Aga Khan III
A spiritual leader who became a political force, championing Muslim rights and helping to forge the nation of Pakistan.
1877–1957 (age 80)·48th imam of the Nizari Isma'ili community·Birthday: November 2·The Gilded Age
Biography
Born into the hereditary leadership of the Nizari Ismaili Muslims, Aga Khan III inherited the imamate at the age of seven. His life unfolded at the intersection of faith, modernity, and empire. He became a global figure, advocating passionately for the education and political rights of Muslims in British India, serving as president of the All-India Muslim League and playing a pivotal role in the push for a separate homeland. Beyond the subcontinent, he was a respected diplomat, representing India at the League of Nations and later at the UN. He guided his community through a century of upheaval, emphasizing social welfare, economic self-reliance, and the reconciliation of Islamic faith with the modern world.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Aga was born in 1877, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aga Was Born
The biggest hits of 1877
Aga's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1877Born
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1882Started school
First electrical power plant opens in New York
President: Chester A. Arthur
1890Became a teenager
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1893Could drive
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1895Could vote
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1898Turned 21
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1907Turned 30
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1917Turned 40
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Turned 50
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1937Turned 60
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1947Turned 70
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 80
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Key Achievements
- Served as the first permanent president of the All-India Muslim League, a crucial organization in the creation of Pakistan.
- Represented India at the League of Nations in the 1930s, serving as President of the Assembly in 1937.
- Authored a series of influential memoirs and texts guiding his Ismaili community on modern life and faith.
- Established numerous educational and social development institutions for Muslims across India and East Africa.
Did You Know?
He was one of the wealthiest men in the world during his lifetime due to the tradition of tithes from his followers.
He owned and bred thoroughbred racehorses, winning several major races including the Epsom Derby.
He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1898 and later appointed to the Privy Council.
He was married four times.
“Life in the faith of Islam is a life of prayer and a life of action.”
