Why is it 'The' Aga khan, not just Aga Khan?

[coxesorangepippin]

The Aga Khan has sadly passed away today.

Got me thinking, why is he 'The' Aga Khan?

Does anyone know??

Can't help sorry - I am sure someone will be along soon - but now have "Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan...." on a loop in my brain.Thanks....🫨

Because it's a title not a name. A bit like the Queen or the Dalai Lama.

It's a title not a name, like The Duke of Edinburgh. His heir will be the next Aga Khan.

I remember he got a mention in Where Do You Go To My Lovely?

… and you know the Aga Khan
He sent you a racehorse for Christmas and you keep it just for fun
for a laugh
a ha ha ha
🎵

Aga Khan means something like Master King. He was The master king. His name was Karim Aga Khan so his title was his modern surname too.

I believe it means The Great Leader.

And I've got...

Ag-a-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree
Aga-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee

I love that about half of the BBC report is about Shergar!

Priorities, you know.

The Queen, the Pope, the Aga Khan.

Thanks everyone

Kind of obvious now lol

Yeah I saw about shergar

Quite a horse

Sad about Shergar, it was never owned up to who did it. Bastards

There's an Aga Khan hospital in Nairobi. The matatus - bush taxis - always called its name if you were going that way from downtown to your hostel nearby.

Great memories. Hitchhiked all over Kenya in those good ole days just with other travellers going your way..

Bank directors in their BMWs, lorry drivers - so kind! - nuns and priests being greeted by Ciao! when they got back to their villages.

Fab times. 1980.

The Aga Khan was an amazing man and a lineage that goes back about 800 years.

New Aga Khan named as Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini (bbc.com)