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 irrevocable ceding of Iran's northern territories in the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...
, comprising what is nowadays
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
,
Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North ...
,
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
, and
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ...
, to the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...
following the Russo-Persian Wars of
1804–1813 and
1826–1828 and the resulting treaties of
Gulistan and
Turkmenchay
Turkamanchay ( fa, تركمانچائ; also Romanized as Torkamānchāy, Torkamān Chāy, Torkmancāy, Turkmanchai, Turkemanchay, Turkomanchay, Turkmānchāi, Torkamān Chāy, Torkamānchāi, and Turcoman Chie; also known simply as Torkamān) is a ...
. 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."
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.
Under Fath-Ali Shah, many visual portrayals of himself and his court were created in an effort to commend the crown. These notable include
rock reliefs next to the ones erected under the pre-Islamic
Sasanian Empire (224–651) in
Ray
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (g ...
,
Fars and
Kermanshah. This was done so that he could represent himself as heir to the ancient Persian Empire to his countryfolk and the generations that followed.
Early life
He was born in May 1769 in the city of
Damghan
Damghan ( fa, دامغان, translit=Dāmghān) is the capital of Damghan County, Semnan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 57,331, in 15,849 families. It is situated east of Tehran on the high-road to Mashad, at an elevatio ...
, then under the governorship of his father. He was called Fath-Ali, a name borne by his
prominent great-grandfather. But he was mainly known by his second name of Baba Khan until his coronation in 1797. However, the Russians still called him Baba Khan until 1813, as they refused to recognize his rule. He was the eldest son of Hossein Qoli Khan Qajar (the brother of
Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar) and the daughter of the Mohammad Agha Ezz al-Dinlu of the Ashaqa-bash branch of the
Qajar tribe. Due to Hossein Qoli Khan being suspected of plotting to rebel against the
Zand dynasty, Baba Khan (then aged five) was sent as a hostage to the court of the Zand ruler
Karim Khan Zand () in
Shiraz. There Baba Khan joined his uncle Agha Mohammad Khan, who was also a hostage at the court.
Baba Khan later returned to Damghan (according to the 19th-century Iranian writer
Reza-Qoli Khan Hedayat, this took place in 1775), where he was witness to the conflict amongst the Davallu Qajar chiefs of
Astarabad, which ultimately led to the murder of his father by the Kuklan Turkmens in 1777. Baba Khan sought shelter with his uncle
Morteza Qoli Khan Qajar in the village of Anzan (near Astarabad), where he stayed for two years. Following the death of Karim Khan in 1779, Baba Khan shifted his allegiance to Agha Mohammad Khan, who had returned to
Mazandaran and overpowered Morteza Qoli and two other brothers in
Barforush. Albeit Agha Mohammad Khan had been castrated at a young age, he married Baba Khan's mother in
Sari and practically became his stepfather and guardian.
In 1780, Baba Khan and Agha Mohammad Khan were captured in Baforush by the latters 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
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the Capital city, capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is th ...
in 21 March 1786, Baba Khan was designated as his heir and vice-regent.
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
Yazd, Mohammad-Taqi Bafqi, who acknowledged Qajar suzerainty. Baba Khan then went to
Gilan to protect it against Qajar chiefs whose loyalty was questionable.
Baba Khan was governor of
Fars when his uncle was assassinated in 1797. Baba Khan then ascended the throne and used the name of Fath Ali Shah (with the word "shah" added on his name). He became suspicious of his chancellor
Ebrahim Khan Kalantar
Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi (; 1745–1801), who is also known by his honorific title E'temad-al-Dawla (), was an Iranian statesman who served as the ''kalantar'' ( lord mayor) of the city of Shiraz during the late Zand era and later as the first g ...
and ordered his execution. Hajji Ebrahim Khan had been chancellor to Zand and
Qajar rulers for some fifteen years. Much of his reign was marked by the resurgence of Persian arts and painting, as well as a deeply elaborate court culture with extremely rigid etiquette. In particular during his reign, portraiture and large-scale oil painting reached a height previously unknown under any other Islamic dynasty, largely due to his personal patronage.
