He was born in 1842 in the village of Kapaya, Kutchh. His name was Lalji and his father Devraj came to Bombay when he was hardly few months old. The loss of his mother in 1844 forced his father to hire a woman to nurse the 2 year-old child.
Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj learnt Gujrati upto grade four, and acquired little knowledge of English. He was betrothed to Lailabai in 1860. Two years after his marriage, his father Lalji died in 1862.

He visited Hong Kong, Canton, Shanghai and China between 1860 and 1863 to gain experience in the business field. He opened his small shop of umbrella in 1864 at Kalbadevi in Bombay. Later on, he concentrated himself in the business of glassware and kerosene and therefore obtained its agencies from British India. His business flourished and became one of the leading glassware merchants and commission agents. He also made his business trips to the Middle East, Gulf and Iran. He also extended his business field in Goa, Margau and Mapasa in 1884. He was blessed with obedient sons, who also joined their father's business.

He sprang from a family well known for their piety; he was also as dedicated and manifested unwavering faith. During a mehmani on March 2, 1900 in Hyderabad, Sind, the Imam said to him, 'The shaitan cannot beguile a steady person such as yourself.'

Let us go back to 1882, when the population of India was about 200 million, the number of the school-going children was hardly 300 lakh. The Municipal Corporation of Bombay afforded only 1.17% of funds to education from its revenue. With the help of Rahimtullah Muhammad Sayani (1847-1902), Imam Aga Ali Shah established the first Khoja Ismaili School in 1882 in the city of Bombay. Two Hindu teachers taught 50 to 60 students. This school marked a small but veritable beginning of a renaissance in the Indian community. Later on, Kamadia Ismail Kassimani (1853-1909) founded His Highness the Aga Khan Anglo Vernacular School in the hall of the Khadak Jamatkhana with the Imam's permission. It was opened on August 26, 1901, providing education starting from the Kindergarten level. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah formed an education committee of two persons, Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj and Nainsibhai Pir Muhammad Ruwala (1852-1924) to promote religious and secular education. The Imam strongly encouraged them to knock on every door to promote education. Soon afterwards, Master Hashim Bogha (1863-1912) also joined the committee.

Laljibhai Devraj resolved to focus his energy on educational field, therefore, confided his business to his sons in 1901 and centered his attention onto the noble cause. He gathered more than 500 students in the school within a period of two years. He also raised His Highness The Aga Khan Girls School at Khadak, Bombay, where 11 teachers taught 300 girls. It must be noted that an Ismaili girl, Gulbanu Ismail Jan Muhammad, who was the first Muslim girl in Bombay to pass Matriculation in 1904, acquired her formal education in this school.

In 1903, the Ismaili Literature Society came into existence to enhance the notion of religious education. Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj became the society's President with Wazir Virji Premji Parpiya (1881-1946) as its Hon. Secretary. Master Hashim Bogha was appointed as its Supervisor. This small institution played a vital role in publishing religious literature.

He was also appointed as a member of the newly formed Ismaili Council for Bombay on April 9, 1906.

Ibrahim Jaffer Somji and Kassim Ali Ladha established the first Ismaili Dharmik Library in the compound of the Darkhana Jamatkhana on August 20, 1905. Karim Rahim Zain al-Abidin was appointed President with Ramzan Ali Rajab Ali as Hon. Secretary and Manji Ghulam Hussain as Hon. Auditor. The Imam became its patron with Mukhi Laljibhai as the vice-patron and a treasurer. It was some time later that he was appointed its Chairman. The library was also coordinated by a committee, called 'Utejak Mandal', whose mandate focused onto propagation of the importance of literature. The library rented a big room in a residential place in order to host a collection of over 500 books. It also published two periodicals, viz. Ismaili Sitaro, the first monthly journal, whose first issue came out on Sunday, August 21, 1908, followed by The Khoja Mitr. For financing these papers, he also formed the Ismaili Hidayat Funds, in which he shared a handsome contribution.

Laljibhai Devraj formed a Text-Book Committee to provide text-books to students. Master Hashim Bogha and Manji Ghulam Hussain assisted him in his initiative. Master Hashim Bogha published 'Ragmala' in 1906 to enable the students to learn the raga of the ginans.

In 1908, Missionary Jamal Megji performed an impressive waez in the main Jamatkhana of Bombay, insisting the jamat to come forward to start annual majalis in Kutchh. Laljibhai Devraj and Nainsibhai Pir Muhammad offered their services and pledged handsome funds. The first annual majalis started in Nigar, about 3 miles from Nagalpur in Kutchh on March 10, 1907, where he delivered a waez. He also raised a donation of Rs. 30,000/- for the majalis funds. In addition, he became the Mukhi of the majalis and since then, he became known as Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj.

His contribution to the first Ismaili Dharmik Library was matchless. Dr. Ali Mohammad Naser Karamsey, the President of the library humbly presented a report in a mehmani in Poona on January 7, 1911, enunciating the incredible services of Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj. In response, the Imam said: 'You are doing excellent work, helping the first Ismaili library and other institutions, missionaries, schools, etc. You are providing power to the Ismaili faith. Your work is highly virtuous, such as a major general and colonel's work would be. I give you blessings for it.'

The Imam visited the Ismaili Dharmik Library on January 9, 1908, March, 1911, January, 1914 and March 1, 1915. The Imam said during his visit in March, 1911 that, 'I am much happy to see this library and congratulate those persons who helped this institution. I am also happy to know the help advanced by Mukhi Lalji Devraj, Jafferbhai and Alijah Haji Ahmad. Since this institution is an important centre to promote education in our jamat, I wish you all the best for it.'

In the interim, he made a collection of religious books, and raised a small library inside his printing press in 1914 to permit Ismailis to have free access to the available literature.

In 1915, the Imam formed a new committee of five individuals, viz. Dr. Rajab Ali Ramji Lakhdir, Ismail Ibrahim Ukka, Mohammad Jaffer Mukhi Alarakhia, Nainsibhai Pir Muhammad Ruwala and Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj. In 1916, the Imam introduced two other persons in the committee, yielding to a total of ten members. In 1917, the school came under the control of Central Board of Education. The foundation stone of the new school was laid on March 23, 1924 with the hands of Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj at Sandshuster Road, Bombay. When Ghulam Ali Ghulam Hussain, the President requested him to make a speech, he showed his inability due to an old age, therefore, his son Alijah Hasan Ali Devraj addressed the audience.

Mukhi Laljibhai also established a Banu Shala (Ladies Industrial Home) in the compound of the Darkhana Jamatkhana, where the Ismaili girls were given basic training of sewing, embroidery works and cooking. About 12 formed tutors were employed to train 300 girls on Imam's grant.

He also financed other schools in Kandi Mola, and spread his yeoman services in other parts of India. It became a significant feature of his career to assist the Ismaili schools irrespective of reward or fame. Later on, these schools came to be supervised under the newly formed institution, called The Khoja Ismaili Education Board in 1922.

Imam Aga Ali Shah is said to have bequeathed him to unearth rare and old manuscripts of the ginans. He launched a campaign in Sind, Kathiawar, Gujrat and Kutchh and collected a bulk of old manuscripts. Most of the Ismailis willingly delivered him their collections, some sold them to him, and others gave them to him on the word that he would return them. For about six months, he employed few scribes to make copies of the ginans and farmans in Khojki script and then distributed them among the Ismailis. When the demand increased, he started a litho print to supply more copies. When the demand increased further more, he made up his mind to prepare the Khojki types for printing purpose. He travelled throughout India, but none could design the Khojki font type. Meanwhile, he read in the newspapers that there existed a facility in Hamburg, Germany capable of preparing the printing types of any script.

He visited Germany in 1903 for a period of three months and succeeded to prepare the Khojki types for the first time. He returned and established the Khoja Sindhi Printing Press on June 27, 1903 at Palkhi Mola, Bombay. It boosted his courage when the Imam stressed upon publishing religious books in Khojki. He mobilized his capital in the project. The Satveni was the first publication of the press.

The Khoja Ghulam Hussain Press, operated by Alauddin Ghulam Hussain (1858-1914) and his son Hussain since 1880, published the ginans and farmans into litho print. These books were so costly that all the Ismailis could not afford them. The advent of the Khoja Sindhi Printing Press had a major impact on the literary field. With his hard exertion and firm determination, the Ismailis could afford the publications at a lower cost. He continued to print the religious literature into Khojki for 17 years. When the Imam made a farman to publish the religious literature into Gujrati in 1919, he started the Gujrati publications. He indeed played an important role in facilitating the switch from Khojki to Gujrati. With the development of the printing type, the printed form gradually replaced the lithographs. Mukhi Laljibhai bore the loss from his own pocket and distributed the profit thereof to the Ismaili library and the schools.

The Khoja Sindhi Printing Press was a boon and basic brick of the Ismaili literature. It paved a way in the growth of journalism within the community. Suffice it to say that it gave a new drift to the Ismaili journalism.

The Indian Ismailis are indebted to him for publishing the ginans before it decayed. It ensues from his editions that he did not indicate the criteria he had followed to edit the ginanic literature. When he noticed its adverse reactions, he made an advertisement in the 'Ismailis Satpanth Prakash' (Bombay, April 12, 1918), which reads: 'We hereby appeal with due respect to the missionaries, devouts and the persons, well rooted in the study of the ginans that the ginans lying in our press have been copied from the accessible hand written manuscripts. We make an appeal to bring to our notice with evidences the errors and shortcomings in the ginans we have brought forth after a labour of seventeen years. We will make amendments in the new editions provided we had truly committed mistakes. We have however copied in two to three editions, and none among the community has yet raised an objection for any alteration, which is an ample evidence of the doubtlessness of our publications. Nevertheless, the reason to make an appeal is to make ourselves free from committing errors, and it is the duty of the scholars of the ginans to respond to our appeal.' He seems to have become victim in modern critics, but the scholars must take a look upon the foregoing declaration before drawing their conclusions.

The library also organized essay and lecture competitions. The winners were awarded prizes and their names published in the Ismaili periodicals. His name was undoubtedly immortalized as the real founder of the Ismaili journalism in India. He also became a patron of Ismaili Literature Society in Bombay in 1910.

In 1915, he also started 'Ismaili Satpanth Prakash', whose editor was V.N. Hooda and Harjibhai Poonja, but discontinued in the year 1927.

He was the President of The Ismailia Sahitya Utejak Mandal, Bombay and extended his inestimable services. He however resigned from the post on February 19, 1918 by virtue of his old age.

In January, 1919, N.M. Budhwani, the editor of the 'Ismaili Aftab' (Dhoraji) had a meeting with Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj and wrote that, 'I had an opportunity to see Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj. He is now about 75 years old, resides near the main Jamatkhana and renders honorary services to the jamat. He is an old man, but his thoughts are modern. He gives much priority to education. He has done a lot of work to spread education within the community. He himself supervises the printing press without profit motives and bears its loss. He is regular in the attendance of morning and evening Jamatkhana. He was an unsparing man, and there is not a single institution in the jamat where his generous hand has not penetrated.'

The monthly Ismaili Satpanth Prakash continued to be published for seven years in Ahmedabad. When he retired on February 19, 1918, the publication of Ismaili Satpanth Prakash came under the Ismailia Sahitiya Prakash Society.

Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj handed over the Khoja Sindhi Printing Press to the Recreation Club Institute with the first Ismaili periodical, 'Ismaili Sitaro' in 1922, which discontinued after a span of 14 years. Instead, the Recreation Club Institute started the publication of the weekly, 'Ismaili,' whose editor was Wazir Ali Muhammad Jan Muhammad Chunara (1881-1960). Its first issue came out on October 7, 1923.

On March 3, 1924, the Imam visited Khadak Girls School, and said while looking at Mukhi Laljibhai that, 'I am much happy to see you. When this educational institution had been started, there was not a single person to work for it. You alone have worked hard at that time and performed an excellent work. You were however alone, but rendered an excellent work.'

His intimate colleague, Nainsibhai Pir Muhammad Ruwala deceased on October 3, 1924 at the age of 72 years. He was born in Rataria, Kutchh in 1852. Soon after his formal education, he entered in the petty business of cotton waste in 1868. Later on, he moved to Bombay and started his own cotton business. He had rendered incredible services for 35 years along with Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj.

The unfurling ceremony of the Ismaili flag was performed for the first time in India on June 19, 1927 at Thana Jamatkhana. Soon afterwards, it was followed in other parts of India. Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj had an honour to unfurl the Ismaili flag on Bandra Jamatkhana, Bombay on July 4, 1927.

While addressing in the Central Health Board on January 15, 1928 at Bombay, the Imam said, 'I am much happy to know that the Bombay school has made tremendous progress during last several years. When it first started, its initiative was insignificant. At that time, Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj and others worked hard, resulting in the opening of its branches in the locations of Bombay. This school serves excellently to the community. I wish for its high success and prosperity.'

Overpowered with pain and fatigue, there was not an ounce of energy left in him. But even in the state of bodily frustration, his mind was alert and active with unwavering faith. Once Wazir Ghulam Hussain Thavar (1907-1963) went at his residence with few friends when his health was impaired. When the matter of the literature grossly discrediting the image of Ismailism in a hideous form came into the discussion, he exclaimed at once, 'Alas! I am too old. My hands and legs are shaking in weakness. I have now no energy, otherwise, I will have taken measures against the derogatory literature.'

Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj, who was also known as the Grand Old Man and the Father of Education and Father of Ismaili Journalism, expired in Bombay on October 6, 1930 at the age of 88 years. He had five sons, viz. Rehmatullah, Hasan Ali, Issa, Abdullah, Hussain and a daughter, Kulsoom.

At the Aga Hall in Bombay, the Imam said to his sons during the Ruhani Mehmani on December 22, 1933 that, 'Your father had served my house too much, and wherever his children are - whether in Goa, Madras, Bombay, etc., in the Recreation Club, Council or Panjibhai Club, they are serving me. I give you many many blessings.'

The Imam also called his sons and their children near the chair and heard of their activities. The Imam graced them dastboshi and told to Alijah Hasan Ali Devraj that, 'Alijah, you are also serving my house and keep it continued.'

