Khoja
The Khoja are a mainly Nizari Isma'ili Shia trading community of people originating from Gujarat, India. The word Khoja is derived from the Persian word Khwaja, a term of honor.
Khojas of Western India ca. 1855-1862 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Gujarat, Sindh, Maharashtra | |
| Languages | |
| Gujarati, Kutchi, Sindhi, Hindi-Urdu | |
| Religion | |
| Nizari-Ismaili Shia (majority), Twelver Shia, Sunni (minority) |
| Part of a series on Islam Isma'ilism |
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In India, most Khojas live in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and the city of Hyderabad. Many Khojas have also migrated and settled over the centuries in East Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and North America. The Khoja were by then adherents of Nizari Isma'ilism. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in the aftermath of the Aga Khan Case a significant minority separated and adopted Sunni Islam and Twelver shi'ism, while the majority remained Nizari Isma'ili. In Pakistan, most Khoja live in Karachi in Sindh province.
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