Fath Ali also ordered the creation of much royal regalia, including coronations chairs; the "Takht-e Khurshīd" or
Sun Throne; the "Takht-e Nāderi" or
Naderi Throne, which was also used by later kings; and the "Tāj-e Kiyāni" or
Kiani Crown, a modification of the crown of the same name created by his uncle
Agha Mohammad Khan. The latter, like most of his regalia, was studded with a large number of pearls and gems.
In 1797, Fath Ali was given a complete set of the
''Britannica's'' 3rd edition, which he read completely; after this feat, he extended his royal title to include "Most Formidable Lord and Master of the ''
Encyclopædia Britannica
The ( Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various ...
''."
In 1803, Fath-Ali Shah appointed his cousin
Ebrahim Khan as the governor of the
Kerman Province, which had been devastated during the reign of Agha Mohammad Khan.
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.
Russo-Persian wars (1804–1828)
Russo-Persian War (1804–1813)
During the early reign of Fath Ali Shah,
Imperial Russia
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. T ...
took control of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
, a territory which
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...
had ruled intermittently since 1555 with the
Peace of Amasya. Georgia, led by
Erekle II, had forged an alliance with Persia's rival, Russia, following the
Treaty of Georgievsk. To punish his Georgian subjects, his uncle, Agha Mohammad Khan, had invaded and
sacked Tbilisi, seeking to reestablishing full Persian suzerainty over Georgia, in which he succeeded. Even though the Russian garrisons in the city had to retreat, Persia didn't manage to put back all of its needed garrisons over the country as Agha Mohammad Khan was assassinated soon afterwards in
Shusha, following with Russia's act of annexation of those priorly-Iranian ruled parts of Georgia in 1801, after many Georgian embassies and a treaty. Also, not only was Georgia annexed but
Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North ...
was also invaded, which had also been under Persian rule since the early Safavid era. As it was seen as a direct intrusion into Persian territory, Fath Ali Shah, determined to reassert Persian hegemony over the whole region, declared war on Russia after General
Pavel Tsitsianov attacked and
stormed the city of Ganja, massacring many of its inhabitants and forcing many thousands to flee deeper within the Iranian domains. In 1804, Fath Ali Shah ordered the invasion of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
in order to regain it, under pressure from the
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the ...
clergy, who were urging a war against Russia. The war began with notable victories for the Persians, but Russia shipped in advanced weaponry and cannons that disadvantaged the technologically inferior Qajar forces, who did not have the artillery to match. Russia continued with a major campaign against Persia; Persia asked for help from Britain on the grounds of a military agreement with that country (the military agreement was signed after the rise of Napoleon in France). However, Britain refused to help Persia claiming that the military agreement concerned a French attack not Russian.
Persia had to ask for help from France, sending an ambassador to
Napoleon and concluding a
Franco-Persian alliance with the signature of the
Treaty of Finkenstein. However, just when the French were ready to help Persia, Napoleon made peace with Russia. At this time,
John Malcolm
Major-General Sir John Malcolm GCB, KLS (2 May 1769 – 30 May 1833) was a Scottish soldier, diplomat, East India Company administrator, statesman, and historian.
Early life
Sir John Malcolm was born in 1769, one of seventeen children of Geo ...
arrived in Persia and promised support but Britain later changed its mind and asked Persia to retreat. Though many years the war had been stale and located in various parts of
Transcaucasia, the peace with Napoleon enabled the Russians to increase their war efforts in the Caucasus against Iran. In early 1813, under General
Pyotr Kotlyarevsky, the Russians successfully
stormed Lankaran. Russian troops invaded Tabriz in 1813 and Persia was forced to sign the
Treaty of Gulistan with Russia.
