Aquila Berlas Kiani

Doctor Aquila Berlas Kiani

Aquila Berlas Kiani

Aquila Kiani in early life
Born Aquila Barlas or Aqila Begum
1921
India
Died 30 March 2012(2012-03-30)[1]
Canada
Nationality Pakistani
Known for Academic work in sociology and education in social work

Aquila Berlas Kiani (1921–30 March 2012),[1][2] also known as Aquila Kiani (née Aquila Barlas or Aqila Begum)[3][4] was a Professor of Sociology and an educator in social work.[5] Born in undivided India, she worked in Pakistan, UK and USA.[5] She served as Chairman of the Department of Sociology at the University of Karachi].

Kiani had a number of notable academic research papers published, presided over several organizations and was awarded a fellowship by the London-based Institute for Cultural Research,[5] founded by the writer and thinker, Idries Shah.[6]

Family background

Aquila Kiani was born into a distinguished Indian family. Her father, Mirza Shakir Hussain Barlas, a barrister, was descended from Nawab Qasim Jan, a courtier in the royal courts of Mughal Delhi.[7][8] Her mother, Bibi Mehmooda Begum was the daughter of Nawab Amjad Ali Shah, last Nawab (noble) of Sardhana.[3]

Bibi Mehmooda Begum was also the sister of the Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah, an Indian-Afghan author and diplomat descended from the Afghan warlord and noble, Jan-Fishan Khan and the Sadaat (descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad) of Paghman near Kabul, Afghanistan.[9][10][11]

Kiani and her husband, Abdul Hameed Kiani had a son and two daughters: Khalid Kiani, Sohail Kiani and Lina Kiani.[3] In later life, she went into retirement in Vancouver, Canada,[5] where she subsequently died on 30 March 2012.[1][12]

Education

Aquila Kiani received degrees in sociology and education in India, the UK, the USA and Canada:[5][13]

Professional career

In the 1960s and 1970s, Kiani worked in Pakistan. She became a specialist in Rural Sociology and Anthropology in Peshawar; was made Head of the Department of Social Work, and later served as Chairman of the Department of Sociology at the University of Karachi.[5]

As well as carrying out and publishing academic research on a wide range of subjects, and public speaking, Kiani held several notable positions as President of the Pakistan Federation of University Women, President of the Pakistan Sociological Association, and founding President of the Soroptimist Club of Karachi.[5] She was also made a Fellow of the London-based Institute for Cultural Research.[5][15]

Kiani later worked in the USA and Canada. She was made Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Work at the University of Alaska, and worked for the Ontario Administration of Settlement & Integration Services.[5][15]

In 1996, she was invited by the Women's Federation for World Peace in Seattle, Washington to make a guest speech at their conference.[5]

Academic publications

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 3 Staff. "Obituaries and Services: Search for Aquila Kiani". Dignity Memorial, Victory Memorial Park, Surrey, BC. Retrieved 2012-09-17. Enter the names 'Aquila' and 'Kiani'. The search will confirm the date of death and the full name. The memorial expires on 29 April 2013.
  2. ↑ Note: the transliteration of the family name -- Berlas not Barlas -- is preferred by the Institute for Cultural Research and in her memorial obituary. She also herself preferred the transliteration of her given name, Aquila rather than Aqila.
  3. 1 2 3 Buyers, Christopher. "The Yusufi Dynasty Genealogy". The Royal Ark, Royal and Ruling Houses of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
  4. ↑ Note: She is listed in some sources as Aqila Begum. Begum is the female equivalent of Nawab (noble).
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Staff. "The Institute for Cultural Research: Fellows: Aquila Berlas Kiani". The Institute for Cultural Research. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
  6. ↑ Justin Wintle (ed), Makers of Modern Culture, Volume I, p474, Routledge, 2001, ISBN 0-415-26583-5. Retrieved from Google book search here on 2012-09-16.
  7. ↑ Smith, R. V. (8 January 2007). "Of Ghalib's abode, masjid and muse". The Hindu. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  8. ↑ Staff. "Barlas Family: Royal Barlas Family in India". Geni. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  9. ↑ Obituary of Idries Shah, The Independent (London) of November 26, 1996.
  10. ↑ Shah, Saira (2003), The Storyteller's Daughter, New York, NY: Anchor Books, ISBN 1-4000-3147-8, pp. 19–26
  11. ↑ Elwell-Sutton, L. P. (May 1975). "Sufism & Pseudo-Sufism". Encounter XLIV (5): 14.
  12. ↑ Staff. "Aquila Berlas Kiani: View Obituary". Dignity Memorial, Victory Memorial Park, Surrey, BC. Retrieved 2012-09-16. The memorial expires on 29 April 2013.
  13. 1 2 Staff. "Masters of Social Work (MSW) Alumni" (pdf). The University of British Columbia (UBC). Retrieved 2012-09-17. Also at DocStoc.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Kiani, Aquila (22 February 1983). "Correlates of age in a sample of suicide attempters known to an agency" (pdf). The University of British Columbia (UBC). Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  15. 1 2 "Aquila Berlas Kiani, Chairman of the Department of Sociology, University of Karachi". ZoomInfo. 28 April 2007. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Aquila Kiani [WorldCat Identities]". WorldCat Identities. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
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