contemporaries were not men of small stature. Competing with the greatest in public life of the subcontinent, he yet imprinted his personality on an era” (Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah p1).
“He was a man of many dimensions and facets. In the realm of religion, he was the hereditary Imam of the Ismailis…. In national politics he headed the All India Muslim League (permanent president for several years), the All India Muslim Conference (founder and president), the London Muslim League (patron), the momentous Muslim deputation to the Viceroy of India at Simla in 1906, and the Indian Delegation to the three RoundTable Conferences in London. In educational leadership he was twice president of the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference and one of the principal makers of the Aligarh Muslim University.
On the international scene, three matters engaged his affections. The unity and welfare of the Islamic world were dear to his heart and his exertions on its behalf kept him busy all his life. For several years he was anxiously concerned for the future of the khilafat and the territorial integrity of Turkey, though for his pains he had to face many risks, including, ironically, the wrath of the new rulers of Turkey herself. He had an abiding interest in world peace, and struggled hard for its achievement, privately in remonstrances with his friends in high places, publicly in speeches and negotiations at the Disarmament Conference at the League of Nations” (Ibid.).
Aga Khan III League United Nations
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah addressing the Assembly. Image: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
“In social reform his ideas were ahead of his age. Hardly any other Indian politician, Hindu, Parsi or Muslim, gave as much attention as he did to the improvement of agriculture, the needs of the rural masses, and the advance in agricultural education. Emancipation of women was a strong plank of his reformist programme” (Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah p 177).
Blessed with rare political vision, he was probably the first Indian to realize that federalism was the only workable and lasting solution to the Indian constitutional problem…
Morally and intellectually he left his mark on many places. In religious matters, the cargo of his thought was heavy, and his views, imbued with modern liberalism, refuted both scholastic obscurism and reactionary traditionalism. Socially, he attempted to improve society through discerning and sage advice and comprehensive and wide-ranging steps which were refreshing in content and radical hope…. [he] spoke on behalf of the oppressed and the poor of the land, suggesting radical remedies.
A man of exceptional perseverance and deep convictions…. [he] produced plenty of ideas, stirred many passions, and compelled thought….No historian can neglect the life and work of such a statesman: the Aga Khan has a high claim on our attention on grounds both of personal impact and of long-term influence” (Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah p 2-3).
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah devoted much of his time and resources to consolidating and organising the Nizari Ismaili community in the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. He was particularly concerned with introducing reforms that would transform the Ismaili community into a modern self-sufficient one, with high standards of education and welfare. To meet the needs of the community, he established health clinics, hospitals, jamatkhanas, and a networks of over 200 schools during the twentieth century, including:
Gwadar, Balochistan (1905) in present-day Pakistan; Zanzibar (1905); Mombasa, Kenya (1905); and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (1906)
Mundra, India (1907)
Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Hyderabad, India (1943)
Sultan Mohamed Shah Aga Khan School, Karachi, Pakistan (1965)
[These schools are now part of Aga Khan Education Services established by Mawlana Hazar Imam Aga Khan IV]
Among the eventful years of his Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah’s Imamat were the Jubilees. Upon the completion of fifty years of Imamat, the Ismailis wished to pay a special tribute by weighing him against gold and gifting it to him, as a mark of their love and gratitude for his guidance. The value of the gold was re-gifted to the community to establish education and investment companies for the welfare of the community. Similar ceremonies were held to mark sixty years of his Imamat by weighing him in diamonds, the value of which was once again returned to the community to establish institutions in education and economic spheres.
Platinum Jubilee Ceremonies
The first Platinum Jubilee commemoration ceremony was held on February 3, 1954 in Karachi, Imam’s birthplace. The value of the platinum was gifted to the community to establish finance and investment companies. In his message to Ismaili Souvenir, on this occasion, Imam said:
“In these 70 years of my Imamat men’s material condition has totally changed. There has been an immense increase in power over nature but, as we see, with strifes everywhere spiritual power has not increased. It is my hope that my spiritual children, the Ismailis, will, by example of their own higher enlightenment and helpful co-operative movement amongst themselves, set to the world an example of better fraternity and brotherhood which alone can free men from the fear and dangers of moral and mental discord which leads to disaster for all” (Ilm p 15).
