Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
Fath-Ali Shah Qajar | |
---|---|
Khan of Khans[1] | |
Shah of Iran | |
Reign | 17 June 1797 – 23 October 1834 |
Predecessor | Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar |
Successor | Mohammad Shah Qajar |
Grand viziers | See list
|
Born | May 1769 Agha Baji |
Religion | Shia Islam |
Tughra |
Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (Persian: فتحعلىشاه قاجار, romanized: Fatḥ-ʻAli Šâh Qâjâr; May 1769 – 24 October 1834) was the second Shah (king) of Qajar Iran. He reigned from 17 June 1797 until his death on 24 October 1834. His reign saw the irrevocable ceding of Iran's northern territories in the Caucasus, comprising what is nowadays Georgia, Dagestan, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, to the Russian Empire following the Russo-Persian Wars of 1804–1813 and 1826–1828 and the resulting treaties of Gulistan and Turkmenchay.[2] Historian Joseph M. Upton says that he "is famous among Iranians for three things: his exceptionally long beard, his wasp-like waist, and his progeny."[3]
At the end of his reign, his difficult economic problems and military and technological liabilities took Iran to the verge of governmental disintegration, which was quickened by a consequent struggle for the throne after his death.[4]
Under Fath-Ali Shah, many visual portrayals of himself and his court were created in an effort to commend the crown. These notable include
Early life
He was born in May 1769 in the city of
Baba Khan later returned to Damghan (according to the 19th-century Iranian writer
In 1780, Baba Khan and Agha Mohammad Khan were captured in Baforush by the latter's brother Rezaqoli Khan Qajar, who was displeased of the favour that Baba Khan received by Agha Mohammad Khan. They were eventually released, and in 1781 Baba Khan seized Damghan from Qader Khan Arab Bestami, thus recovering his father's former domain. Baba Khan also captured and married Qader Khan's daughter Badr Jahan. In 1783, Baba Khan married his first Qajar wife, Asiyeh Khanum in Sari. The marriage was a political union organized by Agha Mohammad Khan to make peace with the Yokhari-bash branch of the Qajars, the clan of Asiyeh Khanum. Following Agha Mohammad Khan's accession to the throne at Tehran on 21 March 1786, Baba Khan was designated as his heir and vice-regent.[4]
Baba Khan took part in his uncle's war with the Zands in southern Iran, where he in 1787 narrowly succeeded in defeating the governor of
Baba Khan was governor of
Fath Ali also ordered the creation of much royal regalia, including coronations chairs; the "Takht-e Khurshīd" or
In 1797, Fath Ali was given a complete set of the
In Khorasan, there would be a growing revolt led by Nader Mirza, who would restore the Afsharid dynasty. The Shah's control was so limited in fact that an 1800–1801 tax register listed only Sabzevar and Neyshabur as paying taxes to the government, while the rest of the local Khorasani leaders paid no taxes to the state at all.[7]
Russo-Persian Wars (1804–1828)
Russo-Persian War (1804–1813)
During the early reign of Fath Ali Shah,
Persia had to ask for help from France, sending an ambassador to
Treaty of Gulistan
On account of consecutive defeats of
By this treaty all of the cities, towns, and villages of
Interlude on a different front
Between 1805 and 1816, Qajar rulers began invading Herat in neighboring Afghanistan with small detachments. The Persians were attempting to retake control of the city but were forced to abandon it due to Afghan uprisings.[9] In 1818 the Shah sent his son Mohammad Vali Mirza to capture the city but he was defeated at the Battle of Kafir Qala.
Russo-Persian War (1826–1828)
In 1826, 13 years after the
Treaty of Turkmenchay
The Turkmenchay Treaty was signed on 21 February 1828 by
Later life
Fath Ali later employed writers and painters[who?] to make a book about his wars with Russia, inspired by the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi. This book, considered by many to be the most important Persian book written in the Qajar period, is called the Shahanshahnama.