Treaty of Gulistan
On account of consecutive defeats of
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkme ...
and after the fall of
Lankaran on 1 January 1813, Fath Ali Shah, was forced to sign the disastrous
Treaty of Gulistan. The text of treaty was prepared by a British diplomat;
Sir Gore Ouseley; and was signed by Nikolai Fyodorovich Rtischev from the Russian side and Hajji Mirza Abol Hasan Khan from the Iranian side on 24 October 1813 in the village of
Gulistan.
By this treaty all of the cities, towns, and villages of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
, villages and towns on the coast of the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, ...
, all of the cities, towns and villages of the
Khanates in the
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...
and
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...
, and part of the
Talysh Khanate, including
Megrelia
Mingrelia ( ka, სამეგრელო, tr; xmf, სამარგალო, samargalo; ab, Агырны, Agirni) is a historic province in the western part of Georgia, formerly known as Odishi. It is primarily inhabited by the Mingrelia ...
,
Abkhazia
Abkhazia, ka, აფხაზეთი, tr, , xmf, აბჟუა, abzhua, or ( or ), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which v ...
,
Imeretia
Imereti (Georgian: იმერეთი) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 municip ...
,
Guria,
Baku khanate
Baku Khanate ( fa, خانات باکو, Khānāt-e Baku), was an autonomous Muslim khanate under Iranian suzerainty, which existed between 1747 and 1806. Originally a province of Safavid empire, it became practically independent after the assa ...
,
Shirvan Khanate,
Derbent,
Karabakh khanate,
Ganja khanate,
Shaki Khanate and
Quba Khanate became part of Russia. These territories altogether comprise modern-day Georgia, southern
Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North ...
, and most of the contemporary
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
Republic. In return, Russia pledged to support
Abbas Mirza as heir to the Persian throne after the death of Fath Ali Shah.
Interlude on a different front
Between 1805 and 1816, Qajar rulers began invading
Herat
Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Saf ...
in neighboring
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bord ...
with small detachments. The Persians were attempting to retake control of the city but were forced to abandon it due to Afghan uprisings. In 1818 the Shah sent his son
Mohammad Vali Mirza
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monot ...
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 Gulistan, the Shah on the advice of British agents and the utter dissatisfaction with the outcome of the previous war, Fath Ali Shah decided to occupy the lost territories. Crown prince
Abbas Mirza, head of the armies, invaded the
Talysh Khanate and
Karabakh khanate with an army of 35,000 on 16 July 1826. The first year of the war was very successful, and the Persians managed to regain most of their lost territories of the 1804–1813 war, including the principal cities of
Lenkoran
Lankaran ( az, Lənkəran, ) is a city in Azerbaijan, on the coast of the Caspian Sea, near the southern border with Iran. As of 2021, the city had a population of 89,300. It is next to, but independent of, Lankaran District. The city forms a dis ...
,
Quba, and
Baku. However the tide turned after the winter. In May 1827,
Ivan Paskevich, Governor of
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...
, invaded
Echmiadzin,
Nakhichevan,
Abbasabad and on 1 October
Erivan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...
. Fourteen days later, General
Eristov entered
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quru River valley in Iran's historic Azerbaijan region between long ridges of vo ...
. In January 1828, when the Russians reached the shores of
Lake Urmia
Lake Urmia;
az, اۇرمۇ گؤلۆ, script=Arab, italic=no, Urmu gölü;
ku, گۆلائوو رمیەیێ, Gola Ûrmiyeyê;
hy, Ուրմիա լիճ, Urmia lich;
arc, ܝܡܬܐ ܕܐܘܪܡܝܐ is an endorheic salt lake in Iran. The lake is ...
,
Abbas Mirza urgently signed the
Treaty of Turkmenchay
The Treaty of Turkmenchay ( fa, عهدنامه ترکمنچای; russian: Туркманчайский договор) was an agreement between Qajar Iran and the Russian Empire, which concluded the Russo-Persian War (1826–28). It was second o ...
on 2 February 1828.
