He was born in Kera, Kutchh in 1851 and came to Zanzibar by a sailing vessel in 1863 at the age of 12 years. He proceeded to Bagamoyo to work as an assistant to Sewa Haji Paroo (1851-1897). After having earned enough money, he began to organize caravans for domestic travelling. His business expanded, at first slowly but later more quickly. He had extended his operations all along the caravan route, opening branches of operations of his firm in Dar-es-Salaam, Sadani, Tabora, Ujiji and of Kalima and Tindo in the Belgium Congo.
In the formative stage, he purchased cloves, wax, ivory, etc. from the native people in the villages and towns around Zanzibar instead of cloth, salt, grains, etc. Soon afterwards, he ventured in the trade of ivory on large scale and made rapid progress. The European travellers visited the north of Kenya to hunt and collect ivory. Varas Alidina was also solely given the contract to provide packed foods to the hunters.

In 1885, he joined Nasser Virji and had a chain of stores between Bagamoyo and Ujiji having bought the business of Sewa Haji Paroo (1851-1897) with several branches. After the death of Sewa Haji Paroo on February 10, 1897, he took over his caravan trade, thus upbringing it to a logical conclusion of what Sewa Haji had started by expanding it as far as Uganda, Kenya and parts of Congo Free State and Southern Sudan. He moved beyond trade into other businesses, and towered his name as the 'King of Ivory' in Africa.

In 1888, he focussed his attention to British East Africa and opened many stores along the railway line in Uganda. He was permitted to install canteens at every station. He also obtained the contract of paying the railway workers their salaries as well as providing funds to the railway authority. By 1904, he began working with governments to expand businesses and develop agriculture. In conclusion, he built over 70 branches, a vast commercial empire, stretching from the wilderness of Kenya and Uganda.

He had several dhows and a small steamer on Lake Victoria and a well-organized transport service from Mombasa to Uganda with one telegraphic address all over pagazi, meaning transporters. He had seven large plantations, mainly planted different varieties of sugar cane and rubber with experimental plots of grams, fruits, flowers, tea, and cotton. He employed a fleet of over 3000 workers for his projects. He also owned several ginneries, the first of which was opened at Entebbe in 1910. He purchased raw cotton in Uganda and processed in his ginning factories and shipped the pure cotton by railway for Mombasa to be exported in Bombay.

A model migrant, Varas Alidina Visram was also a model businessman. Indeed, his success seems to have been the product not only of a keen business sense, but also of the good reputation he enjoyed. Around 1907, he became the close friend of Kings, Kabakas, Chiefs, Ministers, Envoys, Generals and Admirals

Varas Alidina Visram was reputed for his open heart and generous hand. He donated a massive sum for the construction of the first Jamatkhana in Kisumu in 1905, which was inaugurated by the Imam. When the Imam visited Kisumu, the jamat prepared a special cart of four horses. Varas Alidina and Mukhi Varas Hashim Jamal (1880-1970) and two other Ismailis relieved the horses and joined themselves with the cart to pull it. The Imam asked its reasons amazingly. Varas Alidina Visram said, 'Mawla! It is our desire to pull the cart like your horses from here to the Jamatkhana.' The Imam said, 'I accept your ardent zeal, which should not be demonstrated in this manner. You are my spiritual children. Varas Ismail Gangji had removed off the slogan, Khoja! lift the load (khoja uthao boja). Now I will never allow you to lift this load. Come out of it and join the horses. You come and sit with me in the cart.'

He was also one of the founder members of the Ismaili Council for Mombasa, which was established on November 4, 1905 with President Mukhi Ibrahim Nanji.

It was in 1905 that the Imam advised him to invite the indigent Ismailis of Kathiawar and help them settle down in Kenya and Uganda. He and Mukhi Valji Hirji of Mombasa invited a bulk of Indian Ismailis to the African continent.

With the help of Mukhi Varas Hashim Jamal, he assisted new immigrant Ismailis to settle in Kisumu and other parts of Kenya in 1911. He established small provision stores, which sold sesame seeds, beans, peanuts, rice, jiggery, ghee, and much later hides and skins. These immigrant Ismailis settled in Homa Bay, Mumias, Sio Port and other small towns.

He was bestowed the title of Varas for his invaluable services. It must be recorded that he was the first titleholder of Varas in Kenya and Uganda. When the Imam was gracing didar in Nairobi in 1914, he was sitting on the floor beside the chair of the Imam. He at once saw the tears bursting out of the Imam's eyes. It perplexed him so emphatically that he also wept. Soon after a short while, he dared to ask the Imam its reason. The Imam said, 'My followers in the world are so visible in my sight as the lines in your palm. I am now looking at my followers of Kutchh, who are the impoverished peasants. I am ruffled to see their deplorable conditions.' To this, Varas said, 'May I do something for them?' The Imam said, 'You can do everything for them. You arrange to bring them and allot 10 acres land to each of them. I will send them in Africa on my expenses.' He agreed and made a plan with his Assistant, Rashid Khamisa. It however took him little time, but became successful and brought many Indian Ismailis in Africa. They first joined as employees and later they started their own shops. It is said that the 90 percent of the Ismailis, who attained their prosperity in Kenya and Uganda, owe their settlement to him. They came as his employees and later established their own business.

And no doubt his reputation was enhanced by the substantial fund he donated to Namirembe Cathedral, to the Red Cross and to a hospital in Kampala.

He lived to see 65 years of hard life bring prosperity in Africa, and made regular annual visits to every main branch of his vast business empire. On one of his routine trips to branches in Congo Belgium to recover the outstanding amount from the petty merchants, he failed to get it. He was highly shocked, hence contracted a cold fever while he returned and died very soon in Mombasa on June 30, 1916.

