His Highness Aga Khan IV Imam of Ismaili Shi'a Islam |
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The Aga Khan IV in 2002. |
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| Rank | 49th Nizari Ismaili Imām |
| Name | Shah Karīm al-Hussaynī |
| Birth | December 13, 1936 |
| Birthplace | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Life Duration | Before Imamat: 20 years, 210 days (1936–1957) Imamate: 54 years, 222 days (1957 – present) |
| Titles | His Highness Prince Aga Khan IV |
| Spouse(s) | Princess Salimah Aga Khan (1969–1995) Begum Inaara Aga Khan (1998–2011) |
| Father | Prince Aly Khan |
| Mother | Princess Tajuddawlah Aly Khan |
| Children | Princess Zahra Aga Khan Prince Rahim Aga Khan Prince Hussain Aga Khan Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan |
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Ali · Ḥassan · Ḥusain |
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Prince Karim, Aga Khan IV,[1][2] NPk, NI, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH, GCM (Arabic: سمو الأمیر شاہ کریم الحسیني آقا خان الرابع; born 13 December 1936) is the 49th and current Imam of the Shia Imami Nizari Ismaili Muslims.[3] He has held this position under the title of Aga Khan since July 11, 1957,[4] when, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan. The Aga Khan 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 the communities where they live. Aga Khan claims to be a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, considered the first Imam in Shia Islam, and his wife Fatima az-Zahra, the Prophet’s daughter from his first marriage with Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the Prophet's first of either 11 or 13 wives.
The Aga Khan owns hundreds of racehorses, valuable stud farms, an exclusive yacht club on Sardinia,[5] a private island in the Bahamas, two Bombardier jets, a 12 seater helicopter,[6] a £100 million high speed yacht named after his prize racehorse,[7] and several estates around the world including an estate at Aiglemont, north of Paris. G. Pascal Zachary, of the The New York Times, writes, "Part of the Aga Khan's personal wealth, which his advisers say exceeds $1 billion, comes from a ... system of tithes [called dasond[8]] that some of the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims pay him each year—an amount that ... may reach hundreds of millions of dollars annually."[9]
Since his ascension to the Imamate, the Aga Khan has been involved in complex political and economic changes which have affected his followers, including the 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 the continuous turmoil in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Aga Khan is particularly interested in the elimination of global poverty; the advancement of women; the promotion of Islamic culture, art, and architecture; and promoting 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 toils towards environment, health, education, architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, the promotion of private-sector enterprise and the revitalisation of historic cities.
During his visit to India in 1983, the Aga Khan said:
| “ | There are those who enter the world in such poverty that they are deprived of both the means and the motivation to improve their circumstances. Unless these unfortunates can be touched with the spark which ignites the spirit of individual enterprise and determination, they will only sink back into renewed apathy, degradation and despair. It is for us, who are more fortunate, to provide that spark. | ” |
Born Prince Karim Aga Khan, the Aga Khan IV is the eldest son of Prince Aly Khān, (1911–1960) and his first wife, Princess Tajuddawlah Aly Khan, formerly the Hon. Joan Barbara Yarde-Buller (1908–1997), the eldest daughter of the 3rd Baron Churston.[10] Born in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 13, 1936, Prince Karim was declared healthy despite being born prematurely.[11] The Aga Khan's brother, Prince Amyn, was born less than a year later. Their parents divorced in 1949 and Prince Aly Khān later married Rita Hayworth, with whom he had a daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, half-sister of the Aga Khan. He also had a half-brother, Patrick Benjamin Guinness (1931–1965), from his mother's first marriage, as Joan Yarde-Buller was previously married to Loci Guinness, of the banking Guinnesses.[12]
The Aga Khan spent his childhood in Nairobi, Kenya,[13] where his early education was done by private tutoring. His grandfather, Aga Khan III, engaged Mustafa Kamil, a scholar from Aligarh Muslim University, for both Prince Karim and Prince Amyn. The Aga Khan later attended the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland for nine years. He graduated from Harvard University in 1959 with a BA honors degree in Islamic history. The young Aga Khan was a competitive downhill skier, and he skied for Iran in 1964 Olympic Games where he ranked 30th in the slalom event.[14][12]
As a youngster the Aga Khan would have preferred to attend MIT and study science, but his grandfather Aga Khan III vetoed the decision and Prince Karim attended Harvard[12] where he studied Islamic studies. When his grand father passed away he was thrust into the position of the Aga Khan, and he went from being a student at Harvard to replacing his grandfather as the Ismaili Imam and the head of his family's enterprises.