Treaty of Turkmenchay
The Turkmenchay Treaty was signed on 21 February 1828 by
Hajji Mirza Abol Hasan Khan and General
Ivan Paskevich. By this treaty the
Erivan khanate
The Erivan Khanate ( fa, خانات ایروان, translit=Xānāt-e Iravān; hy, Երեւանի խանութիւն, translit=Yerevani xanut'iwn; az, ایروان خانلیغی, translit=İrəvan xanlığı), also known as Chokhur-e Sa'd, was ...
(most of present-day
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ...
, and also a small part of
Eastern Anatolia),
Nakhchivan khanate
The Nakhichevan Khanate ( fa, خانات نخجوان, translit=Khānāt-e Nakhchevān; Azerbaijani:ناخچیوان خانلیغی,Naxçıvan xanlığı; hy, Նախիջեւանի խանութիւն, translit=Naxijewani xanowt'iwn) was a khanate ...
(most of the present-day
Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic ( az, Naxçıvan Muxtar Respublikası, ), is a landlocked exclave of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The region covers Official portal of Nakhchivan Autonomous RepublicNakhchivan Autonomous Republic with a popula ...
of
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
), the
Talysh Khanate (southeastern Azerbaijan), and the
Ordubad
Ordubad is the second largest city of Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the capital of an eponymous district. Ordubad is a medieval city of the Caucasus and in its current capacity of a town was founded in the 18th century. The town ...
and
Mughan
Mughan plain ( az, Muğan düzü, مغان دوزو; ) is a plain stretching from northwestern Iran to the southern part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The highest density of irrigation canals is in the section of the Mughan plain which lies i ...
came under the rule of
Imperial Russia
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. T ...
. By this treaty, Iran had lost all of its Caucasian territories comprising all of
Transcaucasia and
Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North ...
to neighboring Imperial Russia. Iran furthermore pledged to pay Russia 10 Million in Gold, and in return Russia pledged to support
Abbas Mirza as heir to the Persian throne after the death of Fath Ali Shah. The treaty also stipulated the resettlement of Armenians from Persia to the Caucasus, which also included an outright liberation of Armenian captives who were brought and had lived in Iran since 1804 or as far back as 1795.
Later life
Fath Ali later employed writers and painters to make a book about his wars with Russia, inspired by the
Shahnameh
The ''Shahnameh'' or ''Shahnama'' ( fa, شاهنامه, Šāhnāme, lit=The Book of Kings, ) is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 50 ...
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,
Alexandr Griboyedov, the Russian
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
and
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
was killed in the encirclement of the
Russia embassy in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the Capital city, capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is th ...
. To apologize, the Shah sent prince
Khosrow Mirza
Prince Khosrow Mirza Qajar (; 1813 – 21 October 1875) was the seventh son of Abbas Mirza and grandson of Fath-Ali Shah, King of Iran.
Khosrow Mirza is best known for his "Apology Mission" to the Russian Empire after the murder of Alexander Grib ...
to
Tsar Nicholas I
, house = Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp
, father = Paul I of Russia
, mother = Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Gatchina Palace, Gatchina, Russian Empire
, death_date ...
to deliver a formal apology, as well as one of the biggest diamonds of his crown jewelry, namely
Shah Diamond.
When his favourite son and crown prince
Abbas Mirza died on 25 October 1833, Fath Ali named his grandson
Mohammed Mirza as his crown prince. Fath Ali died a year later, on 24 October 1834. He was buried in a tomb in the
Fatima Masumeh Shrine
The Shrine of Fatima Masumeh ( fa, حرم فاطمه معصومه translit. ''haram-e fateme-ye masumeh'') is located in Qom, which is considered by Shia Muslims to be the second most sacred city in Iran after Mashhad.
Fatima Masumeh was the si ...
of
Qom
Qom (also spelled as "Ghom", "Ghum", or "Qum") ( fa, قم ) is the seventh largest metropolis and also the seventh largest city in Iran. Qom is the capital of Qom Province. It is located to the south of Tehran. At the 2016 census, its popul ...
.
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
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in contin ...
. Another one that of which artist was Mihr Ali is at
the Brooklyn Museum.