His son Rahmatullah Lalji (1876-1918) introduced Persian classes in the Vidhiya Vinod Club (Bombay) and also wrote many important articles in Ismaili periodicals. He financed the religious night school of Kandi Mola, Bombay. As well as raised a group, known as the Valkesar Panjibhai to present the fruits of every season to the Imam at the Valkesar bungalow. Ultimately, it took the formation of the Valkesar Panjibhai Majalis in Bombay. Later on, he moved to Goa and helped the incoming Ismailis in their settlement. He also served as Mukhi of the Goa jamat. He had 4 sons and 5 daughters.

Hasan Ali Lalji was the first Hon. Secretary of the Recreation Club Institute since 1922. He was appointed the Mukhi of Bombay Darkhana Jamatkhana in 1934. He also executed the function of President of the Council Committee in Kutchh with Mukhi Hashim Bhimji as Hon. Secretary. He left behind 2 sons and 3 daughters. His son, Mahdi rendered incredible services to the jamat as the Mukhi. Mukhi Mahdi died in November, 1949 and the Imam sent following telegraphic message:

Marscillee : 12th Nov., 1949
Time : 11:45 a.m.

My most loving blessings to the memory of our beloved Mukhi Mahdi. Loving blessing and condolence to his family. His life long devotion and service like his father, uncles and grandfather are always in my thoughts. Renewed blessings to the Laljee family.

The third son of Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj was Issa Lalji, who was born on August 3, 1891. He was appointed as the Mukhi of Madras Jamatkhana on January 4, 1934 and served for eight years. He then migrated to Bangladesh, and died in Karachi on November 2, 1976. He had 6 sons and 5 daughters.

Abdullah Lalji also served as the Mukhi for Goa jamat and was crowned with the title of Wazir in 1960. He left behind 2 sons and 4 daughters.

Hussain Lalji was the fifth son of Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj, and also served as the Mukhi in Goa and Poona Jamatkhanas. In 1922, the Imam appointed him as a member of H.H. The Aga Khan's Ismaili Central Board for Education for Bombay. He was given the title of Wazir in 1970. He had 7 sons and 4 daughters, and died in May, 1971. It must be known that his son, Jaffer presented a mehmani at Wadi, Bombay in 1970 and asked a name for his newly born son. The Imam named his son Lalji. Soon afterwards, the Imam attended the mehmani of Issa Lalji, where he said, 'Lalji is a Hindu name, but I gave this name to Jaffer's son, because your late father Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj had rendered tremendous services, and I gave this name to revive his memory.'

Kulsoom was the only daughter of Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj. She was also a social worker and married to Vali Mohammad Haji Ladak.

In 1951, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah is reported to have asked to Ibrahim Jaffer Somji, 'Who is the richest person in Bombay?' To this, he said, 'Dewan Muhammad Rawjee is most affluent.' The Imam said, 'Not Dewan Rawjee, but the family of Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj. His son Hasan Ali in Bombay, Hussain in Poona, Issa in Madras and Abdullah in Goa served as the Mukhis. Indeed, the family of late Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj is the richest one.'

The Shamsi Ismailis in Punjab, the followers of Pir Shams (d. 1356), mostly practiced the Ismaili faith in solitude in the garb of the Hindus, and became known as the gupti (secretive). These gupti Ismailis mostly resided in 73 different villages in Punjab. Most of them revealed themselves from the Hindu culture, and emerged in public and assumed the Islamic names soon after the orders of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah in 1910. The Imam is reported to have issued his next orders in 1912, 1914 and 1916 to cut down the old customs of Hindu customs and become practicing Muslims. In 1914, with the help of missionary Pir Muhammad Hussaini Asani (1878-1951), a certain Mahesh Das or Mahesh Chand dropped his name and assumed the name, Shamsuddin. His ancestors came from a Rajput and he passed early period of his life in Jhang, Pakistan, where he became known as Jhangi Rajput. He left Jhang and settled in the village of Pir-i da Kot in Kalayanwala. Later on, he moved in the village of Haria Hatiyada in Hafizabad.
Mahesh Das assumed the name of Shamsuddin and his five sons also followed him, such as Mithra Das became Ali by name, Kirpa Ram as Rahim Baksh, Javanda Ram as Karam Hussain, Piramal Das as Karim Baksh and Wazir Chand as Muhammad Ismaili. The most prominent among them was Karam Hussain.

Karam Hussain was born most probably in 1882 in the village of Pir-i da Kot in Kalayanwala, near Hafizabad in district Gujranwala. He then came to live in Hafizabad and finally settled in Multan, where he got his formal education. Soon after his education, he worked as a T.T. in the railway department in Multan. Later on, he left the government job and started his own jewellery shop on a small scale.

Karam Hussain was interested in religious literature, and made very deep study on Ismailism. He gave religious education to the children and he himself delivered waez in the Jamatkhana. He was also noted to have held deliberations with eminent scholars of Arya Samaj, a vigorous reform sect of modern Hinduism, founded in 1875 by Dayananda Sarasvati (1824-1883), whose aim was to revive the Vedic rules in India. Karam Hussain also held many public discussions with the Hindu pandits in Punjab to justify Ismailism and Islam.

The tradition of the annual majalis brought good results in some places in India to unite the scattered Ismailis. In Punjab, the similar annual majalis for three days also started in Sialkot and Hazro with the guidance of the Imam. On each occasion, two lambs were slaughtered in Sialkot. Once after the lambs were slaughtered, some local Hindus started propaganda that the local followers of the Aga Khan had killed a cow. This resulted in a dispute within the whole community both the Ismailis and the Hindus. The Hindus declared a social boycott with the Ismailis of Sialkot, Jalalpur Bhatia, Pind Dad Khan and Multan. When their prestige was at stake, the Ismailis reported to Lady Aly Shah in Bombay by telegram about the social ostracism. She contacted to the Governor by telephone, to which the soldiers were sent in Sialkot. It was judicated at length that it was an awful superstition to ascribe to the members of a peaceful and civilized community that they had killed a cow. The court fined some Hindu leaders and most of them apologized.

Pandit Radha Krishan, the head of Arya Samaj was a gupti Ismaili by birth and came from Cambalpur, near Rawalpindi. He was not much in favour of the gupti Ismailis declaring themselves as Muslims. He troubled the Ismailis with the help of the Hindus. Radha Krishan published 'Aga Khan aur uske karishm'e' from Punjab into Urdu. The Ismaili missionary Varteji replied him through a book, 'Aga Khani Khudai'no Zarkat' in 1919 from Bombay. When the aggressive propaganda reached its climax, it provoked and inspired the Ismailis to fight back. Karam Hussain designed a plan to begin a literary deliberations with Radha Krishan. He did not like to put the Ismailis at the mercy of the opposition of the Arya Samaj.

Karam Hussain came to Bombay and revealed his plan to the Imam. Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah told him,, 'You leave him - a divine decision will resolve the issue' Within a few days, the British India arrested Radha Krishan for violating peace and order and he was imprisoned, where he died in 1921. Radha Krishan however appealed to the Imam from prison for his release, but his attempts failed. Karam Hussain visited Bombay the following year, Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah asked him about Radha Krishan. He said that he had died in prison. The Imam said, 'This was a divine decision. Was it not excellent?' He reverently bowed his head in humility.

It would seem that the principal weapon in Arya Samaj against the Ismailis was their propaganda through the media of newspapers. Hence, Kesh Ram emerged in Punjab and propagated in the newspapers. The Ismailis approached the literary circles from Karam Hussain to Sir Muhammad Shafi, a famous advocate in Lahore, who assured that Kesh Ram could not withstand before the noble personality of the Aga Khan. Some Ismailis also visited Bombay and reported the anti-propaganda of Kesh Ram to Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah, asking 'We intend to file a suit against him.' The Imam said, 'Let the dogs bark. Leave them alone and do nothing. People of Punjab are my followers.'

On January 2, 1917, the members of the Arya Samaj informed Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) that, 'The Hindus are embracing the faith of the Aga Khan in multitude, therefore, you prevent them.' Gandhi was in Bombay at that time, he summoned these Hindus who were converted recently, and advised them not to abandon Hinduism. He also told them, 'I do not interfere in your faith, but suggest you keep an open mind that the Hinduism is a good religion, and it is not advisable to exceed its boundary.' They replied him, 'We have not abandoned our community, but reached in an original abode. You should also enter this original house, because we found in the Aga Khan whatever was in Ram, Krishna or Vishnu. Why should we live in the house of images, absolutely void of light. Why we do not enter the house, which is the house of the living light, the apparent and protective house of the light.'

Soon afterwards, the members of the Arya Samaj made an approach of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He visited Multan with his friends and Hindu leaders at the end of 1917 and summoned the new converted Ismailis. Karam Hussain, Nazar Ali Sharaf, Sadruddin, Missionary Ghulam Ali Zafar Hyderi, Muhammad and Rahmat Ali Sharaf, etc. went to see him. Nehru told them, 'You continue to adore the Aga Khan, but do not assume the Islamic names.' Nazar Ali Sharaf said, 'We have a mazhar of God in presence. Do you have, or at least its match? If so, let us see?' The aim of Nahru failed in convincing them.

In 1922, Karam Hussain visited Shahpur in district Mianwali in Punjab and met Karam Chand, who asked him five religious questions in writing. In reply, he was vigorous in his cogent arguments as revealed from his book, 'Mazhar-i Dhat-i Haq' (Part I).

Karam Hussain visited Bombay in 1923 and learnt much about Ismailism from Pir Sabzali. During the Conference of the Recreation Club in Bombay on March 2, 1923, Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah formed a Committee of the Recreation Club for Punjab, and appointed Pir Sabzali as its President with Karam Hussain as Hon. Secretary.

By the end of 1923, Karam Hussain founded The Punjab Ismailia Mission Club in Multan, and became its first President with Rai A.M. Sadruddin as an Honorary Secretary. The Mission Club began to publish useful books into Urdu.

Dr. Naqal Sin wrote him a letter on June 13, 1924 from Sialkot, asking different religious questions, which he excellently replied in his book. Dr. Naqal Sin once again wrote him on July 17, 1924 and it was also answered through his book with arguments and references. In the meantime, the Arya Samaj published few books against the Ismailis in 1929, viz. 'Aga Khani Gupt Panth', 'Da'm Fareb', 'Dhul'ki Pol' etc. The religious sentiment of the Ismailis was rudely shaken in Punjab by the onslaught of these literatures. Karam Hussain dealt with them through literary encounters and calmed them down very soon.

The overt hostility of the Arya Samaj continued. In the first week of April, 1925, they organized a grand function in Sialkot, in which Pandit Pariyanand of Baroda spoke ill words against the Ismailis, branding them non-Muslims. The local Ismaili jamats took its serious notice. Karam Hussain was in Multan in those days and wrote to the jamats the measures to be taken against the Arya Samaj. The jamats issued a hand-bill that Missionary Abdul Hussain Bachal of Sind with other Muslim scholars would give lecture in the theatre at Sabzi Mandi, Sialkot on 5th, 6th and 7th April, 1925 to refute the allegations of the Arya Samaj. Thousands of people assembled at the prescribed venue, where the propaganda of the Arya Samaj was not only repudiated, but evidences were shown that the Ismailis were the true Muslims.

In October, 1924, Pir Sabzali collected a donation of Rs. 4000/- in Punjab for building a new Jamatkhana in Sialkot. Ghulam Hussain Jivraj of Karachi built it under the supervision of Karam Hussain, and his brother, Rai Muhammad Ismail and Missionary Inayat Ali of Kalayanwala, also assisted him. He left his jewellery shop to his elder son in Multan and resided in Sialkot with his brother. Both built the Jamatkhana within 22 months. This new Jamatkhana was completed and opened by the hands of Pir Sabzali in 1926.

Karam Hussain was appointed as the first President of the Ismaili District Council for Multan on March 21, 1928. He also became known as President Karam Hussain among the Punjabi Ismailis. He remained busy in dealing with the opponents and had to stay few months in Sialkot and other cities. On account of his constant absence in Multan, Varas Nazar Ali, the Vice-President and some other members of the Council passed a resolution in 1930 against him for the appointment of a new President. A copy of the resolution was forwarded to the Imam in Bombay. In his reply, Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah wrote that, 'Karam Hussain is a life-president of the District Council for Multan, and there will be no replacement for him.'

Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah arrived in Delhi on February 20, 1934, where about 2000 Ismailis from Punjab and Frontier jamats assembled for didar, including Karam Hussain. The Imam told them, 'It is my blessings and prayers that you remain happy. God is One. Muhammad is His apostle. Koran is a true book. Kaba is a direction for all. Imam is present before you and is with you. You are Muslims. Live together with other Muslims. Utter Salam Alaikum to the Muslims. You have come from far. I was to come to you. I can never part myself from you.'

In Delhi, the opponents started their opposition against the Ismailis and waged propaganda against the Ismailis and the Imam. In order to impede them, Pir Sabzali, Wafi Ahmad, the President of the Sialkot Council, Karam Hussain and some missionaries of East Africa clarified through a press conference that the Ismailis followed the principles of Islam and there was no distinction between the Ismailis and the Muslims.

Karam Hussain had generated friendly terms with Sayed Muhammad Shah, the father of Missionary Ghulam Ali Shah. They exchanged their religious knowledge several times on different occasions.

Karam Hussain was noted for his piety and regularity in attendance in Jamatkhana. He suffered from diabetes at the later period of his life. Once a tumor was diagnosed on his waist. He mostly depended on domestic medicines, but it was not cured. He then consulted to Dr. Vashu Ram, who examined and suggested for an operation. Karam Hussain did not smell chloroform and told to inform him just 15 minutes before an operation. When he was informed, he closed his eyes and started meditating. Dr. Vashu Ram performed the operation , which lasted for almost two and half-hours. The doctor was amazed at the calmness of Karam Hussain's body during the operation and when he asked him how he maintained such a state, Karam Hussain replied that he remembered the name of his spiritual master.

