Khoja Timeline

• 762 Demise of Ismail b Jafar al Sadiq A.S

• 765 Shahdat of Imam Sadiq A.S

• 883 The earliest Ismaili missionary arrived in Sindh

• 909 Fatimid caliphate started

• 958 Ismaili principality was established in Sindh, with its seat at Multan, where large numbers of Hindus converted to Ismailism.

• 1005 Ismaili rule ended in Sindh

• 1067 Missionaries sent from Yemen(Sulayhids of Yemen who acknowledged the suzerainty of the Ismaili Fatimid caliphs-Imams)founded a new Ismaili community (Bohra)in Gujarat

• 1094 Split on the 19th Imam of Ismaili Fatamid caliph-imams/ Nur Satguru arrived in Sindh (according to a narration)

• 1164 The announcement of Qiyamat by Hasan (8th August, 17th of the holy month of Ramadan 559 AH)

• 1179 Nur Satguru arrived in Sindh (according to a narration)

• 1242 Nur Satguru arrived in Sindh (according to a narration)

• 1256 Mongols destroyed Nizari setup (Alamut)in Iran (15th December)

• 1276 Pir Sadr al Deen or Sahdev (?) arrived in Sindh

• 1356 Pir Shams in Punjab

• 1804 Hasan Ali Shah Mahallati born in Kahak, 1st Agha Khan

• 1813 In 1813 Macdonnel Kinneir, notes that near Alamut there were quite a few Ismailis who were called Husaynis.

• 1817 Khalillulah, 45th Ismaili Imam was killed in Yazd by a Mulla along with few of his family members

• 1817 Hasan Ali Shah took the seat of Imamat, 46th Ismaili Imam, Agha Khan 1

• 1829 Habib Ibrahim refused to pay religious tax, Dasond, to Agha Khan (1827 according to one narration)

• 1829 The Aga Khan, in order to overcome this opposition, sent to Bombay as his agent, Mirza Abul Kassim, who was accompanied by the Aga Khan's mother, Bibi Sarcar Mata

Salamat (1744-1832) in 1245/1829.

• 1830 Mirza Abul Kassim’s (Aga Khans representative) suit was withdrawn by British Government (July 22nd)

• 1830 Habib Ibrahim and his friends (11 friends) were out-casted from the community

• 1830 Ali Shah born, Agha Khan 2nd, 47th Ismail Imam

• 1833 Khojas went to Karbala meeting Ayatullah Zainul Abedeen Mazandarani and Mulla Qadar

• 1834 Fateh Ali Shah Qajar died

• 1835 Barabhai: After five years, in 1251/1835, they were re-admitted conditionally, who had however laid a root of a dissident group.

• 1837 1st Agha Khan was ruler of Kirman

• 1840 Hasan Ali Shah arrived in India (not in Bombay), 46th Ismaili Imam, Agha Khan 1

• 1841 Agha Khan first left Iran towards Afghanistan and then Balochistan (Sunni Khoja account)

• 1841 Anglo-Afghan War (1841-1842). Hasan Ali Shah helped General Nott in Kandahar Province and to General England in his advance from Sindh to join Nott.

• 1843 Hasan Ali Shah Mohallati was also the first Nizari Imam to make Bombay the permanent seat of the Imamat

• 1843 Aga Khan helped Sir Charles Napier in his conquest of Sind. For this favour, he got a pension from the British Government of India.

• 1844 Aga Khan First arrived in India (Sunni Khoja account)

• 1845 Mulla Qadar Husain was born (approx date) in Madras

• 1845 Hasan Ali Shah arrived in Bombay (18th December)

• 1845 Circular from Agha Khan 1: All should be practicing their rituals as Shias and not Sunnis. This was opposed by Katch (Kera) and Mahuva

• 1846 Hasan Ali Shah moved to Calcutta. He lived there for 2 years.

