The role of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan in the Pakistan Movement

By Seharish Gillani


Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan (1877-1957) was the 48th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. Through his intimate knowledge of diverse cultural traditions, he was uniquely placed to play a significant role in the international affairs of his time, and his long public career had many dimensions.

He was born in Karachi (then British India, now Pakistan) to Aga Khan II and his second wife, Nawab A'lia Shamsul-Muluk, who was a granddaughter of Fath Ali Shah of Persia (Qajar dynasty).

Under the care of his mother, he was given not only that religious and oriental education which his position as the religious leader of the Ismailis made indispensable, but a sound European training, a boon denied to his father and paternal grandfather. This blending of the two systems of education produced the happy result of fitting this Muslim chief in an eminent degree both for the sacerdotal functions which pertained to his spiritual position, and for those social duties required of a great and enlightened leader which he was called upon to discharge by virtue of his position. He also attended Eton and Cambridge University. Aga Khan learnt Arabic and Persian from well-known teachers. He also studied theology, philosophy and Persian poetry.

Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah was a social reformer whose concerns included the alleviation of rural poverty and the upliftment of women in society. An advocate of modern education, he became an ardent supporter of male and female educational advancement in India and East Africa. A keen connoisseur of culture, he advocated a truly multicultural education blending the best and highest of Western and Eastern literary classics. He was a champion of amity between nations and peoples.

In 1902, at the age of 25, he was appointed a member of the Imperial Legislative Council, thus becoming the youngest member of the council. Aga Khan, like many other great Muslim leaders, realized that the main cause of Muslim backwardness was their negligence towards education. He worked towards increasing Muslim education by not only increasing his grant to M. A. O. College, but also by generating funds for a Muslim University. By his efforts 3 million rupees were collected, which helped in laying a solid foundation of Aligarh University.

Aga Khan also greatly contributed towards the political cause of the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. He led the Muslim delegation to Simla in 1906 where the Muslims, for the first time, put forward their demand for a separate electorate. He was elected the first president of All India Muslim League in 1906, an office that he held till 1913. Aga Khan was a man of vision and was of the opinion that the reform scheme introduced by the British would be beneficial to the Muslims. He wrote a book on the need of reforms for the Muslims, known as "India in Transition", which was published in 1918.

During the Khilafat Movement, Aga Khan struggled to control the breakup of the Caliphate by taking up the issue at international forums. Aga Khan wrote letters to the "Times of London", pleading the case for continuation of the Caliphate. He also led a delegation of Indian Muslim leaders to the British Prime Minister, Lloyd George. Aga Khan continued to work for the cause of the Muslims on every front. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Peace in January 1924 because of his work for maintaining peace between Turkey and the western powers after the peace agreement.

The main cause for the formation of the Muslim League was to safeguard and advance the rights and the welfare of the Muslim community and to convey their needs and problems to the government. The Muslims had realized that it was important for them to have a platform to voice their demands; their meeting with the Viceroy at Simla had already proved productive and fruitful. Another reason for the formation of the Muslim League was to prevent the rise of any kind of hostility among the Muslims towards other communities. Aga Khan was appointed the first honorary president of the Muslim League. The London branch of the League was founded by Syed Ameer Ali.

Sir Aga Khan was president of the All Parties Muslim Conference held in 1928-29. In 1930-33, he went as chairman of the Muslim delegation to the Round Table Conferences. In 1932, he suggested a pact of minorities, which facilitated the announcement of the Communal Award. He was nominated to represent India at the League of Nations in 1932, where he continued to work until the outbreak of the World War II. He was an excellent statesman and was elected President of the League of Nations in July 1937. He was the only Asian to have been appointed to this high office. During the World War II, Aga Khan was forced to live in Switzerland and was unable to actively participate in the affairs of the Muslims of India.

Pakistan's creation owes a great deal to the hard work of Aga Khan. After the creation of Pakistan, Aga Khan remained a friend and a well-wisher of Pakistan. Aga Khan fell ill in 1954 during his visit to Dhaka and from then on struggling with ill health, passed away on July 11, 1957, in Switzerland and is buried in Aswan, Egypt.