Overnight, my whole life changed completely. I woke up with serious responsibilities toward millions of other human beings. I knew I would have to abandon my hopes of studying for a doctorate in history.[12]
Paul Ress, of Sports Illustrated, writes that the young the young prince turned Aga Khan, having responsibility to go with his wealth, did not live the playboy lifestyle of his father. He did, however, increase the speed of his family yacht, and he drove his Italian car at more than 100 miles per hour. Ress writes about traveling to Chantilly in one of the young prince's Maseratis. The chaffer, Lucien Lemouss, slowed to 80 miles per hour as they fell in behind a slower moving Ferrari, and the young prince had the chaffer pull over, took over the driver's seat, and swiftly passed the Ferrari.[12]
The Aga Khan married his first wife, famous model Sarah "Sally" Frances Croker-Poole, who assumed the name and style Begum Salima Aga Khan, on October 22, 1969 (civil) and October 28, 1969 (religious), at his home in Paris, France. The couple were married for 25 years, during which they had three children. Their marriage ended by divorce in 1995. The Aga Khan paid £20 million in divorce settlements, and Sarah sold jewels she received as gifts, including the Begum Blue diamond, for millions of dollars.[15][16] The Aga Khan and Begum Salima have three children, one daughter and two sons:
The Aga Khan married for the second time with Princess Gabriele zu Leiningen, who assumed the name Begum Inaara Aga Khan, "Inaara" (derived from Arabic noor, meaning "light") at his vast walled compound and chateau near Chantilly, France : Aiglemont estate on May 30, 1998. On October 8, 2004, an announcement was made that the Aga Khan and the Begum Aga Khan were to seek a divorce.[17][18] According to the Daily Mail, Gabriele claimed her husband was involved with someone else during their marriage.[19][20] They divorced on 3 October 2011, and Gabriele received a settlement of $80 million USD after a French court of appeals decided that the Aga Khan was exclusively at fault.[21][22] By her, the Aga Khan has a son:
Following the death of his grandfather, Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan, Prince Karim, at the age of 20, became the 49th Imām of the Ismailis, bypassing his father, Prince Aly Khān, and his uncle, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, who were in direct line of succession.
In his will, the Aga Khan III explained the rationale for choosing his eldest grandson as his successor:
| “ | In view of the fundamentally altered conditions in the world has provoked many changes, including the discoveries of atomic science, I am convinced that it is in the best interests of the 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.[23] | ” |
In light of the request expressed in his grandfather's will, the Aga Khan has sometimes been referred to by Ismailis as the Imam of the Atomic Age.[24]
Upon taking the position of Imam, the Aga Khan 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 Aga Khan emphasized to his followers the importance of fostering positive relations among different ethnicities; this message was highly appropriate considering 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 religions and ethics. The main themes that the Aga Khan emphasized during these first few months of his Imamat were development, education, interracial harmony, and confidence in religion.
In Africa, Asia and the Middle East, a major objective of the Community's social welfare and economic programs, until the mid-fifties, had been to create a broad base of businessmen, agriculturists, and professionals. The educational facilities of the community tended to emphasize secondary-level education. With the coming of independence, each nation's economic aspirations took on new dimensions, focusing on industrialization and modernization of agriculture. The community's educational priorities had to be reassessed in the context of new national goals, and new institutions had to be created to respond to the growing complexity of the development process.
In 1972, under the regime of the then President Idi Amin of Uganda, Ismā'īlīs and other Asians were expelled despite being citizens of the country and having lived there for generations. The Imam undertook urgent steps to facilitate the resettlement of Ismāʿīlīs displaced from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and also from Burma. Owing to his personal efforts most found homes, not only in Asia, but also in Europe and North America. Most of the basic resettlement problems were overcome remarkably rapidly. This was due to the adaptability of the Ismāʿīlīs themselves and in particular to their educational background and their linguistic abilities, as well as the efforts of the host countries and the moral and material support from Ismāʿīlī community programs.