His untiring services in the exposition of the gupti Ismailis with other eminent missionaries cannot be ignored. The last known group of the gupti visited Bombay, and in their mehmani on January 27, 1935, Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah said, 'The Khojas became revealed as the Ismailis with the preaching of Pir Sadruddin, while you were revealed with my farmans. Likewise, the jamat of Surat was also revealed with my farmans. I am very happy with the jamat of Punjab and Surat and give them many congratulations.'

The last few years of Karam Hussain's life were marred by illness and physical affliction, which he bore with tranquility and peace of mind. He died in a room, now a library in the Jamatkhana at Pak Gate, Multan at 7.00 a.m. on September 3, 1934 at the age of 52 years. In his message through Mukhi Hussain, Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah said, 'The soul of late Karam Hussain reached my presence.'

Pir Sabzali came in Multan from Hyderabad, Sind on September 27, 1934 to pay condolence to his son Mukhi Shamsuddin. He left Multan for Amritsar on September 29, 1934. According to his will to his son, the place where he died was donated for the Jamatkhana, which was built under the supervision of Rai Juma.

He had five sons, viz. Ahmad, Safdar Ali, Muhammad, Ghulam Ali and Mukhi Shamsuddin.

It is to be noted that the sister of Karam Hussain had served as a Mukhiani in Multan Jamatkhana for over 25 years. She was the mother of Rai A.M. Sadruddin. When she died in 1951, the Imam graciously remembered her as a Lady Mariam in a cable message to Rai A.M. Sadruddin.

Karam Hussain had a rare ability to keep his mind focused steadily on the distance horizon, and at the same time concentrated his whole effort on what was practically possible. When he resolved to accomplish something, he seldom gave up its pursuit. Swift in thought and action, he could formulate his plans on the spur of the moment. He was ambitious, but it was never personal. He laboured for his faith not for own sake. Upto the moment of his last breath, he placed his heart and soul in the service of the Imam and the Ismailis. He was one of those rare men who combined theory with practice.

Karam Hussain was a prolific writer of his time, and published many books through Ismaili Mission Club, Multan. His best known work is 'Mazhar-i Dhat-i Haq' (Part I, II & III) published in 1923, and its third part known as 'Naklank Darpan' appeared in 1924. His other books were 'Shri Naklank Maharaj ka Shankar', 'Qandil-i Rah'i Rast' (Part I, II & III), and the translation of 'Si Harfi' of Syed Muhammad Shah into Urdu. He was also a frequent contributor to the periodicals of Multan, Lahore and Delhi.

Karim Ibrahim's father Ibrahim Pabani came from Mandavi, Kutchh. He was an eminent owner of the ships, sailing in Arabian and Zanzibar coasts. He had three sons - Ladha, Datoo and Karim. Ibrahim Pabani died in 1857.
Karim Ibrahim was born on November 18, 1840 at Mandavi, where he acquired his formal education. When his father died, he was about 16 years old. He prospered his business in Bombay and opened the branches as far as Hong Kong, Shanghai and Calcutta. Karim Ibrahim earned distinction as an industrialist and businessman very soon. He built up an extensive sea trade with China during the days when modern ships had not yet replaced sailing vessels and the hazards of the sea voyage were dangerous. His enterprise was an inspiration for many other Ismailis to establish business connection with China in silk, crockery, tea and cotton.

In 1854, Karim Ibrahim got married and when his first wife expired, he married Phoolbai in 1876. Phoolbai was the daughter of Visram Sajan. In 1883, he was nominated by the British India as J.P.

Karim Ibrahim also managed a cotton mill in Bombay, which he sold. He then obtained the agency of the Prince of Wales Mills, also known as Hong Kong Mills for three years. In 1888, he built a new mill in his name, and became an owner of 17 mills and ginning factories. He was also known as the King of Cotton. He had a caravan of 40,000 workers in his mills and factories . His industry was like a small village. He also opened his agency in Japan in 1895. N.M. Dumasia writes in 'The Short History of the Aga Khan' (Bombay, 1903, p. 243) that, 'Karim Ibrahim is considered as a royal trader, and his one firm alone runs as a standard bank.'

When the Prince of Wales visited India, Karim Ibrahim was knighted on November 14, 1905. He was also appointed the President of the Anjuman-e-Islam on October 30, 1906.

The British India made him Baronet, and he became the first Baronet among the Indian Muslims in 1910 when he was 73 years old.

Karim Ibrahim donated three lacs for the Prince of Wales museum. On March 10, 1910, he also donated four lacs and fifty thousand rupees to British India for promoting education in the Science Institute. He also granted ten lacs to Bombay University for scholarship to the students.

He was a generous and he also played a prominent role in the welfare of the community. Karim Ibrahim opened many orphanages, notably Karim Ibrahim Khoja Orphanage, which was opened on Sunday, April 24, 1894 and the Ibrahimbhai Girls School in Mandavi, Kutchh. He also built in Mandavi a resting house for the tourists.

He died on September 26, 1924 at 3.30 pm. at the age of 84 years in Bombay. Sir Lesaley Wilson, the governor of Bombay started to raise funds on February, 1925 to build Sir Karim Ibrahim Memorial Fund, and completed the task on April 3, 1925.

Devji, the son of Lalji was a native of Junagadh, India. He was an eminent wool merchant, having immense devotion in social services. According to the available information, Devji is said to have joined the Ismaili caravan in Bhuj, Kutchh headed by a certain Dharamsi Punjuani which was bound for Iran for the didar of Imam Shah Khalilullah (1792-1817) in Yazd at the beginning of 1817. They started from the port of Mandavi, Kutchh and boarded for Muscat and landed at Port Abbas, and reached Yazd on camels. Yazd is situated between Isfahan and Kirman on the route leading to Baluchistan.
It was a tradition prevalent in India to bestow the title of daras or dharas (to behold) to one who beheld the Imam in Iran. The term dharas had been also mentioned in the letters of Imam Shah Khalilullah addressed to the Bhavnagar jamat on May 23, 1792. In one another letter of July, 1794, the same title is used for the jamats of Sind, Kutchh and other places. Thus, Devji became known as Devji Dharas. We must recall on this juncture that the honouring of the title, dharas continued in India till 1842 when Imam Hasan Ali Shah arrived in India. The practice of visiting Iran to see the Imam virtually came to an end, since the Imam henceforth resided in India amongst the followers, therefore, the traditional title dharas was replaced by the title of darvesh, both stood equal in rank. It sounds that the title, darvesh or dharas were not liked to the followers, it had to be withdrawn. On September 1, 1885, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said in Bombay that, 'We vested the title of darvesh to the jamats in past, but some did not like the title of darvesh, and for this special reason, we withdrew the title of darvesh.' It is nevertheless learnt that the Imam granted the title of darvesh to the Mukhi of Bukoba Jamatkhana in Uganda on March 16, 1937. It is worthwhile to note that the title dharas continued in the family of Devji till now, which is a unique example in the Ismaili world.

It is related that Devji Dharas had been in Bhuj, Kutchh on his business trip in 1819. On June 16, 1819, an earthquake of uncommon severity for more than two minutes, rocked the whole western India, the force of which most violently affected Kutchh. In Bhuj, nearly 7000 houses were shattered and 1150 people buried alive in the ruins within minutes. Devji Dharas fortunately survived, but lost his merchandise loaded on camels. He did not run away from the affected field. He and his four servants rescued lives of many Ismailis and non-Ismailis, and provided them relief aids what were available to them. Indeed, it was zeal to serve mankind, a natural gift whose legacy continued in his family.

The son of Devji Dharas was Ali, and whose son Mohammad followed footsteps of his forefather, and left behind two sons, Hasham and Ghulam Hussain and a daughter, Jetbai.

Ghulam Hussain was born in 1903, where he took secondary education. He migrated to Zanzibar in 1924. He started his business in Pemba in 1925. He also carried on his business in Zanzibar in 1949 and in Dar-es-Salaam in 1953. In 1955, he came in Mtwara, where he conducted his mercantile business.

It is to be noted that Tanzania formerly was known as United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, covering an area of 364,943 square miles. It was a German colony from 1891 to 1919, and then the Britain occupied it soon after the first world war (1914-1919). Tanganyika liberated on December 9, 1961, but its name, Tanzania was adopted on October 29, 1964. It is divided into 21 administrative regions.

Ghulam Hussain was a devoted and a dedicated worker since childhood. It appears from early records that he survived hardship before his business became a success. Regardless of the obstacles, he carved out his own career. The intelligence with which he was gifted enabled him to surmount all his adversaries. His iron will and determination helped in surmounting difficulties and put him on the road to steady progress. Soon after establishment of his business, it appears that he began to take active role in different institutions.

It must be noted that the car of Missionary Shahid Khuda Baksh (1890-1925) skidded into a trench while going from Kilosa to Iringa on December 12, 1925. It cost the lives of three passengers, viz. Missionary Khuda Baksh, Lalji Ladha Punjani and Varas Mukhi Karam Ali. Kanji Nanji, the President of the Ismaili Council for Tanganyika declared a donation scheme for the welfare of the children of Missionary Khuda Baksh. Wazir Ghulam Hussain is reported to have joined in the campaign, and shared not only a princely amount, but also generated donations in Pemba, Iringa, Kilosa, Mtwara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Lindi, etc.

Princess Mlle Theressa Maghlioni (1889-1926), the second wife of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah expired on December 2, 1926 in Paris. The Council resolved to observe a mourning for a month in Tanganyika, and appointed Wazir Ghulam Hussain Dharas to inform the Ismaili merchants to close their business transactions on that day, which he did as the Imam's courier.

The Golden Jubilee was celebrated in Nairobi on March 1, 1937. The Supreme Council for Africa had launched the All Africa Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee, comprised of 18 members, which also formed an Executive Committee of 6 members to raise donation and administer the programme. Wazir Ghulam Hussain Dharas extended his full cooperation to the Executive Committee in southern Tanzania and other regions during the campaign. He also joined in the arrangement of sending the Ismaili families in Nairobi from different villages.

The year 1937 marks as a revolutionary time for the Ismailis, in economic field. During this time, the main was the project of the Jubilee Insurance Co. Ltd., which took its birth from the historic occasion of the Golden Jubilee. The Ismailis never ventured into the field of Insurance business. The Imam emphasized to the leaders to come forward. On February 20, 1937, Imam Sultan Muhammed Shah said to the leaders in Dar-es-Salaam that, 'I will make insurance of my estates and houses provided you establish an Insurance Company. I will give you a business of over 40,000 shillings. You then get insurance policies from the affluent class, then you start life insurance policies, which will be profitable to you.' The Imam talked with the leaders for 30 minutes before finalizing the project. After the end of 30 minutes, the Imam summoned them and said, 'Who will take responsibilities as the Directors of Insurance Company? I will give insurance of my all houses when you are ready for it. I am now an old, and no company will take risk of my life policy, but I will give insurance of Prince Aly Khan and Prince Sadruddin. You start life policy after some time, and make its head office in Mombasa.' Then, the Imam declared names of seven Directors.

The importance of Insurance Company and its role in the economic building were propagated through different channels in Africa. The initial honour however must go to Pir Sabzali (1884-1938) who, at the command of the Imam, took upon himself the onerous task of enlisting the new company's shareholders as well as business, and he travelled widely in Africa. Wazir Ghulam Hussain Dharas voluntarily joined the campaign of Pir Sabzali in southern Tanzania in acquiring business for the company. Pir Sabzali visited Pemba-Wete on May 10, 1938, where he stayed for five days. Wazir Ghulam Hussain arranged to sell over 2000 shares in Pemba in one day. Pir Sabzali raised a capital of 2 million shillings and also brought the insurance business for about 20 million shillings in Africa with the help of veteran leaders, notably Wazir Ghulam Hussain Dharas, and others.

Pir Sabzali, the Special Commissioner of the Imam launched his third trip in Africa on January 5, 1937, where he stayed for 23 months. Wazir Ghulam Hussain arranged his lodging and remained at his service during his tour in Pemba. Wazir Ghulam Hussain gave him a princely reception. Reinforced with the kindness of Wazir Ghulam Hussain Dharas, Pir Sabzali made successful trips in the villages. Pir Sabzali admired Wazir Ghulam Hussain's services and hospitality in a letter from Dar-es-Salaam on August 6, 1938. His letter was a true reflection of his feeling. Pir Sabzali referred to him as his brother in the letter, expressing his deep gratitude for his exceptional hospitality, and also wished to see him again.

Wazir Ghulam Hussain was appointed the President of the Ismailia Provincial Council for Pemba-Wete (1937-1948) during Imam Sultan Muhammed Shah's visit to Dar-es-Salaam on February 15, 1937. Its jurisdiction covered the towns like Ziwani, Masuka, Matamba, etc. Pemba is an island in Indian ocean off north-east coast of Tanzania, having an area of 379 sq.miles. Its capital is Wete, which is included with island of Zanzibar. He was also the President of the Ismailia Provincial Council for Zanzibar (1948-1949), covering the towns of Pemba Chake-Chake, Mkokotoni, Mangafwani, Membe-Miwili, Chawke, etc. He was also the member of the Ismailia Supreme Council for East Africa (1949-1951) out of 26 members.

He also attended the second East African Muslim Conference held in the Muslim Hall, Mombasa. It was sponsored by East African Muslim Welfare Society on July 27 and July 28, 1948. This historic Conference was presided by Imam Sultan Muhammed Shah.

Prince Aly Khan rendered inestimable military services to the Allies during the first world war (1914-1919). He established 'Grand Victory War Fete' at Nairobi 4th and 5th March, 1943 for generating war funds- a record taking for any fete ever held in East Africa. Rai A.M. Sadruddin (1906-1980) was commissioned to propagate the scheme as the Chief Publicity Officer. Sir Henry Moore, the governor of Kenya performed its opening ceremony on March 4, 1943 in presence of a concourse of people. Besides, its prominent patrons were Lady Moore, General Sir William Platt, E.A. Command, Admiral Sir James Somerville and Air Vice-Marshal H.S. Kerby. It was a fair for enjoyment of children with 64 stalls of games of every description, including arts and craft exhibition, manned by 240 Ismaili workers. Dr. Hasanali E. Nathoo was its Chief Organizer. Hazar Imam and Prince Amyn Mohammad, who had been in Nairobi since May 27, 1941 also visited the fair with their governess Miss Dorris Lyon. Wazir Ghulam Hussain Dharas not only shared his services in the fair, but also purchased 501 tickets in advance.