• 1847 Habib Ibrahim is a witness in a court case

• 1847 Sajan Meharali’s (2 of his daughters Hirbai and Gangabai filed a case against Sonbai(Habib Ibrahim's kaki))a case which decided against the rights of Khoja females

(Sajan Mehrali's daughters) to inherit according to Mahomedan Law….When the Aga Khan was yet in Calcutta, a fresh litigation, known as Sajan Mehr Ali Case was carried in

1263/1847, in which the question of the rights of female inheritance among the Ismailis was brought before the Supreme Court of Bombay.

• 1847 Sir Askin Pery's (?) description on Khoja

• 1848 Hasan Ali Shah returned to Bombay (26th December)

• 1848 Second ex-communication of Habib Ibrahim (Barabhai) due to the inheritance case of Sonbai vs Hirbai and Gangabai.

• 1850 Mahim Jamat Khan.4 of the friends of Habib Ibrahim were killed (last day of Muharram. 13th November 1850) 3 died with the sword and the fourth one died in hospital ::: due to the attack

• 1850 Noor Muhammad Amersy was killed by Aga khan followers

• 1850 Out of 19 who were accused to kill the reformers at Mahim Jamat Khana, 4 were sentenced to death (18th December 1851 according to Sunni Khoja account)

• 1850 Few reformists who became Sunnis separated their mosque and graveyard. The other issues challenged the Aga Khan's authority, and claimed themselves as the Sunni

Khojas, stressing that the Ismaili Khojas had been Sunnis since their conversion to Islam by Pir Sadruddin. They also built their own separate prayer-hall and grave-yard in

1266/1850.

• 1851 Declaration of rights pronounced by Justice Sir Erskine Perry: All the things belong to Jamat Khana and Khojas and NOT Agha Khan

• 1851 Four Aga Khanis were sentenced to death at Mazagon for Mahim massacre (18th December)

• 1857 The establishment of the Raj in India

• 1858 Agha Khan 1 arrives in Kutch to settle the disputes raised due to the circular of 1845

• 1860 Haji Dewji Jamal first came to Zanzibar from India in 1860 and soon settled on the Island of Zanzibar.

• 1861 Agha Khan circulated a general announcement declaring the Khojas to be the 'Shi'ites' (20th October 1861) when the dissenting Khojas publicly joined the Sunni fold,

the Aga Khan issued a decree in which he expressed his desire to bring the Ismailis to conform to the practices of the Shia Imami Ismaili creed of his holy ancestors, regarding : marriage ceremonies, ablutions, funeral rites etc. The decree ended thus, "He who may be willing to obey my orders shall write his name in this book that I may know him." Habib : Ibrahim and his team denied to sign it.20 families in Mahuva also refused to sign it.

• 1861 Habib Ibrahim suggested to the court to discredit the position of Alla Rakhiya Sumar and Khaki Padamshi as Mukhi and Kamadia from 8th of November 1861 and appoint a

person from court who will assess the assets and make it exclusively for the use of Khoja

• 1861 Article in The Bombay times and Standard, May 4.

• 1862 Aga Khan gave an ultimatum (21 days) to Sunni Khojas to join him else would be ex-communicated (16th of August). On this day, they had a meeting in which Habib

Ibrahim didn't turn up and thus was given an ultimatum.

• 1862 Sunni Khoja Jamat came into existence (September)

• 1862 Article to the editor of the times of India (21st November): Reformist Khojas were Sunnis

• 1862 Article to the times of India (November 27th): Agha Khan should be removed from Bombay

• 1862 January 2nd, The loyalty of the Ismailis for their Imam can be gauged from the reaction of the Bhuj jamat at Kutch, who sent a letter dated January 2, 1862 in reply

to the communication sent by the plaintiffs as illustrated by E.I. Howard to the Hon'ble Court.It reads: "We are upon the right side, but should His Lordship Aga Khan ask for

the signatures, we are ready to give thousand times a day. Whatever order comes from him, we are bound to obey." Observing the above letter, Justice Sir Joseph Arnold

(1814-1886) remarked:"This is a very decided letter;at any rate, there can be no mistake about that." (cf. "The Shia School of Islam and its Branches",Bombay, 1906, p. 93).

