60 Years and Counting: The Unconventional Aga Khan
With the Aga Khan completing 60 years as imam of the Ismaili community, here’s a sketch of the reticent personality.
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A cursory reading on the Aga Khan or Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini, the 49th and serving imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community, unanimously shows him to be a man of many dimensions – dimensions that many would consider as conflicting.
This is a man who is the spiritual head of 15-odd million Ismailis living across the world, and is considered to be Prophet Muhammad’s progeny. On 11 July, Prince Karim completed 60 years (the Diamond Jubilee) serving as the imam of the Ismailis, and addressed the community emphasising the significance of education and the civil society.
Ismailism constitutes a branch of Shia Islam which distinguishes itself from the Twelvers - the other branch - on the question of succession in the imamate in the 8th century. While the Ismailis accepted Ismail ibn Jafar as the true successor of Ja’far al-Sadiq, for the Twelvers - which are tje larger group - it was Isma’il’s younger brother Musa al-Kadhim. One of the core principles binding the Ismailis is the belief in the oneness of God.
In India, the Ismailis are a small but significant community, with many of them having adopted the name Khojas.
Here, we attempt to delineate the life of a personality regarded as highly enigmatic and media-reticent.
The Aga Khan is regarded as a public figure whose work in the field of education and towards poverty alleviation in developing countries is talked about in the same breath as his abundant wealth that has afforded him, among other things, a French chateau, a luxury yacht, a Caribbean island and even sought-after racehorses.
An Early Inheritance and Two Marriages
Born on 13 December 1936 in Switzerland's Geneva, Prince Karim (he is also a British citizen) assumed the title of the Aga Khan from his Indian-born grandfather Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah at the age of 20. Notably, his grandfather was the one under whom the famous Aga Khan Palace of Pune (where Gandhi was kept captive during the freedom struggle) was constructed.
Both of the Prince Karim’s marriages – first with former British model Sarah Frances Croker-Poole and the second with German princess Gabriele zu Leiningen – ended in divorce. His separation from the latter, who reportedly accused him of adultery, was the subject of much discussion in the media.
On this, a report in the Telegraph UK went on to point out that “the Aga Khan is believed to have paid out a record 50 million pounds settlement” in 2014.
Forging Synergies Between Business and Social Work
Running contrary to the expectations one might have from a spiritual leader, Prince Karim has held charge of a sprawling business empire, all while not compromising on his commitment towards social work and the principle of equity.
The unique combination that he embodies was summed up best in a New York Times article – describing him as “a jet-setter who mixes business and Islam.”
He heads the Aga Khan Development Fund (AKDN), which considers itself as “one of the largest development organisations in the world”, operating in more than 30 countries, contributing “to the employment of over 80,000 staff” and bettering the lives of millions in sectors such as health, education and food security.
Talking about his Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (coming under AKDN), he was quoted by the 2007 NYT article as saying that primary objective of the company is “to contribute to development”.
Of Pluralism and a Better Understanding of Islam
Ten years hence, having completed his diamond jubilee as the 49th imam, the Aga Khan considers pluralism as imperative to forging “peaceful and successful societies”.
He is looking at a pressing challenge like climate change from a unique perspective, focusing on how it specifically affects the poor.
And along with all these, the Prince has also propounded for a better understanding of Islam in the context of any tendency to demonise the faith.
Regarding this, an article in Quartz quotes him as saying:
In his calls for peace, he views the conflict between peoples as a reflection of “clash of ignorance” instead of that of civilisations.
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