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Aga Khan IV

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His Highness
Aga Khan IV
His Highness
Personal
SpousePrincess Salimah Āgā Khān (1969 – 1995)
Begum Inaara Āgā Khān (1998 – divorce pending since 2004[1] )
ChildrenPrincess Zahra Āgā Khān
Prince Rahim Āgā Khān
Prince Hussain Āgā Khān
Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan
Parents
Military service
Rank49th Nizari Imām
Aga Khan IV

Shah Karīm al-Hussaynī, The Āgā Khān IV, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH (Arabic: سمو الأمیر شاہ کریم الحسیني آغا خان الرابع) (born December 13, 1936) is the 49th and current Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims.[2] He has been in this position and has held the title of Āgā Khān since July 11, 1957, when at the age of 20 he succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan. The Āgā Khān is responsible for the interpretation of the faith for his followers and as part of the office of the Imamate, endeavors to improve the quality of their lives and of the communities in which they live.

The Āgā Khān is a descendant of Prophet Muhammad through his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, the first Imam, and his wife Fatima, Muhammad’s daughter,[3][4] and is referred to by members of his community as Mawlana Hāzar Imām (حاضر إمام, "Present Imām"). Since his ascension to the Imamate, the Āgā Khān has witnessed complex political and economic changes which have affected his followers, including independence of African countries from colonial rule, expulsion of Asians from Uganda, the independence of Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan from the former Soviet Union, and continuing turmoil in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Āgā Khān has been particularly interested in the elimination of global poverty; the advancement of the status of women; the promotion of Islamic culture, art, and architecture; and furthering pluralistic values in society. He is the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the largest private development networks in the world, which works towards social, economic, and cultural development in Asia and Africa.

Early life

Marriages

Aga Khan has never been married.

Personal Wealth and Income

The Āgā Khān's personal wealth has been estimated as almost $1 billion.[5] His annual income is estimated to be $300m. Business interests include hotels and airlines, and he has also invested in a tourist complex in Sardinia.[6] His main source of income is through investing in stocks, companies and material goods.

Ismaili Imamat

Following the death of his grandfather, Sultan Muhammed Shah Āgā Khān, Prince Karim, at the age of 20, became the 49th Imām of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, bypassing his father, Prince Aly Khān, and his uncle, Prince Sadruddin Āgā Khān, who were in the direct line of succession.

In his will, the Āgā Khān III explained the rationale for choosing his eldest grandson as his successor:

"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 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."[7]

"In light of the sentiments expressed in his grandfather's will, the Āgā Khān has sometimes been referred to by Ismailis as the Imam of the Atomic Age".[8]

Upon becoming the Imam, the Āgā Khān stated that he intended to continue the work his grandfather had pursued in building modern institutions to improve the quality of life of the Ismaili community. Takht nashini (installation) ceremonies occurred at several locations over 1957 and 1958. During this time, the Āgā Khān emphasized to his followers the importance of fostering positive relations amongst peoples of different races; such a message was highly appropriate given the racially tense atmosphere in East Africa. During the installation ceremonies in the Indian subcontinent, he stressed his commitment to improving the quality of life of Ismailis and encouraged cooperation with individuals of other faiths and races. The main themes that the Āgā Khān emphasized during these first few months of his Imamat were development, education, interracial harmony, and faith in religion.

The Āgā Khān has described his role as Imam as being a guide to Ismailis in the daily practice of Shia Islam, a duty which requires an understanding of Ismailis and their relationship with their geographic location and their time.[9] He elaborated on this concept in a 2006 speech in Germany stating,

The role and responsibility of an Imam, therefore, is both to interpret the faith to the community, and also to do all within his means to improve the quality, and security of their daily lives.[10]

This engagement is not limited to the Ismaili community but also extends to the people with whom the Ismailis share their lives, locally and internationally.[11]

During the Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversy, he said: "I have two reactions to the pope's lecture: There is my concern about the degradation of relations and, at the same time, I see an opportunity. A chance to talk about a serious, important issue: the relationship between faith and logic"[12]

Golden Jubilee Year

July 11, 2007 marked the 50th Anniversary of the Aga Khan's reign of Imamat. On this occasion, leaders representing the Ismaili Community from all over the world gathered at the Aga Khan's residence to pay homage. As part of the Jubilee Year, Aga Khan made visitations to various countries.[13]

The countries visited include:

Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar, Mozambique, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, India, Bangladesh, West Africa, United Kingdom, Portugal, Syria, Tajikistan, Canada, Singapore and France.