In 1829,
When his favourite son and crown prince
He is instantly recognizable in all 25 known portraits – mainly due to his immense, deeply black beard, which reached well beneath his narrow waist. One of these portraits is being exhibited in the collection of the
Besides eulogistic chronicles, the only real sources that allow us to judge his personality are those of British, French and Russian diplomats[citation needed]. These vary greatly: earlier in his reign they tend to portray him as vigorous, manly and highly intelligent. Later they begin to point out his extreme indolence and avarice.[3] The image of decadence was epitomised by the story that he had a special harem slide of marble constructed. Every day he would lie on his back naked "as, one by one, naked harem beauties swooped down a slide, specially made for the sport, into the arms of their lord and master before being playfully dunked in a pool."[13][14]
Titles
Fath-Ali Shah used both the ancient Persian title of
Appearance
Fath-Ali Shah was the last Qajar shah to dress in the traditional manner, which included a decorated Persian long robe, high heels, and a long beard.[15] The Scottish statesman and historian John Malcolm, who met Fath-Ali Shah in 1800, described him as "above the middle size, his age little more than thirty, his complexion rather fair, his features regular and fine, with an expression denoting quickness and intelligence."[4]
Legacy
During his reign, Fath-Ali Shah successfully revamped his realm from a mostly Turkic tribal khanship into a centralized and stable monarchy based on the old imperial design.[4]
Marriage and children
Fath-Ali Shah is reported to have had more than 1,000 spouses. He was survived by fifty-seven sons and forty-six daughters, along with 296 grandsons and 292 granddaughters.[3]
A book published in England in 1874 provided different numbers:
"It is believed that Fetteh Ali had the largest number of children ever born to a man. Like a pious Mohammedan, he had only four wives, but his harem generally contained from 800 to 1,000 ladies. By these he had 130 sons and 150 daughters, and it is believed that at the time of his death his descendants numbered five thousand souls. The three grandsons who merit notice were the sons of Hussein Ali, the governor of Fars, who aspired to the throne. The princes, Riza Kuli Mirza, Nejeff Kuli Mirza, and Timour Mirza, were at Shiraz when their father attempted to seize the throne. They were able to make their escape from the city."[16]
While this is a large number of children, the claim that Fatḥ-ʻAli holds the record is not true. (Moulay Ismail ibn Sharif, who lived a hundred years earlier in Morocco, is said to hold the record for the most number of children born to a man.)
Fatḥ-Ali's first son,
- Consorts
- Ziba Chehar Khanum, a Georgian woman from the Tzicarashwili family;[17]
- Badr Jahan Khanum, daughter of Muhammad Jafar Khan Bastami Arab;[18]
- Asiyeh Khanum "Mehd-i-aulya", daughter of Fath Ali Khan Davallu;[19][4]
- Nushafrin Khanum, a Zand woman;[19]
- Maryam Khanom, a Jewish woman from Mazandaran;[19][4]
- Hajiyeh Badr al-Nesa Khanum Badran, daughter of Mustafa Quli Khan Qajar Qavanlu;[19][20]
- Kheyr al-Nessa Khanum (Aay Baaji), daughter of Majnoun Khan Pazouki, daughter of Morteza Qoli Khan Qajar Qavanlu;[21]
- Esfahan.[22]
- Golbadan Baji Khanum "Khazen-ol-Dowleh", a Georgian concubine, originally a woman in service to Fath Ali Shah's mother;[19][4]
- Kulsum Khanum, a woman from the family of Sayyeds of Pazvar;[23]
- Begum Jan Khanum, a woman from Qazvin;[24]
- A daughter of Sadiq Khan Shaqaqi of Sarab Khanate;[25]