He also acted a Private Secretary of Prince Aly Khan during his visit to Mtwara, Tanzania in 1956. He also joined in the hunting expedition of Prince Aly Khan in the jungles around Mtwara.

In 1956, he reverently sent a sample of 'My Flag'- the Ismaili banner to Imam Sultan Muhammed Shah. On April 28, 1956, the Imam showered his best loving blessings through a message and hoped that his beloved spiritual children would always keep it rising and flying with devoted spirit and faith.

He delegated the African jamat during the burial ceremony of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah in Aswan in 1957. His team started their tour from Dar-es-Salaam on July 14, 1957 with eminent leaders, including Sir Edward Francis Twining, the governor of Tanganyika between 1949 and 1958, who represented the royal family of Queen of England.

The Imam visited Mtwara for the first time after assuming Imamate on November 27, 1957 during the period of Mukhi Alibhai Shamji and Kamadia Hasan Ali Rawjee. Mtwara is an administrative region of south-east Tanzania, having an area of 31881 sq.miles. Wazir Ghulam Hussain had taken up the entire administration with his son, Alijah Sadruddin Dharas. The Imam performed the religious ceremonies inside the Aswan Building of M/S Dharas Ltd., and blessed Wazir Ghulam Hussain with best loving blessings.

Wazir Ghulam Hussain Dharas was also well-versed and he was also well liked by the elders. He was never impulsive or arrogant and was always well-mannered towards those of comparatively humble degree. One of the obstacles in the community progress of the villages was the question of funds. Wazir Ghulam Hussain Dharas found the solution, and destitute members of the community received generous help through him, while his own family knew nothing. He was a generous donor for numerous causes. He continued his donations to the Foundling Home in Dar-es-Salaam. His diligent work for the welfare of Ismailis produced astounding results. In Africa, the community ran mobile dispensaries as well as maternity homes and clinics in villages. He arranged for their lodging and extended his assistance to them.

Unfortunately, one of the greatest social heroes in the Dharas family expired in a road accident when he was going to Mombasa from Dar-es-Salaam by bus. According to the report, the bus broke down on the way. Fate decreed that should wait for another bus of the same line with others. Before another bus could come, his own bus collided with a truck He got a ride of a car, which was going to Tanga, which is on the way to Mombasa. Before he could get into the car, which was parked at the distance of 200 meters from the front of the bus, a piece of iron rod accidentally gushed out underneath the bus and speedily flew to the distance of 200 meters, and it hit the left side of his forehead, which proved fatal. He received serious injuries, and was taken to the Pangani Hospital, where he expired on September 12, 1973 at 6.00 a.m. He was buried at Tanga on September 14, 1973. His life bridged a long span of 70 years. Compassionate he was, cherishing the poor, just in all his dealings, a jewel of generosity, his heart an ocean of kindness. His personality was clothed in his transparent sincerity. It was his oft-spoken words, 'Render service as much as you are able, and be ever ready to dispel the affliction of your brothers. The best days of man's life are those in which he renders service.' He came from a family that had a s special aptitude for community services.

Mention must be made of Jenabai, the wife of Wazir Ghulam Hussain Dharas. She was the daughter of Hasham Lakha Dossani Junagadhwala, and was born on December 13, 1906. Wazir Ghulam Hussain Dharas married her in 1920, and brought her in Africa. In 1925, she also moved to Pemba with her husband, where her first child, called Kulsoom was born in 1926. She was a devoted woman and took active role with her husband in all community services as a partner. She served as the Mukhiani of Pemba Jamatkhana, and took leading part in the Women Committee as a member and Chairperson. She breathed her last at the age of 61 years in the Aga Khan Hospital, Dar-es-Salaam in 1967.

A son of great talent and merit, named Sadruddin Dharas and a daughter, Kulsumbai, survived Wazir Ghulam Hussain Dharas. He also adopted Salim in 1950 in Zanzibar. Sadruddin Dharas and Salim Dharas are active in their different community services, maintaining the illustrious tradition of Dharas family. It is deemed necessary to throw some light on their exceptional services.

Alijah Sadruddin Dharas was born on January 3, 1936 in Pemba. He acted as a Private Secretary of Imam Sultan Muhammed Shah during an unexpected tour of the Imam in Pemba on November 18, 1957. He warmly received the Imam at airport with other leaders. It should be mentioned that Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah generously built educational institutions and mosque in various centres of Pemba island irrespective of cast and creed. On November 18, 1957, the citizens of Pemba island seized an opportunity to honour the Imam. On that occasion, Sheikh Said bin Ali al-Mugheri presented the Imam a casket, bearing the words: 'These historical landmarks shall for ever remain as fountains of spiritual and secular enlightenment.' The Imam was also offered a tray with a silver scissor to perform the opening ceremony of Sir Said bin Ali Memorial School. Alijah Sadruddin Dharas was enjoined with the administration of the entire programme, which he executed successfully and earned best loving blessings of the Imam.

During the first visit of the Imam in Mtwara on November 27, 1957, he remained close with his father in the whole supervision. He had a privilege to translate Imam's farman into Gujrati before a gathering of a thousand people during the grand darbar on November 28, 1957 in well decorated tents, which were pitched beside the Aswan Building.

The Imam made an extensive tour of East African countries and arrived in Dar-es-Salaam on October 25, 1966. The Imam visited Lindi on October 26, 1966 and on same day visited Mtwara with Varas Abdullah Tejpar. Mr. John Nazunda, the Regional Commissioner warmly welcomed the Imam at airport. Alijah Sadruddin Dharas controlled the Imam's programme in Lindi and Mtwara when he was an Honorary Secretary of the Ismailia Regional Council for Mtwara.

The Islamic torch of the Holy Prophet's mission was always kept burning under the Aga Khan Development Network.The AKDN asked Alijah Sadruddin Dharas to survey 18 mosques and madressa and 5 schools, which were on the border zone areas of valleys of Ruvuma river, facing Mozambique, where the liberation war had begun since September 25, 1964. Mr. Samora Machel emerged as the leader of the movement on February 3, 1969, who intensified his guerilla operations on the northern border, and extended soon to the south, where the Portugueses started construction of the Cobora Bass dam. Indeed, it was too difficult task when the guerilla warfare against the metropolitan power in Mozambique was at its peak. Alijah Sadruddin Dharas determined not to retreat in his sacred Islamic cause, a shinning tradition of the Holy Prophet. His family and others were much worried of endangering his life in explosive zones, but the call of duty beckoned him for action. He told everyone that, 'Death in service of Imamate would only be a divine blessing and Mawla's presence is always with me, so don't worry.' The Regional Commissioner of Mtwara accorded him written permission on April 8, 1970 to travel in border areas. He boldly launched his mission in the company of Shaikh Abdullah Athumani, Saidi Katapala, Akbar Nagji and Haider Hirji. As a Chairman of the Moslem Mosques Renovation Committee, he defended as a brave warrior in battlefield. He weathered the storms and succeeded in the mission bequeathed to him. He submitted the final report to the surprise of all, and received deep appreciation from A.P. Kassam, Hon. Secretary of the Ismailia Provincial Council, Mtwara on July 15, 1971.

In 1971, he generated a princely amount of donations for four Jamatkhanas of Mikindani, Nanyamba, Mahuta and Namikupa with close attachment with Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai (1905-1990).

The Ismailia Association for Tanzania assigned him the compilation of a write-up in December 21, 1978 on the early settlement and the progress of the Ismailis for over a hundred years (1840-1970). It was the first literary attempt hitherto ever explored by the Ismaili Institution in East African history. He launched his research efficiently, and researched through mass literature. He prepared his capsule history in 1980-81, which was extolled both inside and outside the community. In his letter of March 9, 1981, Amir Bhatia of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London remarked it as an extremely important work for the Archives of the Institute. He also compiled his article on the celebrations of the jubilees of the Ismaili Imams, which deeply moved the eminent personnel, notably Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai. He also worked hard in research of 329 Ginans of 'B' category in 1977, which he sent to the Ismailia Association for Tanzania. He also cast his hard working on 'Kalam-i Imam-i Mubin' (1st vol.) and forwarded his important comments to the Ismailia Association for Tanzania in 1978.

Alijah Sadruddin Dharas rendered a magnitude of the services. These may be summed up that he served as a Hon. Secretary of the Ismailia Provincial Council, Mtwara (1964-1968), the manager of H.H. Prince Aga Khan Primary & Nursery Schools (1969-1970), the Chairman of the Southern Regional Committee for H.H. Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismailia Association for Tanzania (1970-1971), the Regional Representative member for Ismailia Provincial Council, Mtwara (1971-72), the member of the Advisory Board for H.H. Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismailia Association for Tanzania (1977-1981), the Co-ordinator of the 28 Regional Centres of the Ismailia Association for Tanzania, where 1700 students were taught by 102 tutors. He was also appointed the member of the National Religious Education Committee for United States (1986-1987), etc.

Alijah Sadruddin Dharas is credited to have focused his mind on the working of the institutions on many occasions, and worked out his observations and suggestions to the high bodies. He also represented and participated in national and international conferences and seminars. He sent a Memorandum to Jalaluddin Jaffer, Hon. General Secretary of the Ismailia Association for Canada on August 14, 1974; who assured to deal his valuable suggestions in the President's Conference in Paris. He also sent another useful Memorandum to Varasiani Gulzar Muller on August 18, 1974. In reply on October 3, 1974, Dewan Eboo Pirbhai, the President of the Ismailia Supreme Council for Europe, Canada and United States, mentioned, that the points which he had raised in the Memorandum were discussed in the World Ismailia Associations Conference at Nairobi in 1974, and assured him that his points would be inserted on the agenda of the Conference to be held under Hazar Imam's chairmanship. Alijah Sadruddin Dharas participated in the Ginan Workshop on April 15, 1977 in Karachi, representing the Advisory Board of the Ismailia Association for Tanzania. He took part in the Conference of the Provincial and District Chairman as a special delegate in Dar-es-Salaam between May 13 and May 14, 1978. He attended the International Ismailia Associations Conference at Nairobi in 1979, representing the Ismailia Association for Tanzania. He visited with Nizar Rajabali in Mbeya, Iringa and Morogoro to inspect the condition of religious education. He prepared his three reports with rich proposals and sent them to the Chairman of the Ismailia Association for Tanzania. In reply on December 5, 1981, the Executive Secretary assured him to implement his suggestions soon after their Secondary Manpower Training Programme. Pursuant to the Paris Conference of 1975 under the historic Chairmanship of Hazar Imam, several programmes were chalked out with specific time frames heralding a new era of international collaboration among the Ismailia Associations all over the world. It was also resolved that the Ismailia Associations would meet periodically at the global level to review the progress. The first International Review Meeting to this effect was convened in Nairobi in 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1980. For the first time, Wazir Abdul Mohammad Muscatwala, the President of the Ismailia Association for India had the fortunate privilege of hosting such a meeting in Bombay between January 13 and January 15, 1982. Alijah Sadruddin Dharas attended the Conference as a delegate of Ismailia Association for Tanzania. It was held at the Taj Mahal Intercontinental Hotel, chaired by Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai, who also presented tokens to the participants on the concluding day at a grand function at the Oberoia Hotel. Alijah Sadruddin Dharas also attended the 3rd All Africa Zonal Conference of Ismailia Associations held in Nairobi at the Nairobi Serena Hotel on May 15 and May 16, 1982. It was participated by 28 delegates and 68 observers, chaired by Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai. It is to be noted that the first North American Zonal Conference was held in 1977 and the second in 1979. Its third Conference was organized between July 31, 1981 and August 3, 1981 at the premises of the Doral Country Club, Miami. Alijah Sadruddin Dharas represented the Ismailia Association for Tanzania in several Conferences. He participated the fourth North American Zonal Conference in the same capacity between August 18 and August 21, 1983, at the Ladha Hotel in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Wazir Amirali P. Haji and Rai Amir Mamdani, the Presidents of Ismailia Association for Canada and United States chaired this Conference alternately. He also worked in the World Ismailia Associations Co-ordinating Committee and submitted his report on 14 primers on May 11, 1983.

On July 7, 1983, Alijah Sadruddin Dharas represented on behalf of Madatali H. Lakhani, the Chairman of Ismailia Association for Tanzania to attend the grand ceremony of the presentation of Academic Awards, organized by the University of London Institute of Education and the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. Its Guest of Honour was the Imam. Alijah Sadruddin Dharas also attended the 4th Africa Ismailia Associations' Zonal Conference in Kinshasa, Zaire between April 20 and April 24, 1984 during the period of Sadruddin Kassam Nanji, the President of the Ismailia Association for Zaire. The Ismailia Association for United States cordially invited him to participate in the Graduation Ceremony of the Religion Teachers on June 11, 1986 at Atlanta.

Alijah Sadruddin Dharas rendered incredible services to the Information Office of the Ismailia Council for Tanzania during the silver jubilee visits of the Imam and remained close with liaiso-fieldwork with Press Information Office. In his gracious message on October 23, 1984, addressed to the President of the Ismailia Council, the Imam said:-

I also give my best paternal maternal loving blessings to the following beloved spiritual children for their good work and devoted services to the information office. I very much appreciate the work they have done during my silver jubilee visits.

Alijah Aziz Hussain Poonawala
Alijah Mohamed Shivji
Alijah Amir Sumar
Akbar Dhalla
Sadruddin Dharas

Alijah Sadruddin Dharas also organized the National Religious Education Meeting in Albuquerque between October 11, and October 13, 1985 and won admiration of Razia Pullen, the Chairperson of the Ismailia Association for the United States on October 23, 1985, who titled him as a good leader and model for teachers. He also attended the Mission Study at the El Buen Samaritano Methodista Church in Albuquerque on March 2, 1991, where he made a presentation on the common beliefs of two great religions, Islam and Christianity.