Due to Imam’s poor health, the Jubilee celebration in Bombay, India on February 2, 1957 was officiated by Prince Aly Khan, and restricted to token presentations. From February 20 to 26, similar commemorations were held in other countries.
Legacy of Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah’s Jubilees:
- Jubilee Insurance Company (a Golden Jubilee initiative incorporated in 1937) now operating in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Pakistan, Mauritius, and Burundi.
- Diamond Jubilee Schools for girls were established throughout the remote Northern Areas of what is now Pakistan. (See Aga Khan Schools in Gilgit-Baltistan, and Aga Khan Schools in Pakistan) .
- Diamond Jubilee Investment Trust (incorporated in Kenya in 1945), providing low-interest loans for affordable housing and entrepreneurship (See Commemorating 75th anniversary of Diamond Jubilee Investment Trust).
Diamond Jubilee High School for Girls (1947) and Diamond Jubilee High School for Boys (1947), both in Bombay, India.
- Diamond Jubilee School, Hyderabad (1949), India
- Platinum Jubilee Investments Limited (incorporated in 1952), which has assisted the growth of various types of co-operative societies.
- Platinum Jubilee High School in Warangal, India (1953).
- Platinum Jubilee Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya (1958), now Aga Khan University Hospital.
Sources:
K.K. Aziz, Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, Volume I, Kegan Pau International, London, 1998
Bashir Ladha, “A Tribute to Hazrat Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah,” Ilm, Centenary Issue, Vol. 3, No. 2, November 1977
The Ismaili Imamat: Contemporary Period, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2022/02/03/a-moment-in-time-mawlana-sultan-muhammad-shah-aga-khan-iiis-platinum-jubilee-was-commemorated/
Posted by Nimira Dewji
To mark seventy years of his Imamat, Ismailis wished to weigh Imam in platinum. The first ceremony was held on February 3, 1954 in Karachi, Imam’s birthplace.
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah addressing gathering on the occasion of his Platinum Jubilee at Karachi. Image: Poppperfoto/Ilm
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah succeeded his father to the Imamat on August 17, 1885 reigning for seventy-two years, longer that any of his predecessors. K.K. Aziz states that Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah “occupies a place which …. may be called unique…. The positions he held in public life, the parties and organizations he led or patronized, the long innings he played on the stage of history, the variegated conditions in which he was called upon to act, the range of problems he had to face and solve, the wide compass of commitments and engagements which drew him into a strenuous life, the heavy responsibilities which he carried and discharged on the whole with success, the diversity of causes he upheld and fought for, and the supremely active and interesting life that he lived till the very end – all this makes him a giant among his contemporaries; and these contemporaries were not men of small stature. Competing with the greatest in public life of the subcontinent, he yet imprinted his personality on an era” (Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah p1).
“He was a man of many dimensions and facets. In the realm of religion, he was the hereditary Imam of the Ismailis…. In national politics he headed the All India Muslim League (permanent president for several years), the All India Muslim Conference (founder and president), the London Muslim League (patron), the momentous Muslim deputation to the Viceroy of India at Simla in 1906, and the Indian Delegation to the three RoundTable Conferences in London. In educational leadership he was twice president of the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference and one of the principal makers of the Aligarh Muslim University.
On the international scene, three matters engaged his affections. The unity and welfare of the Islamic world were dear to his heart and his exertions on its behalf kept him busy all his life. For several years he was anxiously concerned for the future of the khilafat and the territorial integrity of Turkey, though for his pains he had to face many risks, including, ironically, the wrath of the new rulers of Turkey herself. He had an abiding interest in world peace, and struggled hard for its achievement, privately in remonstrances with his friends in high places, publicly in speeches and negotiations at the Disarmament Conference at the League of Nations” (Ibid.).
Aga Khan III League United Nations
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah addressing the Assembly. Image: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
“In social reform his ideas were ahead of his age. Hardly any other Indian politician, Hindu, Parsi or Muslim, gave as much attention as he did to the improvement of agriculture, the needs of the rural masses, and the advance in agricultural education. Emancipation of women was a strong plank of his reformist programme” (Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah p 177).