- Gul Pirhan Khanum, an Armenian concubine from Tbilisi;[26]
- Humai Khanum, a Kurdish woman from Mazandaran;[27]
- A daughter of Imam Qoli Khan Afsar Urumi;[28]
- Sunbul Khanum, a prisoner taken by Agha Mohammad Khan;[28]
- Khatun Jan Khanum, sister of Gulrukh Khanum, wife of Farukh Khan Amin-al-Dawleh;[19]
- Mihr al-Nesa Khanum, sister of Mahmud Khan Dunbuli;[29]
- Sons[30]
- Mohammad Ali Mirza'Dowlatshah' (1788–1821) – with Ziba Chehr Khanum;
- Abbas Mirza 'Nayeb os-Saltaneh' (1789–1833) – with Asiyeh Khanum;
- Hossein Ali Mirza 'Farman Farma' (1789–1835) – with Badr Jahan Khanum;
- Hasan Ali Mirza 'Etemad os-Saltaneh' 'Shoja os-Saltaneh' (1789–1854) – with Badr Jahan Khanum;
- Ali Shah Mirza 'Zell os-Soltan' (1789–1854)- with Asiyeh Khanum;
- Mohammad Taqi Mirza 'Hessam os-Saltaneh' (1791–1853)
- Ali Naqi Mirza 'Rokn od-Doleh' (1793) – with Begum Jan Khanum;
- Sheikh Ali Mirza 'Sheikh ol-Molouk' (1796) – with Hajiye Khanum;
- Abdollah Mirza 'Dara' (1796–1846) – with Kulsum Khanum;
- Emamverdi Mirza 'Keshikchi Bashi' (1796–1869) – with Begum Jan Khanum;
- Mohammad Reza Mirza 'Afsar' (1797)
- Mahmud Mirza (1799–1835) – with Maryam Khanum;
- Heydar Qoli Mirza (1799) – with Kheyr al-Nesa Khanum;
- Homayoun Mirza (1801–1856/1857) – with Maryam Khanum;
- Allah Verdi Mirza 'Navab' (1801–1843) – with Banafshah Badam Khanum;
- Esma'il Mirza (1802–1853)
- Ahmad Ali Mirza (1804) – with Maryam Khanum;
- Ali Reza Mirza
- Keyghobad Mirza (1806) – with Shah Pasand Khanum;
- Haj Bahram Mirza (1806)
- Shapour Mirza (1807)
- Malek Iraj Mirza (1807)
- Manouchehr Mirza 'Baha ol-Molk'
- Keykavous Mirza (1807) – with Shah Pasand Khanum;
- Malek Ghassem Mirza (1807–1859)
- Shah Qoli Mirza (1808)
- Mohammad Mehdi Mirza 'Zargam ol-Molk' (1808) – with Mushteri Khanum;
- Jahanshah Mirza (1809) – with Maryam Khanum;
- Keykhosrow Mirza 'Sepahsalar' (1809) – with Shah Pasand Khanum;
- Kiomarth Mirza "Il-Khani" (1809–1872/1873)
- Soleiman Mirza 'Shoa od-Doleh' (1810)
- Fathollah Mirza 'Shoa os-Saltaneh' (1811–1869/1870) – with Sunbul Khanum;
- Malek Mansour Mirza (1811)
- Soltan Mohammad Mirza 'Sayf ol-Dowleh' (1812–1899) – with Taj ol-Dowleh
- Bahman Mirza 'Baha od-Doleh' – with Khazin-al-Dawleh;
- Soltan Ebrahim Mirza (1813) – with Begum Jan Khanum;
- Soltan Mostafa Mirza (1813)
- Seyfollah Mirza (Jahanbani) (1814) – with Khazin-al-Dawleh;
- Yahya Mirza (1817) – with Begum Khanum;
- Mohammad Amin Mirza (1819–1886) – with Mushteri Khanum;
- Zakaria Mirza (1819) s.p.
- Farrokhseyr Mirza 'Nayer od-Doleh' (1819) – with Taj-al-Dawleh
- Soltan Hamzeh Mirza (1819)
- Tahmoures Mirza (1820) s.p.
- Aliqoli Mirza 'Etezad os-Saltaneh' (1822) – with Gul Pirhan Khanum;
- Soltan-Ahmad Mirza Azod od-Dowleh (1824–1902) – with Taj ol-Dowleh;
- Eskandar Mirza 'Saheb Khaghan'
- Parviz Mirza 'Nayer od-Doleh' – with Begum Khanum;
- Jalal al-Din Mirza 'Ehtesham ol-Molk' (1826) – with Humai Khanum;
- Amanollah Mirza 'Agha Lili'
- Soltan Hossein Mirza – with Allahqoz Khanum;
- Hossein Qoli Mirza 'Jahansouz Mirza " 'Amir Toman' (1830–1900/1901) – with Begum Khanum;
- Haj Abbas Qoli Mirza – with Gul Pirhan Khanum;
- Nouroldar Mirza
- Kamran Mirza – with Naneh Khanum;
- Orangzeb Mirza (1830/1831-1867/1868) – with Naneh Khanum;
- Mohammad Hadi Mirza (1832) – with Mushteri Khanum;
Daughters;
- Ziaʾ al-Saltaneh(1799–1873)
- Khadijeh Soltan Begom, "Esmat-ad-Dowleh." Wife of Mirza Ebrahim Khan Nazer (son of Haji Mohammad Hossein Khan Sadr-e Esfahani). They had one daughter and three sons: Sadr ed-Dowleh, Assef ed-Dowleh and Mohammad Bagher Khan
- Sarv-i Jahan Khanum. Wife of the Aga Khan I.