His son, Varas Abdul Rasul (d. 1923) built a High School in Mombasa to commemorate the name of his father. A memorial bronze of Varas Alidina Visram was presented by Rajab Ali Hasham Paroo, his life-long associate and his General Manager, and was unveiled in Mombasa on September 9, 1937 by the governor of Kenya. This school stands as a remnant of his numerous pioneering feats.

Varas Alidina was certainly an Asian who pioneered the East African economy, and helped the British Government in all possible ways in development issues.

Dr. Cyril Ehrlich writes in 'The Uganda Economy 1903-1945' (p. 18) that, 'Perhaps the most important individual in the early history in East Africa, Seth Alidina Visram was responsible for laying the firm foundation not only of trade in Uganda but of such industries as cotton, sugar, rubber, tea and various other agricultural products as well as of shipping across Lake Victoria.' According to 'Oriental Nairobi', 'An interesting point is that the Khoja community was in East Africa even before the foundation of Nairobi, the merchant, Prince Alidina Visram, also known as the Uncrowned King of Uganda, extended his activities on the mainland from Mombasa to the lower reaches of the Nile.'

Sir Frederick Jackson, the governor of Uganda described him as 'a charming old gentleman, respected by everyone in the country, high and low, white or black.'

Piredina was born in Hyderabad, Sind. He migrated near Muscat with his family. His son Ahmed Nizari was born in 1886 and became known as Ahmed Nizari or Nizari Piredina.
Not much is known of his early life. It is however said that he could speak Arabic, Persian, English, Hindi, Gujrati, and Sindhi fluently. He is said to have visited Karachi in 1920, where the Imam emphasized upon the Ismailis to go to Baghdad and Basra to hunt business opportunities. It seems that he was well settled in Muscat, but had decided that Iraq would be ideal for his business career. He launched his business trip in 1932 for Iran and Iraq and finally settled in Basra. He worked on the docks as a stevedore, which was convenient when dealing with business in gold.

There were scarcely 12 to 15 Indian Ismaili merchants in Basra. They opened a new Jamatkhana on October 31, 1920 at the premises of M/S Pesan Allana Bros. in New Street, Basra. Alidina Vidha of M/S F. Alina Co. was the first Mukhi and Fakir Mohammad Jaffer his Kamadia. When Ahmed Nizari arrived in Basra, there were about 50 to 60 Ismailis. He accelerated his business and became so prominent in Iraq that the local inhabitants called him Abu Jaffer.

In 1950, he made a flying visit to Kuwait, and found it favoured his business more than Basra. He negotiated a partnership business with a firm, M/S Sabih al-Barak in Kuwait. Later on, he ventured into the business of diamonds and pearls. He prospered and conducted his business transactions all over the world. He also generated close contacts with all classes of people in and outside Kuwait. He helped many Ismailis in their business settlement in Kuwait. He is reported to have visited several villages in Iran inhabited by Ismailis.

Pride he had none: he was a simple and kind-hearted in whom were embodied almost all the qualities of a prudent gentleman. He was rich, and thus a generous donor for numerous causes. His generosity spread over London, Africa, Iraq, Pakistan, India and Kuwait. He thought of arranging separate premises for the Jamatkhana in Kuwait, which would attract new Ismaili families. He started the first Jamatkhana in Kuwait in 1952 when there were comparatively fewer Ismaili families. Wazir Nur Mohammad Khalfan was the first Mukhi with Huzur Mukhi Juma Abdul Karim as Kamadia. He continued to serve between 1952 and 1966.

In 1954, the Imam visited Basra before the Platinum Jubilee. Wazir Ahmed Nizari took 50 Ismailis from Kuwait and brought them to Basra at his own expense. The Ismailis got an opportunity to present their individual mehmani, and earned blessings of the Imam on January 31, 1954. He also gave a gold ginny to each Ismaili. It is also known that he brought about 200 Syrian Ismailis in Karachi during the Platinum Jubilee in 1954, hence paying out of his own pocket for their expenses.

When the Ismaili population grew in Kuwait, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah gave permission to open the first Ismaili Council in 1955. Ahmed Nizari was appointed as its first President with Alijah Abdul Malik Badruddin as its Honorary Secretary.

Indeed, he was a great philanthropist to the Kuwait jamat. In appreciation of his incredible services, he was bestowed the title of Itmadi in 1951 and the title of Wazir in 1954.

Hazar Imam flew to Kuwait for a visit on January 21, 1958 at 10.00 a.m. with his mother in the period of Sheikh Abdullah bin Salim al-Sabbah's reign (1950-1965). The Ismaili leaders, the jamats of Kuwait, Basra and Syria, the British Consul of Kuwait and Abdullah Jabir, the minister of education for Kuwait, etc. accorded a rousing welcome to the Imam at the airport. The Imam gave didar to the Ismailis in the visiting hall of airport and departed. On that occasion, Wazir Ahmed Nizari covered the expenses of the whole programme.

He died in London on November 14, 1964 at the age of 80 years.

He had a son, Wazir Mukhi Jaffer Ahmed Nizari and a daughter, Khatija. When Prince Aly Khan visited Kuwait in 1953, Wazir Jaffer sent a chartered plane for him. He was appointed Mukhi in 1966 with Kamadia Jaffer and Joint Kamadia Alijah Sardar Ali Murad Ali and continued to serve till 1972. Wazir Mukhi Jaffer died in 1998 in London and left behind four sons and two daughters.