Blessed with rare political vision, he was probably the first Indian to realize that federalism was the only workable and lasting solution to the Indian constitutional problem…
Morally and intellectually he left his mark on many places. In religious matters, the cargo of his thought was heavy, and his views, imbued with modern liberalism, refuted both scholastic obscurism and reactionary traditionalism. Socially, he attempted to improve society through discerning and sage advice and comprehensive and wide-ranging steps which were refreshing in content and radical hope…. [he] spoke on behalf of the oppressed and the poor of the land, suggesting radical remedies.
A man of exceptional perseverance and deep convictions…. [he] produced plenty of ideas, stirred many passions, and compelled thought….No historian can neglect the life and work of such a statesman: the Aga Khan has a high claim on our attention on grounds both of personal impact and of long-term influence” (Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah p 2-3).
Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah devoted much of his time and resources to consolidating and organising the Nizari Ismaili community in the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. He was particularly concerned with introducing reforms that would transform the Ismaili community into a modern self-sufficient one, with high standards of education and welfare. To meet the needs of the community, he established health clinics, hospitals, jamatkhanas, and a networks of over 200 schools during the twentieth century, including:
Gwadar, Balochistan (1905) in present-day Pakistan; Zanzibar (1905); Mombasa, Kenya (1905); and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (1906)
Mundra, India (1907)
Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Hyderabad, India (1943)
Sultan Mohamed Shah Aga Khan School, Karachi, Pakistan (1965)
[These schools are now part of Aga Khan Education Services established by Mawlana Hazar Imam Aga Khan IV]
Among the eventful years of his Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah’s Imamat were the Jubilees. Upon the completion of fifty years of Imamat, the Ismailis wished to pay a special tribute by weighing him against gold and gifting it to him, as a mark of their love and gratitude for his guidance. The value of the gold was re-gifted to the community to establish education and investment companies for the welfare of the community. Similar ceremonies were held to mark sixty years of his Imamat by weighing him in diamonds, the value of which was once again returned to the community to establish institutions in education and economic spheres.
Platinum Jubilee Ceremonies
The first Platinum Jubilee commemoration ceremony was held on February 3, 1954 in Karachi, Imam’s birthplace. The value of the platinum was gifted to the community to establish finance and investment companies. In his message to Ismaili Souvenir, on this occasion, Imam said:
“In these 70 years of my Imamat men’s material condition has totally changed. There has been an immense increase in power over nature but, as we see, with strifes everywhere spiritual power has not increased. It is my hope that my spiritual children, the Ismailis, will, by example of their own higher enlightenment and helpful co-operative movement amongst themselves, set to the world an example of better fraternity and brotherhood which alone can free men from the fear and dangers of moral and mental discord which leads to disaster for all” (Ilm p 15).
Due to Imam’s poor health, the Jubilee celebration in Bombay, India on February 2, 1957 was officiated by Prince Aly Khan, and restricted to token presentations. From February 20 to 26, similar commemorations were held in other countries.
Legacy of Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah’s Jubilees:
- Jubilee Insurance Company (a Golden Jubilee initiative incorporated in 1937) now operating in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Pakistan, Mauritius, and Burundi.
- Diamond Jubilee Schools for girls were established throughout the remote Northern Areas of what is now Pakistan. (See Aga Khan Schools in Gilgit-Baltistan, and Aga Khan Schools in Pakistan) .
- Diamond Jubilee Investment Trust (incorporated in Kenya in 1945), providing low-interest loans for affordable housing and entrepreneurship (See Commemorating 75th anniversary of Diamond Jubilee Investment Trust).
Diamond Jubilee High School for Girls (1947) and Diamond Jubilee High School for Boys (1947), both in Bombay, India.
- Diamond Jubilee School, Hyderabad (1949), India
- Platinum Jubilee Investments Limited (incorporated in 1952), which has assisted the growth of various types of co-operative societies.
- Platinum Jubilee High School in Warangal, India (1953).
- Platinum Jubilee Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya (1958), now Aga Khan University Hospital.