• 1862 Mukhi Alarakhia Sumar and Kamadia Khaki Padamsi (d.1877) called a meeting in Bombay Jamatkhana on August 16, 1862.

• 1862 Mulla Qadar bin Nahif arrived in Maumbai and started a Madrasa in Mumbai (1862 AD/1279 AH) when he was 18/19 years old.

• 1863 Aga Khan expressed a determination to exclude the reformists (1st April or 31st March)

• 1864 A voice from India being an appeal to the British Legislature by Khojas of Bombay against The Usurped and Oppressive domination of Hussain Hussanee commonly called

and known as “Aga Khan” by a native of Bombay now resident in London.

• 1864 In February of this year, they took out the Sunni scholar from the (Juni Masjid of the qabrastan) mosque who used to lead prayers and replaced him with a Shia scholar.

• 1864 Shaykh Murtaza Ansari passed away in Najaf

• 1865 Ibrat e Afza translated in Gujarati. The book reveals the agony of Hasan Ali Shah's entire life.

• 1866 Khoja Case..All the Khojas are Sunni. It was rejected by the court. The celebrated Khoja case which lasted for 25 days was litigated in the High Court of Bombay

between the months of April and June, 1866, before Justice SIR JOSEPH ARNOULD. (November 21st). This is also known as Barbhai case or Aga Khan case.

• 1867 Khoja settlement in Mombasa dates to 1867 when Waljee Hirjee a prominent Khoja Ismaili merchant of Zanzibar opened a shop at the Old Port.

• 1870 Dewji Jamal established a branch of his company in Lamu, chief port of Kenya. This is the first report of a Khoja in Kenya.

• 1873 Mulla Qadar returns back Mumbai to preach Ithan Asheri faith where he stayed for 27 years. (30th April 1873/2nd Rabi al Awwal 1290 AH)

• 1874 Devjibhai Jamal returned back to Zanzibar after Hajj and veofre the hajj he was in Mumbai with Mulla Qadar.

• 1877 Sultan Muhammad Shah born in Karachi, 3rd Agha Khan, 48th Ismaili Imam

• 1878 Killu Khatav got martyred (1295 AH)

• 1878 Dewji Jamal arrived in Zanzibar from Bombay.

• 1879 Muhammad Bakir Khan (d. 1296/1879), brother of Agha Khan died

• 1880 Birth of Adelji Dhanji Kaba (28 Feb, 17th Rabi al Awwal 1297)

• 1880 Hemraj Ladhani sailed with his family by dhow from Kutch to Bagamoyo.

• 1881 The first Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Mosque and Imambara were built in Kiponda area of Zanzibar in 1881. It was registered as Khoja Ithna Asheri Kuwwatul Islam Mosque,

Dewji Jamal being one of the signatories to the documentation.

• 1881 Sheikh Abul Qasim Najafi arrive in Mumbai (1307 Hijri)

• 1881 Hasan Ali Shah Mahallati died in Mumbai, 1st Agha Khan, 46th Ismaili Imam (April 12)

• 1881 Ali Shah took the seat of Imamat, 2nd Agha Khan, 47th Ismaili Imam (April 12, 1881)

• 1881 Haji Dewji Jamal was one of the founders of the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Community in Zanzibar in 1881.

• 1882 The first Ithna-asheri to settle in Mombasa was Abdalla Datoo Hirjee. He arrived on the island from Zazibar in 1882

• 1882 Pira Vall, first president of Kuwwatul Islam Jamat of Zanzibar in 1882

• 1884 Time of India newspaper: In or about 1849 Khojas (other than Ismailis, i.e. Isna-Asharis and Sunnis declined to acknowledge the supremacy of Agha Khan and were

practising their respective faiths.

• 1885 Ali Shah died in Pune, Agha Khan 2nd, 47th Ismail Imam. However, he was buried in Karbala.

