file:ملیجک_و_انیس‌الدوله.jpg, link=https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%BE%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87:%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%AC%DA%A9_%D9%88_%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B3%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D9%87.jpg, 232x232px, Anis al-Dawla and Aziz al-Soltan Anis al-Dawla (died 1896) was a royal consort of shah Naser al-Din Shah Qajar of Persia (r. 1848–1896).G. Nashat, “ANĪS-AL-DAWLA,” Encyclopædia Iranica, II/1, pp. 74-76, available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/anis-al-dawla-d (accessed on 30 December 2012).

Life

She was the daughter of an impoverished shepherd in a from a village in Lavāsān, northeast of Tehran, and was employed as a free maidservant to

Jeyran (wife of Naser al-Din Shah) Jeyran (; born Khadijeh Khanum Tajrishi (), 1831–1860) was one of the beloved wives and first mistress of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (1848-1896). Known for her beauty and charm, Jeyran was born as Khadijeh, daughter of Mohammad Ali, a gardener ...

in the

Qajar harem The harem of the monarchs of the Qajar dynasty (1785-1925) consisted of several thousand people. The harem had a precise internal administration, based on the women's rank. Hierarchy and organisation Mother of the Shah As was customary in Muslim ...

in 1859. She became the favorite of the shah after Jeyrān's death in 1860. She was the only wife to take meals with Nāṣer-al-dīn and to join him regularly at bedtime after he received visits from other wives; she was also the only one to openly criticize him. While the shah' had other favorites, such as her own servant

Amina Aqdas Amina Aqdas (died 1893) was a royal consort of shah Naser al-Din Shah Qajar of Persia (r. 1848–1896).G. Nashat,Amīna Aqdas" Encyclopædia Iranica, I/9, pp. 954-955, accessed on 30 December 2012. She was the daughter of an impoverished shepherd i ...

, she remained his main favorite. She had a great desire to visit the West. In 1873, she did accompany the Shah on his visit to Moscow; however, she was forced to interrupt the visit and return after it became apparent that the host governments was not able to manage the protocol around secluded veiled women. She blamed prime minister

Mirza Hosein Khan Moshir od-Dowleh Mirza Hosein Khan Moshir od-Dowleh Sepahsalar ( fa, میرزا حسین خان مشیرالدوله سپهسالار) or simply Mirza Hosein Sepahsalar ( fa, میرزا حسین سپهسالار) (1828–1881) was the Grand Vizier (prime minister) ...

, for her interrupted journey, and managed to have him deposed from his post. In the harem, she took precedence over all other eighty-five wives. She took over the duties by the shah's mother

Malek Jahan Khanom Malek Jahan Khanom ( fa, ملک جهان خانم; 26 February 1805 – 2 April 1873) was the wife of Mohammad Shah Qajar of Persia and the mother of Naser al-Din Shah. She was the ''de facto'' regent of Persian Empire for one month, from 5 ...

after her death in 1873, and was given revenue from districts rather than a salary like the other women. She received the wives of heads of foreign legations and visiting dignitaries. Her influence over the shah resulted in her being given a lot appeals from supplicants.

References

{{reflist 1896 deaths Qajar royal consorts 19th-century Iranian women