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The Jamat Khana As a Source of Cohesiveness in the Ismaili

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\\t HE JAMAT KIIANA AS A SOURCE OP COHESIYUJESS IN THE ISHAILI COMMUNITY IN K E N Y A PAHnr ISMAIL YEEJI |mawajMAWAHI A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Arts in the University of Nairobi >75 UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI LIBRARY n m n c iq o 7 This thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any other Ohiversity. Parln Hawani This thesis has been submitted for examination with our approval as Dhiversity supervisors. rypicCTj Dr. Aziz Bsmail I / TABLE OP CONTENTS r Z2BSL Acknowledgements i List of Tables ii - i v Abs t r a c t v - vi CHAPTER QBE BTTRQIXJCTIQN 1 - 2 Problem Statement 2 - 4 Review of literature on Concept of 4-10 Cohesiveness Methodology 10 - 1 8 CHAPTER TWO HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 2 0 - 4 4 CHAPTER THREE ISMAILI SETTLEMENT IN KENYA ARB 4 5 - 67 ESTABLISHMENT OP JAMAT KHANAS Map: Sites of Jamat Khnna Establishments 62 slnoe 1888 In Kenya CHAPTER POUR THE JAMAT KHANA IN PRESENT DAY KENYA: ITS STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS A Sooio-economio Description of Informants 6 8 - 73 i n N a i r o b i Structure of the Jamat Khana 73 - ' 7 8 The Takht as a Symbolic Structure in the 79 - 85 Jamat Khana Functions of the Jamat Khana 86-98 Attendance in the Jamat Khana under , 99 - 1 0 6 Different Circumstances CHAPTER FIVE THE JAiJAT KHANA IN PRESENT DAY KENYA: OBSERVANCE OP CER3JONIES AND FESTIVALS Religious Ceremonies In the Jaxnat Khana 111 - 152 Observance of Religious Festivals 1 32 - 149 CHAPTER SIX CONCEPTS OP EQUALITY AND SERVICE AS IDEAL AND PRACTICAL EXPRESSIONS IN THE JAMAT KHANA Equality in the Jamat Khana 1 5 1 - 156 Theme of Service 157 - 173 CHAPTER SEVEN OTHER FINDINGS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT Communal Residences - 175 - 183 Marriage Ceremonies 183 - 109 Funeral Rites 190 - 192 CHAPTER EIGHT CONCLUSION Indicators of Cohesiveness 194 - 198 Individual Variation in Commitment 1 9 9 - 204 Attitudes on Cohesiveness 204 - 216 GLOSSARY OP SELECTED ISLIAILI TERMINOLOGY 217 - 219 USED IN THE STUDY APPENDICES: 1 Appendix A: Procedure Adopted for Ranking 220 - 221 Religious Pestivals Appendix Bi Questionnaire 222 - 228 BIBLIOGRAPHY 22 9 - 238 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to reoord my gratitude to Dr. Diane Kayongo-Male and to Dr. Eamail who supervised this study. I am especially indebted to Dr. Kayongo-Male who not only guided the sooiologioal approach to the study, but whose constant encouragement and interest in my work have been ao invaluable in writing this thesis. I au grateful to members of the Ismaili community of Kenya, and particularly of Nairobi, who, by their co-operation, made possible the oonolusions reached in this study. To all those friends for their enoouragement, my sinoere thanks. In particular, I wish to acknowledge help from Dr. Parouk Topan and Mr. Karim Janmohamed. I also wish to express my warm appreciation to all my family for their ooncem, patience and understanding during all the phases of the study. / il Table LIST OP TABLES Page 1 Breakdown of Respondents Interviewed 12 2 Distribution of Respondents by Age 69 3 Occupational Breakdown According to Sex 70 4 Plaoe of Birth of Respondents 71 5 Length of Residenoe in Nairobi of the 72 Respondents 6 Visiting Takht as Determined by Understanding 83 7 Visiting Takht Aooording to Sex 84 8 Need of the Jamat Khana 90 9 Functions of the Jamat Khana 91 10.a Responses to the Statement thati 92 "The Jamat Khana is just a Plaoe for Prayer" Aooording to Sex b Responses to the Statement thati 93 "The Jamat Khana is just a plaoe for Prayer" Aooording to Male and Female Age Groups Ok o Responses to the Statement thati 94 "The Jamat Khana is just a Place for Prayer" Aooording to Occupation d Responses to the Statement that! '96 "The Jamat Khana is just a Plaoe for Prayer" Aooording to Length of Residenoe in Nairobi 11 Reasons for Attending Jamat Khana 97 / 12 Praying Together oompared with Meeting 98 Friends in the Jamat Khana ill 13 Attendance In Jamat Khana in the Past Compared with Attendance In Jamat Khana Today- 14 Attendance in Jamat Khana According to A g e Croups 15 Need of Jamat Khana in Times of Stress Aooording to Sex 16 Need of Jamat Khana in Times of Stress Aooording to Length of Residence of Respondents in Nairobi 17 Announcements Cun Social Events in the Jamat Khana 18 Religious Ceremonies Ranked in Order of Impor t a n c e 19 Interpretation of Ghatpai 20 Breakdown of Respondents who did not know the Purpose of Gbatpat Ceremony According to Occupation 21 Interpretation of the Ceremony of Nandi 22 Significance Attached to the Imamat Day- Pea st 23 