Personal Life
Prince Sadruddin's life was deeply influenced by his family roots and cultural heritage. It is claimed that his paternal lineage goes back to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, through the Prophet's daughter Fatima and cousin Ali. Prince Sadruddin's grandmother was the granddaughter of the Qajar Emperor Fath’Ali Shah.
International service was a family tradition, and throughout his life Prince Sadruddin was surrounded by it. His father held influential roles in British India and was instrumental in the formation of Pakistan. He also served two terms as President of the League of Nations. Prince Sadruddin's older half-brother, Prince Aly Khan, was Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations. Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the 49th Imam of the Ismaili Muslims and present Aga Khan, was a nephew to Prince Sadruddin, and is the founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network. His brother, Prince Amyn, had previously worked with the United Nations before joining the Aga Khan's secretariat. Meanwhile, Prince Sadruddin's niece Princess Yasmin, has devoted herself to the fight against Alzheimer's disease.
Prince Sadruddin had a taste for culture, including music, art and literature. He was a familiar figure at music festivals and other cultural events, both in Europe and overseas. His concern for the environment was complemented by his enjoyment of the outdoors; he was a keen skier and an accomplished sailor. While still at Harvard in 1953, Prince Sadruddin became the founding publisher of the Paris Review, which was established with the aim of bringing original creative work to the fore. Every year the Review awards the Aga Khan Prize for Fiction (established by his father) for the best short story that it published in the past year.
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