Sources:
K.K. Aziz, Selected Speeches and Writings of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, Volume I, Kegan Pau International, London, 1998
Bashir Ladha, “A Tribute to Hazrat Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah,” Ilm, Centenary Issue, Vol. 3, No. 2, November 1977
The Ismaili Imamat: Contemporary Period, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2022/02/03/a-moment-in-time-mawlana-sultan-muhammad-shah-aga-khan-iiis-platinum-jubilee-was-commemorated/
Re: Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah - Nov. 2nd birth & History
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40206536 ... a-khan-iii
Business Recorder
Remembering Aga Khan III
Sujjawal Ahmad Published November 2, 2022
The year 1911 is not a distant past in the history of the subcontinent; Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III, in his inaugural address to the Muslim Educational Conference, highlighted the need for a serviceable and extended system of education to raise Muslims of the subcontinent to their legitimate sphere of power, influence and usefulness. He said, “If our people take to science and scientific education in the right spirit, the industrial and economic future of our community will no longer be in doubt.”
An eminent Muslim leader, thinker and reformer of the 19th century, Aga Khan III was born in Karachi on the 2nd of November 1877. In his lifetime, he encompassed a multitude of roles, yet the guiding principle and motivating element was a humanistic concern for the betterment of the Muslims of the subcontinent. Having this particular characteristic served as the foundation of his social conscience, enthused by the needs of the rural masses.
For Aga Khan III, the advancement of science and technology was essential to growth and development. He preached the importance of science as much as he did for education, for integrating science into the educational system would improve the quality of life and socioeconomic development of Muslims. Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah emphasized that education should be upheld with religion, applied sciences, agriculture, medical technology and women’s education to provide Muslims with the skills, knowledge and views they required to meet the needs of modern times.
Islam, according to Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, is the religion of nature, and therefore the study of science was a religious obligation for Muslims. Time and time again, he reminded Muslims of their glorious past when Islam was a leader in scientific discoveries and intellectual traditions. He stated, “Our social customs, our daily work, our constant efforts, must be tuned up, must be brought into line with the highest form of possible civilization. At its greatest period, Islam was at the head of science, was at the head of knowledge, was in the advanced line of political, philosophic and literary thought.”
It was in 1902, when Aga Khan III expressed, in his presidential address to the Muslim Educational Conference held in Delhi, his dream of establishing a university of the highest standard where Muslim youth of the subcontinent have access to modern scientific education and where they can learn of their “glorious past.” He wanted Aligarh to have a University in which, as he believed, “The standard of learning should be the highest and where with the scientific training, there shall be that moral education.” Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s accomplishment, which brought him the utmost joy, was the setting up of Aligarh University with the vision and mission he set out to achieve.
With this passion, Aga Khan III asserted that only those with proven ability should be entrusted with the responsibility of research provided with the fullest means for investigation. “In this way, scientific research and progress would be revitalized with the fire of individual genius.” In 1946, he reminded the court of Aligarh University that, “The world of the future depended upon science.” Aga Khan III appealed to establish a great scientific research institute in Karachi so that it could draw students from south Iran, Afghanistan and East Africa. After the creation of Pakistan, he implored the University of Dacca in the then East Pakistan to build institutions focused on modern science and technology, such as the model of the famous Zurich Technological School.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah also suggested reforms be made in agriculture that should seek the benefit of research and experimental farms. He further suggested that scientific methods must be applied to agriculture and the improvement of cattle breeding. In doing so, incorporating the subject of agriculture into the education system was crucial, for educated manpower who have a strong background in scientific knowledge should be developed to overcome the prerequisites of the agriculture sector.
Furthermore, Aga Khan III refused to relegate women to a secondary role. To his core, he was driven by the imperative of women’s advancement and enhancement of their social status, whom he termed “guardians of the life of the race.” He emphasized the fundamental value of educating girls, as he went on to say, “Personally, if I had two children, and one was a boy and the other a girl, and if I could afford to educate only one, I would have no hesitation in giving the higher education to the girl.”
The proof of his unflinching commitment to the development of Muslims was further established with the first Aga Khan School in Gwadar in 1906. During his Diamond Jubilee in 1945, Aga Khan III, the 48th hereditary Imam of Shia Ismaili Muslims, donated all the presents he received from his followers to the advancement of healthcare and education in East Africa and the Indo-Pak subcontinent. The funds were utilized to start maternity homes, medical facilities, schools and hostels. A total of 16 schools were established, named Diamond Jubilee schools, and provided the necessary impetus for turning the wheel of fortune in the remote terrains of northern Pakistan.
