HISTORY OF THE KHOJA
SHIA ITHNA ASHERI
COMMUNITY
A series of talks on the origins, yearning of faith, current state and future
challenges of the Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Community.
Part 1 of 2
By:
Shan E Abbas Hassam
1
Background
• Why does it help to understand our Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri
Community?
• What sacrifices were made for us to get to where we are today?
• Can we survive as a Khoja Community?
• What are our challenges today?
• What could we do to help face some of these challenges?
2
Khoja Population
• World Population: 6.9 billion
• Muslim Population: 1.6 billion
• Shia Population (lowest figure): 200 million
• Khoja Population (approx): 120,000
• % of Shia Community = 0.06%.
3
Khoja Population (A Snapshot)
• Pakistan: 40,000 (Karachi and Sindh)
• India: 21,000 (Kathiawar, Gujarat, Cutch and Mumbai)
• Africa: 14,000 (Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Mozambique, South
Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe).
• Indian Ocean Islands: 6,500 (Madagascar, Re-Union, Mauritius)
• United Kingdom: 10,000
• Canada: 8,000
• USA: 3,000
• Middle East: 2,000 (UAE, Iran, Oman)
• Rest of Europe: 1,000
• Australia: 1,000
• Yemen North and South: 700
• Misc: 500-750.
4
Khoja Origins
• Islam came to India in 12th Century.
• Main Religions: Hindu, Buddhism and later Islam.
• Indian Class System:
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Brahmins (Priest Class)
Kshatriya (Ruling Class or Warriors)
Vaisya (Commoners / Business Class)
Sudra (Lower Class – workers).
• Lohanas – from Vaisya.
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Khoja Origins
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Armenia – co-incidence or some truth?
Cutch, Kathiawar and Sindh
Languages: Cuthci, Gujarati and Sindhi (Kojiki).
Khojas now are either:
• Ismaili (follow Agha Khan – approx. 270,000)
• Sunni (approx. 20,000)
• Shia Ithna Asheri (approx. 120,000)
• History in brief:
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Hindus
Satpanth
Nizari Ismaili
Shia Ithna Asheri Jafferi
• Future: could be any religion! Once a Khoja always a Khoja!
6
Initial Khoja Faith
• Various Pir came to India and taught faith to the masses.
• The most famous – Pir Sadruddin
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Descendent of Imam Jaffer AS Sadiq (AS)
14th Century Ismaili Da’I (teacher)
Founded Khoja Ismaili Sect
Satpanth (Blend of Hinduism with Islam).
Developed Khojki.
Named his followed Khwaja
Budh Avatar -9th Incarnation of Vishnu.
Das Avatar (most famous book) – 10 Re-incarnations of Vishnu
7
Signs of Discord in the Khoja Community….
• 18th Century – beliefs more inclined to Nizari Ismaili Faith.
• 1829 – 1st lot expelled.
• 1835 – 1st lot re-admitted.
• 1842 – Aghan Khan 1 – arrives from Iran.
• 1848 – 2nd lot expelled.
• 1848 – ‘Bhar Bhayya’ form their Jamatkhana.
8
Reasons for Discord
• Confused practices in Jamat Khana.
• Dispute over Dasond (10%)
• All community assets transferred to Ismaili Imam
• Court ruling in favour of Agha Khan.
9
Bhar Bhayya
• First Khojas who left the Ismaili faith joined the Ahlul Sunnah Faith
• Known as the Bar Bhayya
• Till today known as the Bar Bhayya Khoja Sunni Community
• Small number worldwide.
10
Affinity Towards Karbala
• Dewji Jamal and others on way to Hajj.
• Re-arrange to Karbala after hearing 70 times more Thawab to do
Ziyarat.
• Arrange Meeting with Ayatullah Mazandarani
• Tableegh under Mulla Qadir Hussain of Madras.
• Persuade Mulla to travel to Bombay or Zanzibar.
• Note: Only due to Marjae did this change occur. Double affinity
towards Karbala.
11
Mulla Qader Hussain
1873 - 1905
• Khoja owe their faith to this man.
• Persuaded to go back to Bombay by Ayatullah Mazandarani
• Marginalised and isolated.
• Shia Ithna Asheri practices Taqqiya.
• Threats – bribe – poison – assasniation.
• Mulla ejected from his house and attendance decline.