Religious Festivals Ranked in Order of Import a n c e 24 Celebration of Religious Festivals Outside the Jamat Khana: Issue Invitations for Meals 25 Exchange of Gifts on Important Occasions 26 Closeness Created in the Jamat Khana on the Oooasion of a Religious Festival According to Male and Female Respondents i T Table Page 27 Equality In the Jamat Khana 153 According to Oooupation 28 Togetherness Created In the Jamat Khana 155 by Different Categories of People oompared with the Notion of Equality In the Jamat Khana 29 Opportunities of Service 161 30 Equality In the Jamat Khana oompared with 164 One Strata of l3maili Society 31.a Practioe of Beading Names in the Jamat 166 Khana Aooording to Sex b Praotice of Reading Names in the Jamat 167 Khana Aooording to Age Croups 32 Concept of Service Interpreted by Respondents 169 33 Interpretation of Use of Money in the 171 Jamat Khana 34 Equality Resulting from Prayers in the 177 Jamat Khana Aooording to Residents and Non-residents 35 Interpretation of Cohesion According to 1?8 Residents and Non-residents 36 Residents and Non-residentsJ Peroeived 180 Differences between Ismailis and Non-Ismailis I 37 Dependenoe an Ismailis According to 181 Residents and Non-residents 38 Reasons for Cohesiveness 206 / 39 Difference2 between Ismailis and Others 209 40 Dependence on Pellow Ismailis 211 ABSTRACT This study concentrates on and examines the role of the institution of the iamat khana as a major source of cohesiveness in the lamaill community in Kenya. The Ismailis first settled in the oountry at the end of the 19th century, and established the jamat khana as the foremost communal institution. This institution has hitherto been an unexplored area of enquiry, and it is maintained and demonstrated through purposive interviews and a randomised survey that the close-knit nature of the community is primarily due to the jamat khana. This is so because the jamat khana acts as a oentral focus for essential religious as well as essential sooial functions. Owing to a lack of indepth studies on any of the varied aspects of the Ismaili community in Kenya, and beoause of a marked soaroity of historical documents on the subject, the oonolusions reached in this study depend extensively on the survey that was carried out. Reference has been made to several sociological studies which discuss different ways of achieving cohesiveness among people in any given society. The soundness of some of these hypotheses has been verified in this study. The major findings do indicate that the oohesion of the Ismaili community springs from the fundamental belief in an everliving .71 Imam e*pressed and realized in a practical form in the ■iamat k h a n a , t h r o u g h the o bservance of r e g u l a r oeremonies, and the oonsequent interaction betv/een individuals. Inspite of the observation made that the level of individual commitment differed considerably and consequently determined variance in individual perceptions and attitudes, the Ismaili community as a whole is distinctive in having a very strong degree of cohesiveness which derives primarily from the jamat khana. / 1 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The Ismaili community of Kenya is the subject of the present study. Emphasis is given in particular to the .iamat k h a n a . t heir h o u s e of prayer, a nd t o i ts role i n creating oohesiveuess within the community. The notion of cohesiveness oannot be conoeived of without there first being a community. Thus the term community is used to refer to this particular group of people which is linked together by its common religious heritage, and by a common system of beliefs and values. It is further linked by a common area of origin - the Indian sub-continent, and consequently of culture, social oustoms and language. In Kenya, the Ismailis are not oonoentrated in any one particular region in the country. Large numbers are however grouped together in the major urban centres - in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nalcuru. Ae the basic features of the Ismaili jamat khana in any one of the centres in Kenya are almost identical to those as observed in Nairobi, no comparison is made either with a rural or an . urban Ismaili group in the country. Nairobi has been the obvious field of study beoause it contains the largest ' „ oonoentration of the Ismaili population in Kenya. Furthermore, it is the headquarters of the Ismaili Councils, not of Kenya alone, but of Africa, and it i3 the centre of the communal institutions of the country - the health, educational, economic, administrative and judicial organisations. It is 2 however beyond the soope of thlo work to study the vast network of these institutions of the Ismaili community, as each would merit a separate study.
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