What does the title Aga Khan mean?
Aga Khan means "commanding chief," "lord," or "master." The word "agha" comes from Old Turkic and Mongolian, meaning "elder men" or "master," while "khan" means king or ruler in Turkish and Mongolian languages.
Questions about Aga Khan
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who is Aga Khan V and when did he become Imam?
Aga Khan V is Prince Shah Rahim al-Hussaini, born in 1971. He became the 50th hereditary Imam of the Nizari Ismailis on the 4th of February 2025, following the death of his father Aga Khan IV.
How many followers does the Aga Khan lead?
The Aga Khan is the spiritual and temporal leader of the Nizari Ismaili Shias, a branch of Islam with approximately 12-15 million followers worldwide.
Who first gave the title Aga Khan and why?
According to scholar Farhad Daftary of the Institute of Isma'ili Studies, the Iranian king Fath-Ali Shah Qajar bestowed the title on Hasan Ali Shah (1804-1881), the 46th Imam of the Nizari Ismailis.
What was the significance of the 1866 Aga Khan Case in Bombay?
The 1866 Aga Khan Case in the High Court of Bombay resulted in a court victory that secured British government recognition of Aga Khan I as the Imam of the Ismailis and the Khoja community. The British government formally recognised the title in 1887 through the Secretary of State for India.
Why was the first Aga Khan important to the British Raj?
Hasan Ali Shah assisted British generals during the First Anglo-Afghan War of 1841-1842 and was the only religious or community leader in British India granted a personal gun salute. The British also saw strategic value in his leadership of a major Shia sect as a potential counterbalance to the Ottoman Caliph's influence over Sunni Islam.