See also
- Samson Makintsev
- carved into the side of a mountain pass.
- Imperial Crown Jewels of Persia
- Naderi throne
- Shah Diamond
- Qara Bayat Amirdom
References
- ^ a b c Amanat 1997, p. 10.
- ISBN 978-1-59884-948-6., page 728
- ^ a b c Joseph M. Upton, The History of Modern Iran: An Interpretation. Contributors: – Author. Publisher: Harvard University Press. Place of publication: Cambridge, 1960, p.4
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Amanat 1999, pp. 407–421.
- ^ Bournoutian 2020.
- ^ William Benton (1968). Banquet at Guildhall in the City of London, Tuesday, 15 October 1968, Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the Encyclopædia Britannica and the 25th Anniversary of the Hon. William Benton as Its Chairman and Publisher. Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ISBN 978-3-7001-7202-4.
- ^ John F. Baddeley, The Russian Conquest of the Caucasus, Longman, Green and Co., London: 1908, p. 90
- ISBN 978-1-5760-7919-5. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
- ^ William Edward David Allen and Paul Muratoff. Caucasian Battlefields: A History of the Wars on the Turco–Caucasian Border 1828–1921. (Cambridge University Press, 2010). 20.
- ^ "Your Paintings". Art UK. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- ^ "Portrait of Fath 'Ali Shah Qajar". Brooklyn Museum. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- ^ John H. Waller, Beyond the Khyber Pass: the road to British disaster in the First Afghan War, Random House, 1990, p. 59.
- ^ The Literary World. 1882. p. 85. Retrieved 1 December 2012. Wording also available here under "The Shah's Palaces"
- ^ Amanat 1997, p. 18.
- ^ Piggot, John (1874). Persia: Ancient & Modern. London: Henry S. King & Co. p. 89.
- ^ "DAWLATŠĀH, MOḤAMMAD-ʿALĪ MĪRZĀ". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- ^ Amanat 1997, p. ?.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-252-07189-8.
- ISBN 978-1-351-78319-4.
- ^ Trollope, Anthony (1873). Saint Pauls [afterw.] The Saint Pauls magazine, ed. by A. Trollope, Volume 12. p. 715.
- ^ Fatema Soudavar Farmanfarmaian (2011): "An Iranian Perspective of J. B. Fraser's Trip to Khorasan in the 1820s", Iranian Studies, 44:2. (p. 225)
- ^ Aradāknī, Hosayn Mahbūbī. "'ABDALLĀH MĪRZĀ DĀRĀ". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- ^ Aradāknī, Hosayn Mahbūbī. "EMĀMVERDĪ MĪRZĀ ĪL-KHĀNĪ". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- ^ a b Tapper 1997, p. ?.
- ^ Abbas, Amanat. "ETEZĀD-AL-SALTANAH, 'ALĪQULĪ MĪRZĀ". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- ^ Amanat & Vejdani 2008, pp. 405–410.
- ^ ISBN 978-9-004-07929-8.
- ISBN 978-3-447-04309-0.
- ^ L.A. Ferydoun Barjesteh van Waalwijk van Doorn and Bahman Bayani, 'The Fath Ali Shah Project', in Qajar Studies IV (2004), Journal of the International Qajar Studies Association, Rotterdam, Santa Barbara and Tehran 2004
Sources
- Amanat, Abbas (1997). Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1845118280.
- Amanat, Abbas (1999). "Fatḥ-ʿAlī Shah Qājār". In ISBN 978-0-933273-32-0.
- Amanat, Abbas; Vejdani, Farzin (2008). "Jalāl-al-Din Mirzā". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. XIV, Fasc. 4. pp. 405–410.
- ISBN 978-90-04-44515-4.
- Tapper, Richard (1997). Frontier Nomads of Iran: A Political and Social History of the Shahsevan. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-52158-336-7.