In view of the importance that Islām places on maintaining a balance between the spiritual well-being of the individual and the quality of his life, the Imām's guidance deals with both aspects of the life of his followers. The Aga Khan has encouraged Ismā'īlī Muslims, settled in the industrialized world, to contribute towards the progress of communities in the developing world through various development programs. Indeed the Economist noted: that Isma'ili immigrant communities, integrated seamlessly as an immigrant community, and did better at attaining graduate and post graduate degrees, "far surpassing their native, Hindu, Sikh, fellow Muslims, and Chinese communities".
The Aga Khan 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.[11] He elaborated on this concept in a 2006 speech in Germany stating:
| “ | The role and responsibility of an Imam, respectively, to interpret their religion to his community, and to do his utmost to improve the quality, and security of their quotidian. [sic][25] | ” |
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.[26]
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 religion and logic"[27]
During the time when Prince Karim's grandfather was the Aga Khan, the western media wrote that his followers considered him as divine.[28][29] In 1952, Norman Lewis wrote, "The Aga Khan is the spiritual and temporal head of the sect and possesses attributes of divinity."[30]
In a 1958 paper discussing the theology of East African followers of the Aga Khan, H.S Morris quotes an Ismaili, living in East Africa, educated in England, and who had never visited India:
Our Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, is like your Jesus Christ. Even Hindus believe that God will never leave the world deserted, we believe that God, that is Vishnu, descended to earth in Ali and has never left us. When the Imam dies the Light moves on to his son: it follows like the sacred blood—like the King. The King never dies.[31]
In 1967, Thomas Thompson, of Life wrote, "His [Karim Aga Khan] authority is roughly analogous to that of the Pope in Roman Catholicism, and he is considered the only mediator between his people and God. The Aga Khan is not considered divine."[32]
A report issued at the 1975 Ismailia Association Conference addressed the question of the divinity of the Aga Khan with the following statement:
The Imam to be explained as 'mazhar' of God, and the relationship between God and the Imam to be related to varying levels of inspiration and communication from God to man.[33]
In 1982, former Ismaili A. Meherally wrote that the Imam is considered as the:
'Noor of Allah manifested in a human body' and 'Mazhar of Allah' ... modified versions of the 'Incarnations of God' (Avatars)—a Hindu philosophy[34]
In response to a December 1983 Life magazine article, the Aga Khan's spokespeople responded stating that it was incorrect for Life magazine to interpret him, the Imam, as either "a living god", or as a "spokesman for Allah."[35] The same response stated that the unity of Allah, Tawheed, is a fundamental principle of Islam.
In 1987, Ali S. Asani wrote that Ismalili "Khojahs' [have] strong belief and trust in the guidance offered by their "divinely-appointed" Imams."[36]
The Encyclopedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddin (retrieved on Ismaili.net) states that the Imam is considered the "mazhar" (manifestation) of god.[37]
From July 1982 to July 1983, to celebrate the present Aga Khan's Silver Jubilee, marking the 25th anniversary of his accession to the Imāmat, many new social and economic development projects were launched. These range from the establishment of the US$450 million international Aga Khan University with its Faculty of Health Sciences and teaching hospital based in Karachi, the expansion of schools for girls and medical centers in the Hunza region, one of the remote parts of Northern Pakistan bordering on China and Afghanistan, to the establishment of the Aga Khan Rural Support Program in Gujarat, India, and the extension of existing urban hospitals and primary health care centers in Tanzania and Kenya. These initiatives form part of an international network of institutions involved in fields that range from education, health and rural development, to architecture and the promotion of private sector enterprise and together make up the Aga Khan Development Network.
It is this commitment to man's dignity and relief of humanity that inspires the Ismā'īlī Imāmat's philanthropic institutions. Giving of one's competence, sharing one's time, material or intellectual ability with those among whom one lives, for the relief of hardship, pain or ignorance is a deeply ingrained tradition which shapes the social conscience of the Ismā'īlī Muslim community.