Aga Khan also organised a sports meet in Kenya, and teams from all over the world came to play this event. [14]

Promotion of Islamic architecture

In 1977, the Aga Khan established the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, an award recognizing excellence in architecture that encompasses contemporary design and social, historical, and environmental considerations. It is the largest architectural award in the world and is granted triennially. The award grew out of the Aga Khan’s desire to revitalize creativity in Islamic societies and acknowledge creative solutions to needs for buildings and public spaces. The recipient is selected by an independent master jury convened for each cycle.

In 1979, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) both established the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA), which is supported by an endowment from the Aga Khan. These programs provide degree courses, public lectures, and conferences for the study of Islamic architecture and urbanism. Understanding contemporary conditions and developmental issues are key components of the academic program.[15] The program engages in research at both institutions and students can graduate with a Master of Science of Architectural Studies specializing in the Aga Khan program from MIT's Department of Architecture.

Aga Khan Development Network

The Aga Khan is founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), one of the largest private development networks in the world, which coordinates the activities of over 200 agencies and institutions, employing a total of 70,000 paid staff. Its partners include numerous governments and several international organizations. AKDN agencies operate in social and economic development as well as in the field of culture, with special focus on countries of the Third World. The network operates in 35 of the poorest countries in the world and is statutorily secular.

The network includes the Aga Khan University (AKU), the University of Central Asia (UCA), the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), the Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS), the Aga Khan Education Services (AKES), the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services (AKPBS), and the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM). The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA)is the largest architectural award in the world.

Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS), an affiliate of the AKDN, is responsible for emergency response in the face of disaster. Recent examples include the massive earthquake in Pakistan (AKDN earthquake response) and the South Asian Tsunami.

He is also the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, which he founded in 1977. He is also a Vice-President of the Royal Commonwealth Society.

Significant recent or current projects led by the Āgā Khān include the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat and the Global Centre for Pluralism (GCP) in Ottawa, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, the Al-Azhar Park ([1]) in Cairo, the Bagh-e Babur restoration in Kabul, and a network of full IB residential schools known as the Aga Khan Academies (AKA). See [2] In 2002, Aga Khan pledged $75 million for the rebuilding of Afghanistan. The pledge was the largest by any single donor and more than most countries.

The Aga Khan has expressed concern about the work of the AKDN being described as philanthropy. In his address to the Tutzing Evangelical Academy in Germany, he described this concern:

Reflecting a certain historical tendency of the West to separate the secular from the religious, they often describe [the work of the AKDN] either as philanthropy or entrepreneurship. What is not understood is that this work is for us a part of our institutional responsibility -- it flows from the mandate of the office of Imam to improve the quality of worldly life for the concerned communities.[16]

Styles

Decorations

  • Commander of the Order of Merit, Mauritania (1960)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Infante D. Henrique, Portugal (1960)
  • Grand Cross of the National Order, Ivory Coast (1965)
  • Grand Cross of the National Order, Upper Volta (1965)
  • Grand Cross of the National Order, Madagascar (1966)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Green Crescent, Comoros, (1966)
  • Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Iran, Nishan-i-Taj-i-Iran (1967)
  • Nishan-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan, (1970)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1977)
  • Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion, Senegal (1982)
  • Nishan-e-Pakistan (1983)
  • Grand Cordon of Ouissam-al Arch, Morocco (1986)
  • Knight of Labour, Cavaliere del Lavoro, Italy (1988)
  • Commander of the Legion of Honour, France (1990)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, Spain (1991)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Portugal (1998)
  • Order of Friendship, Tajikistan (1998)
  • Order of Bahrain (First Class) (2003)
  • Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE), United Kingdom (2004)[17]
  • Honorary Companion of the Order of Canada (2005)[18]
  • Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ, Portugal (2005)
  • Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart, Kenya (2007)[19]
  • Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali (2008)


Honorary degrees

He is the first Muslim in the World to be conferred with this degree.