In view of his long and unstinted services, he was given the title of Alijah in 1983 during the Silver Jubilee celebrations.

The family tree of Dharas family indicates that its branches continued the legacy of the services for the Imam and the jamat from African continent to United States. Alijah Sadruddin Dharas married Mumtaz, the daughter of Ibrahim Kurji from Pemba Chake Chake, on Dec. 27th 1958. She has also rendered her services in all the Brotherhoods, notably in the Food Committee. Alijah Sadruddin has three children, one daughter and two sons. His daughter Shainul married Nasiruddin Jivraj Mawji Dewji of Mtwara, and has a daughter, Selina and a son, Karim. Both Shainul and Nasiruddin have served as Mukhiani and Mukhi for Mawla no Rojo Brotherhood. Murad and Rahim are the only sons of Alijah Sadruddin. Murad married Rozmina. They have two daughters and a son. Their first daughter Nabila died in infancy at the age of 9 months, while their second daughter is Nabila II. The name of her only son is Jamil. Murad, the son of Alijah Sadruddin is a volunteer and his wife is an assistant volunteer for facilitator in the Jamatkhana. Rahim is the second son of Alijah Sadruddin, who is married to Alnar, they have a daughter, named Inara. Rahim is a member for Youth & Sports at the national level, and the Kamadia for Mawla no Rojo Brotherhood in Albuquerque Jamatkhana.

Salim Dharas was born on August 25, 1950 in Zanzibar. He also took leading parts in different institutions. He started his services with the Aga Khan Secondary School, Dar-es-Salaam on December 2, 1966, followed by the Agriculture & Co-operative Training College, Mahiwa Lindi from June 26, 1967 to 1970. He was the member of the Aga Khan Gents Volunteer Corps, Mtwara (1971-73) as well as associated with Elrain Gessellschaft Fortbuilding College, West Germany. He was the portfolio member for the Aga Khan Youth & Sports Committee, Mtwara (1976-1977), the Acting Hon. Secretary for the Provincial Council for Mtwara (1978-81), etc. The Imam graciously appointed him the Kamadia for a higher Brotherhood on July 11, 1978 in Mtwara Jamatkhana (1978-82). On December 13, 1982, he was appointed the portfolio member for the Ismailia Association for Kinshasa, Zaire and is credited to have delegated the 4th All Africa Zonal Conference in Kinshasa, Zaire between April 20 and April 24, 1984, which was chaired by Rai Ameer Kassim Lakha. In his advance message of April 18, 1984, Hazar Imam showered best loving blessings to all the participants. In Kinshasa, he also rendered his inestimable services to the Audio Visual and Religious Book Departments of the Ismailia Association for Zaire. In his letter of July 30, 1984, Alijah Sadruddin Nanji, the Chairman deeply extolled his valuable contributions. Dr. Farouk Topan of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London also wrote on June 18, 1984 to the Chairman of the Ismailia Association for Zaire for the untiring services of the members, including Salim Dharas. He was also appointed the Kamadia for a Brotherhood in Kinshasa on July 11, 1983. His services continued soon after the migration of Dharas family in United States since November 2, 1984. He served as the volunteer member for R.E.C. Albuquerque, New Mexico (1985-86). He also participated in the 1st All America National Religious Education Convention in Albuquerque on October 11, 1985. He was also appointed the Kamadia for a high Brotherhood on December 13, 1987 for three years in Albuquerque. He was also taken as a member for Albuquerque Health Committee on July 11, 1991 for two years. He also rendered his valuable services as a member without portfolio in Albuquerque Committee (1993-96). Hazar Imam once again showered his blessings by appointing him the Kamadia for a high Brotherhood in Albuquerque on December 13, 1996 for three years. He also extended his best services in the arrangement of the Conference of the Council at Albuquerque. Sultan Ali Khowaja, the Hon. Secretary of the Ismailia Council for Southwestern United States also congratulated the workers in his letter of November 9, 1998.

Salim Dharas was appointed the Kamadia for Albuquerque Jamatkhana with Mukhi Hamid R. Sheriff on July 11, 1999 in accordance with the following expressed farman of Hazar Imam, addressed to the President and members of the Ismaili Council for United States on July 9, 1999.

9th July, 1999

My dear President and Members,

On the occasion of Imamate day, the 11th of July, 1999, I appoint with my most affectionate paternal maternal loving blessings all the beloved spiritual children mentioned on the enclosed lists as Mukhis and Kamadias of Jamatkhanas in the U.S.A., Australia and New Zealand.

I send my most affectionate paternal maternal loving blessings to the newly appointed Mukhis, Kamadias, Mukhianis and Kamadianis for success in their duties, with best loving blessings to the retiring Mukhis, Kamadias, Mukhianis and Kamadianis for their past excellent and devoted services.

I send my most affectionate loving blessings to all the beloved spiritual children of U.S.A., Australia and New Zealand Jamat.

He presently serves as the Kamadia of Albuquerque Jamatkhana, and ever ready to extend his outstanding services in the world. The readers must know that Kamadia Salim Dharas ascended as an angel to give a new life in compilation of this book, and helped the author in its study and publication, which shall be ever remembered.

Kamadia Salim Dharas married Rosemin, the daughter of late Hyder Ali Nanji Ahmed and Rohshan Jiva Hirji on Feb. 27th 1976.Rosemin served as Assistant Secretary for Regional Council for Mtwara and served almost in all the Brotherhoods. She is now the present Kamadiani in Albuquerque Jamatkhana. Kamadia Salim Dharas

Ghulam Ali Shah was the son of Sayed Muhammad Shah, a native of Qaimpur, about 10 miles from Khairpur in Bhawalpur State, founded by Qaim Khan Arabni in 1747. Sayed Muhammad Shah was a famous landowner. He was a Twelver and well rooted in Islamic studies, and he had over 6000 followers in his village.
Sayed Muhammad Shah was a learned scholar. He thoroughly studied the concept of the Imamate. Over time his thoughts became wrapped up in the presence of an Apparent Imam in the world. In 1911, he left Qaimpur and proceeded to Middle East in search of an Imam. He would wander like a restless man, looking lost and forlorn, with an agitated mind. After many years he reached in Najaf and paid homage to the shrine of Hazrat Ali. It was during this period that the pendulum at last swung on other side. He prayed, 'Mawla! Your Noor is ever present on earth. Unfortunately, I cannot recognize it. I am disappointed with earthy life. Either give me death or your recognition.' With this prayer, he slept and dreamt, and was inspired to return to India, where his search would materialize.

Sayed Muhammad Shah came to India and held a meeting with Khwaja Hasan Nizami in Delhi, who directed him to see the Aga Khan in Bombay. He paid no attention and proceeded to Hyderabad, Sind in 1920, where he opened a Unani Dawakhana in Shahi Bazar. He became a close friend of Varas Karim Kassim (1878-1958) and exchanged religious knowledge with him.

Once he discussed with Varas Karim Kassim about the Imam, who took him to Karachi where the Imam was to come for didar between April 10, 1920 and May 8, 1920. A large gathering of Ismailis flocked at the seaport and accorded a standing ovation to the Imam. He saw the radiant face of the Imam and admitted that it was the very image he had seen in the dream. On that juncture, a complete change revolved in his mind. Itmadi Nazar Ali Abdullah managed to bring him and Maulavi Abdul Hussain Bachal in the pendol for Imam's didar for Ismailis only. He was convinced and he forwarded a written application to the Karachi Council for embracing Ismailism, but received no response.

In 1922, the Imam was in Bombay, where he went and forwarded a fresh application to the Bombay Council, but failed to get any response. He at last slept at Kandi Mola, Bombay for three days without food and water, and supplicated. The Imam sent his servant to bring Gulam Ali Shah to his residence. He was brought before the Imam, where he took an oath of allegiance. He also offered his 6000 followers of Qaimpur, but the Imam refused and said that he only accepted his family, not his followers. He said, 'I also take the bayt of my family members, but I don't know what happened to them during last 12 years.' The Imam said, 'You should not worry. Your family members are alive. I accept them as my followers.'

Sayed Muhammad Shah joined the Recreation Club Institute with the order of the Imam and taught Arabic, Persian and Urdu to the young missionaries. He himself also became a regular missionary very soon. During his visit to the Recreation Club Institute at Bombay on March 27, 1922, the Imam said, 'Sayed Muhammad Shah will stay at one place, which will be profitable if he works there, and you observe his working.' The Imam also advised him to work in Saranpur, Ludiana, Ambala, Ferozpur, Jalalbad, Gujranwala and Sind, and to send his report to the Central Board every six months.

Sayed Muhammad Shah also conducted the mission classes in Pandervada, Kawda and C.P. Brar. He often said to his students that, 'Dear children, I have yet a lot of religious treasure, which you must learn at once. You will repent after my death, lamenting that you missed to take its advantage. Take away as much knowledge as you can.' The famous students among them who had become the missionaries were Alijah Hadi Muhammad K. Virani, Alibhai Hashim, Nur Muhammad Hashim, etc. Itmadi Hashim Lalu (1880-1961) was one of his close associates. Sayed Muhammad Shah retired in the middle of 1945 and returned to Bombay where he died at the end of 1945.

His son, also named Ghulam Ali Shah was born in 1910 in Qaimpur in Bhawalpur State during the period of Amir General Sir Sadik Muhammad Khan V Abbasi (1907-1947), the 13th Nawab of Bhawalpur State.

He learnt the Koranic teaching from his father and studied the works of Rumi, Hafiz and Shams Tabriz at home. After completing his education, he joined the police department in Bhawalpur State, but his father brought him to Bombay in 1928 when he was about 18 years old. Ghulam Ali Shah also took missionary training in Bombay. Having attained excellence as a regular missionary in 1932, he visited Punjab with Pir Sabzali (1884-1938) and delivered his first waez in the Jamatkhana of Gadi Kapura in the district of Mardan. He also entered into literary deliberations with the Araya Samaj and other Muslim theologians in Punjab.

He served the Ismaili community for about four decades as a missionary. He had good command in Arabic, Persian, English, Sindhi, Urdu and Gujrati. He was a born orator.

He married Gulbanu, the granddaughter of Kamadia Talshi in Kathiawar in 1934. In 1936, he took a visit of East Africa for two years. In 1938, he also joined the mission of conversion in India.

He was also a poet and his poetic name was Azhar. His famous composition was published in 'Fidai' (Bombay, Dec., 1939), in which he paid rich tribute to Pir Sabzali.

In Karachi, Wazir Dr. Pir Muhammad Hoodbhoy supervised the Mission Class since 1944 as Chairman on behalf of the Ismailia Association for India. He asked for an efficient missionary to conduct the class. Missionary Ghulam Ali Shah had been sent to Karachi from Bombay. He conducted the class till the end of 1953, and produced many prominent missionaries.

He visited East Africa in 1954 and resided in Mombasa. He delivered waez in different quarters of East African countries, and conducted the Ismaili Gents and Ladies Mission Classes in Dar-es-Salaam as a Principal for 18 months and trained about 40 new young waezeens. After completing the waez training course, he returned to Mombasa on October 21, 1954. He stayed in East Africa up to 1966 and during this period, he visited India, Pakistan, Chitral, and other parts of Africa.

In January, 1964, the Imam gave permission to start a 'Mission Training Centre' in Dar-es-Salaam. Accordingly, Wazir Ramzan Ali Hussain Megji Dossa, the President of the Ismailia Association for Kenya spoke in the main Jamatkhana of Mombasa on the importance of the Mission Training Centre plan. He said that with the cooperation of Wazir Al-Noor Kassim, the Education Administrator of Tanganyika, a wing was allotted in the newly built hostel for this training programme. He also declared that it would be initially started with 20 students and Missionary Ghulam Ali Shah would be the tutor-incharge for two years. During the opening ceremony of the Waezeen Centre in Dar-es-Salaam on May 5, 1964, he had been specially invited, and Rai Shamsuddin Tejpar, the President of Ismailia Association for Tanganyika appreciated his inestimable services in Africa to bring forth promising waezeens. On January 8, 1964, the Conference of all the Presidents of the Ismailia Associations of the world was held in Mombasa and the delegates were shown the Mission Training Centre. The Ismailia Association for Tanzania submitted a report of the Mission Centre to the Imam on May 7, 1965. The Imam sent following message:-

th Dec., 1965

My dear President,

I have received your letter of 7th May, with the report of your Association which I read with great interest.

I give my best paternal maternal loving blessings to all beloved spiritual children mentioned in your report for their devoted services.

Kindly convey my most affectionate loving blessings to Alijah al-waez Gulamali Shah for his devoted services to the Mission Centre.

The Imam also sent another message, which reads:-

21st Dec., 1965

My dear President,

I have received your letter of 30th November, with the report of your Mission Centre at Dar-es-Salaam which I read with much interest and pleasure.

I send my most affectionate loving blessings to al-waez Ghulam Ali Shah Muhammashah for his devoted services.

Ghulam Ali Shah retired in Africa and returned to Karachi in the beginning of 1966. He remained active in giving benefit of his knowledge to the jamats in Pakistan. In 1966, the Ismailia Association for Pakistan deputed him to Punjab to conduct the waez training. With the collaboration of the Ismailia Association, he started a Mission Class for 37 students at his residence in Nizari Society, Karachi in 1967. The President sent its report to the Imam on January 10, 1967. The Imam sent the following message on January 22, 1967:

My dear President,

I was happy to receive your letter of 10th January and to know of the opening of a mission class with the able teaching of Al-Waiz Ghulam Ali Shah in the Nizari area.

Kindly convey my most loving paternal maternal blessings for service on this occasion to Al-Waiz Ghulam Ali Shah and the 37 girl and boy students of the new class.

He was a frequent contributor to the different periodicals. His 'Taqalid means Itahat' ('Ismaili', Bombay, November 1951) and 'Ismaili Pir and their Conversion' appeared in the 'Paigham,' Karachi on November 15, 1963 and March 23, 1964. His last article was 'Pak Hastio' ('Ismaili Crescent,' Dar-es-Salaam, May 2, 1965 and Sep. 10, 1965). His booklet, 'Sada'i Haq' (Call to Truth) was published into English by The Ismailia Association for Tanganyika in Dar-es-Salaam.