Currently, his grandson, Prince Karim, the Aga Khan IV, has carried on his grandfather’s legacy by building upon the foundation his grandfather laid, and stretching forth the largest network of development agencies known as the Aga Khan Development Network, commonly recognised as AKDN, that operate to improve the quality of life of the people in Asia and Africa. Since Pakistan’s creation in 1947, AKDN has made enormous contributions to rural development, health, education and architecture. Investing in research to find innovative solutions to development problems has been one of the key components of AKDN’s approach to advancement. The Aga Khan founded the first campus of the Aga Khan University (AKU) in 1983 in Karachi, following in his grandfather’s footsteps to promote education, science and technology. As an international university, AKU has grown into a research-focused institution in the field of health sciences and medical education in Pakistan. As a notable example, one of the university’s strategic platforms, the Centre for Innovation in Medical Education, aims to promote the use of technology to foster excellence in teaching, innovation, research and learning in the medical and healthcare field.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s mission was the true expression of reconstruction and reform for the Muslims of the subcontinent, placing the foundation of welfare and prosperity for future generations. Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we pay tribute to this prince whose name will forever shine in golden words in the history of Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
Business Recorder
Remembering Aga Khan III
Sujjawal Ahmad Published November 2, 2022
The year 1911 is not a distant past in the history of the subcontinent; Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III, in his inaugural address to the Muslim Educational Conference, highlighted the need for a serviceable and extended system of education to raise Muslims of the subcontinent to their legitimate sphere of power, influence and usefulness. He said, “If our people take to science and scientific education in the right spirit, the industrial and economic future of our community will no longer be in doubt.”
An eminent Muslim leader, thinker and reformer of the 19th century, Aga Khan III was born in Karachi on the 2nd of November 1877. In his lifetime, he encompassed a multitude of roles, yet the guiding principle and motivating element was a humanistic concern for the betterment of the Muslims of the subcontinent. Having this particular characteristic served as the foundation of his social conscience, enthused by the needs of the rural masses.
For Aga Khan III, the advancement of science and technology was essential to growth and development. He preached the importance of science as much as he did for education, for integrating science into the educational system would improve the quality of life and socioeconomic development of Muslims. Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah emphasized that education should be upheld with religion, applied sciences, agriculture, medical technology and women’s education to provide Muslims with the skills, knowledge and views they required to meet the needs of modern times.
Islam, according to Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, is the religion of nature, and therefore the study of science was a religious obligation for Muslims. Time and time again, he reminded Muslims of their glorious past when Islam was a leader in scientific discoveries and intellectual traditions. He stated, “Our social customs, our daily work, our constant efforts, must be tuned up, must be brought into line with the highest form of possible civilization. At its greatest period, Islam was at the head of science, was at the head of knowledge, was in the advanced line of political, philosophic and literary thought.”
It was in 1902, when Aga Khan III expressed, in his presidential address to the Muslim Educational Conference held in Delhi, his dream of establishing a university of the highest standard where Muslim youth of the subcontinent have access to modern scientific education and where they can learn of their “glorious past.” He wanted Aligarh to have a University in which, as he believed, “The standard of learning should be the highest and where with the scientific training, there shall be that moral education.” Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s accomplishment, which brought him the utmost joy, was the setting up of Aligarh University with the vision and mission he set out to achieve.
With this passion, Aga Khan III asserted that only those with proven ability should be entrusted with the responsibility of research provided with the fullest means for investigation. “In this way, scientific research and progress would be revitalized with the fire of individual genius.” In 1946, he reminded the court of Aligarh University that, “The world of the future depended upon science.” Aga Khan III appealed to establish a great scientific research institute in Karachi so that it could draw students from south Iran, Afghanistan and East Africa. After the creation of Pakistan, he implored the University of Dacca in the then East Pakistan to build institutions focused on modern science and technology, such as the model of the famous Zurich Technological School.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah also suggested reforms be made in agriculture that should seek the benefit of research and experimental farms. He further suggested that scientific methods must be applied to agriculture and the improvement of cattle breeding. In doing so, incorporating the subject of agriculture into the education system was crucial, for educated manpower who have a strong background in scientific knowledge should be developed to overcome the prerequisites of the agriculture sector.
