Anoushirvan (Shir) Khan Qajar Qovanlou 'Eyn ol-Molk' 'Etezad od-Doleh' (died 1866) was an Iranian aristocrat, general and courtier. Anoushirvan Khan Qajar Qovanlou, in short Shir Khan, was the only child of Soleyman Khan Qajar Qovanlou 'Khan-e Khanan' with Princess Malekzadeh Khanoum Qajar. Both parents were grandchildren of the Persian king

Fath-Ali Shah Qajar Fath-Ali Shah Qajar ( fa, فتحعلى‌شاه قاجار, 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 irr ...

. He therefore grew up in one of the most powerful and influential aristocratic families in Iran of the era. Since childhood he belonged to the small group of intimate friends and relatives of his cousin

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar Naser al-Din Shah Qajar ( fa, ناصرالدین‌شاه قاجار; 16 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. He was the son of Mohammad Shah Qajar and Malek ...

. bbas Amanat, Pivot of the Universe. Nasir al-Din Shah and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831-1896, University of California Press, 1997. /ref> In 1854 he received the title Eyn ol-Molk and two years later he became Khan Salar, Master of the Royal Kitchens, one of the most important and responsible jobs at court as it entailed preventing any possible attempt at poisoning the monarch. Around 1860 he married his cousin Princess Ezzat od-Doleh, sister of

, after she divorced her second husband Mirza Kazem Khan 'Nezam ol-Molk'. In 1861 he was chosen as ilkhan (chief) of the

Qajars (tribe) The Qajars ( az, Qacarlar, fa, ایل قاجار), also spelled Kadjars, Kajars, Kadzhars, Cadzhars, Cadjars, Ghajars, etc.) are a clan of the Bayat tribe of the Oghuz Turks who lived variously, with other tribes, in the area that is now Armeni ...

and in 1863 he was appointed Governor of Mazandaran,

Gorgan Gorgan ( fa, گرگان ; also romanized as ''Gorgān'', ''Gurgān'', and ''Gurgan''), formerly Esterabad ( ; also romanized as ''Astarābād'', ''Asterabad'', and ''Esterābād''), is the capital city of Golestan Province, Iran. It lies appro ...

and

Astarabad Gorgan ( fa, گرگان ; also romanized as ''Gorgān'', ''Gurgān'', and ''Gurgan''), formerly Esterabad ( ; also romanized as ''Astarābād'', ''Asterabad'', and ''Esterābād''), is the capital city of Golestan Province, Iran. It lies appro ...

and sometime later also of

Qazvin Qazvin (; fa, قزوین, , also Romanized as ''Qazvīn'', ''Qazwin'', ''Kazvin'', ''Kasvin'', ''Caspin'', ''Casbin'', ''Casbeen'', or ''Ghazvin'') is the largest city and capital of the Province of Qazvin in Iran. Qazvin was a capital of the ...

Khuzestan Khuzestan Province (also spelled Xuzestan; fa, استان خوزستان ''Ostān-e Xūzestān'') is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahvaz and it covers ...

Mahallat Mahallat ( fa, محلات, also Romanized as Maḩallāt; also known as Mahallāt Bāla and Maḩallāt-e Bālā) is the capital of Mahallat County, Markazi Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, the city had population of 35,31910,285 families. ...

, Shahroud and Bastam. From 1865 he was commander-in-chief of the armies of Mazandaran,

and Gilan. The actual work in the provinces was done by his half brother Mohammad Ali Khan, as his responsibilities as Khan Salar made it necessary to remain in the proximity of the

Shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

. In 1864 he was presented with the title Etezad od-Doleh; a title once carried by his great grandfather. In 1866 the

gave him the rank of commander-in-chief of

Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

, but the same year he died of the

Plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

. He had issue with Ezzat od-Doleh and with other wives (among them Ghodrat Malek Khanoum). The descendants in the male line later took the family name Sepahbody (Sepahbodi) as a reference to Shir Khan's military rank. Two of his daughters married to Seyyed Sadr ed-Din 'Sadr ol-Ashraf I' from Mahallat, the uncle of

Mohsen Sadr Mohsen Sadr ( fa, محسن صدر; also known by his title: Sadr ol-Ashraf I (1871 – 19 October 1962) was a Prime Minister of Iran. He was born in Mahallat in Markazi in 1871 as the son of Seyyed Hossein 'Fakhr ol-Zakerin', a wealthy cler ...

. Through one of his sons Shir Khan is the great grandfather of Farhad Sepahbody and through one of this daughters Shir Khan is the great great grandfather of Hossein Eslambolchi.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:od-Doleh, Anoushirvan (Shir) Khan Qajar Qovanlou Eyn ol-Molk Etezad Year of birth missing 1866 deaths Place of birth missing Place of death missing 19th-century Iranian politicians Qajar courtiers Qajar governors of Gilan Commanders in chief