1. 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

2. 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?

3. 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%.

4. 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:

5. Khoja Origins Islam came to India in 12th Century.
Main Religions: Hindu, Buddhism and later Islam.
Indian Class System:
Brahmins (Priest Class)
Kshatriya (Ruling Class or Warriors)
Vaisya (Commoners / Business Class)
Sudra (Lower Class – workers).
Lohanas – from Vaisya.

6. Khoja Origins 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:
Hindus
Satpanth
Nizari Ismaili
Shia Ithna Asheri Jafferi
Future: could be any religion! Once a Khoja always a Khoja!

7. Initial Khoja Faith
Various Pir came to India and taught faith to the masses.
The most famous – Pir Sadruddin
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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. Mulla Qader Hussain’s Students
(Left): Haji Gulamali Haji Ismail ( )
(Right): Dewji Jamal ( )

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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!

18. Assassinations
Lalji Sajan Hirji Alarakhia Abdulla Lalji Kassam Alibhai Lalji Miyani

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. Khoja Early Migration Phase 1: Within Cutch, Gujarat, Sindh
Phase 2: (1750) Bombay to Karachi
Phase 3: ( ) – Iran Coast, Yemen, Oman, Burma.
Phase 4: (1820 – 1860) – Zanzibar
Phase 5: (1860) – Mozambique, Madagascar
Phase 6: (1860) – East Africa

22. Zanzibar (Early Days) 1820 – 450 Khojas sending ‘Dasond’
1838 – Khoja Jamatkhana Built
1840 – Sultan shifts from Muscat to Zanzibar invites Indians.
1844 – Matam Bahraini

23. Early Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Mosques
Nossibe – 1865.
Kuwwatul Islam
Bagamoyo – 1889
Karachi – 1892
Marube
Hujjatul
Bombay Mosque – 1901
Majunga – 1906
Then spread across Cutch, Kathiawar, Sindh, East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands.

24. Mumbai Mosque
External View of the Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Mosque – Palagali 1901
Internal View of the Mosque from the Sahan

25. 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