Furthermore, Aga Khan III refused to relegate women to a secondary role. To his core, he was driven by the imperative of women’s advancement and enhancement of their social status, whom he termed “guardians of the life of the race.” He emphasized the fundamental value of educating girls, as he went on to say, “Personally, if I had two children, and one was a boy and the other a girl, and if I could afford to educate only one, I would have no hesitation in giving the higher education to the girl.”
The proof of his unflinching commitment to the development of Muslims was further established with the first Aga Khan School in Gwadar in 1906. During his Diamond Jubilee in 1945, Aga Khan III, the 48th hereditary Imam of Shia Ismaili Muslims, donated all the presents he received from his followers to the advancement of healthcare and education in East Africa and the Indo-Pak subcontinent. The funds were utilized to start maternity homes, medical facilities, schools and hostels. A total of 16 schools were established, named Diamond Jubilee schools, and provided the necessary impetus for turning the wheel of fortune in the remote terrains of northern Pakistan.
Currently, his grandson, Prince Karim, the Aga Khan IV, has carried on his grandfather’s legacy by building upon the foundation his grandfather laid, and stretching forth the largest network of development agencies known as the Aga Khan Development Network, commonly recognised as AKDN, that operate to improve the quality of life of the people in Asia and Africa. Since Pakistan’s creation in 1947, AKDN has made enormous contributions to rural development, health, education and architecture. Investing in research to find innovative solutions to development problems has been one of the key components of AKDN’s approach to advancement. The Aga Khan founded the first campus of the Aga Khan University (AKU) in 1983 in Karachi, following in his grandfather’s footsteps to promote education, science and technology. As an international university, AKU has grown into a research-focused institution in the field of health sciences and medical education in Pakistan. As a notable example, one of the university’s strategic platforms, the Centre for Innovation in Medical Education, aims to promote the use of technology to foster excellence in teaching, innovation, research and learning in the medical and healthcare field.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah’s mission was the true expression of reconstruction and reform for the Muslims of the subcontinent, placing the foundation of welfare and prosperity for future generations. Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we pay tribute to this prince whose name will forever shine in golden words in the history of Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
Re: Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah - Nov. 2nd birth & History
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40271246
Aga Khan III: A visionary leader who championed peace and humanity
Sujjawal Ahmad Published November 2, 2023
In history, few are born who transcend the boundaries of time and place, leaving their imprints on the world stage. Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III was undeniably one such trailblazer whose legacy extends far beyond his role as the leader of the Ismaili Muslim community. Born in Karachi, Pakistan, on 2 November 1877, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah inherited a rich legacy of leadership and community advancement.
Aga Khan III’s life was a mosaic of diverse roles, but what truly distinguished him was his genuine concern and humanistic interest that permeated every aspect of his influence. It was this deep sentiment that guided his dedication to social reform, his opposition to violence and war, his rejection of racism, his advocacy for democracy, his unwavering commitment to global peace, his relentless focus on education, his tireless efforts for social progress and his advocacy of women’s empowerment.
“Islam means peace,” said Aga Khan III at the Dar es Salaam Cultural Society on 3 August 1946. “The Holy Prophet of Islam laid down as the rule of life, peace between man and man, peace in thought and in action, and he always insisted on kindliness and gentleness towards all animals and all human beings.” It was this concern for humanity that compelled Aga Khan III to embrace internationalism and cosmopolitanism, seeing in them the pathways to address the urgent needs of the time.
The aftermath of World War I ushered in a transformative era in global history. The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 gave birth to the League of Nations, an institution envisioned to foster international harmony. At this critical moment, Aga Khan III emerged as a prominent statesman, leading subcontinent delegates in Geneva. His humanitarian efforts earned him a Nobel Prize nomination in January 1924 highlighting his tireless work in maintaining harmony between Turkey and the Western world following a peace agreement.
