Johann Joseph von Semlin (born Mostafa Ali Mirza Khan; 1736–1824) was the reputed son of

Nader Shah Nader Shah Afshar ( fa, نادر شاه افشار; also known as ''Nader Qoli Beyg'' or ''Tahmāsp Qoli Khan'' ) (August 1688 – 19 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian h ...

. After his father's murder, a loyalist brought Ali Mirza Khan to

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...

in Vienna, Austria, who named him ''"Johann Joseph Freiherr von Semlin"''. In 1746, when Von Semlin was 10 years old, he was sent to

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...

to learn the German language and European culture. In 1756, he converted to Christianity and two years later returned to Vienna.

Early life

Von Semlin was born in 1736 Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, ''Adelslexikon'' Band XIII, Band 128 der Gesamtreihe, Limburg an der Lahn 2002, S. 293 in

Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

, Persia. In 1746, at age 10, he moved to Graz and began learning German.

Military service

On completing his education at a Viennese military school, Von Semlin joined the Austrian army, rising after a few years to the rank of Commander. Von Semlin entered the service of the Russian empire and fought in the Seven Years' War as a

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. At the end of the war, he received a Medal of Honor. Captured in war in Prussia, he was known as the Prince of Persia among his troops. Frederick the Great invited him to his palace and returned him to Maria Theresa. With two injuries received during his military service, Von Semlin retired in 1792 on a monthly pension of 810 florins.

Retirement

Upon his retirement from the military, Von Semlin caught the attention of the French government. An ambassador of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

requested Von Semlin to attempt to take the throne of Iran, offering him military support. Von Semlin rejected the offer, saying "Neither me nor my children think about the Peacock Throne. Even if I have any rights to become king of Iran, I cede them to Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, who supported me to this age."

Death

Von Semlin died at the age of 90 in Mödling, near Vienna, and was buried in his home garden. In line with his will and testament, 5 gulden was paid to each poor person who attended his

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

.Ahmad Saberi, ''Ein persischer Prinz in Wien'', in: TAWAN, Magazin des Vereins Iranischer Ingenieure/innen in Österreich, Wintersemester 2002/2003, S. 8
Digitalisat
He signed bills using his Persian name, Ali Mirza Khan, up to his death.

Personal life

Von Semlin married Roza, a Turkic woman, in 1792. They had two sons, Johann (Yahya) and Joseph (Yusef). After attaining the legal age, they both joined the Austrian army.

Franz Gräffer Franz Gräffer (6 January 1785 – 8 October 1852) was an Austrian librarian, bookseller and writer. He was a founder of the ''Österreichische National-Encyklopädie'', regarded as the first comprehensive reference work about Austria. Life Gräff ...

, ''Conversationsblatt. Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Unterhaltung'', Band 1, Wien 1821
S. 186 f.
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Semlin, Joseph von 1736 births 1824 deaths Iranian emigrants to Austria Afsharid dynasty Austrian Christians 18th-century Austrian military personnel Austrian military personnel of the Seven Years' War Iranian former Muslims People from Isfahan 18th-century Iranian people