Besides eulogistic chronicles, the only real sources that allow us to judge his personality are those of British, French and Russian diplomats. 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.
[Joseph M. Upton, ''The History of Modern Iran: An Interpretation''. Contributors: – Author. Publisher: Harvard University Press. Place of publication: Cambridge, 1960, p.4] 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."
[ Wording also availabl]
here
under "The Shah's Palaces"
Titles
Fath-Ali Shah used both the ancient Persian title of ''
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 ...
anshah'' (
King of Kings) and the
Turco-Mongol
The Turco-Mongol or Turko-Mongol tradition was an ethnocultural synthesis that arose in Asia during the 14th century, among the ruling elites of the Golden Horde and the Chagatai Khanate. The ruling Mongolian nobility, Mongol elites of these Kh ...
title of ''
khaqan
Khagan or Qaghan (Mongolian:; or ''Khagan''; otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣 ), or , tr, Kağan or ; ug, قاغان, Qaghan, Mongolian Script: ; or ; fa, خاقان ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakha ...
'' (''
khan
Khan may refer to:
*Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan
*Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name
*Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
'' of ''khans''), thus representing himself as both ruler of the country and the tribes.
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. The
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
statesman and historian
John Malcolm
Major-General Sir John Malcolm GCB, KLS (2 May 1769 – 30 May 1833) was a Scottish soldier, diplomat, East India Company administrator, statesman, and historian.
Early life
Sir John Malcolm was born in 1769, one of seventeen children of Geo ...
, who met Fath-Ali Shah in 1800, described him as a "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."
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.
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.
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."
While this is a large number of children, the claim that Fatḥ-ʻAli holds the record is not true. (
Moulay Ismail ibn Sharif
Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif ( ar, مولاي إسماعيل بن الشريف), born around 1645 in Sijilmassa and died on 22 March 1727 at Meknes, was a Sultan of Morocco from 1672–1727, as the second ruler of the Alaouite dynasty. He was the sev ...
, 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,
Mohammad Ali Mirza Dowlat Shah, was seven months older than the second son
Abbas Mirza. Yet it was the latter who was named "
Wali-ahd" or crown prince. This was on account of the fact that Dowlat Shah's mother, Ziba Chehreh Khanoum, was of non-Qajar origin (she was
Georgian woman), and therefore he was passed over in favour of his younger brother.
;Consorts
* Ziba Chehar Khanum, a Georgian woman from the Tzicara Chwili family;
* Badr Jahan Khanum, daughter of Muhammad Jafar Khan Bastami Arab;
* Asiyeh Khanum "Mehd-i-aulya", daughter of Fath Ali Khan Davallu;
* Nushafrin Khanum, a Zand woman;
*
Maryam Khanom, a Jewish woman from Mazandaran;
* Hajiyeh Badr al-Nesa Khanum Badran, daughter of Mustafa Quli Khan Qajar Qavanlu;
* Kheyr al-Nessa Khanum (Aay Baaji), daughter of Majnoun Khan Pazouki, daughter of
Morteza Qoli Khan Qajar Qavanlu;
*
Tawus Khanum "Taj-al-Dawleh", a
Georgian concubine from
Esfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Region, Isfahan Province, Iran. It is lo ...
.
*
Golbadan Baji Khanum "Khazen-ol-Dowleh", a Georgian concubine, originally a woman in service to Fath Ali Shah's mother;
* Kulsum Khanum, a woman from the family of Sayyeds of Pazvar;
* Begum Jan Khanum, a woman from Qazvin;
*
Agha Baji Begum, daughter of
Ibrahim Khalil Khan
Ibrahim Khalil khan Javanshir (1732–1806) was an Azerbaijani Turkic khan of the Karabakh Khanate from the Javanshir family, who succeeded his father Panah-Ali khan Javanshir as the ruler of the khanate.
Early life
He was born in c. 1732 in ...
of
Karabakh
Karabakh ( az, Qarabağ ; hy, Ղարաբաղ, Ġarabaġ ) is a geographic region in present-day southwestern Azerbaijan and eastern Armenia, extending from the highlands of the Lesser Caucasus down to the lowlands between the rivers Kura and A ...
