Ismaili Muslims across the world will celebrate the 134th birth anniversary of Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah Aga Khan III today (Tuesday).
Born in 1877, he was the 48th Imam of the Ismaili Muslims and the grandfather of the present Imam Prince Karim Aga Khan. Acknowledging his commitment to educating the Muslims, during the year 1902, he was nominated as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council.
On October 1, 1906, His Highness Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah Aga Khan III led a distinguished delegation of 35 well-known Muslim leaders to Simla and presented a memorandum on behalf of the Muslims of the subcontinent.
Later the same year, Aga Khan III was made the first president of the All India Muslim League. He remained the president of the party for the following seven years (1906-1913).
In honour of his services for Muslim countries, he was awarded many titles by Iran, Syria and Indonesia.
During the Khilafat Movement, the Aga Khan struggled to control the breakup of the caliphate by taking up the issue at international forums. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in January 1924.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2011.
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