What is "aga khan"

n. Leader of the Ismaili, Sevener Shi'ites

Aga Khan (; also transliterated as Aqa Khan and Agha Khan) is a name used by the Imam of the Nizari Ismailis since 1957. The current user of the name is Shah Karim who is the 49th Imam (1957–present), Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini Aga Khan IV (b. 1936).

The title is made up of the titles agha and khan. The Turkish "agha" is "aqa" (Āqā) in Persian. The word "agha" comes from the Old Turkic and Mongolian "aqa", meaning "elder brother", and "khan" means king, ruler in Turkic and Mongolian languages.

According to Farhad Daftary, Aga Khan is an honorific title bestowed on Hasan Ali Shah (1800–1881), the 46th Imam of Nizari Ismailis (1817–1881), by Persian king Fath-Ali Shah Qajar. However, Daftary contradicts what the Aga Khan III noted in a famous legal proceeding in India: that Aga Khan is not a title but instead a sort of alias or "pet name" that was given to the Aga Khan I when he was a young man.

During the latter stages of the First Anglo-Afghan War (1841-1842), Hasan Ali Shah and his cavalry officers provided assistance to General Nott in Kandahar Province and to General England in his advance from Sindh to join Nott. He was awarded the status of "Prince" by the British government's representatives in India and became the only religious or community leader in British India granted a personal gun salute; When Hasan Ali Shah, the first Aga Khan, came to Sindh, which is now in Pakistan, from Afghanistan, he and his army were welcomed by Mir Nasir Khan of Baluchistan. In 1866, the Aga Khan won a court victory in the High Court of Bombay in what popularly became known as the Aga Khan Case, securing his recognition by the British government as the head of the Khoja community.

In 1887, the Secretary of State for India acting through the Viceroy of India, formally recognized the title Aga Khan.

These four persons have had this title:

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

Aga Khan may refer to:

• Aga Khan, the hereditary title of the Imam (spiritual and general leader) of the Ismaili Nizārī Muslims
  • Aga Khan I (1800–1881), the first Aga Khan, and 46th Imam.
  • Aga Khan II (c. 1830 - 1885), the second Aga Khan and 47th Imam.
  • Aga Khan III (1877 – 1957), the third Aga Khan and 48th Imam.
  • Aga Khan IV (b. 1936), the fourth and current Aga Khan and 49th Imam.

Other People:

• Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan (1933 – 2003), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1966 to 1978.
• Yasmin Aga Khan (b. 1949), the American philanthropist known for raising public awareness in Alzheimer's disease.

Other:

• Aga Khan Case
• Aga Khan Development Network, whose subsidiaries include:
  • Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)
  • Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS)
    • Aga Khan Hospital (disambiguation), any of eight medical institutions around the world, run by AKHS.
  • Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM)
  • The Aga Khan School, Dhaka
  • Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED)
  • Aga Khan Planning and Building Services (AKPBS)
  • Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS)
  • Aga Khan Education Services (AKES)
  • Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)
    • Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA), an architectural award established by the Aga Khan in 1977.
  • University of Central Asia (UCA)
  • Aga Khan University (AKU), Pakistan's first private, autonomous university.