A week before his death, he delivered his last waez in the Satara Brotherhood in Kharadhar Jamatkhana for seven days. His health deteriorated and on October 1, 1968 and he was admitted in the epidemic disease hospital with history of septic tooth and diabetes. He was diagnosed as case of tetanus, which proved fatal, and he died on Thursday, October 3, 1968 in Karachi at the age of 58 years. The Imam sent following message to the Ismailia Association for Pakistan:

October 24, 1968

I have received your letter of 8th October, and was much grieved to hear of the sad demise of al-waez Alijah Ghulam Ali Shah. I send my most affectionate paternal maternal loving blessings for the soul of late Alijah Ghulam Ali Shah and pray that his soul may rest in eternal peace.

Late Alijah Ghulam Ali Shah's devoted services to my jamats in various countries will always be remembered by my jamats and myself and he will be missed by us all.

On that day, the office of the Ismailia Association for Pakistan was closed. News of his death was reported by telegraphic messages to Sir Eboo Pirbhai, the President of Executive Council for Africa and all the Ismailia Associations and Mawlana Hazar Imam. When the news of his sad demise reached East Africa, the Advisory Board, Head Quarter Department, Dar-es-Salaam Committees and Section, the Waezeens and Teachers and the Staff of the Ismailia Association for Tanzania passed their condolences and its copies were endorsed to the Executive Council for Africa, the Ismailia Associations, his family, etc.

His wife Gulbanu died in 1966 and they had had no children. They had adopted an African girl, called Anisa in 1954 when she was two years old.

Ghulam Ali Allana traced his descent from a certain Haji, and whose son, Vali was a small merchant in Lahari Bandar, Sind. When the port of Lahari Bandar dried up, Vali came in Jerruk, where he lived with his son Saleh. The son of Saleh was Aloo, whose business expanded as far as Bhuj, Kutchh. Natho, the son of Aloo lived for some time in Bhuj, Kutchh and then settled down in Mulla Katiar, Sind. Natho's son was Khalfan, who migrated towards Karachi with his wife, called Lakhanni. Khalfan was the care-taker (jamatbhai) in the Kharadhar Jamatkhana. He had four sons, Allana, Pesan, Ghulam Hussain and Mohammad; and four daughters, Fatima, Khatija, Zainab and Mianbai. Allana joined a Jewish firm in Karachi to repair the watches. In 1882, Allana started his own small shop of repairing and selling the watches, and ultimately he was destined to become a leading dealer of watches. Allana was a thrice-married man. He had two sons, Hussain and Fijey from his first wife. He had no child from his second wife. His third wife was Sharafi, the daughter of Mukhi Hashu, and the mother of Dr. Ghulam Ali Allana.
Dr. Ghulam Ali Allana was born in Karachi on August 22, 1906. He took his education in Sind Madressah, which he left while studying Standard II English in 1920 at St. Patricks High School. After matriculation, he enrolled at the D.J. Science College, in Sind. Later on, he was studied at Ferguson College, in Poona. He came from a well-known business family of Karachi, and himself was the director of Alsons Industries Ltd., Madorina Watch Co. Ltd. and Allana Watch Co. Ltd. He had also taken an active interest in trade leadership before the partition of India.

He was closely associated with Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah during the decisive and final phase of the establishment of Pakistan. Even after the appearance of Pakistan on the map of the world, he continued to work for his party and became the Finance Secretary of All Pakistan Muslim League. He was also appointed as the Chairman of the Press Commission of Pakistan in 1948. In 1949, he founded the Islamic Chambers of Commerce & Industry and was its President for five years, the longest term held by any individual. He was also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pakistan Iron and Steel Syndicate Ltd., the Director of Jubilee Insurance Co. Ltd.

He represented Pakistan at scores of International Conferences. He was elected to the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization for three consecutive terms of three years each from 1948 to 1957, representing the employers of the world. He notably represented in San Francisco in 1948, in Geneva in 1950 and 1951 and Sri Lanka in 1950. In May, 1948, he was elected unanimously the Mayor of Karachi city. In recognition of his meritorious services to free trade in the free world, he was unanimously elected in 1956 the President of the International Organization of Employers, with its headquarters in Brussels. He represented Pakistan at the United Nations and the Economic and Social Committee of the United Nations. He was a member of the Karachi Municipal Corporation for over twenty years, and as Mayor of Karachi, he represented Pakistan at the World Mayors' Conference in Geneva.

He was conferred the customary Golden Keys to the cities of San Francisco and Philadelphia, the Freedom of the City of Paris, and Keys to Buffalo, Patterson, Prague, Geneva and Rome, which was the highest honour a city paid to a distinguished visitor. He was also the leader of Pakistan's non-official Goodwill Trade Mission to 11 countries, the member of Karachi Hajj Port Committee and the member of Karachi Road Transport Authority (1956-1958). In addition he was a member of the Pakistan Legislative Assembly, General Secretary of Sind Provincial Muslim League and President of Karachi Muslim League.

Dr. Ghulam Ali Allana made a tour of Europe in 1950 as the head of a non-official trade mission. He had a meeting with the Imam in Paris in May, 1950. He had also a chance to see the Imam before leaving Europe at Lausanne in the bungalow, known as Chateau Dorigne on July 17, 1950. Wazir Karim Ibrahim (1881-1968), Wazir Ghulam Hussain Khalfan (1887-1967), etc. were with him. He told the Imam that he intended to leave London on July 22, 1950 and would stay in Syria for a week. The Imam told him that he should visit Salamia, Khawabi and other places in Syria, and gave him two written messages, one for the Syrian jamat in French and another for the jamat of Pakistan, Iraq and Persian Gulf. He came with his colleagues in Damascus on July 23 and was well received by Amir Mirza, Amir Abdullah Tamir, the member of Syrian parliament and Amir Mustapha. They left Damascus on July 25 and reached Salamia by car, and conveyed the message of the Imam. They also visited Masiyaf, Tali Dara, Khawabi, Kafat, Mzarah, Malki, Bet Khasrun, Jooa al-Shail, Akar Zacti, Kharbatel, Faras, Beo Dibeh, etc. Finally, they arrived in Tripoli from Khawabi and then went on to Beirut and Khaldun, and reached Damascus and returned to Karachi.

He was also a member of Pakistan's Delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations in September, 1962, and was elected the Vice-Chairman of the 2nd Committee of the 17th session of the U.N. He also became Chairman of the UNCHR and led a UN working group to study the position of human rights in Chile (1975-1979). In 1979, he was elected as a Chairman of the United Nations Trust Fund to render financial and legal relief to political victims in Chile. In recognition of his outstanding services, he was presented the United Nations Peace Award in 1976. The Human Rights Organization of Pakistan also awarded him the Human Rights Medal in 1978. He attracted international recognition when he was elected Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. He was elected the Vice-Chairman of Economic and Financial Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. He was also elected as the Chairman of the Afro-Asian and Latin American Group of the Countries, which participated in Cairo Conference. During the session of the General Assembly, he was appointed as an Acting Leader of Pakistan Delegation. In view of his outstanding services, an important road in Kharadhar, Karachi has been named after him.

He married Jenubai in the year 1928, with whom he had two daughters and a son. She was elected as a member of the Sind Legislative Assembly in 1937 during the time of separation of Sind from Bombay Presidency. She continued to be a M.L.A. until 1952. She was the first Muslim lady in Indo-Pakistan to be appointed as a parliamentary Secretary in 1931, a post that she held upto 1951 in the Sind government.

Ghulam Ali Allana was recognized as a poet of merit in English, and his poems were published in Pakistan, England and United States. His work 'Presenting Pakistan Poetry' published by Pakistan Writers' Guild, containing the verses rendered into English poems from Urdu, Bengali, Sindhi, Gujrati, Punjabi, Pushto and Baluchi. It is the only book of its kind in literature being a pioneering venture in a new literary field. His poems have also been published in three anthologies of English verse, namely 'Commonwealth Poetry of Today', published by Beclose & Sons, 'Commonwealth Poems' published by John Murray and Spring Anthology of 1967. The distinguished poems included respectively are the 'Specter is on the Move', 'I had Reached your Door Steps' and 'Pilgrimage.' In view of his literary genius, the international literary community honoured him with a number of awards and distinctions. He was a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London, Vice-President of United Poets Laureate International and Poet Laureate of Pakistan. The President of Philippines awarded him a gold medal for poetry. He also received the Laureate Crown for poetry by Poets Laureate International, the Certificate of merit by Centro Studie, Scambi International, Rome and a medal for outstanding contribution to Literature and Culture by the same body.

The Secretary General Kurt Waldheim awarded the Peace Medal of the UN once again to Dr. Ghulam Ali Allana on November 25, 1977 for his distinguished services on a global basis in the humanitarian field. The International Leonardo da Vinci Academy of Rome conferred a Diploma of Honours on him on October 11, 1980.

Huzur Wazir Allana's contribution of community services was also innumerable. He was appointed a member of the Ismailia Supreme Council, Karachi in 1933. In 1954, he was elevated to the Presidentship of the Supreme Council, a post that he held until 1961. In 1961, the Imam appointed him as the Constitutional Advisor to the jamat.

In appreciation of his incredible services, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah crowned him with the title of Huzur Varas in 1951.

It should be added that he played a vital role in obtaining the plot for the present Jamatkhana of Kharadhar, Karachi. In this context, a plaque was placed in the hall of the Jamatkhana by order of the Imam in February, 1970.

The creative poet in Dr. Allana remained active to the last moment. From his deathbed, he wrote on Thursday, March 7, 1985 the following verses:-

If you want to live, you must continue to eat;
Oh! when you enter the grave, the worms willi>
make a rich feast; of your lifeless body.

Huzur Varas Dr. Ghulam Ali Allana passed away on Friday, March 8, 1985 in Karachi. In his message of March 20, 1985, the Imam recounted 'long and devoted services' rendered by late Dr. Ghulam Ali Allana to the Imam, his grandfather and the Imam's family members. The Imam said that, 'The Ismaili jamat and I will miss on an outstanding leader and Pakistan will mourn one of her most erudite sons. I pray that his soul may rest in eternal peace.'

Ghulam Ali Allana made an outstanding contribution in the literary field. Some of the titles of his books are:- Presenting Pakistan Poetry, Some of My Yesterdays, Love Tales of the East, Incense and Echoes, Quaid-e-Azam Jinnah: The Story of a Nation, Pakistan Movement : Historical Documents, The Silent Voices of Intuition, Our Freedom Fighters, His Highness Aga Khan III, Pen Portraits of Painters, Thus Spake Man, Recollections on Respect, Reverence and Revolt, A Rosary of Islamic Reading, The Silent Hour, The World Within, The Pakistan Movement Struggle, Alberuni, Bazgasht, Dhanakaal, At the Gate of Love, The Hills of Heaven, Ke Parada ke Sad, Asanji Azadi ja Agwan, Shah Abdul Latif etc. He also compiled the translation of the Holy Ginans in 1985, published by the Tariqah Board for Pakistan.

Muhammad bin Zain al-Abidin bin Karbalai Daud Khorasani, was also known as Fidai Khorasani and Haji Akhund in Iran. He was born in 1850 in Dizbad, a village located in the mountains between Mashhad and Nishapur. He traced his descent from Khaki Khorasani (d. 1646), the famous Ismaili poet. Fidai Khorasani took his formal education in Dizbad and studied in Bakiriya Madrasa in Mashhad. He was knowledgeable in religion since childhood and explored rare historical documents on Ismailism.
He visited India in 1896 for the first time to see Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, who assigned him to an important teaching position in Iran. He stayed two years in Bombay, and fortunately attended the first marriage of the Imam with Shahzadi Begum in 1897 at Poona. He made his second visit to Bombay in 1900, where he passed few years. In 1903, the Imam appointed him as a mu'allim in Iran and Muhammad Hussain Mahmudi as a Special Commissioner to deal with community affairs with the Persian government. He returned to Iran with a new mandate and visited the different villages to impart religious education to the Ismailis.

In 1906, Fidai Khorasani paid his third and last visit to Bombay, where he had an opportunity to testify in favour of the Imam during the hearings of the Haji Bibi Case. He returned to Khorasan soon after the court's ruling in Imam's favour in 1908. In Bombay, he also came into the contact of Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj (1842-1930) and Master Hashim Bogha (1863-1912).

Imam Hasan Ali Shah had made certain arrangements for the affairs of the Ismailis in Iran a few years after his migration. He appointed Mirza Hasan as his estate manager, whose seat was in the village of Sidih, between Qain and Birjand. Mirza Hasan was the son of Mirza Hussain bin Yaqub Shah Qaini, a famous dai in Kohistan who composed numerous religious poems. His family served for 40 years in Iran. Mirza Hasan died in 1888 and his son, Murad Mirza, who rebelled against the Imam, inherited his office. He pretended that he was the leader like his forefathers. He also claimed the rank of hujjat for himself at first, asserting that he was the hujjat capable of having access to the Imam. He prevented the Ismailis of Khorasan from visiting the Imam in India and planted a net of spies everywhere in Iran, forcing the Ismailis to forsake their faith and espouse his creed.

Murad Mirza also advanced his support to Haji Bibi, the widow of Muchul Shah (d. 1903) during the Haji Bibi Case in 1908. Soon afterwards, he propagated that Samad Shah, the son of Haji Bibi was the legitimate successor of Imam Aga Ali Shah, and mustered his group in Khorasan. It should be known that Samad Shah spent 20 years in the armed forces of British India and was in Iraq during the first World War. He took a chance to visit Sidih to meet the supporters of Murad Mirza. He never claimed the Imamate, but it was Murad Mirza, who waged propaganda against the Imam. There were however some differences between Samad Shah and the Imam during the case, which were soon eliminated. The Imam sent him as his special commissioner to Hunza in 1930. When Samad Shah died without a son during the second World War the supporters of Murad Mirza became the Twelvers in Iran.

