khoja

Khoja is an ethnoreligious community of Indian origin, traditionally associated with Gujarat and Sindh. The term has been used to describe a group whose historical roots include Hindu merchant communities that converted to Islam in medieval times. In modern usage, many Khojas identify as Muslims and are part of the broader Ismaili Shia tradition, often connected to the global Ismaili network led by the Imam (the Aga Khan in the contemporary era). The Khoja community is known for strong organizational and charitable structures within the diaspora.

Geographically, Khojas have deep historical ties to western India and Pakistan, particularly Gujarat and Sindh, and have developed extensive diaspora networks. Significant Khoja populations are found in East Africa (for example Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), as well as in South Africa, Europe, North America, the Middle East, and other parts of the world. These communities have sustained social, educational, and philanthropic institutions that serve both local members and broader society.

Historically, Khojas emerged as a merchant-based community that synthesized religious, cultural, and social practices from their Indian origins with Islamic beliefs. The name Khoja is commonly thought to derive from the Persian Khwaja, an honorific historically used for learned men and merchants, and it has functioned as an ethnonym and surname in various regions.

Today the Khoja label encompasses groups with shared historical origins who may differ in specific religious practices or affiliations, but most identify with Ismaili Islam and participate in the global Khoja community and its charitable activities.