His political tenacity prepared him for several significant roles, including serving as the President of the League of Nations, the predecessor institution to the United Nations. He also held positions such as the Founder and President of the All-India Muslim League, Patron of the London Muslim League, Head of the 1906 Muslim Deputation to the Viceroy of India, President of the All Indian Muhammadan Educational Conference, Head of the British Indian Delegation to the Roundtable Conference, Delegate to the Disarmament Conference and Head of the Simla Delegation, reflecting his active participation not only in the Pakistan movement but also playing an instrumental role as an ambassador for establishing and sustaining world peace. The Maharaja of Bikaner once fittingly described Aga Khan III as, “A bridge connecting East and West, linking two major civilizations of the modern world.”
The League of Nations provided a stage for Aga Khan III, in his words, “to serve the cause of international peace”. To establish and maintain peace in the world, he proposed both conventional and innovative measures such as learning foreign languages, exploring different literary traditions, traveling, enhancing educational standards and improving the health of ordinary people, activities that encouraged mutual understanding and friendship with a more holistic approach.
During the 15th session of the League of Nations on 27 September 1934, Aga Khan III eloquently stressed the significance of collaborative efforts in nurturing global harmony. His wisdom echoed once more during the 17th session on 29 September 1936, where he emphasised the importance of international understanding and cooperation. The most significant moment of his international engagement came in July 1937 when he was elected as the President of the League of Nations, and in this capacity, he passionately advocated for the “peaceful elimination of the root causes of war.” His leadership facilitated the inclusion of nations like Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt within the League of Nations, stressing the need for unity and cooperation in the pursuit of peace.
In retrospect, we now realise that Aga Khan III’s efforts resonate far beyond his lifetime. His vision for a harmonious world found expression through the establishment of development institutions that later evolved into the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). Today, his grandson, Prince Karim, the Aga Khan IV, has diligently upheld this legacy. Upon receiving the Asia Society’s Game Changer Lifetime Achievement Award, presented in recognition of his role in “improving the lives of millions in Asia and around the world,” the Aga Khan IV emphasized the values embraced by himself and AKDN institutions. He stated, “Any leader of any global community hopes and prays for one thing – peace; peace in every community, in every country of the world, so that men and women can live in safety, build their futures with strength, courage, hope, and wisdom.”
Continuing in the footsteps of his grandfather, the present Aga Khan has passionately worked for shaping public opinion, supported organizations that champion pluralism, and exemplified “tolerance, openness, and empathy towards the cultures, social structures, values, and faiths of others.” He has described “a genuine sense of pluralism” as the cornerstone for “human peace and progress”.
Operating across more than 20 countries, the AKDN stands as a testament to its vision of a better world, driven by a fundamental commitment to compassion and wellbeing for the vulnerable and marginalized within the society with a focus on the collective welfare. Through institutions like the Global Centre for Pluralism and strategic partnerships like the one with the Paris Peace Forum, the AKDN is dedicated to fostering inclusivity and addressing urgent global development challenges.
These challenges include climate change, disease outbreaks, growing inequalities, and enduring geopolitical conflicts.
The AKDN’s various agencies and institutions share a common goal: helping to create an environment in which peaceful, productive societies can flourish. Through investments in research, innovation, and partnerships, the AKDN continues to address global challenges, carrying forward the legacy of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, characterized by compassion, inclusivity, pluralism, and the restoration of human dignity.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
Aga Khan III: A visionary leader who championed peace and humanity
Sujjawal Ahmad Published November 2, 2023
In history, few are born who transcend the boundaries of time and place, leaving their imprints on the world stage. Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III was undeniably one such trailblazer whose legacy extends far beyond his role as the leader of the Ismaili Muslim community. Born in Karachi, Pakistan, on 2 November 1877, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah inherited a rich legacy of leadership and community advancement.
Aga Khan III’s life was a mosaic of diverse roles, but what truly distinguished him was his genuine concern and humanistic interest that permeated every aspect of his influence. It was this deep sentiment that guided his dedication to social reform, his opposition to violence and war, his rejection of racism, his advocacy for democracy, his unwavering commitment to global peace, his relentless focus on education, his tireless efforts for social progress and his advocacy of women’s empowerment.
