The Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheries of East Africa

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The Khojas were generally regarded as part of the Indian Gujarati mercantile castes known as Lohanas and Bhatias who due to famine, as well as trading opportunities, migrated to Zanzibar in the 1830s and then to other parts of East Africa. They found themselves questioning their socio-religious identity amidst major struggles in the 19th and 20th centuries; living under British and German colonial rule, contending with the Omani sultanate and dealing with the proclamations of Aga Khan III who forbade interaction between Khoja Ismailis and Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheries. Their migration turned into a quest for faith, communal happiness and economic stability. In this extensively-researched work based on Gujarati sources, Dr Sibtain Panjwani captures 100 years of history of the early Khojas who migrated from India to East-Africa and initially were - arguably - a distinct blend of Hindu and Muslim being influenced by the Satpanth tradition.