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Template:Two other uses 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. The Ismā'īlī sect broke with majority Shī‘a teaching in 765, when the eponymous Ismā'īl bin Ja'far (Arabic: إسماعيل بن جعفر) and his followers claimed the Imamate ahead of the designated successor, Ismā'īl's younger brother, Mūsā al-Kāẓim (Arabic: موسى الكاظم), the Seventh in the line of Twelver Shī‘ī Imams.

"Aqa" (also, Agha or Aga) is a word, possibly of Turkic origin, meaning a "noble" or "lord". The term was applied by the Ottoman Turks to the commander of the janissaries. "Khan," was a title of nobility, and was also used for a local ruler or official. "Aga Khan" is the adopted family name of the hereditary spiritual leader, or Imam, of the Shī‘a Ismā'īlī Nizārī sect of Islam. Hasan Ali Shah had been invested the honorific title of "Aga Khan" in 1818, including the governorship of Mahallat and Qumm by Fateh Ali Shah along with his daughter, Sarv-i Jahan Khanum, in marriage.

History

In 1818 the 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. Etymologically the title combines the Turkish military title Agha with the Turkic, Mongolian and Persian/Pashto polyvalent title Khan, so it 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 Aga Khan was formally recognised by the British Raj in 1877 due to the help of the Aga Khan 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. The Aga Khans were given rank and nobility by the Colonial rulers of India.

Incumbent

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 21, succeeding his grandfather, Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan (Aga Khan III). 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.^[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.^[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. 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.^[7] Matches of the Aga Khan tournament are held on the grounds of Bombay Gymkhana.^[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.^[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

Aga Khan I = Hasan Ali Shah Mehalatee Aga Khan I (1800–1881), 46th Imam (1817–1881)
Aga Khan II = Ali Shah Aga Khan II (about 1830–1885), 47th Imam (12 April 1881–1885)
Aga Khan III = Prince Sultan Mohammed, (1877–1957), 48th Imam (17 August 1885–1957)
Aga Khan IV = Prince Karim Al Husseini (b. 1936), 49th Imam of the Ismailis (from 11 July 1957)

References

^ "Aly Khan's Son, 20, New Aga Khan", The New York Times, 13 July 1957, p. 1
^ Farhad Daftary. The Ismāʿīlīs: Their history and doctrines. Though the majority of muslims regard them as heretic and question the claims made regarding the lineage. To date no conclusive proof has been provided as to whether this is true. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1990, pp. 551-553.
^ See [1]
^ "Khoja Case before Justice Sir Joseph Arnould, High Court of Bombay, 1886". Retrieved 2006-12-01.
^ "Haji Bibi Case before Mr. Justice Russell, 1905 - Bombay Law Reporter". Retrieved 2006-12-01.
^ "Afghanistan: Social, Cultural, and Economic Programmes of the Aga Khan Development Network" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-12-20.
^ "Aga Khan Hockey Tournament"], excerpt from Autobiography of Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand, published by Sport & Pastime, Chennai, 1952; posted February 22, 2007, accessed July 9, 2007
^ Aga Khan Tournament, from the Autobiography of Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand, published by Sport & Pastime, Chennai, 1952
^ The Aga Khan Trophy, Dublin Horse Show, accessed July 9, 2007

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-'''Aga Khan''' ({{lang-fa|''' آقا خان  '''}}) is the [[Islam|Islamic]] [[Hereditary title|hereditary title]] of the [[Imam]] of the [[Nizari|Nizārī]] [[Muslim|Muslims]], the largest branch of the [[Ismaili|Ismā'īlī]] followers ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: '''الطائفة الإسماعيلية''') of the [[Shia Islam|Shī‘a]] faith. The Ismā'īlī sect broke with majority Shī‘a teaching in [[765]], when the [[Wiktionary:eponymous|eponymous]] [[Isma'il ibn Jafar|Ismā'īl bin Ja'far]] ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: '''إسماعيل بن جعفر''') and his followers claimed the [[Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)|Imamate]] ahead of the designated successor, Ismā'īl's younger brother, [[Musa al-Kazim|Mūsā al-Kāẓim]] ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: '''موسى الكاظم'''), the Seventh in the line of [[Twelver Shi'ism|Twelver]] Shī‘ī Imams.
+'''Aga Khan''' ({{lang-fa|''' آقا خان  '''}}) is the [[Hereditary title|hereditary title]] of the [[Imam]] of the [[Nizari|Nizārī]] [[Muslim|Muslims]], the largest branch of the [[Ismaili|Ismā'īlī]] followers ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: '''الطائفة الإسماعيلية''') of the [[Shia Islam|Shī‘a]] faith. The Ismā'īlī sect broke with majority Shī‘a teaching in [[765]], when the [[Wiktionary:eponymous|eponymous]] [[Isma'il ibn Jafar|Ismā'īl bin Ja'far]] ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: '''إسماعيل بن جعفر''') and his followers claimed the [[Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)|Imamate]] ahead of the designated successor, Ismā'īl's younger brother, [[Musa al-Kazim|Mūsā al-Kāẓim]] ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: '''موسى الكاظم'''), the Seventh in the line of [[Twelver Shi'ism|Twelver]] Shī‘ī Imams.
 "Aqa" (also, Agha or Aga) is a word, possibly of [[Turkic]] origin, meaning a "noble" or "[[lord]]". The term was applied by the [[Ottoman Turks]] to the commander of the [[Janissary|janissaries]]. "Khan," was a title of nobility, and was also used for a local ruler or official. "Aga Khan" is the adopted [[family name]] of the [[hereditary]] [[spiritual leader]], or Imam, of the Shī‘a Ismā'īlī Nizārī sect of Islam. Hasan Ali Shah had been  invested the honorific title of "Aga Khan" in 1818, including the governorship of Mahallat and Qumm by Fateh Ali Shah along with his daughter, Sarv-i Jahan Khanum, in marriage.