• 1885 Sultan Muhammad Shah, Agha Khan 3rd took the seat of Imamate (Aug 17, 1885)at the age of 8 years

• 1885 one of the Dewji Jamal’s son, Nazerali Dewji , shifted to Lamu from Zanziber and John Kirk, the British Consul in Zanzibar, reports it to his deputy in Lamu. He

explains Shia Khoja split issue in the letter.

• 1885 Walji Ramji a leading Ithna-Asheri piece-cloth merchant of Lamu. He arrived on the island in 1885 along with his brothers Molu Ramji and Damji Ramji.

• 1887 Nazerali Dewji moved from Lamu to Mombasa to establish a new branch of Dewji Jamal & Co.

• 1887 In 1887 the combined Khoja population(both Ismailis and Ithna-Asheris) on the island was estimated at only 25 compared to around 1900 in Zanzibar and 385 in

Bagamoyo.

• 1887 The Secretary of State for India acting through the Viceroy of India formally recognized the title, "Aga Khan

• 1888 British East African Company (IBEA) in 1888, Mombasa became the chief commercial entrepôt of East Africa.

• 1889 Shaykh Abul Qasim Najafi Kashani arrived in Mumbai from Iran. (1307 AH)

• 1889 Ayatullah Zaynul Abideen Mazandarani passed away (17th July 1889/26th of Tir 1268 Shamsi/18 Zul Qadah 1306 in Karbala

• 1890 Jiwan Visram established a school-madrasa on the island in the 1890’s.

• 1892 First issue of Rahe Najat got published by Haji Naji Saheb, student of Mulla Qadar (Zilqad 1310)

• 1892 Khoja Vrutant was written..first edition

• 1892 Aga Khan Palace in Pune was built by Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III. It took 5 years and 1000 workers to build it at a cost of Rs 12,00,000/-. Palace is spread

across an estate of 19 acres with a built area of 7 acres. n 1969, the palace was donated to India. Today, it possesses Gandhi’s memorial, Kasturba and Desai’s samadhis and

archives of photos and portraits of Gandhi during the freedom struggle.

• 1894 Khoja Kawmna Mazhabna Ketlak Mul tatvo tatha Kriya Sambadho Nanu Pustak published by Agha Sultan Muhammad Shah Agha Khan

• 1895 300 families living in Lamu

• 1896 Dewji Jamal bought land for building a mosque-imambara.

• 1896 In Lamu shortly after the conflict began,one faction, with the help contributions from Zanzibar, built a temporary new mosque outside the 1896 mosque-imambarah.This

was later re-built in the 1900’s with contributions from Jivraj Khatau,Jivraj Meghji and others who had left Mombasa’s “Bustani” (see below) into the splendid mosque that can

be seen today on the Lamu the sea front.

• 1896 Few Agha Khan followers poisoned themselves … an appeal pg 74

• 1896 Jaffer Dewji moved to Mombasa following his brother, Nazerali Dewji.

• 1897 First Namaz e Juma was prayed at Shustri Imambara, Bhendi Bazar (Friday 26th Jamaadi ul Aakhar 1315 Hijri, 22 November 1897)

• 1897 As the Khoja Shia Ithna-asheri population on the island increased – by 1897 it had grown to about a hundred – arrangements were made to meet at individual houses to

perform the ‘majlis’, ‘matam’ and other communal rituals.

• 1897 Dewji Jamal & Co bought a shamba called “kitumba” with a small bungalow from Maryam bint Mohamed bin Mubarak Karooso for use as a cemetery.

• 1898 Khoja Trust was established

• 1898 Masjid land was purchased in Samuel Street; now known as Palagali or H Abbas street.

• 1898 Jiva Jooma was sentenced to death (August)… an appeal pg 74

• 1898 Walji Bhanji left Kutch and arrived with his family in Mombasa

• 1899 The Mombasa community decided to build a mosque and imambarah.