;
* A daughter of
Sadiq Khan Shaqaqi of
Sarab Khanate;
* Gul Pirhan Khanum, an Armenian concubine from Tbilisi;
* Humai Khanum, a Kurdish woman from Mazandaran;
* A daughter of Imam Qoli Khan Afsar Urumi;
* Sunbul Khanum, a prisoner taken by
Agha Mohammad Khan;
* Khatun Jan Khanum, sister of Gulrukh Khanum, wife of Farukh Khan Amin-al-Dawleh;
* Mihr al-Nesa Khanum, sister of Mahmud Khan Dunbuli;
;Sons
[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]
*
Mohammad Ali Mirza
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monot ...
'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;
* Hassan Ali Mirza 'Etemad os-Saltaneh' 'Shoja os-Saltaneh' (1789–1854) – with Badr Jahan Khanum;
*
Ali Shah Mirza
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 common era, CE) was the last of four Rashidun, Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was ...
'Zell os-Soltan' (1789–1854)- with Asiyeh Khanum;
*
Mohammad Taqi Mirza
Mohammad Taqi Mirza Hessam os-Saltaneh (5 October 1791 – 1853) was a Persian Prince of the Qajar dynasty, son of Fath Ali Shah. He was Governor-General ( ''beglerbegi'') of Kermanshah and of Boroujerd.
Life
Mohammad Taqi Mirza (also writte ...
'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;
*
Imam Verdi Mirza 'Keshikchi Bashi' (1796–1869) – with Begum Jan Khanum;
* Mohammad Reza Mirza 'Afsar' (1797)
*
Mahmud Mirza
Mahmud Shah Durrani (Persian: ; 1769 – 18 April 1829), also known as Shah Mahmud, or Mahmud Shah Abdali, was the ruler of the Durrani Empire between 1801 and 1803, and again between 1809 and 1818. From 1818 to 1829, he was the emir of Herat. An ...
(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
Soltan Mohammad Mirza, also known as Ruzak Mirza or Reza Khodabandeh Mirza, after his grandfather, was the third known son of Safavid Shah Abbas the Great
Abbas I ( fa, ; 27 January 157119 January 1629), commonly known as Abbas the Great (), wa ...
'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-Doleh' (1824–1901) – with
Taj ol-Dowleh;
* Eskandar Mirza 'Saheb Khaghan'
* Parviz Mirza 'Nayer od-Doleh' – with Begum Khanum;
*
Jalal al-Din Mirza
Jalal al-Din Mirza ( fa, جلال الدین میرزا; 1827-1872) was an Iranian historian and freethinker, born in Tehran. He wrote a semi-historical book about the history of Iran named '' Name-ye Khosrovan'', potentially one of the first compr ...
'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
Samson Yakovlevich Makintsev (russian: Самсо́н Я́ковлевич Маки́нцев), more commonly known as Samson Khan or Sam Khan (سامسونخان); (1849 – 1780), was a general of Russian origin in the service of Qajar Ira ...
*
Tangeh Savashi near
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the Capital city, capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is th ...
, where Fath Ali Shah had a
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
carved into the side of a mountain pass.
*
Imperial Crown Jewels of Persia
*
Naderi throne
*
Shah Diamond
*
Qara Bayat Amirdom
The Khanate of Nishapur (Persian: خانات نیشابور), also known as the Qara Bayat Amirdom (Persian: امارت قره بیات), was a semi-independent state ruled by the Bayat tribe that existed in Khorasan from 1747 to 1800, whose ...
References
Sources
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Qajar, Fath Ali Shah
1769 births
1834 deaths
18th-century monarchs of Persia
19th-century monarchs of Persia
Fath Ali
Field marshals of Iran
Encyclopædia Britannica
People of the Russo-Persian Wars
Shia Muslims
Burials at Fatima Masumeh Shrine
Patrons of the arts