Aga Khan (Persian: آقا خان ) is the hereditary title of the Imam of the Nizārī Muslims, the largest branch of the Ismā'īlī followers (Arabic: الطائفة الإسماعيلية) of the Shī‘a faith. Hereditary titles, in a general sense are Titles positions or styles that are Hereditary and thus tend or are bound to remain in particular families An imam (إمام plural ائمة A'immah, امام is an Islamic leader often the leader of a Mosque and/or community See also Ismaili The Nizārī s (النزاريون an-Nizāriyyūn) are the largest branch of the Ismā‘īlī (اسماعیلیه and comprise A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion For the Egyptian city see Ismaïlia. The Ismāʿīlī ( Urdu: إسماعیلی Ismāʿīlī, Arabic: الإسماعيليون Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The Ismaili branch of Shia Islam affirms the Imamat of the descendents of Ismail ibn Jafar, the originally designated successor of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, while the Twelver branch of Shi`ism follows Ismail's younger brother, Musa al-Kazim and his descendents. This is a sub-article to Imamah (Shi'a doctrine. The Ismaili view on the Imamah differs from the Twelver Shi'a as well as Sunni views Jaʿfar al-Sadiq (702-765 in accurate transliteration Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq Arabic: جعفر الصادق in full Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Husayn See also Shi'a Islam Twelver Shi'ism ( ar اثنا عشرية Ithnāˤashariyyah) is the largest branch of Shi'a branch of Islam

History

In the 1830s the honorific title of Aga Khan was bestowed upon Aga Hasan Ali Shah, the 46th Imam of the Ismailis, by Fat′h Ali Shah Qajar, the Shah of Persia. Events and trends Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday. Aga Khan I ( آغا خان اوّل; or less commonly but more correctly آقا خان اوّل;) was the title accorded to Hasan Ali Shah An imam (إمام plural ائمة A'immah, امام is an Islamic leader often the leader of a Mosque and/or community For the Egyptian city see Ismaïlia. The Ismāʿīlī ( Urdu: إسماعیلی Ismāʿīlī, Arabic: الإسماعيليون Fat′h Ali Shah Qajar (var Fathalishah Fathali Shah Fath Ali Shah (‎ ( 5 September 1772 - 23 October 1834) was the second Qajar Shah is an Iranian term for a Monarch (leader that has been adopted in many other languages The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Etymologically the title combines the Turkish military title Agha, meaning a "noble" or "lord", with the Turkic, Mongolian and Middle Eastern/ central Asian polyvalent title Khan for a local ruler, so the combination means roughly "Commanding Chief". In Persia's Qajar court protocol, Khan (and Amir) was commonly part of commanders of armed forces and provincial tribal leaders which ranked fourth in precedence amongst the eight title classes for non-members of the dynasty. The Qajar dynasty (also known as Ghajar or Kadjar ( ( - or دودمان قاجار) is a common term to describe Iran (then known as Persia) under In 1877, the colonial rulers of India, the British Raj, gave the Aga Khan rank and nobility in recognition of the help in suppressing a regional rebellion against the British, thus the Aga Khan became the only religious or community leader in British India granted a personal gun salute; all other salute dynasties were either rulers of Princely States, or Political Pensioners holding ancestral princely titles in states abolished by the Raj. Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country A Salute state was a Princely state (ie reigned by a native ruler of princely rank which the British colonial Paramount ruler has granted a Gun salute For other uses see Principality, Other princely states A Princely State (also called Native State or Indian State) was a A political pensioner enjoys a Pension sui generis, awarded in chief of his political career or significance

Incumbent

Main article: Aga Khan IV

Prince Karīm al-Hussainī became the present Aga Khan IV upon assuming the Imamat of the Nizari Ismailis on July 11, 1957 at the age of 20, succeeding his grandfather, Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan (Aga Khan III). Karīm al-Hussaynī Āgā Khān IV, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH ( سمو الأمیر شاہ کریم الحسیني آغا خان Karīm al-Hussaynī Āgā Khān IV, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH ( سمو الأمیر شاہ کریم الحسیني آغا خان This is a sub-article to Imamah (Shi'a doctrine. The Ismaili view on the Imamah differs from the Twelver Shi'a as well as Sunni views See also Ismaili The Nizārī s (النزاريون an-Nizāriyyūn) are the largest branch of the Ismā‘īlī (اسماعیلیه and comprise For the Egyptian city see Ismaïlia. The Ismāʿīlī ( Urdu: إسماعیلی Ismāʿīlī, Arabic: الإسماعيليون Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Sultan Mahommed Shah Aga Khan III, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GCVO, PC ( November 2, 1877 &ndash July 11, In his will, his grandfather stated the conditions that led him to select his grandson as successor to the Ismaili Imamat:

"In view of the fundamentally altered conditions in the world in very recent years due to the great changes that have taken place, including the discoveries of atomic science, I am convinced that it is in the best interests of the Shia Muslim Ismaili community that I should be succeeded by a young man who has been brought up and developed during recent years and in the midst of the new age, and who brings a new outlook on life to his office. "^[1]

Prince Karim Aga Khan IV is the 49^th Ismaili Imam, tracing their lineage to Ali, cousin of Muhammad, and his wife Fatima, Muhammad's daughter. Karīm al-Hussaynī Āgā Khān IV, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH ( سمو الأمیر شاہ کریم الحسیني آغا خان IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics ^[2] The title His Highness was granted by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1957, and His Royal Highness by the Shah of Iran in 1959. Highness, often used with a personal possessive pronoun ( His/Her/Your/Their Highness(es, the first two abbreviated HH is an attribute referring to the rank of the For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II ^[3][4][5] On July 11, 2007, Aga Khan was the Imam of Ismaili Muslims for 50 years.

The Aga Khan, heir to the family fortune and a society figure, is founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the largest private development networks in the world. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN is a group of private non-denominational development agencies that seek to empower communities and individuals to improve living In Afghanistan, the AKDN has mobilised over $400 million in development projects, a large portion of which has come from the Network's own resources. ^[6] AKDN continues to work with a variety of African and Asian countries to improve living conditions and promote education.

Competitions

The annual Aga Khan tournament for field hockey in India began in the late 1800s. Field hockey is a Team sport in which players attempt to score goals by hitting the Ball across the pitch with a stick ^[7] Matches of the Aga Khan tournament are held on the grounds of Bombay Gymkhana. Bombay Gymkhana, established in 1875 is one of the premiere sports gymkhanas in the city of Mumbai, India. ^[8]

In 1926, the Aga Khan gave a cup (the Aga Khan Trophy) to be awarded to the winner of an international competition held at the annual horse show of the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin, Ireland every summer. The RDS (also known as the Royal Dublin Society but now rarely expanded or Cumann Ríoga Bhaile Átha Cliath ( CRBÁC) in Irish, was founded ^[9] It attracts competitors from all of the main showjumping nations and is carried live on Irish national television. www. dublinhorseshow. com

List of those who have held the title of Aga Khan

1. Aga Khan I = Hasan Ali Shah Mehalatee Aga Khan I (1800–1881), 46th Imam (1817–1881)
2. Aga Khan II = Ali Shah Aga Khan II (about 1830–1885), 47th Imam (12 April 1881–1885)
3. Aga Khan III = Prince Sultan Mohammed, (1877–1957), 48th Imam (17 August 1885–1957)
4. Aga Khan IV = Prince Karim Al Husseini (b. Aga Khan I ( آغا خان اوّل; or less commonly but more correctly آقا خان اوّل;) was the title accorded to Hasan Ali Shah Aga Khan II ( آغا خان دوّم; or less commonly but more correctly آقا خان دوّم;) was the title of Aqa Ali Shah ( آقا Sultan Mahommed Shah Aga Khan III, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GCVO, PC ( November 2, 1877 &ndash July 11, Karīm al-Hussaynī Āgā Khān IV, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH ( سمو الأمیر شاہ کریم الحسیني آغا خان 1936), 49th Imam of the Ismailis (from 11 July 1957)

References

Sources

• The Institute of Ismaili Studies
• The Ismaili
• The Aga Khan Development Network
• Aga Khan and the Ismailis - FILM
• The World Bank
• WorldStatesmen- Religious Organisations
• RoyalArk- India & Qajar Persia
• Aga Khan article at SIPA (Columbia University)
• Brown University President Vartan Gregorian's introduction of the Aga Khan (1996 baccalaureate address)
• Interview on NPR, 25 September 2006: "Aga Khan Speaks Out on Understanding of Muslims"

See also

• Ismaili
• Nizari
• Aga Khan Development Network
• Aga Khan University
• Aga Khan Foundation