Varas Amir Chand (1837-1911) sprang from a noble family of gupti Ismailis in Punjab. He was employed in a governmental department in Amritsar and retired in 1880. He inherited land from his forefathers, and became one of the most famous landlords in Punjab. In 1882, Imam Aga Ali Shah appointed him Kul Kamadia for Punjab, Frontiers and few regions near Afghanistan. He performed his duties with such marked distinction that during his first visit to Amritsar in 1897, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah appointed him Mukhi on January 1, 1897 with a title of Varas for Punjab and Frontier province, including the regions lying on the borders of Afghanistan. He also travelled with the Imam in Sialkot between January 2, 1897 and January 11, 1897. Varas Amir Chand visited Bombay several times. His last visit took place in the middle of 1908 and gave valuable and informative statements twice in court during the Haji Bibi Case on July 28 and July 29, 1908. He is also credited to have converted a portion of the depressed class to Ismailism, as well as helping them financially to run their cottage industry.
In 1911, he died at the age of 74 years. Varas Amir Chand was also consigned to collect the tithe from village to village. His task pushed him to indulge in a daily meticulous procedure, which consisted of washing his hands and fingers. And one meritorious illustration, whose equal seems to have not yet came on record, was that he made a secret will to a certain person that after the ritual bath of his dead body, he must wash his hands and fingers at least thrice with soap, so that no smell emaning from the Imam's coins remained before interment.

Varas Amir Chand's son Bhagvandas mostly served the local jamat in Amritsar. His son Panalal was however much active, who kept the torch of service burning.

On January 20, 1914, the Imam summoned about eight prominent leaders of the gupti jamats of Punjab at his residence in Poona, in which Panalal, the father of Abu Aly was also included to discuss the revelation of the gupti Ismailis as Muslims in Punjab.

There was a minor group of Hindus in Kabul, headed by Bairam Diyal, who professed the Ismaili faith secretly. The local Ismailis in Afghanistan, however, knew them well and deposited their tithe to them, who in turn remitted it to the Imam in Iran, then in Bombay. In 1915, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah sent a special message through Panalal, asking them to wear Muslim costumes and assume Islamic names. The Imam's call created a salutary effect upon the people and Mukhi Fakir Chand in Kabul was the first one to apply the Imam's recommendations. With the efforts of Panalal, the Ismailis in Kabul received a new lease of life and immersed themselves into Islamic traditions through Ismailism.

On November 18, 1916, the Imam commanded them once again to submit to their faith publicly and to abandon the Hindu customs by assuming Muslim names. On that juncture, the Imam gave new names to these eight leaders, including the names of their fathers and children. Abu Aly's father, Panalal was named as Ali and his grandfather, Bhagvandas became known as Aziz. Alibhai Aziz also dedicated all of his time to serve the community. He was selected as a member of The Aga Khan Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee from Punjab, whose first meeting was held on October 12, 1935 in Aga Hall, Nesbit Road, Bombay.

Abu Aly, the son of Alibhai Aziz, the world-renowned senior missionary was born in Amritsar, India on August 21, 1919. His early education started at the age of 4 years at a Hindu private nursery school, conducted by a Brahmin pandit. He then attended a private Primary School located in the Government High School in Amritsar, and finally followed the science stream in Saint-Xavier College, Bombay. He also attended a Madressa to study the Koran and Hadith at the age of 7 years as an extra-curricular activity. He also studied architecture, agriculture and law, notably the Islamic jurisprudence.

His religious education started the moment he could sit in his grandfather's lap, the sage Kamadia Aziz Ali. In Bombay, he had the opportunity to expand his knowledge by interaction with missionaries, such as Pir Sabzali (1884-1938), who was his mentor from childhood, Chief Missionary Hussaini Pir Muhammad Asani (1878-1951), Ibrahim Jusab Varteji (1878-1953), Alibhai Nanji 893-1978), Sayed Muhammad Shah (d. 1945), Sayed Munir (1882-1957), Sayed Mustaq Ali Didar Ali and many others.

Due to his linguistic skills, he was called upon to serve in the civil and military censor office. Incidentally, W. Ivanow (1886-1970) recommended his name to handle the task of scanning the public mail. Thus, he had the privilege of having worked across the table with W. Ivanow for five years during the Second World War (1939-1945).

In 1938, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah commanded him to join the Ismaili Mission at the Recreation Club Institute, Bombay, and within a short time, he acquired the necessary skills and attained great proficiency in mission field.

He played a key role in the arrangement of the Diamond Jubilee of the Imam in 1946 and participated in different committees. The Imam selected him to recite the ginan after the recitation of a Koranic verse by a Syrian Ismaili on March 10, 1946 in Bombay. The Imam graciously graced him with a special robe of honour and a golden turban.

The first 'Ismaili Mission Conference' was held in the auditorium of the Aga Khan High School, Dar-es-Salaam to discuss the religious education and the training of the missionaries and teachers. The Imam inaugurated the Conference on July 20, 1945 and told the delegates that the Africans should no longer rely on missionaries from abroad, but produce its own manpower in their Mission Centre.

Soon after the Diamond Jubilee, the Imam ordered Abu Aly in Bombay to take over the charge of the Mission Centre as its Principal. He came to East Africa in July, 1946 and was destined to attend the Diamond Jubilee Celebration on August 10, 1946 in Dar-es-Salaam. According to the wish of the Imam, the Mission Centre was opened on May 10, 1947 at Dar-es-Salaam under the administration of the Ismailia Association for Africa, Mombasa. Alijah A.G. Abdul Hussain, the President of the Ismailia Provincial Council, Dar-es-Salaam, performed its inauguration ceremony. This Mission Centre took the standing of a college, producing several trained missionaries and religious teachers.

