Aga Khan

Aga Khan is a title of the spiritual leader, Imam, of the Nizari sect within the Ismaili branch of Islam (Nizari Ismaili). The first Imam to bear the title of Aga Khan was Aga Hasan Ali Shah in the mid 19th century. The title Aga Khan means "Great Chief" and was bestowed upon Imam Aga Hasan Ali Shah by the Shah of Persia. The hereditary Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims is the direct descendant of Muhammad through his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, the first Imam, and his wife Fatima, Muhammad's daughter. See http://www.akdn.org/hh/highness.html.

See also

• The Aga Khan Development Network
• The article on Ismailis has sections on Nizari Ismaili ("Aga Khani") View of Pre-20th Century History, a History of the Nizari Ismaili ("Aga Khani") Ismaili community in the 20th century, and The Nizari Ismaili ("Aga Khani") community today.