• 1899 Mombasa Khoja Shia Ithna-asheris became caught up in the ongoing communal discord and conflict in Zanzibar and Lamu.

• 1899 KSI Jamat of Mumbai established (1319 Hijri..so it become 1901)

• 1899 Arambagh, Mumbai was purchased (Rabi al Akhar 1317 Hjri)

• 1899 Masjid was built in Arambagh, Mumbai (Rajab 1317 Hijri)

• 1899 Mombasa Jamat established

• 1899 Around 1899 (Savant 1956), there were 40 Ismaili families and 22 Ithnaasheri families in Kilwa. Members used to go to both Jamatkhana and Imambarah

• 1900 In 1900 Dharamsi Khatau, Jivraj Khatau and Walji Bhanji bought land along present day Haileselassie Rd for use as a cemetery.

• 1900 With the efforts of Shaykh Abul Qasim Najafi Kashani Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Jami Masjid was established.

• 1900 'Mulla Qadar Husayn left Mumbai for Karbala

• 1901 First KSI Jamat was established

• 1901 In this year Nasser Dewji died onboard a German ship while returning from pilgrimage to Mecca and was buried at sea.

• 1902 Mulla Qadar Husayn passed away 13th July 1902/6th Rabi al Akhar 1320 AH at the age of 60

• 1903 Navrojji Manekji Dumasya published a book entitled " Namdar Aga Khan no tunko Itihas.

• 1904 Work on the mosque-imambara, named “Kuwwatul Islam” (now Husseini) was completed

• 1904 Mombasa - Visiting dignitaries from Zanzibar at the opening ceremony of the “Kuwwatul Islam Mosque” on Old Killindini Rd.

• 1905 Haji Bibi case: Haji bibi widow of Jungi Shah, Uncle of Agha Khan 3rd..Some of the relatives of Agha Khan were Ithna Asheris

• 1905 Khoja qavm noh itihas was written and published by Jafar Ali Rehmatullah

• 1905 In early 20th century, around 1905/1910, Jetha Gokal called a great 'Mela' in Jamnagar and invited all Shia Ishanashri people because they had just changed their

religion from Agakhani due to their studies and the efforts of Haji Ghulamali/Haji Naji (a prolific Shia writer and founder of Rahe Najat). In that 'Mela' Haji Naji was also

invited. Jetha Gokal's wife's name was Mongi Bai who also became Shia Ishanashri but her parental family remained Agakhani.

• 1907 Hasan Bin Sabbah nu Jivan Charitra by Adelji Dhanji Kaba got published in Amreli

• 1908 Haji Bibi vs Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah

• 1909 Mulla Qadar Husayn's autobiography was published on 15th December by Fazalbhai Jan Muhammad Master in Zanzibar

• 1912 Agha Jahangir shah No Risalo was translated by Adelji Dhanji Kaba and published in this year in Amreli..The original book is written in Persian by Jahangir Shah bin

Agha Hasan Ali Shah

• 1913 Khoja Panth Darpan first part got published in Amreli

• 1914 Kilvano patro..Adelji Dhanji Kaba

• 1915 Khoja Panth Darpan fourth part got published in Amreli

• 1916 Gupt Panth ka Shujra (Ek juno Hast Likhit Lekh) written by Adelji Dhanji Kaba in Amreli 16/06/1916

• 1918 Khoja vrutant second edition got published

• 1919 Imam Kevo Joieye? Book by Adelji Dhanji Kaba got published in Amreli

• 1920 Agha Khan visits Karachi for 26 days

• 1922 Agha Khan visits Karachi to meet Prince of Wales (March)

• 1925 Demise of Adelji Dhanji Kaba (19th Feb, 25th Rajab 1343)

• 1925 Birth of Mavlana Saheb Khaki in Burundi (3 rajab 1343 Khaki, 28th January)