)He was the President of the Muslim Association for Tanganyika for 3 years (1950-1953). When Tanganyika liberated on December 9, 1961, the Prime Minister Rashidi Kawawa invited the Muslim ulema and scholars to assist the government in including the Muslim law to the New Constitution of Tanganyika. One of them was Abu Aly in Dar-es-Salaam, known as Shaykh Abualy A. Aziz. He also exhorted Islamic education for two years (1962-63) in the course for Adults Programme under the University of Dar-es-Salaam.

The first Conference for reviewing the rites and ceremonies with the members of the Executive Council for Africa was held on January 10, 1964 in Mombasa at Count Fateh Ali Dhalla's residence. Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai, Count Ghulam Hussain Ismail, Wazir Madatali Count Mulji Nazarali and Wazir Abdul Malek R. Kassim Lakha attended it. Missionary Abu Aly was also invited, including Missionary Ghulam Ali Shah, Alijah Ghulam Hussain Juma Haji, Jaffer Ali R. Budhwani and Noor Mohammad Rehmatullah. It was followed by another Conference on September 24, 1964.

During the gracious visit of Hazar Imam in India at the end of 1967, he was requested to deliver waez to the jamats, who were extremely touched by his words. The Mukhi and Kamadia of Darkhana jamat, Bombay sent their report to the Imam on December 27, 1967, to which he replied:

January 6th, 1968

My dear Mukhi and Kamadia:

I have received your letter of 27th December, and I give my most affectionate paternal maternal loving blessings to all my beloved spiritual children of the Bombay Darkhana Jamat.

I am very happy to hear that my jamats of Bombay and Suburbs took a keen interest in the waez given by Missionary Abooali in various Jamatkhanas.

Kindly convey my best paternal maternal loving blessings to Missionary Abooali for his devoted services during his visit to India.

You should find out from the Ismailia Association of Tanzania whether Missionary Abooali could tour to India every year for at least a month, if not two months, and then communicate the Association's answer to me.

He also attended the grand Waezeen Assembly in Bombay inaugurated on December 10, 1967, and presided by Itmadi Ghulam Ali S. Morani, the then President of the Ismailia Association for India. He delivered informative lectures and dealt with the question/answer session on December 16, 1967. The President prepared the report of the assembly and sent it to the Imam on January 10, 1968. The Imam replied as follows:

January 29th, 1968

My dear President:

I have received your letter of January 10th, and I have read your report with much interest.

I am happy to hear that the Waezeen Assembly held on the 10th December at the Dharkhana Jamatkhana was well attended by my spiritual children and I give my best loving blessings to all my beloved spiritual children who participated in the Waezeen Assembly.

I give my best paternal maternal loving blessings to the following missionaries for their devoted services to my India jamat:

Missionary Kassim Ali M.J.
Missionary Abooali
Missionary Noormohomed Rahimtullah
Missionary Noordin Amlani.

Missionary Abu Aly A. Aziz is a global itinerant and has travelled extensively. He visited Tajikistan in 1995, where 72 years before him, the famous Missionary Pir Sabzali (1884-1938) had set foot in 1923. There is perhaps not a single Jamatkhana in the world where he has not delivered a waez. Behind all his success is his personality, so attractive that he won the hearts of millions who have never even seen him, but have only known his incomparable services for the Imam and jamats. In his missionary framework, he is seen as a creative, courageous, and patient. He is ambitious, but does not let himself be blinded by his personal interest. He labours for his faith not for own sake. With his talent and invaluable services, he was blessed with the titles of Alijah, then Rai.

He started his mission career at the age of 11 years. His life now bridges a long span of 83 years, in which more than ten thousand lectures, speeches, and deliveries are on record to his credit. Ever since the taperecorder appeared commercially at the beginning of 1950, his lectures and speeches have been preserved which are in tune of about 3000 audiocassettes, circulating around the world among the Ismaili jamats and to some extent among other communities.

He also uses his poetic skills to lyrically express in Urdu his ardent love for the Imam. He is gifted with a vivid intellect, with a conspicuous literary talent. Being a man of literary genius, he gained the opportunity to carry on his literary pursuits and became a frequent contributor to different periodicals. No less than a trenchant writer, he published 19 books and booklets and some more are forthcoming. He is well versed in English, Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Gujrati, Punjabi, Kutchhi, Hindi, and Swahili. His famous works are Jashan-i Golden Jubilee (Urdu, 1936), Radde Batil (Gujrati, 1947), Anant Akhado (Gujrati tr.1947), Zahoor-i Haq (Gujrati, 1948), Mazhab-i Ismailia (Gujrati, 1948), Religious Correspondence Course - three volumes (Gujrati, 1948), Divine Gems (English and Kiswahili, 1955), Fuhari Ya Islam (Kiswahili, 1956), Ismaili Dharmic Course (Gujrati, 1957), Christianity from its own Sources (English, 1961), Pork-Its Prohibition in Islam (English, 1961), Ghadir-i Khum (Gujrati, 1969), A Brief History of Ismailism (English, 1974), etc.

He is well versed in the literature of the ginans and steeped in the Ismaili philosophy and history. The most significant feature of his waez delivery is that he provides the materials to the jamat in accordance with the demand of the time and is so lucid that the listeners remain attentive for many hours. Those who have heard him on a platform are aware of the brilliance of his unmatched oratory.

After spending almost 40 years in East Africa, he now lives in Vancouver, Canada. His mission, which he has started at the age of eleven years, still continues. He also spends time replying to his many well-wishers' letters.