Awards

Thoroughbred horse racing

At his Aiglemont estate, at Gouvieux in the Picardie region of France, about 4 kilometres west of the Chantilly Racecourse, he operates the largest horse racing and breeding operation in the country. In 1977, he paid £1.3 million for the bloodstock owned by Anna Dupré and in 1978, £4.7 million for the bloodstock of late Marcel Boussac.[citation needed]

The Aga Khan owns Gilltown Stud near Kilcullen, Ireland and Haras de Bonneval breeding farm at Le Mesnil-Mauger in France. In March 2005, he purchased the famous Calvados stud farms, the Haras d'Ouilly in Pont-d'Ouilly and the Haras de Val-Henry in Livarot. Haras d'Ouilly had been owned by such famous horsemen as the Duc Decazes, François Dupré and Jean-Luc Lagardère.

In 2006, the Aga Khan became the majority shareholder of Arqana, a French horse auction house.[citation needed]

On October 27, 2009 it was announced that the Epsom Derby (Eng-G1), Coral Eclipse Stakes (Eng-G1), Juddmonte International Stakes (Eng-G1), Tattersalls Millions Irish Champions Stakes (Ire-G1), and $5.8 million Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sea The Stars will stand stud at the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud in Ireland.

Children

By HH Begum Salima Āgā Khān (formerly Sarah (Sally) Croker-Poole);

By HH Begum Inaara Aga Khan HSH (formerly Dr Gabriele Princess of Leiningen (née Gabriele Thyssen));

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36828-2005Jan25.html
  2. ^ "His Highness the Aga Khan". Retrieved 2009-08-31.
  3. ^ "Khoja Case before Justice Sir Joseph Arnould, High Court of Bombay, 1886". Retrieved 2006-12-01.
  4. ^ "Haji Bibi Case before Mr. Justice Russell, 1905 - Bombay Law Reporter". Retrieved 2006-12-01.
  5. ^ "Power and glory: an Aga Khan saga". The Independent. 2007-07-14. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  6. ^ "Aga Khan's paradise". The Guardian. 2007-08-15. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  7. ^ "Aly Khān's Son, 20, New Āgā Khān", The New York Times, 13 July 1957, p. 1
  8. ^ Thobani, Akbarali (1993). Islam's Quiet Revolutionary: The Story of Aga Khan the Fourth. Vantage Press.
  9. ^ Frischauer, Willi (1970). The Aga Khans. London: The Bodley Head Ltd.
  10. ^ Address by His Highess the Āgā Khān to the Tuting Evangelical Academy Upon Receiving the "Tolerance" Award. Germany: www.akdn.org/speeches/200506_Tutzing.htm. 20 May 2006.
  11. ^ Address by His Highess the Āgā Khān at Graduation Ceremony of the Masters of Public Affairs Programme at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris. Paris: www.akdn.org/speeches/2007June15_en. 15 June 2007.
  12. ^ SPIEGEL interview with Aga Khan - Der Spiegel. 12 October 2006
  13. ^ "Golden Jubilee". Retrieved 2009-12-22.
  14. ^ "Golden Jubilee Games". Retrieved 2009-12-22.
  15. ^ Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. AKPIA (Academic Brochure).
  16. ^ Address by His Highess the Aga Khan to the Tuting Evangelical Academy Upon Receiving the "Tolerance" Award. Germany: www.akdn.org/speeches/200506_Tutzing.htm. 20 May 2006.
  17. ^ "No. 57155". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 31 December 2003.
  18. ^ "Aga Khan, C.C. - Order of Canada". Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  19. ^ allAfrica.com: Kenya: Country Honours Aga Khan (Page 1 of 1)
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Shia Islam titles
Preceded by 49th Imam of Nizari Ismailism
1957 - Present 		Succeeded by
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