Professional Documents
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The Ismaili Volunteer Corps:: One Hundred Years of Selfless Service
The Ismaili Volunteer Corps:: One Hundred Years of Selfless Service
The Ismaili Volunteer Corps:: One Hundred Years of Selfless Service
Foundations
Shortly after the end of the First World War, a group greater degree of professionalism and organization. Their
of foresighted individuals based in Bombay, set their efforts resulted in the establishment of a Volunteer Corps
sights on determining a way to bring their community’s in 1919, dedicated to the service of the Imam-of-the-Time,
social progress in line with its more recent success in the Ismaili community, and the wider society to which
commercial activities. While the group’s initial interests they belonged. A century later, the tradition of voluntary
lay in literary pursuits, these founding members of the service remains an essential pillar of the community’s
Vidhya Vinod Club wanted to find an opportunity to fabric and the Ismaili Volunteer Corps, a global body of
increase the spirit of self-reliance and self-respect in men and women, and continues to exemplify Islam’s
the Ismaili community, while simultaneously bringing a long-standing tradition of selfless service.
The Corps’ structure was based on volunteer Leader of the Ahmedabad Volunteer Corps at the
organizations of the time, drawing upon military Kathiawar Ismaili Volunteer Conference, December 7,
hierarchies of rank and duty, but kept as its 1922, Rajkot, India).
foundation values of discipline and humility. Bodies The uniforms of the Ismaili Volunteer Corps were
such as these provided a way for colonial subjects to also drawn from similar bodies of the time to make
“volunteer” their time, energy and efforts in assisting them easily identifiable. In its earliest iterations,
with civic harmony. This opened the way for a number the male volunteer corps adopted the iconic khaki
of communities to offer their talent and services uniforms of the period and wore special black
for the purpose of the greater good, while actively hats. They served at communal and broader social
contributing to the betterment of society. The functions, including visits by the Imam and his family,
Ismailis were one such community which adopted the and helped to maintain order, plan and provide
prevailing model of these volunteer organizations, services, and event support to the community and its
by imprinting its own ethos of service upon it, drawn guests, as well as act as the community’s ambassadors
from its long tradition and history. The endeavor was at public functions.
so successful, it was quickly shared and adopted well
beyond the contours of the Indian Subcontinent to
Ismaili communities around the world. Official inauguration of the Ismaili Volunteer Corps
The Volunteer Corps is based on “the supreme On March 2, 1920, after a five-year stay in Europe,
idea of self-sacrifice and service for the communal Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah arrived in Bombay and
good.” The Corps exemplifies the ideals of “self- was greeted with jubilation by the Ismaili community,
determination, self-reverence, self-control, moral Muslim dignitaries and important personalities in
courage, coupled with humility, and mental firmness Bombay society. As part of the celebrations, the
coupled with civility.” (Speech made by Mr. Hussainboy, newly formed Volunteer Corps maintained order for
Members of the early Hasanabad Ladies Volunteer Corps Lady volunteers in Rangoon, Burma 1960
the large gathering there to welcome their Imam uniforms drew upon local clothing traditions and
back on Indian soil. It was the first time the late Imam consisted of a patterned dupatta, or scarf, worn over a
had encountered the Corps. He was impressed with simple dress. Each region had slight variations in color
their professionalism, organization, and integration or design but shared amongst them a unifying flower
into Bombay civic life. In appreciation, he renamed pattern in whose petals were inscribed the letters
the Corps, the “Aga Khan Volunteer Corps,” and gifted I-L-V-C, “Ismaili Ladies Volunteer Corps.” This pattern
them with his crest, the Taj, which they proudly wore repeated itself, dotting the entirety of the textile.
on their hats. The Imam wore the uniform himself The scouting movement became the initial model
for the first time the following year as the Colonel of for younger members of the Ismaili community to serve,
the Corps and both he and his eldest son, Prince Aly inculcating from a young age the skills and values that
Khan, became its patrons. In 1932, Mawlana Sultan volunteering provided. In later decades, and in other
Mahomed Shah appointed his son to the position of locales, junior volunteers, cadets, and other models
Colonel of the worldwide Volunteer Corps and set and structures were adopted by various countries to
in motion the merger of the various independent provide opportunities for service at all ages.
volunteer groups into a single body. On March 12, 1924, Sultan Mahomed Shah
Almost immediately thereafter, independent penned the motto eventually adopted by the Corps
Ladies Volunteer Corps began to mushroom in the and printed on its badges – “Work no Words,” and
city’s neighborhoods. The area of Kandi Mohalla said, “Labor for the welfare of others is the best way
saw its first Ladies Volunteer Corps, led by Sakinabai of improving oneself because its results are sure and
Ibrahim Lalji and Prembai Mukhi K. Nura serving as certain….This is not a new idea but this is an outcome
its first Captain and Vice-Captain respectively. Similar of experience of a thousand years of history.”