Missionary Abu Aly believes that a man is never too old to learn. It is good news to know that he obtained his doctorate degree of Ph.D. on April 30, 2001 from the Senior University International, Wyoming, U.S.A. after studying for 29 months. His thesis, Miracles and Gnosis, described the life and work of Pir Satgur Nur in 200 pages.

It is through his own effort that he rose from a very humble position in life to the summit of greatness. May Mawlana Hazar Imam grant him a long life, health and courage to serve the world Ismaili community more and more till his last breath, Amen.

He was born in 1859 it Porebandar and came to Bombay at the age of 15 years. He worked in a furniture store and gained sufficient experience to become one of the leading furniture merchants. He maintained the quality and standards of his furniture so well that he received large orders several times from the Indian rulers. The Amir of Afghanistan once ordered for new furniture on February 1907, for the decoration of his newly built palace in Kabul. His firm was known as M/S Ahmed Devji Bros.
He was one of the founder members of the Khoja Panjibhai Club, Bombay which was established on May 28, 1900. He is remembered for his generosity and helping hand during the famine in Kutchh in 1900-1. He clothed, fed and housed about 1500 Ismailis, who migrated from Kutchh to Bombay. He also funded the burial of the deceased ones. In 1908, the British India granted him the title of J.P., and the Imam also presented him a khilat to appreciate his excellent services. When he received these rewards, about 150 members of the Khoja Panjibhai Club honoured him in a reception, where his noble services were applauded.

When Missionary Ibrahim Jusab Varteji (1870-1953) was still out of the Ismaili fold, Seth Vali Muhammad Pir Muhammad invited him to the programme of Mulbai Pirbhai Haji Charitable Dispensary in Bombay on May 29, 1900, which was also attended by the Imam. Missionary Varteji presented a Persian quatrain to glorify the Imam. Ahmed Devji introduced Varteji for the first time to the Imam at the end of the programme.

Ahmed Devji also played a primary role in the Khoja Panjibhai Club, and was once appointed as its Chairman. He also built the Khoja Sanitarium at Porebandar, whose opening ceremony was performed by the Imam on March 29, 1905. On that occasion, he took 1500 guests with him from Bombay to Porebandar at his own expenses to witness the opening ceremony of the sanitarium. The Imam also arrived in Porebander with 300 guests by a chartered steamer.

Ahmed Devji was also the first appointed Honorary Secretary of the newly formed Ismaili Council in Bombay on April 9, 1906 with Varas Ibrahim Muhammad Rawjee (1862-1911) as its President.

He donated furniture and Rs. 5000/- to the Kandi Mola School, Bombay, that was opened on January 16, 1909.

During the annual majalis at Poona when the Imam officially declared the Constitution of the Ismaili Council in front of 5000 Ismailis on January 8, 1910, he was bestowed the title of Alijah. He was also appointed the President of the Council in 1911 with Dr. Rajab Ali Ramji Lakhdhir as Honorary Secretary, and remained on post till his death. His secret tendency of rendering remarkable service further emerged in his personality when he was associated with the Council. He also travelled to Europe several times to see the Imam for community matters.

Ahmed Devji took a leading role in the first All-India Muslim Educational Conference. The Bombay government awarded him the title of Khan Bahadur and Kaisar-i Hind.

In 1918, a terrible famine broke out in Kathiawar. He contributed a colossal amount to the relief funds and also collected a donation of Rs. 1,25,000/- in Bombay.

Indeed, he was one of the beloved leaders of the Imam. When he became ill, the Imam visited his house in Bombay four times.

The Afghans raided British India in Delhi and conducted slaughter, violating the treaty negotiated between Afghanistan and British India. The situation was going from bad to worse in the country. Meanwhile, the Imam released his statement from Europe on May 24, 1919, emphasizing upon his followers to demonstrate their loyalty to King George. The Ismaili Council also reacted in Bombay. Ahmed Devji wrote a telegram on June 4, 1919 along with the Imam's message as far as Chitral to Mukhi Shah Abdul Mian, who conveyed it to the Ismailis. The Mukhi sent the following telegraphic message to Ahmed Devji on June 18, 1919:

Haji Ahmed Devji,

President Ismailia Council,

Bombay

Received your telegram of June 4th with orders from Sir Aga Khan. Thanks very much. Kindly convey my best respects to Sir Aga Khan and request that I have proclaimed word by word his orders to all peoples and children widely from Chitral to Badakhshan and all men considered themselves good fortunates hearing these words and all are gladly ready to sacrifice themselves for British Government as soon as they hear more from His Highness. Mukhi Shah Abdul Mian.

Ahmed Devji was a member of the All-India Central Khilafat Committee in Bombay in 1920 with Fazal Karim Ibrahim, Muhammad Karim, Muhammad Haji, Sharif Devji Kanji, Muhammad Chhotani, Rehmatullah Merali Chinai, etc.

Hashim Premji offered Rs. 10,000/- with a piece of land to build a new Jamatkhana in Porebandar when the Imam graciously visited his bungalow in Poona on March 13, 1920. The Imam accepted with blessings and told him to dispose off the old Jamatkhana and spend its proceeds in the construction of the new Jamatkhana. The Imam confided the supervision of the construction to Ahmed Devji and his brother, Ismail Devji.

His health was none of the best due to heavy strain of work. Eventually, he retired from the Council, but the Imam did not appoint a new President to take his place, and declared him an Honorary President.

In 1925, he had gone to Iraq and died in Najaf, where he was buried.

