Frequently Asked Questions
What does Khajistan mean?
Khajistan, originally a village in Herat, Afghanistan, represents an archive founded by Lahore-born filmmaker and preservationist Saad Khan. The archive's mission is to rescue and digitize printed material, art, and media from communities spanning the regions from the Indus to the Maghreb. These efforts aim to preserve knowledge that is often overlooked amidst rapidly advancing Western technological developments. For more details, you can read our manifesto.
What does Khajistan do?
Khajistan is a fiercely independent entity dedicated to acquiring, archiving, digitizing, and publishing overlooked media from the Islamicate world. We fund our efforts through sales, which support the discovery, acquisition, preservation, storage, digitization, publication, and online hosting of media. Our activities include printing books, selling rare books, ephemera, and magazines, as well as preserving and hosting a vast collection of digital photos and memes from the region. Soon, we will also be streaming music and video from our digitized archives.
What is the significance of Khajistan?
Khajistan contributes to the democratization of information by improving the quality of online knowledge and updating the epistemologies of nations within the region's often censorious modern nation-states. By digitizing materials neglected by modern information technology companies and censorious governments, and by making them accessible online, Khajistan allows communities to engage with their diverse, uncensored histories while improving online knowledge and informing AI systems.
What types of media does Khajistan archive?
Khajistan archives a wide range of media, including manuscripts, periodicals, books, magazines, vhs, ephemera, cassettes and vinyl records.
What are the main categories of products available at Khajistan?
We offer a diverse range of products, including:
Toshakhana: Historical periodicals and manuscripts from the Islamicate world. Explore Toshakhana
Bookshop: Early-midcentury books in Urdu, Pashto, Farsi, Sindhi, Turkish, Arabic, Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi Punjabi, Seraiki and Hindi. Most books are published in local presses and themes include hate propaganda, local conspiracy theories, politics, religion, sex, poetry, art and society. Visit the Bookshop
Merchandise: Custom-made products that reflect the cultural and historical themes of our archives. Check out Merchandise
Digital Products: Digitized versions of our archived materials, including e-books, digital magazines, and other multimedia content, allowing you to access our collections from anywhere in the world. Explore Digital Products
What is TOSHAKHANA?
TOSHAKHANA is Khajistan Special Collections. The current Toshakhana is stocked with entire runs of rare Persian and Urdu magazines from the region, Ottoman Turkish and Turkish erotica, Iraqi, Pakistani and American propaganda ephemera, Judaica from the Islamicate world, and historical film documents from Pakistan.
Can I access the full catalog of Khajistan?
We offer detailed listings, prices and descriptions of our archived materials upon request. Please email us at info@khajistan.com.
Where is Khajistan's merchandise designed and shipped from?
Our merch is designed in Brooklyn, New York, and shipped worldwide from our partner warehouses located in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Latvia, Spain, and Poland.
How long does shipping take?
For merchandise, our shipping times are between 5-8 business days, depending on your location and the items ordered. Toshakhana and Bookshop orders are delivered within 1-2 weeks.
How does Khajistan support sustainability?
We make our products to order instead of in bulk to reduce overproduction. This approach helps minimize waste and keeps items out of landfills. Thank you for making a thoughtful purchasing decision that supports sustainability.
Does Khajistan offer in-store pickup?
In-store pickup is available for Toshakhana and Bookshop products only, not for merchandise.
How can I contact Khajistan?
Email us at info@khajistan.com.
What should I do if I have a problem with my order?
If you encounter any issues with your order, please contact us at info@khajistan.com with your order number and details of the problem.
How can I support Khajistan's mission?
You can support Khajistan by purchasing our collections, books, and merchandise, by investing, donating, or becoming a stockist for our published books. Your contribution directly funds our work in preserving and promoting overlooked media from the Islamicate world.
How do I apply to collaborate with Khajistan?
Please email us directly with your area of interest and any relevant experience. We are looking for the following support:
Interns: Assist in cataloging our extensive collection of physical materials in Islamabad, New York City, Istanbul and remotely.
Programmers: We are seeking skilled back-end and front-end developers to enhance our digital infrastructure.
Public Relations and Marketing: Help us spread awareness of our mission and work.
Writers and Editors: Write and edit for our Madrassa.
Film Archiving: Join us in scanning and archiving our selection of acquired "B" films from Pakistan.
Digitization Partners: Support us with digitization processes of our vast collections of physical materials:
Speaking Engagements: Invite us for guest lectures. You can request a call with with the founder here.
Investments: We are seeking venture capital investments.