Ladies Volunteer Corps were also established in the
city’s Mazgaon and Khadak localities. The women’s
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Ismaili Ladies Volunteer Corps of Hyderabad, Sindh
Volunteer Corps becomes a global service As was common at the time, many civic and state
organization organizations involved in keeping and establishing the
Less than a year after its establishment in Bombay, peace, such as city police, also developed marching
Karachi formed its first two Volunteer Corps in the bands. This was no different for the Ismailis. The year 1935
neighborhoods of Kharadar and Garden. As the model was declared a Silver Jubilee year across the British Empire
of the Volunteer Corps grew, its organizational structure to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the King-
and focus on good works was also shared with smaller Emperor, George V. In India, several events celebrated the
locales and towns, first throughout South Asia, East Africa occasion including the Silver Jubilee Motor Parade. The
and in later decades with Syria, Iran, Tajikistan, and to Volunteer Corps Band stood in a motorized 32-passenger
the diaspora communities which were formed as Ismailis bus showcasing their talents in the presence of the
migrated to Europe, Australia, and North America. King’s resident representatives, and an estimated 30,000
The volunteers also began to provide organizational attendees. Several days later, the Band played the British
assistance and help to maintain order and calm at events national anthem at a special service organized by the
outside the community. At a time where timeliness, Ismaili Council to recognize the generosity of the King
dedication, orderliness were seen as mainstays of and Queen to their British Indian subjects, and to offer
the British, the Volunteer Corps became an outward their gratitude. The Volunteer Corps and Ismaili Boy
manifestation of the ways in which colonial subjects Scouts were also in attendance to line the roads from
of British Indian society could also be involved in Ismaili neighborhoods to the Jamatkhana, direct traffic,
representing the values of service, and commitment and provide order for the celebrations.
to the common good. This was true, for example, upon The Ismaili Volunteer Corps quickly became an
the return of the Maharaja Jamsaheb of Navanagar from important civic body, providing assistance in times of
Europe to India in 1929. calamity and misfortune. In 1927, volunteers saved many
lives during the torrential rains and floods in Gujarat volunteerism in the Jamat. With the introduction of Jamati
and Kathiawar. During World War II, the Volunteer Corps institutions in Afghanistan in 2002, an organized body
actively participated in air raid precaution activities and of volunteers was also established. Tajikistan followed a
helped the injured and homeless. In 1947, during the similar trajectory in 2012, and is in the process of further
partition of the Indian Subcontinent, the volunteers solidifying their volunteer organization.
played an active role in ensuring the safety of those As Jamats began to establish themselves throughout
moving to the newly independent countries of India the world for reasons of dislocation, migration and
and Pakistan. access to education, the tradition of service travelled
The volunteers also provided a Guard of Honor with them. Many Jamats began with informal and non-
during visits of the Imam and his family members to South uniformed volunteers, which eventually grew into fully-
Asia and East Africa. These happened during momentous fledged uniformed Corps. The UK saw its first formal
occasions, such as during the weighing ceremonies that Volunteer Corps in 1967 with 12 members. In the US, the
commemorated the Golden Jubilee of Mawlana Sultan first informal Volunteer Corps was established in Chicago
Mahomed Shah’s Imamat, but also on other official visits in 1969, and the official one in New York in 1972, as well
of the Imam and his family. as in Canada. In 1980, France saw its informal volunteer
Even though the Ismailis were more dispersed than corps formalized. In 1992, with the situation in Uganda
ever, this was not a barrier to the Volunteer Corps travelling improved, the Ismaili Volunteers Corps was re-introduced
across oceans and continents. By 1924, the Kenyan city to the Jamats of that country.
of Kisumu saw the founding of its Corps, the first on This tradition continues today in communities
the African continent. By 1933, Mombasa had formed and countries around the world. In areas of Northern
its own formal Corps too. In areas of Northern Pakistan Pakistan, the Corps is instrumental in the arduous clean-
and Syria, there is a decades-old tradition of formalized up activities after landslides and in the building of
Winter 2019 • 9
Hazar Imam’s 40 years of Imamat badge, 1997
Hazar Imam’s Diamond Jubilee badge, 2017 These badges were presented to volunteers by Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah during
his Golden Jubilee in East Africa. From the collection of Hanif Haji, Torrance, CA