Andre Ghaytmazeants, better known as Khosrow Khan Gorji ( fa, خسرو خان گرجی; b.

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...

, 1785/6 – d.

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the 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 the most popul ...

, 1857), was a

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

origin, who became an influential figure in

Qajar Iran Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

Biography

Born as a son of a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

priest in

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 the ...

, Khosrow's original name was Andre Ghaytmazeants, and like his father, was a Christian, which he remained until his late-teens, where he converted to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

and assumed the name "Khosrow Khan Gorji". Even though the surname "Gorji" in Persian usually refers to a person of ethnic

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

origin or descent, this was not the case with Khosrow Khan. During his early life, he participated in the expedition of the

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

n general

Pavel Tsitsianov Prince Pavel Dmitriyevich Tsitsianov (russian: Павел Дмитриевич Цицианов), also known as Pavle Dimitris dze Tsitsishvili ( ka, პავლე ციციშვილი; —) was a Georgian nobleman and a prominent general ...

against Iran during the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813, as the former was attempting to conquer Irans northern territories. However, he was eventually captured by an Iranian army in 1804 near

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...

, was castrated, and then became a eunuch of the Qajars. On 23 February 1815, Khosrow was appointed as the governor of Gilan. During his governorship of the province, he ordered the establishment of many buildings, which still survive today in Gilan. He also had good relations with lower classes of the region, but had bad relations with the local rulers of the province. This soon resulted in a revolt in 1819, and Khosrow was shortly deprived of his governorship of the region. Later in 1822/3, Khosrow was sent at the head of an army consisting of

Bakhtiaris The Bakhtiari (also spelled Bakhtiyari; fa, بختیاری) are a Lur tribe from Iran. They speak the Bakhtiari dialect of the Luri language. Bakhtiaris primarily inhabit Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari and eastern Khuzestan, Lorestan, Bushehr, and ...

to conquer Mandali, a place situated between the Iranian-Ottoman borders. Khosrow successfully managed to conquer the place, and was in 1824, appointed by the Qajar

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 ...

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 ...

as the personal ''

vizier A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was a ...

'' of the latter's son,

Sayf ol-Dowleh Soltan Mohammad Mirza (; 7 June 1812 – 1899) better known by his honorific title Sayf ol-Dowleh () was an Iranian prince of the Qajar dynasty and thirty-ninth son of Fath-Ali Shah, king of Qajar Iran. He was the governor of Isfahan between 18 ...

, who served as the governor of

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 ...

, thus succeeding the Georgian nobleman named

Yusef Khan-e Gorji Yusef Khan-e Gorji (also spelled Yūsof; fa, یوسف خان گرجی; died 1824) was a Qajar dynasty, Qajar Iranian military leader and official of Georgians, Georgian origin. Born in Tbilisi, An influential figure, he founded the Iranian city ...

. Inside the royal court, Khosrow formed an alliance with

Manouchehr Khan Gorji Manuchehr Khan Gorji Mo'tamad al-Dawle (died 1847) was a government official in Qajar Iran. He was of Georgians in Iran, Georgian origin; hence, ''Gorji'' (i.e., "Georgian") in his surname. He was known as a sympathizer of Báb, the founder of B� ...

. Fath-Ali Shah later died in 1834, which resulted in a struggle for the Qajar throne between his two sons Ali Mirza and Mohammad Mirza. Khosrow aided Mohammad, who eventually managed to emerge victorious during the struggle, and crowned himself as the new shah of Iran, taking the dynastic name of "Mohammad Shah Qajar". Khosrow was then appointed as the governor of Isfahan as an award for his aid. On 22 October 1847, Khosrow was appointed as the governor of

Kurdistan Kurdistan ( ku, کوردستان ,Kurdistan ; lit. "land of the Kurds") or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, Kurdish la ...

, thus succeeding Rezaqoli Khan Wali, whom he had arrested and sent to the Iranian capital

. However, his governorship of Kurdistan was brief, and lasted only one year, the same year which Mohammad Shah died. In 1851/2 Khosrow was appointed as the governor 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 ...

, but instead sent a representative to the province, and stayed during the rest of his life in Tehran, where he died on 27 July 1857.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gorji, Khosrow Khan 1857 deaths 1780s births Persian Armenians Military personnel from Tbilisi Converts to Shia Islam from the Armenian Apostolic Church Iranian eunuchs Georgian people of Armenian descent Armenian Shia Muslims People of the Russo-Persian Wars Qajar governors of Isfahan Qajar governors of Gilan Qajar slaves