• Major concern: Burial / Social / Economic Boycott.
12
Pressure on the Ithna Asheris
• Social Boycott
• Economic Boycott
• Excommunication from Khoja Jamaat
• Public Announcement – Humiliation.
• Refusal to bury in Khoja Qabrasatan
• Physical threats – Murders
• Opposition to Build Mosque – India + Zanzibar.
13
Mulla Qader Hussain’s Students
• (Left): Haji Gulamali Haji Ismail (1864-1943)
• (Right): Dewji Jamal (1820-1905)
14
Burial Ground Saga
• Disgrace not to be buried in Khoja Cemetery
• 1876 Khalfan Rattansi daughter died – refusal to bury her.
• Khalfan Rattansi and Dewji Jamal offered transport to bury in Karbala.
• Mulla Obtains consent to bury in Irani Qabrastan.
15
Bombay, Zanzibar and Karachi
• Three main places where the early Khoja Population settled.
• Zanzibar – lot of trading with India. Some pioneers settled there such
as Dewji Jamal.
• Karachi – sizeable Shia Ithna Asheri Population mixed around a larger
Shia Ithna Asheir Populaiton.
• Karachi - Main preacher was Lalan Alidina. He had 4 sons and all 4
followed the footsteops of their father.
16
Assassinations
• 1876 – Karachi – Ithna Asheri Lalan Alidina attacked and in 1878 shot
and killed. Khojas shocked/gripped with fear.
• 1877 – Bombay – Hassan Mukhi (Ismaili Killed)
• 1878 – Killi Kathau – convicted / hanged.
• 1901 – Hirki Alarakhia and Lalji Sajan killed.
• 1901 – Abdulla Lalji and Alibhai Nanaji injured.
• Tension – huge!
17
Assassinations
Lalji Sajan
Hirji Alarakhia
Abdulla Lalji
Kassam Alibhai Lalji Miyani
18
Lalji Alidina (Photo of son)
Regrettably photograph of Lalan Alidina is not available. Body
later transferred to Karbala for permanent burial.
Reproduced here is the photograph of his son Nurmohamed
Lalan, who is believed to have the likeness of his father Lalan
Alidina.
Lalan Alidina had four sons and all of them followed the
footsteps of their father in serving the community and
enthusiastically promoting tabligh work.
19
Agha Khan Prediction
• 13th July 1899
• Late Aghan Kan III (Sir Sultan Mohammed Shah) issued Farman Issue
in Zanzibar predicted:
• Within ten, twenty or thirty years the Ithna Asheri will be worn out. After 100
years the Ithna Asheri religion will not exist at all. It will not exist in Iran
either because the religion’s base is not on Aql. Our religion is based on Aql.
20
Khoja Early Migration
• Phase 1: Within Cutch, Gujarat, Sindh
• Phase 2: (1750) Bombay to Karachi
• Phase 3: (1750-1800) – Iran Coast, Yemen, Oman, Burma.
• Phase 4: (1820 – 1860) – Zanzibar
• Phase 5: (1860) – Mozambique, Madagascar
• Phase 6: (1860) – East Africa
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Zanzibar (Early Days)
• 1820 – 450 Khojas sending ‘Dasond’
• 1838 – Khoja Jamatkhana Built
• 1840 – Sultan shifts from Muscat to Zanzibar invites Indians.
• 1844 – Matam Bahraini
22
Early Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Mosques
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Nossibe – 1865.
Kuwwatul Islam - 1877
Bagamoyo – 1889
Karachi – 1892
Marube - 1896
Hujjatul - 1898
Bombay Mosque – 1901
Majunga – 1906
Then spread across Cutch, Kathiawar, Sindh, East Africa and Indian Ocean
Islands.
23
Mumbai Mosque
• External View of the Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Mosque – Palagali 1901
• Internal View of the Mosque from the Sahan
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Part 1 Bibliography
• ‘The Endangered Species’ by Hassan M Jaffer
• Special thanks to Hassan M Jaffer for leading this area, his advise and
continual support.
• ‘The Agha Khans’ by Mihir Bose
• Khoja Vrtant: 1892
• History of the Khojas: 1905
• Khoja Kaum ni Tarikh: 1912 (Adelji Dhanji Kaba)
• John Hollister and Farhad Daftary
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