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 to the Imam on behalf of the global Jamat. During his Golden Jubilee from 2007–2008 marking 50 years of Imamate, the Aga Khan commissioned a number of projects. As part of the Jubilee Year, Aga Khan made official visits to various countries, using these occasions to recognise the friendship and longstanding support of leaders of state, government and other partners in the work of the Ismaili Imamat, and to set the direction for the future, including the launching and laying of foundations for major initiatives and programmes.[38]
The countries visited include:
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Madagascar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, the United States of America, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, India, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Syria, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Canada, Singapore and France.
A number of International Programmes were launched as part of the commemoration of Aga Khan's Golden Jubilee. The programmes addressed themes such as heritage, culture, devotional music and physical well-being, while promoting Community unity and worldwide collaboration.
Aga Khan also organised a sports meet in Kenya, and teams from all over the world came to play this event. [39]
In recent generations, the Aga Khan’s family has followed a tradition of service in international affairs. The Aga Khan’s grandfather was President of the League of Nations and his father, Prince Aly Khan, was Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations. His uncle, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations’ Coordinator for assistance to Afghanistan and United Nations Executive Delegate of Iraq-Turkey border areas.
The Aga Khan’s brother, Prince Amyn Aga Khan, joined the United Nations Secretariat, Department of Economic and Social Affairs following his graduation from Harvard in 1965. Since 1968, Prince Amyn has been closely involved with the governance of the principal development institutions of the Imamat. He is Director of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and a member of the Board of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) and Chairman of its Executive Committee. Prince Amyn was also deeply involved in the establishment and the development of the Tourism Promotion Services (TPS). He is also a Director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC).
The Aga Khan’s eldest child and daughter, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, graduated from Harvard in 1994 with a BA (Honours) Degree in Development Studies, and is the Head of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) located within the Secretariat of the Aga Khan in France. She has policy and management responsibility for the health, education, and planning and building service companies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). She also plays a key policy role with respect to the other social development institutions of the Network.
Prince Rahim Aga Khan was born on October 12, 1971, in Geneva, Switzerland, and is the second of His Highness the Aga Khan’s four children. Based at the Secretariat of His Highness the Aga Khan at Aiglemont, north of Paris, France, Prince Rahim is an executive Director of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) – the economic development arm of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). He also serves as an Executive Director at the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM). A graduate of Brown University, Rhode Island, USA with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Comparative Literature awarded in 1996, Prince Rahim received his secondary education at Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. In 2006, Prince Rahim completed an executive development programme in Management and Administration at the University of Navarra IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. Prince Rahim travels regularly to Asia and Africa to oversee the industrial plants, hotel properties and financial institutions, including microfinance programmes, of the Aga Khan Development Network.
The Aga Khan’s second son, Prince Hussain Aga Khan, graduated from Williams College (USA) with a Bachelor of Arts degree and has a Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) where his main area of study was Economic and Political Development with a regional focus on the Middle East and North Africa.
His youngest son Prince Aly Muhammad was born in 2000.
In consonance with this vision of Islam and a long-standing tradition of service to humanity, the Ismailis have elaborated a well-defined institutional framework to build capacity and improve the quality of life within the communities in which they live. Under the Aga Khan’s leadership, this framework expanded and evolved into the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of institutions working to improve living conditions and opportunities in specific regions of the developing world. In every country, these institutions work for the common good of all citizens regardless of their origin or religion. Their individual mandates range from architecture, education and health to the promotion of private sector enterprise, the enhancement of non-government organisations and rural development.
The Aga Khan has been a familiar figure on the World Stage & holds a protocol of Head of the State in every country. He frequently visits several countries to review the activities of AKDN and to discuss matters with High Government Officials.
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 for buildings facilities and public spaces. The prize winner is selected by an independent master jury convened for each cycle.
In 1979, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) respectively, established the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA), which is supported by an endowment from 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.[40] 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.
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 approximately 80,000 paid staff, the majority of whom are based in developing countries. Its partners include numerous governments and several international organizations. AKDN agencies operate in the fields of health, education, culture, rural development, institution-building and the promotion of economic development, with special focus on countries of the Third World. It is dedicated to improving living conditions and opportunities for the poor, without regard to their faith, origin or gender. Half a billion dollars are given out in charity and development every year through this huge network. The AKDN’s annual budget for non-profit development activities in 2010 was approximately US$ 625 million. The network operates in more than 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.