His son, Itmadi Ghulam Hussain (1896-1960) joined the business of his father in the prime of his life. In 1934, he visited Iran and Iraq and became an eminent businessman. The British India awarded him the title of J.P.. Like his father, he continued to serve the jamat in different fields. His career in the arena of community services began in the Central Education Board in 1935, where he served for several years. He was a member for 18 years and then Vice-President of the Aga Khan Gymkhana, Bombay. He was also a member for five years, then the President for over five years in the Supreme Council for Kathiawar. He was also the managing member of the Ismaili General Hospital and the President of the Kathiawar Girls Orphanage, Rajkot. He also rendered valuable services during the Golden and Diamond Jubilee occasions. He died on July 14, 1960 at the age of 64 years.

Mukhi Alarakhia Sumar was originally of Mulla Katiar, Sind, but his family came to settle in Bombay. He was an eminent merchant of cloth and sugar. He became Mukhi of the Bombay Jamatkhana soon after the death of Mukhi Alibhai Padamsi in 1848.
The Ismailis possessed a graveyard near Dongri, Bombay since 1790, measuring 12706 sq. yards. He and Kamadia Khaki Padamsi extended the site by purchasing an adjoining plot of 6978 sq. yards from Nilaji Lakshamji for Rs. 11500/- in September 1856.

During the Aga Khan Case in 1866, when the dissenting group publicly joined the Sunni fold on October 20, 1861, Imam Hasan Ali Shah issued a decree, expressing his desire to bring the Ismailis to conform to the practices of the Shia Imami Ismaili creed of his ancestors, regarding marriage ceremonies, ablutions, funeral rites etc. The decree reads: 'He who may be willing to obey my orders shall write his name in this book that I may know him.' Its copies were kept in Bombay, Sind, Kathiawar and Zanzibar for signatures. Except for a handful of persons in Bombay and Kathiawar, an almost unanimous acceptance was received from the Ismailis. In the meantime, Mukhi Alarakhia Sumar and Kamadia Khaki Padamsi played a key role, and called a meeting in Bombay Jamatkhana on August 16, 1862. Habib Ibrahim, the head of the seceders and his son Ahmed Ibrahim and a few others were also summoned, but none of them responded. Thus, a notice of 21 days was delivered to them, effective from August 23, 1862 with no positive response in return. Consequently, they were forever ostracized from the Ismaili community. The seceders formed a group, called The Reformers' Society. Finally, they filed out a suit in April, 1866 against the Imam in the Bombay High Court, known as The Aga Khan Case. Mukhi Alarakhia Sumar and Kamadia Khaki Padamsi rendered meritorious services in prosecuting the Aga Khan Case.

After winning the case, Imam Aga Ali Shah is reported to have crowned the Mukhi's group with the titles of Ismaili fidais and Ismaili soldiers.

Let us pause here for a moment to examine an important event. Most of the seceders used to attend the Jamatkhana before their excommunication, and joined in the prayers but did not shake their hands during the utterance of shahjo didar. Mukhi Alarakhia Sumar however told the jamat not to take their refusal seriously. Conversely, the other members of the jamat continued the practice of shahjo didar as usual, and were called as the Panjibhai, (a brother shaking hand), a distinctive epithet of the loyal Ismailis. Later on, the term Panjibhai was used in contrast to the seceders, who were known as the Barbhahiya.

Few words must be added at this juncture for Kamadia Khaki Padamsi, who was also closely associated with Mukhi Alarakhia Sumar. He was originally from Mundra, Kutchh, and his family later on settled in Bombay. He was a leading trader of furniture and glassware. He became Kamadia of Bombay Jamatkhana, where he served for 22 years. He spent huge amounts during the Aga Khan Case as well as for the welfare programmes of the community, hence, being exempted from the payment of tithe. In 1875, he was a witness on behalf of the jamat during the case of Hirbai-Gorbai Case. He died on June 21, 1877, while his close associate, Mukhi Alarakhia Sumar died in 1880.

Hashim Gangji was a native of Bhuj, Kutchh but migrated to East Africa in 1871. His son Abdullah was however born in Zanzibar in 1906, where he did his early schooling and subsequently went into business. He was an eminent clove merchant.
Prince Aly Khan arrived in Bombay on December 3, 1934, whereas the Imam set foot on January 4, 1935. Lucky was Count Abdullah Hashim for he was visiting India at that particular time period. Before his departure on December 15, 1934, he was given a warm farewell party by the Central Panjibhai Club. In his speech, he said, 'It is the duty of every man to serve his community.' On that occasion, he donated a large amount to the Central Panjibhai Club. Mukhi Ibrahim Ladha, Chairman of The Helping Society, garlanded him and threw him a party in the hall of the Aga Khan School.

During his visit to India, he went to Bhuj, Kutchh, where he arranged a ruhani majalis for his late father on February 26, 1935. He sent a mehmani to the Imam along with presents for Prince Aly Khan and Prince Sadruddin. In his telegraphic message through Mukhi Rashid Kanji, the Imam graced him with Best Paternal Blessings.

In 1937, he was appointed the Hon. Secretary of the Aga Khan Supreme Council for Africa. He had an honour to give a stupendous reception to the Imam on January 30, 1937 at the Aga Khan's Panjibhai Club. It was attended by 1400 distinguished guests, and was so magnificent in appearance that none amongst the guests had ever seen such a lovely decorum.

He was appointed as a member of the Aga Khan Executive Council for Africa (1957-1962), and then became its President and Chairman in 1946. In addition to his previous mentioned function, he was also the Chief Financial Minister of H.H. The Aga Khan Ismaili Council in Zanzibar, President of Aga Khan Legion in Africa for Platinum jubilee, member of Zanzibar Legislative Council, Indian National Association, Muslim Association and Milad-e-Nabi Association. He was also the Director of the Jubilee Insurance Co. (1940-1947) and the Diamond Jubilee Trust Ltd. (1946-1950).