• 1927 Khoja Reformers society in 1927 in Karachi

• 1928 Mr N.L.Parmar, the Hindu editor of a vernacular weekly who ventilated in his paper the grievances of the Khoja Community was stabbed by knives (23rd November)

• 1929 A leading reformed was waylaid by three men and attacked with Hatchets who were Ismailis (in Karachi) (25th October)

• 1932 Karim Goolamali from Kharadhar, Karachi writes to Ali Soloman Khan, son of Agha Khan 3rd (27th November)

• 1933 All Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Conference was heald in Mundra on 7th-9th November 1933 (Rajab 1352/Kartak Savant 1990) under the chairmanship of Seth Haji Dawoodbhai

Nasser Mawji

• 1936 Birth of Karim Al Husain, Agha Khan 4th

• 1937 Sharia act in India passed

• 1939 Shame e Hidayat, A text book in Gujarati language by Haji Muhamed Jaffaer Sheriff Dewji of Mombasa in 1939

• 1945 Africa Federation formed

• 1948 The 3rd Aga Khan seeks nationality of Iran from Muhammad Raza Shah Pehlavi

• 1957 Sultan Muhammad Shah dies, 48th Ismaili Imam, Agha Khan 3

• 1957 Karim Al Husain, Agha Khan 4th took the seat of Imamate (11th July 1957)

• 1958 Arusha Conference

• 1960 Second edition of Mulla Qadar Husayn's biography published by Asgharnhai Wadiya (editor of Apni Dunya) on 23rd Rabi al Awwal 1380/ 16th September 1960

• 1962 Shia Imami Ismail new constitution in Africa

• 1964 Aga Khan 4th for the sake of participation in Olympics took Iranian nationality

• 1964 The revolution of Zanzibar

• 1964 Al Hajj Ebrahim Hussein Sheriff Dewji on 9th January, 1964 in Zanzibar at a young age while in the position of the Chairmanship of AFED

• 1965 In 1965, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin succeeded his father at the age of 53, heralding a new era for the Bohrah community.

• 1966 When the 2 jamats were reunited on 28 October 1966 under the famous slogan “ek bano nek bano” (be one and good), the wall between the two cemeteries (known then as

the “Berlin Wall”), was finally brought. The “Berlin Wall” brought down by representatives of the two jamats: Abdulhussein Dharamsi Khatau and Sadak Jivraj Meghji

• 1968 Shaheed Hamid Ali Bhojani. He nominated himself for the managing committee of Jamat at the age of 23 years

• 1969 An account of the Khoja Sunnat Jamat, Bombay published in 1969 in Karachi: Oxford Book House

• 1972 The expulsion of Ugandan Asians by Idi Amin, Uganda Exodus

• 1976 World Federation was formed

• 1980 NASIMCO was formed

• 1980 Ali Raza Nanji of Nairobi started a Madrasa syllabus project in English

• 1983 Conference of World Ahlulbayt League (London, 5th Aug)

• 1984 Gujarat Federation was formed

• 1986 December: first set of draft notes published (Madrasa syllabus of Ai Raza Nanji)

• 1987 Madagascar unrest

• 1988 March: first full set of notes published (Madrasa syllabus of Ai Raza Nanji)

• 1991 Evacuation of an entire community of 1,100 from Somalia

• 1991 Third edition of Mulla Qadar Husayn's autobiography was published on 15th of Ramadan 1411/1st April 1991 by Gulam Abbas M Amiri (editor of Rahe Najat) in Mumbai

• 2001 Earthquake in Kutch

• 2005 CoEJ was formed

• 2008 Nairobi Aalim residence and adjacent facility opened by Ramzan Nanji (22nd June , 18th Jamadi al Akhar 1429 AH)

• 2011 February: Dubai retreat of MCE

• 2011 WF opens office in India

• 2012 November, Harben Madrasah Retreat

• 2013 Formation of Council of all KSI Jamaat (India Federation)

• 2014 Mumbai Jamaat hosts WF Exco

• 2014 India Federation gets membership of World Federation

• by Kumail Rajani