Aga Khan 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 Aga Khan 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] Since 2001, the Aga Khan has mobilized over $750 million in Afghanistan. His personal contribution has been larger than 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.[25] | ” |
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 the late Marcel Boussac.[41]
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.
On October 27, 2009 it was announced that Sea The Stars winner of the Epsom Derby (Eng-G1), Coral Eclipse Stakes (Eng-G1), Juddmonte International Stakes (Eng-G1), Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-G1), and $5.8 million Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will stand stud at the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud in Ireland.
The Aga Khan IV owns estates in several countries, jets, helicopters, hundreds of racehorses, yachts, a private island, and fancy cars. His two divorces have cost him over US$ 100 million personally in settlements.[15][21] G. Pascal Zachary, of the The New York Times, states that part of the Aga Khan's income comes from donations from his many followers. While the actual amount is not disclosed, he may receive as much as hundreds of millions of dollars a year from a system of tithes,[9] which is called dasond. According to former Ismaili, Akbarally Meherally, the Aga Khan's followers donate 12.5% of their personal income to the Imam and charity. The entire 12.5% is presented to the Imam, often in cash and without receipts, through the many Ismaili Jamatkhanas—places of worship.[8][34] Additionally, the Aga Khan owns and operates the biggest horse racing and breeding operation in France, and this operation is considered one of his main sources of income.[42]
There is a discrepancy in the two references above with regards to to how the 12.5% dasond is divided up. A. Meherally writes that 10% goes to the poor and 2.5% goes to the Imam, after which he comments that zakat is traditionally [not more than] 2.5%,[43][44] and he labels dasond as inflated zakat.[34] In the Encyclopaedia of Ismailism, (retrieved from Ismaili.net) Mumtaz Ali Tajddin states that in the times of the Indian Ismaili Pirs, 10% went to the Imam and 2.5% to the poor:
The tenth part of the income is separated along with 2½ zakat, making the deduction of 12½ from the income. The tenth part solely belongs to the Imam, while 2½ part being zakat for the welfare purpose. Both parts (10 & 2½) are presented to the Imam.[8]
The Aga Khan has purchased 49.99 meter yacht, Alamshar, with a price tag of £100 million. The yacht is named after a prized racehorse of his, and it was suppose to have a top speed of 60 knots in hopes of setting a new transatlantic speed record. The yacht reached a top speed of 30 knots at its initial trials.[7]
The Aga Khan was involved in a controversy with politicians and environmentalists over a permit to dredge a channel for his yacht for a private island in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park in the Bahamas.[45] The controversy involved the environment minister Earl Deveaux, "Helicopter Earl," using the Aga Khan's 12 seat luxury helicopter to survey the area prior to granting the permit. A lawsuit was filed by an environmental group known as Save the Exuma Park (STEP) in attempt to prevent or reduce the dredging.[46] Bahamas senator Jerome Fitzgerald claims that the dredging, on behalf of the Aga Khan, in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park has violated environmental impact requirements and caused considerable environmental degradation, potentially effecting the many Bahamian entrepreneurs rely on the park for their income.[6]
| Styles of The Aga Khan |
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| Reference style | His Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir |
The title 'Prince' is used by the Aga Khans and their children by virtue of their ancestry from Shah Fath Ali Shah of the Persian Qajar dynasty. The title was officially recognized by the British government in 1938.[47]
The hereditary title of 'Aga Khan' was first granted to Aga Hasan Ali Shah, the 46th Ismaili Imam, by Fat′h-Ali Shah Qajar, the Shah of Persia in the 1830s.
The style of 'His Highness' was formally granted by Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom in 1957 upon the death of his grandfather Aga Khan III. This has been a traditional gesture by British sovereigns since the first Aga Khan allied himself with Britain against Afghanistan.[12][48]
The style of 'His Royal Highness' was granted to the Aga Khan IV by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran in 1959.[49] However, the Aga Khan does not use this style and is internationally only named with the style 'His Highness'.[50][51][52]
Over the years, the Aga Khan has received numerous decorations, honorary degrees, and awards in recognition of the various dimensions of his work, and for his service to humanity.
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Clan of the Banu Quraish
Born: 1936 C.E Died: Present C.E. |
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| Shī‘a Islam titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Muhammad Shah |
49th Imam of Nizari Ismailism 1957 – present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