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah in the meantime established direct contacts with the Ismailis in Iran to undermine the rebellious mission of Murad Mirza. He sent a special farman in Iran through Fidai Khorasani in 1908 to stop paying their religious tithe to Murad Mirza. In 1910, the Imam introduced certain changes in the religious practices and rituals in Iran. Murad Mirza started to intrigue against the Ismailis. With the help of the local Twelvers, the house of Fidai Khorasani was pillaged in Dizbad when he was on his mission in Qain. Later, a certain Twelver leader, Mulla Muhammad Bakir, gathered a mob and attacked Dizbad to arrest the Ismaili leaders. Fidai Khorasani was on a trip to Birjand, but his brother Hasan and a few others were captured and taken to Darrud, near Nishapur. The guards inflicted on them strokes of a whip, and tortured them severely with sharpnails in prison. They were forced to curse the Imam in public, which they refused with their unwavering faith, and declared boldly, 'We will embrace death, but never dwindle our faith.' It was some time later that a gang of local Twelver leaders scourged them to death.

The Imam mobilized his intensive efforts of influences and prevented further massacre of his followers in Iran through the intervention of the British Consul at Mashhad. Fidai Khorasani exhorted Ismaili tariqah to the Ismailis so deeply that Murad Mirza could not withstand and died at the end of 1925.

After providing long and inestimable services to the Ismaili jamats in Iran, Fidai Khorasani died at Dizbad in 1925 and was buried next to the grave of Khaki Khorasani. His authority passed to Sayed Suleman Badakhshani. In the meantime, the Imam also deputed an Indian follower, named Alijah Datoo Meru (1868-1939) as his Special Commissioner in Iran with new guidance. He sailed from Bombay on April 19, 1923 and visited different villages in Iran during his journey for about 11 months and returned to Bombay on February 4, 1924.

Fidai Khorasani was a natural-born speaker and thousands would come to listen him and enjoy the beauty of his oratory. He was also a distinguished writer. He compiled many books, such as 'Irshad al-Salikin' (1900), 'Kash al-Haq' (1914), 'Kitab al-Danish-i Ahl-i binish,' 'Haqiqat al-Ma'ani', 'Diwan' of 12000 verses, and 'Kitab-i Hidayat al-Mominin al-Talibin' ed. by A.A. Semenow, Moscow in 1959.

Nur Muhammad was a devout Ismaili, who lived in Jimpir, Sind. His son Khalikdina however took up his abode at Jerruk. Khalikdina had three sons, Piru, Yonus and Juma. The elder son Piru, also called Pir Muhammad, was the Mukhi in Jerruk. Mukhi Piru had four sons, Fadhu, Aziz Ali, Amir Ali and Ghulam Hyder. The most prominent among them was Fadhu.
The real name of Fadhu was Fida Hussain, but he became better known as Fadhu. He was also called Fazal Ali. Fadhu was born in Jerruk on May 9, 1885. He was admitted in Alumal Trikamdas School for primary education in Karachi. He joined N.G. High School for higher education. After his father died in 1913, he had to take over charge of his father's business. He also became a Commission Agent of a British firm, Ralli Bros. Ltd. in Karachi, exporting bones.

In 1915, he was appointed the President of the Recreation Club Institute's office in Karachi. He also became the President of the Khoja Ismailia Co-operative Credit Society in 1915 with Itmadi Hashim Lalu (1880-1961) as its Hon. Secretary. In the same year, he was appointed as President of Anjuman-e-Ismailia in Hyderabad.

In 1916, while in Lahore on a business trip, he visited Delhi when he heard of the arrival of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah. The Imam granted him an audience, advising him to apply his expertise in the advancement of the community's services. He then proceeded to Lahore, and thereafter returned to Karachi.

The Imam launched a historical trip of 27 days in Karachi from April 10, 1920 and visited the Kharadhar Jamatkhana, and said, 'Fadhu Piru Khalikdina has candidated for Rs. 30,000/- to open the Khoja Ismaili Dispensary in memory of his late father. I give him much blessings.' The Imam performed an opening ceremony of the Fadhu Piru Khalikdina Charitable Dispensary on May 5, 1920. Mr. T.K. Unam Singh was appointed its medical officer.

On the eve of his departure from Karachi, the Imam said on Thursday, May 6, 1920 in Kharadhar Jamatkhana, Karachi that, 'I give you the high title of Itmadi. Itmadi Fadhu Piru, I also appoint you a member of the Council. I have conferred an honorable title of Itmadi in young age with the membership of the Council. This title is vested after the services of several years, but I bestowed upon you the title of Itmadi in youth without performance of any (significant) service; and also appointed as member of the Council. You must render an excellent service, so that every one may admit that you deserved the title and position. I enjoin upon you the responsible work, suiting the (office of) Itmadi. Whenever Itmadi Fadhu Piru may visit in any village, the respective jamat must assist him properly in every work. Itmadi Fadhu, I command you that you do not hamper in the works of the three Councils, i.e., the Councils of Tando Muhammad Khan, Shah Turel and Sakaro. You work as an Itmadi in Sind and perform your duty properly in the Karachi Council as a member. Khanavadan.'

Fadhu Khalikdina was given the assignment to travel into interior Sind in 1920 to survey and collect information of the Ismailis and their economical conditions and submit its report to the Imam. During his survey, he found many destitute children deprived of education. He brought most of them in Karachi and gave them education at his own expense.

In the meantime, he was transferred from his firm in 1922 to David Sason Company in Hyderabad, which was a bone factory. In Hyderabad, he however continued his noble services and employed many needy Ismailis.

He was also appointed the President of the Provincial Committee of the Recreation Club Institute for Sind and Baluchistan in 1922. The Recreation Club Institute organized a Missionary Conference between September 28, 1923 and September 30, 1923. In its opening session, a Subject Committee was formed with 20 members, including Fadhu Piru Khalikdina.

On July 1, 1924, the Supreme Council for Karachi elected 14 members for the School Board, in which he was also included. On August 14, 1924, he opened the new Jamatkhana in Talar, Sind. He was also nominated as the President of the Khoja Ismailia Provident Funds Society in 1932.

The Khoja Ismailia Cooperative Credit Society came into existence in Karachi in 1931 to assist the down trodden small traders. In its formative stage, there were few promoters, viz. Pir Sabzali, Varas Ghulam Hyder Varas Bandali, Varas Captain Amir Ali, Varas Hussain T. Ramzan, Rai Ghulam Hussain Khalikdina, etc.

The Sukkur Barrage, officially the Lloyd Bridge, on the Indus River, about three miles below Sukkur Gorge, was the pride of Sind's irrigation system. Lt. J.G. Fife first conceived the idea of the Sukkur Barrage in 1855, but a complete scheme was not made for another 60 years. Sir Arnold Musto, an engineer was appointed to further the project. He submitted his plan to Bombay Presidency, and in April, 1923, the Secretary of State of India sanctioned it at an estimated cost of Rs. 22.5 crores. Its construction commenced in January, 1925 and was completed by December 31, 1932. His Excellency the Viceroy of India, performed its opening ceremony on January 13, 1933. He turned on switch operating the regulator and declared the canal open. It became a backbone of the economy of Sind, providing through its network of canals, irrigation to an area of 7.63 million acres, which consisted of approximately 25 percent of the total canal-irrigated area of the province. Hence, the Sukkur Barrage was converted into valuable land for the people as their crops doubled within a short period of time. The uncultivated, infertile and coarse-textured soil, began to be tilled and new crops began to flourish. The entire barrage debt of Rs. 22.5 crores, which Sind owed to the Bombay Presidency, was to be liquidated within 15 years. In its size, the Sukkur Barrage was 4725 feet wide with nearly 2000 bridges and regulators and 66 sluice gates, capable of holding water upto R.L. 194.6 feet.

The British government in Sind put 1,725,124 acres of the Sukkur Barrage on sale at an affordable rate. There was a tremendous scope for pioneering and colonization in these regions, providing opportunities for poor farmers. Due to the success of the Sukkur Barrage, the Imam told Fadu Piru Khalikdina to acquire a piece of land and to convert it into a new colony specifically for the poor Ismailis. He purchased a large area of 644 acres in a barren and infertile region in Bulgai Jodhpur railway station, near the field of Sukkur Barrage. He offered 444 acres of land to each Ismaili family, and successfully settled them with his own funds. This new settlement was named an Agricultural Colony, and subsequently the Sultanabad Agricultural Colony. On April 1, 1933, the Khoja Ismailia Cooperative Agricultural Association Ltd. came into existence to lend money to the peasants without interest. At this time, the colony was populated by 350 Ismailis and included three grocery shops and a mutton shop in the locality. In 1933, the Imam graciously sanctioned its name as the Sultanabad Colony. Fadhu Khalikdina was also made the President of Sultanabad Khoja Council in 1936. Mr. Jenkins the then Agricultural Officer in Sind, remarked that it was the second best colony of its kind.

Upon hearing of this settlement, the Hindu landowners opposed this scheme and competed to build their own colony called Pritamabad. When the objectives of the Hindus failed, they requested to open a shop in the Sultanabad colony, which was refused.

The Sultanabad Colony took Fadhu Piru Khalikdina six years to establish. He also purchased the surrounding lands as ordered by the Imam. He laboured to solve the water problem and rid the surrounding territory of dangerous animals.

Varas Khalikdina also donated 200 acres of the land to the Diamond Jubilee Trust. This land was used for welfare. The Ismailis who had come here to settle down mostly belonged to Mirpur Sakaro in the district of Thatta. Some families from Kapur, Tando Bagho and Talhar also migrated to the Sultanabad colony.

In December, 1933, the Hyderabad Council sent a delegation to Bombay to submit a humble request for the gracious didar of the Imam in Hyderabad, Sind. The delegation included Varas Karim Kassim, Fadhu Piru Khalikdina and Ghulam Ali Itmadi Ghulam Hussain, the President of the Council.

In a mehmani in Hasanabad Bombay on January 3, 1934, the Imam said to Fadhu Piru that, 'You have built the Sultanabad and also serve in other places. How many people are in Sultanabad?' To which he answered, '350 Ismailis and 150 non-Ismailis.' The Imam asked, 'How much land do you have in possession?' He said, '700 acres have been acquired at different rates for 43 families. They are working cooperatively on 600 acres of land.' The Imam said, 'You have worked hard. Partnership is an ideal situation. It is beneficial and all will become land-owners gradually.' The Imam also asked, 'What is the rate of the land?' He said, 'Rs. 125/- per acre. The region was a barren jungle. It has been transformed into good condition with your best blessings.' The Imam continued to say that, 'The time is very critical. Progress will be made not promptly but slowly. It will take 5 to 10 years. Keep applying the Persian language. There will be prosperity when Sind will be separated and many people will come there.' The Imam also said, 'I have tried hard for the separation of Sind. Everything occurred in Sind. Aga Hasan Ali Shah also arrived in Sind at first. I was also born in Sind.' Fadhu said, 'The Muslims are still in the rear of education in Sind' The Imam said, 'When the Muslims will be educated, they will defend their religion and none will waver in their faith.' The Imam said to Varas Khalikdina's son Ashiq Ali, 'Have courage like your father and keep serving.'

During the above mehmani, the Imam declared new appointments of the Council for Tando Mohammed Khan, in which six new members were added. Three of these belonged to the Sultanabad Colony, namely Fadhu Piru Khalikdina, Juma Nandu and Allana Arab. The Imam also appointed five new members for the Sind School Board, including Fadhu Piru Khalikdina.

On January 3, 1934, a banquet was hosted at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay for Fadhu Piru in honour of his meritorious services by Rai Alidina Ali Mohammed, Kamadia Merali Alarakhia, Mukhi Hoodbhai Mukhi Saluani, Major Ghulam Hussain Khalfan, Varas Mohammed Remu and other dignitaries of Bombay.

During his visit to Bombay, Fadhu Piru initiated a fundraising drive to collect donations for the school in Sultanabad. He presented a list of donors to Prince Aly S. Khan on January 13, 1934 at Hasanabad. Prince Aly S. Khan was delighted and blessed the donors.

style='font-family:'Bookman Old Style''>Varas Fadhu Piru, Itmadi Ghulam Hussain Varu, Alijah Ismail Muhammad Jaffer, J.P., Ghulam Ali Allana and Amir Ali Varas Karim were selected for a new committee by the Imam to build another new Ismaili Colony in Sind. The Imam told the members, 'Build a new colony in an arable land, rich with abundance of water, and name it Imamabad Colony. It is the responsibility of the committee to choose the land for the colony. The committee must investigate good piece of land with water supply. Have courage in this project and take much care of the water supply.'

The Imam commenced his didar in Karachi on February 1, 1936 for one week. A fleet of about 600 men and women from Sultanabad Colony submitted a report in the Imam's presence. It was read before the Imam, revealing that the Ismailis failed to achieve the fruits of their investment in the beginning of 1932 due to the scarcity of water. They faced many hardships including the horror of the wild animals. With the timely guidance of the Imam, they resumed the cultivation in 1933 and yielded better results. A report indicated that there were now about 800 Ismailis and 200 other inhabitants in Sultanabad area. The government also allotted lands to 200 new applicants on ownership and thus, another 44 Ismaili families could be accommodated. In total, the Ismailis occupied 1700 acres of land in 1936. This report gave evidence of the invaluable services of Fadhu Piru Khalikdina.

The Imam was satisfied with the above report and blessed the Sultanabad jamat and said, ' Had Itmadi Fadhu Piru not worked hard, the Sultanabad Colony could not have reached to its zenith.' The Imam also conferred upon him the title of Wazir and said, 'I give the title of Wazir to him for his meritorious services. He had served well and founded the Sultanabad Colony, which is highly a noble work. The Punjabi, Shikhs and Qadiani migrated to foreign countries and invited their co-religionists to flourish in their colonies. Keeping this in mind, the work of the Sultanabad has been done yet 50 percent. It is necessary to establish another new colony to fill the gap. If another 1500 acres land are procured, another such colony can be flourished.'

On March 21, 1936, the first official Jamatkhana with a school was inaugurated in Sultanabad, Sind. There was a burst of cheering in the Ismailis. Varas Fadhu invited the H.R.H. Prince Aga Khan Band from Kharadhar, Karachi to demonstrate the traditional music.

