Khoja Timeline

1. • 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• 1830 Mirza Abul Kassim’s (Aga Khans representative) suit was withdrawn by British Government (July 22nd)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 Aga 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 Imamt, 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 twenty five compared to around 1,900 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 Aga 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 twentieth 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 ‘’Aga Khan visits Karachi for 26 days’’

• 1922 ‘’Aga 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 Bohra community.’’

• 1966 ‘’When the two 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’’

• 2012 ‘’November, Harben Madrasah Retreat’’

• by Kumail Rajani