On the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee in Africa in 1946, he was awarded a gold moon, a diamond ring, and a watch for his meritorious services. He was also appointed an Advisor of the Ismailia Association for Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika.

He was bestowed the title of Itmadi in 1952, Wazir in 1954 and Count in 1964. He died on September 26, 1982.

He was born in Bagamoyo, Uganda. He was a trader and became known as the 'uncrowned king' in Uganda until 1922. The High School of Mombasa stands out as one of the shining examples of his many large-hearted charities. According to the report of the Times of India (June 8, 1919), the British bestowed him the title of M.B.E. (Member of British Empire) in appreciation of his invaluable services and loyalty to the British government.His appearance in the arena of community services began with the establishment of the Ismaili Council on November 5, 1905 when he was appointed as one of its member.

To fulfil the will of his father Varas Alidina Visram (1851-1916), he spent a colossal amount to settle the Indian Ismailis in Kenya and in Uganda. One of his initiatives was to build a musafarkhana for them. He also established a library opened to all Ismailis and presented it to the Imam on June 30, 1916. The Ismaili Council donated 40,000/- shillings for the erection of an Ismaili Boarding in Kampala, to which he financially contributed. In his letter of July 24, 1918, the Imam approved the scheme and declared to give a plot for it in Kampala.

He followed the tradition of his illustrious father by consolidating a school in Mombasa, Varas Alidina Visram High School, specially dedicated to the loving memory of his father. Its foundation stone was laid by the then British East African acting governor, C.C. Boringan on January 20, 1919. This institution provided adequate education to the Indian children, hence justifying the colossal amount of 250,000/- shillings spent on its creation. Khaki Shivji, a famous Ismaili architect from Karachi designed the building. Manohar Dass personally visited the school in 1937 and comments in his book, 'The Land of the Beauteous Black' (Bombay, 1937, p. 71) that, 'His Highness Aga Khan's High School at Mombasa, houses in a well-equipped and well-attended institution, which makes the pride of that town.'

He visited India in 1920, where he pledged donations with an open-hand to assist the destitute class. He visited Kathiawar on August 14, 1920, where he was greeted at Junagadh station by Varas Habib and Kul Kamadia Ghulam Hussain and the jamat. Mukhi Walji Dossa, Kamadia Mithabhai Ratansi (d. 1928), N.M. Budhwani (d. 1944) went to Junagadh and brought him by car in Dhoraji on August 19, 1920.

On November 8, 1920, he arrived in Nairobi, where Abdullah Suleman Damji accorded him a lunch party at the residence of M/S Valibhai Hashim & Co. The members of the Council and the Panjibhai Club were also invited to a meeting that he presided, and which discussed the welfare of the community. It lasted for two days and one night in the Jamatkhana. This particular jamat raised an amount of 297921 shillings, which was dedicated to The Khoja Sports Club.

In appreciation of his exceptional and remarkable services, the Imam bestowed upon him the title of Varas. He died on September 27, 1923.

The genealogical tree of the renowned Lakha family draws back to their forefather named Surji. His son was Jairaj, and grandson was Manji. The son of Manji was Lalji, who had four sons, Punja, Virji, Lakha, and Kalyan. They lived in a village, called Berberaja, about 12 miles away from Jamnagar, Kutchh.Lakho, better known as Lakha, was a hawker and lost his house in a terrible famine. Reduced to extreme destitution, he wandered from village to village in search of livelihood. His son Kassim, who was born in 1853, had to toil and moil in Kutchh. Nothing is known of his early life except that he worked in a grocery shop.

The drought and water shortage had remained the buzzwords in Kutchh, and weather conditions had taken a heavy toll onto the economy of the entire region. Consequently, people moved elsewhere in search of subsistence. When Kassim Lakha was 18 years old, he left his birthplace and boarded a dhow at Porebandar, with few Ismailis, and landed in Zanzibar in 1871. He started his work in Sultan Sayed Bargash's firm (1870-1888). Within a year, he was well established with the Sultan. He was promoted to an advance party responsible for providing logistics to the Sultan's campment as he toured various parts of his lands, including Pemba and coastal strip of Mombasa and Malindi upto Lamu. He learnt how to cook for the retinue. He was tall, very strong, and well built and could lift a cooking pot weighing over 100 lbs. When he felt well settled, he called his mother and his wife, Ratanbai Pradhan with whom he had married in 1870, just before he left India. They came both by dhow to Zanzibar by the end of 1871. In 1880, Kassim Lakha's first child was born, a daughter Kursha. In 1884, a son, Mohammad, was born.

It is a known fact that most of the Indian Ismailis came to Africa with entrepreneurial skills in their blood, business in their brains and immense calibre to labour in their muscles, but with empty pockets. This illustration richly permeated the life of Kassim Lakha, who earned his bread and butter by the sweat of his brow.

After having worked with the Sultan's firm for nearly 10 years, he moved to Lamu with his family, where he opened a small grocery shop. His family enlarged with the birth of Fatima, Alibhai, Hassan, Sakina, Rehmatullah, and Jina. He employed a Hindu teacher, Raval, from Zanzibar, to teach reading and writing to his children.