The last few years of his life were marred by illness. He came to live for short time at Jimpir in the Thatta district, Sind for the recovery of his health. He died on Tuesday, September 22, 1936 and was buried in the location of Amir Pir. Paying his glowing tribute, Jenkins, the Chief Agricultural Officer in Sind said that, 'He was indeed by his nature an excellent person in whole India.'

In 1967, the leaders of Sultanabad Colony, including Mukhi, Kamadia and Nasir Ali, D.S.P. remembered the exceptional services of Varas Fadhu Piru Khalikdina. They resolved to organize an annual majalis in his loving memory. The first majalis started in 1969, but it was discontinued in 1976.

Varas Fadhu Piru Khalikdina was born into a wealthy family but he was not proud. He sat on the floor with the poor. He protected many orphans and helped then to achieve steady progress. He was a very kind-hearted man and was always willing to educate the poor. He was a pioneer in accelerating the economical condition of the Ismailis in Karachi and Sind. His iron will and determination helped in surmounting the obstacles he had faced in his life. In his administrative framework, he was creative, bold, courageous, patient and of strong will.

He married a woman belonging to Mulla Katiar and had two sons, Muhammad Kassim, who died at the age of 23 years, while Alijah Ashiq Ali, who continued the tradition of his illustrious father, was the member of the Managing Committee and Hon. Treasurer of the Khoja Ismailia Students Union. Fadhu Piru Khalikdina also had two daughters.

Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai, the first Chairman of the Leaders' International Forum, was born at Bombay on May 27, 1905. His father, Pirbhai Gangji belonged to a noble family.
He came in Nairobi in 1910 with his family, where he took his early education at the Duke of Gloucester School. Without much formal education, he became a taxi owner-driver in 1926.

Based on hard work from this beginning, he built up a vast fleet of vehicles and diversified into servicing the needs of the growing East African safari industry. He married to Kulsoom, the daughter of Karamali Nathoo. She was educated at Seaforth College and Cambridge, and Cheltenhem Ladies College in England.

His first debut in community service was when he joined the Volunteer Corps in 1923 at Nairobi at the age of 17 years. In 1937, he was destined to drive the Imam's car. In 1944, he became the Private Secretary of Prince Aly Khan and his wife.

During the Diamond jubilee in Dar-es-Salaam on August 10, 1946, he performed his duties efficiently. The Imam blessed him for his dedicated services and said, 'Mr. Eboo's name is sure to remain in the history of Islam.' The Imam also told him to start his own petrol pump station. He ventured into the field and became one of the leading car dealers in East Africa.

Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai rose gradually to prominence, first in Municipal affairs of Nairobi on whose City Council he sat from 1938 to 1943 as a President, and then in national politics as a member of Kenya's Legislative Council from 1948 to 1960. He was also a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. These were the formative years of Kenya's freedom movement, culminating in the Lancaster House Conference, which eventually led to the country's independence under Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, whose close friend Sir Eboo cherished with affection. He was also a close friend of Daniel Arap Moi, the President of the Republic of Kenya.

In recognition of his national services, King George VI awarded him the OBE (Order of British Empire) in 1946 and in 1952 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II honored him with a Knighthood and the Coronation Medal. He also served as the President of the Central Muslim Association of Kenya from 1938 to 1958. In recognition of his services to the Muslim community, he was awarded the title of Brilliant Star of Zanzibar in 1956, and The Commander of the Green Crescent Cross of the Comores in 1966.

He was appointed member of the Nairobi Council from 1938 to 1943, and also became the President of H.R.H. The Aga Khan Supreme Council and Executive Councils for Africa. He was also a member of the Aga Khan Legion in 1946 and during the Diamond jubilee in Africa; he became Imam's private secretary during the tour and was awarded gold moon, diamond ring and a watch.

During the first Ismaili Mission Conference held in Dar-es-Salaam on July 20, 1945, he was specially invited to participate in it.

The Imam summoned a conference of the Ismaili delegates in Cairo to review the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee upon the completion of 70 years of his Imamate. Dewan Eboo Pirbhai attended the conference. The delegates mutually discussed in the morning and met the Imam at evening on March 15, 1951 in Hotel Semiramese. The Imam emphasized that the programme should be worked out on the pattern of Golden and Diamond Jubilees to improve the social and economical conditions of the Ismailis. The Imam, Mata Salamat and Prince Aly Khan invited them on next day for a lunch at Mohamedali Club and graced them with a photograph.

The Imam deputed him to Aden as his High Commissioner with Missionary Jaffer Ali Muhammad Sufi (1908-1963) on December 12, 1955. In Aden, there were hardly 20 to 25 Ismailis. Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai held a meeting with the governor and solved the problems faced by the Ismailis. With his efforts, the sites for the Jamatkhana and a graveyard could be arranged for the first time in Aden.

He was in a long line of community leaders in Africa, Asia and Middle East and devoted lifetime services for the progress of the jamat worldwide. This encompassed lying sound institutional foundations for the upliftment of the jamat with a network of schools, hospitals, health clinics, business cooperatives, housing societies, investment trusts and an insurance company.

He was among the group of supporters of the efforts initiated by Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, and since continued by Hazar Imam, for the educational advancement of the indigenous East African Muslims as the most effective way of ensuring their full participation in the national life of their countries.

During the Takhat Nashini programme of the Imam in East Africa in 1957, he rendered excellent services in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika. He also accompanied the Imam in 1958 on the visit of Europe, Canada and United State. He was made the Vice-Chairman of the first World Ismailia Socio-Economic Conference held in Karachi on December 15, 1964 and also addressed on behalf of the 54 delegates from African countries like Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Republic of Malagasy, Republic of Congo, Rawandi, Burundi, South Africa, Portuguese East Africa, Aden, etc.

In 1972, the Ismailis were expelled from Uganda. On that juncture, he is credited to have settled most of the Ismailis in Canada according to the guidance of the Imam.

He also served as Chairman of the Jubilee Insurance Co. since 1953, a Senior Director of the IPS and TPS and the Diamond Jubilee Trust, Chairman of the Aga Khan Foundation (Kenya) since 1980, Chairman of H.H. The Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Supreme Councils for Africa, Canada, United States and Western Europe since 1973, the member of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London, and the Chairman of the Ismaili International Leaders' Forum since 1977.

He attended the fourth International Review Meeting of the world Ismailia Associations in Bombay as its Chairman on January 13, 1982.

On Sunday, July 11, 1982, the world leaders visited Aiglemont to tender cheerful felicitations on behalf of millions of Ismailis to their beloved Hazar Imam. It was on this day exactly 25 years ago, that the Imam acceded to the throne of Imamate in Geneva. Leaders of jamats represented Africa, Bangladesh, Canada, Europe, India, Kuwait, Kenya, Malagasy, the Middle East, Malaysia, Pakistan, Portugal, Rwanda, Burundi, Syria, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zaire and more countries that any other previous jubilees. The Imam made his gracious arrival in a big hall with Begum Salimah, Princess Zahra, Prince Rahim, Prince Husayn, Princess Tajuddawlah, Mata Salamat, Princess Yasmin and Prince Amyn Muhammad.

The scene was picturesque, the atmosphere was charged and the exuberance and boundless. Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai had the honour to address on behalf of the world jamats and said, 'It feels as though it was only yesterday that the young Prince Karim became our 49th Imam. On the other hand the sheer scope and weight of your achievements in this brief time-span makes us feel as impossible for so much to be achieved in so brief a time-span. For him, this day constituted as milestone in the continuation of the vast work done by Mawlana Hazar Imam's grandfather. The sheer magnitude of the achievements that were to come could not then be comprehended by the jamat. For, as the 49th Ismaili Imam, you have given unstintedly of your time and energy in guiding us on the Siratul Mustaqim. You are doing so with the paternal, maternal concern and benevolence, and with indulgence that have been the foundation of the unique link between the Imam and the jamat since time immemorial.'

The Imam referred to that day as a 'historical occasion' and prayed the worldwide Ismailis with best loving blessings.

By his talent and invaluable services, he merited the titles of Alijah andRai before 1946. He was bestowed the title of Wazir in 1946 and Count in 1954. During the grand occasion of the Silver Jubilee Darbar in London in July 7, 1983, the Imam conferred upon him the title of Dewan for his over 50 years invaluable services. In his farman, the Imam said, 'What I wish to do today is to recognize in an exceptional manner in front of the jamat, the services of a member of the jamat who has served my grandfather, who has served me, and who has served the jamat consistently for more than 50 years, taking even personal risks at times of crisis in the developing world, extending to the jamat all the benefit of his time and wisdom, and I have decided to give the title of Dewan to Count Sir Eboo Pirbhai. This is also a symbol, because the Imam is saying to the jamat that the Imam wishes to recognize publicly, exceptional service by a very young man.'

Sir Eboo Pirbhai was present on that occasion and his eyes were moisted with tears when he heard the Imam's farman. With the help of Wazir Amir Bhatia, he climbed on the stage with his wife and submissively bowed his head, uttering 'amen.'

The last few days of his life were marred by illness and physical affliction, which he bore with the same tranquility and peace of mind, which marked his whole path through life. He breathed his last in London on Thursday, January 4, 1990 at the age of 85 years.

His funeral service held at the Parkland's Ismaili Cultural Centre Hall, attended by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya the Hon. Daniel Arap Moi, the Vice President and Minister for Finance Prof. George Saitloti and a host of Cabinet Ministers, the Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service, members of Parliament, the Nairobi Provincial Commissioner and the British High Commissioner to Kenya, members of the leaders International Forum, office bearers of the Aga Khan Foundation, Geneva, the staff from the Imam's Secretariat and office bearers of Imamate Institutions in Kenya and overseas, etc.

In a message, the Imam said, 'Sir Eboo's leadership has been a major source of inspiration to members of my community in volunteering their services in various capacities to assist in improving the quality of life of all those among whom they live. Sir Eboo's life and work spanned the critical years of Kenya's recent history and the country's emergence to nationhood in which, as a member of the country's Legislative Council and a leader of the wider Muslim community, he played a significant role. His quiet and gentle manner, his humility and above all his thoughtfulness and wisdom earned him the esteem and affection of all those, regardless of rank or position, who came in contact with him.'

In his message, Daniel Arap Moi, the President of Kenya paid a glowing tribute to him that, 'The late Sir Eboo was a friend of many and he passionately believed in the development and welfare of others. One of his outstanding qualities was his service to the people irrespective of their nationalities. He will always be remembered for spearheading various development projects in this 50 years at the helm of the Ismaili community; he promoted the development and expansion of the community's institutions. He was respected and admired by all in the Ismaili community and indeed by all Kenyans, the cruel hand of death has taken away an irreplaceable personality from amongst us all. At this time of grief and sorrow, I convey to his bereaved family, His Highness the Aga Khan, the Ismaili community, relatives and friends, my heartfelt sympathies and condolences. May the Good Lord grant them strength and courage to bear the loss.' Sir Michael Blundell, the veteran European leader in Kenya said, 'Sir Eboo was indeed the forerunner and later a leader in the great contribution to the development of Kenya, which has been made by the Ismaili community.

Thavar Pir Muhammad hailed from Dhoraji. It is said that he left Dhoraji in 1890 with his sons, Shakur Thavar and Hashim Thavar and arrived in Deccan, Hyderabad. He again moved towards Bijapur, where he opened his small grocery shop. His sons were traders of cutlery items and bones. Soon afterwards, Thavar Pir Muhammad ventured into the business of leather. His elder son, Shakur who was born in 1880 had established the Sholapur Tenneries at very young age in Sholapur and became a pioneer merchant of leather. Shakur Thavar died on June 4, 1952 at the age of 72 years.
Ghulam Hussain, the son of Shakur Thavar was born in 1907 in Bombay and he was educated in Sholapur. He was the partner of Shakoorbhoy Thavarbhoy & Sons and the owner of Sholapur Tanneries at Sholapur.

He is reputed in the service of the community in Bombay since his childhood. In 1922, he joined the Kandi Mowla Students Library and published a quarterly journal 'Fidai' in 1926.

Ghulam Hussain Thavar was a renowned writer, journalist and a devoted social worker. He also rendered valuable services as the President of the Fidai Academy, Andheri, Bombay (1946-1949), the Director of the Ismailia Cooperative Bank Ltd., the President of Leather Merchant Association and the President of Sholapur Rotary Club in 1944-45. He was also an office bearer of the Lodge Royal Jubilee, Sholapur, the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Sholapur District Boy Scouts Association and the District of Sholapur.

He served as the President of the Ismailia Association for India for three years (1948-1952). He was the first to have started the tradition of trained Honorary Waezeens in India in 1950. Ghulam Hussain Thavar introduced the Mission Assembly so successfully in India that the Africa and Pakistan Associations followed his example and established the Mission Assembly.

After his retirement from the Ismailia Association, Ghulam Hussain Thavar became the Vice-President of the Platinum Jubilee Celebration Committee, and succeeded to collect twenty lacs rupees in India. The publication of the 'Platinum Jubilee Bulletin' was his landmark efforts. He assured to his associates that he would bear its loss. When it faced a loss of seven thousand rupees, he reimbursed as per his words.

Ghulam Hussain Thavar also served in the Ismaili Council in Poona for 25 years as a member, then its Hon. Secretary and the President. He was also a member of the Ismaili Council for the Deccan for 22 years, during which period he was elected for three terms as the President. He was also the Chairman of the Platinum Jubilee Investment Ltd. in 1952.

In 1954, Ghulam Hussain Thavar had the honour of accompanying Prince Aly S. Khan to visit about 13 quarters in India.

Ghulam Hussain Thavar died on Wednesday, May 22, 1963 in Chittagong. In a message on June 4, 1963, the Imam said that, 'I am much grieved to know the sad demise of Vazir Ghulam Hussain Thavarbhoy. I give paternal maternal best loving blessings to the late Vazir Thavarbhoy and pray eternal peace for the soul. Best blessings to the family of late Vazir Thavarbhoy for courage and fortitude in their great loss.'