“Islam means peace,” said Aga Khan III at the Dar es Salaam Cultural Society on 3 August 1946. “The Holy Prophet of Islam laid down as the rule of life, peace between man and man, peace in thought and in action, and he always insisted on kindliness and gentleness towards all animals and all human beings.” It was this concern for humanity that compelled Aga Khan III to embrace internationalism and cosmopolitanism, seeing in them the pathways to address the urgent needs of the time.
The aftermath of World War I ushered in a transformative era in global history. The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 gave birth to the League of Nations, an institution envisioned to foster international harmony. At this critical moment, Aga Khan III emerged as a prominent statesman, leading subcontinent delegates in Geneva. His humanitarian efforts earned him a Nobel Prize nomination in January 1924 highlighting his tireless work in maintaining harmony between Turkey and the Western world following a peace agreement.
His political tenacity prepared him for several significant roles, including serving as the President of the League of Nations, the predecessor institution to the United Nations. He also held positions such as the Founder and President of the All-India Muslim League, Patron of the London Muslim League, Head of the 1906 Muslim Deputation to the Viceroy of India, President of the All Indian Muhammadan Educational Conference, Head of the British Indian Delegation to the Roundtable Conference, Delegate to the Disarmament Conference and Head of the Simla Delegation, reflecting his active participation not only in the Pakistan movement but also playing an instrumental role as an ambassador for establishing and sustaining world peace. The Maharaja of Bikaner once fittingly described Aga Khan III as, “A bridge connecting East and West, linking two major civilizations of the modern world.”
The League of Nations provided a stage for Aga Khan III, in his words, “to serve the cause of international peace”. To establish and maintain peace in the world, he proposed both conventional and innovative measures such as learning foreign languages, exploring different literary traditions, traveling, enhancing educational standards and improving the health of ordinary people, activities that encouraged mutual understanding and friendship with a more holistic approach.
During the 15th session of the League of Nations on 27 September 1934, Aga Khan III eloquently stressed the significance of collaborative efforts in nurturing global harmony. His wisdom echoed once more during the 17th session on 29 September 1936, where he emphasised the importance of international understanding and cooperation. The most significant moment of his international engagement came in July 1937 when he was elected as the President of the League of Nations, and in this capacity, he passionately advocated for the “peaceful elimination of the root causes of war.” His leadership facilitated the inclusion of nations like Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt within the League of Nations, stressing the need for unity and cooperation in the pursuit of peace.
In retrospect, we now realise that Aga Khan III’s efforts resonate far beyond his lifetime. His vision for a harmonious world found expression through the establishment of development institutions that later evolved into the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). Today, his grandson, Prince Karim, the Aga Khan IV, has diligently upheld this legacy. Upon receiving the Asia Society’s Game Changer Lifetime Achievement Award, presented in recognition of his role in “improving the lives of millions in Asia and around the world,” the Aga Khan IV emphasized the values embraced by himself and AKDN institutions. He stated, “Any leader of any global community hopes and prays for one thing – peace; peace in every community, in every country of the world, so that men and women can live in safety, build their futures with strength, courage, hope, and wisdom.”
Continuing in the footsteps of his grandfather, the present Aga Khan has passionately worked for shaping public opinion, supported organizations that champion pluralism, and exemplified “tolerance, openness, and empathy towards the cultures, social structures, values, and faiths of others.” He has described “a genuine sense of pluralism” as the cornerstone for “human peace and progress”.
Operating across more than 20 countries, the AKDN stands as a testament to its vision of a better world, driven by a fundamental commitment to compassion and wellbeing for the vulnerable and marginalized within the society with a focus on the collective welfare. Through institutions like the Global Centre for Pluralism and strategic partnerships like the one with the Paris Peace Forum, the AKDN is dedicated to fostering inclusivity and addressing urgent global development challenges.
These challenges include climate change, disease outbreaks, growing inequalities, and enduring geopolitical conflicts.
The AKDN’s various agencies and institutions share a common goal: helping to create an environment in which peaceful, productive societies can flourish. Through investments in research, innovation, and partnerships, the AKDN continues to address global challenges, carrying forward the legacy of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, characterized by compassion, inclusivity, pluralism, and the restoration of human dignity.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023