Kassim Lakha was a social worker and focused on helping the Ismailis who came from India. He was also appointed Mukhi of the Lamu Jamatkhana. In 1898, he and his family moved from Lamu to Mombasa, where he stayed for a few years to establish a small shop. In 1903, soon after the railway reached Kisumu, this city became their new home. In 1905, he was appointed by Varas Alidina Visram (1815-1916) to be the inspector of all his shops in Uganda. His son Mohammad was also employed in the same firm as a manager of the Kisumu branch. The other three brothers, Rehmatullah, Hassan, and Alibhai were also employed in the same firm as junior accountants, where they learnt bookkeeping. Kassim Lakha's job required a great deal of travelling, which was difficult because bicycles and bullock-carts were used in and around Kisumu, while dhows were used to navigate on the lake. Because of such excessive travelling and poor medical facilities, he died in Kampala in 1910 of malaria. It should be recorded that the plague broke out in Kisumu in 1905, resulting in heavy casualties in the town. Without discrimination of cast and creed, Kassim Lakha hurled in the field as a saviour by supplying medical facilities at his own expenses. In appreciation of his invaluable services, the government built a clock tower in Kisumu to honor his memory. Sir Robert, the governor of Kenya, performed its opening ceremony on August 19, 1938.

His four sons, Rehmatullah (d. 1943), Hassan (d. 1982), Mohammad (d. 1936) and Alibhai, revived the memory of Kassim Lakha. Kisumu and the districts around were not healthy areas. Alibhai, the son of Kassim Lakha contracted smallpox, and was later on struck by appendicitis whilst at Sio Port, where no medical facilities subsisted. He had to ask Kurji Megji to go by bicycle to the nearest post-office, Mumias located at the distance of 50 miles to send a telegram to Kisumu requesting a doctor's help. His brother Mohammad picked him up with a tugboat, therefore having him operated sooner.

In 1910, his brother Mohammad resigned from the firm of Varas Alidina Visram, and with his brothers he ventured into the product business. The family affair henceforth became known as Alibhai & Rehmatullah. Products such as groundnuts, hides and skins were bought by Indians and sold to European firms stationed in Kisumu for export. Gradually, Alibhai and his brothers opened up depots in Kendu Bay, Homa Bay, Karungu and Kisii, all in south Nyanza. More depots were opened in central Nyanza from Luanda and Yala to Asombo Bay, and north Nyanza in Sio Port and Mumias and in Tanganyika at Musoma and Mwanza. The Ismailis at the employment of their family manned the depots. Alibhai supervised the business in Sio Port.

As the family expanded its business, it began exporting directly. Instead of selling the product to English firms in Kisumu, it was being sold through Mombasa directly to the importing companies in England. Prosperity smiled upon the family. Alibhai was sent to Mombasa to open up a branch. Now the family owned a fleet of dhows, running on the lakes under the supervision of Dhanji Manji at Kisumu. In sum, they built up a vast business of cotton ginneries, land and property, import and export, palatial hotels, investment companies, coffee factory, and plantation. Henceforward, each family member began to assume his or her patronymic name as Lakha.

Abdul Rasul was the son of Alibhai Kassim Lakha, who was born in Mombasa, Kenya on November 11, 1916. He was the first family member to access education. He did his early schooling in the Aga Khan School in Mombasa, and passed senior Cambridge in 1933. In 1934, he joined his family business, beginning with cotton ginneries followed by bakery, confectionery, biscuits, whitehouse bakery, and sisal farm.

Abdul Rasul Alibhai Kassim Lakha was a social worker, and like his father, perpetuated the tradition of service in various fields. He was the charter member of the Lions Club in Nairobi in 1958, and later its Chairman (1971-72). He was also the Chairman of the Kenya Cotton Association (1963-1976), the nominated member of Kenya Government on Parastal Board, Kenya Lint & Seed Marketing Board (1963-1975), the nominated member of Kenya Government on Parastal Board, Kenya Sisal Board (1972-1974) and vice-Chairman of the Board (1974-1978), a member of the Executive Sisal Growers Association (1966-1969), as well as its Chairman (1970-1974), etc.

Abdul Rasul Alibhai Kassim Lakha rendered exceptional services within the community. He was a member and Hon. Secretary of the Ismailia Supreme Council for Africa with Count Fateh Ali Dhala as President in 1945-51. He was the Chairman of H.H. The Aga Khan Provincial Education Board (1951-1954), the Hon. Secretary of H.H. Prince Karim Aga Khan Provincial Council, Nairobi (1954-1962) and the Director of the Jubilee Insurance Co. Ltd. (1973-1983).

He was also the President of the Ismailia Association for Kenya (1968-1971) and the Mukhi of Darkhana Jamatkhana of Nairobi (1964-1966 and 1966-1968). Furthermore, in 1952, he was a delegate of the Nairobi Provincial Council at the Evian Conference in Evian, France. He also attended the Conference of the World Ismailia Associations in Paris.

Through his many talents and the incredible service rendered, he merited the title of Alijah in 1946 with a gold medal during the Diamond Jubilee. He was crowned with the title of Wazir in 1962.

Wazir Abdul Rasul Alibhai Kassim Lakha died on December 30, 1998. Two sons, Shamsh Kassim Lakha and Akbar Kassim Lakha and a daughter Nargis ensured the family line.

Wazir Abdul Rasul Alibhai was a robust-tempered man who prioritized his children's education. He often advised them that the only legacy he had given them was a good education. Shamsh Kassim Lakha was the first family member to obtain a post-graduate degree. Wazir Abdul Rasul Alibhai, who was also a literary person, compiled few articles, such as, 'The Sultan's Aide-de-Camp' (pp. 26-27), 'Cotton in Kavirondo' (pp. 152-153) and 'Plague & Politics in Kisumu' (pp. 162-163), published in 'We Came in Dhows' (Nairobi, 1996).