The Bahmani family, also Bahmani-Qajar is an aristocratic Iranian family belonging to one of the princely families of the

Qajar dynasty The Qajar dynasty (; fa, دودمان قاجار ', az, Qacarlar ) was an IranianAbbas Amanat, ''The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896'', I. B. Tauris, pp 2–3 royal dynasty of Turkic origin ...

, the ruling house that reigned

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 Turkmeni ...

1785–1925. The founder is

Bahman Mirza Qajar Bahman Mirza ( fa, بهمن میرزا;‎ 11 October 1810 – 11 February 1884) was an Iranian prince from the Qajar dynasty. The son of Abbas Mirza and grandson of Fath Ali Shah, he was Vicergerent ( ''vali'') of Azerbaijan and Governor-G ...

(1810–1884), the younger brother of

Mohammad Shah Qajar Mohammad Shah (; born Mohammad Mirza; 5 January 1808 – 5 September 1848) was the third Qajar ''shah'' of Iran from 1834 to 1848, having succeeded his grandfather Fath-Ali Shah. From a young age, Mohammad Mirza was under the tutelage of Haji Mi ...

and formerly prince regent and governor 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 ...

1841–1848. During the last quarter of the 19th century, the family was divided into a Russian branch, serving the

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

, and recognised in 1886 with the titles of ''Prince Persidskii'' and ''Princess Persidskaya'' styled "His Serene Highness" in the

Russian Empire 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 ...

by the Tsar, as well as into a Persian branch in Tehran at 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 ...

's court, holding the traditional Persian title of ''shahzadeh'' ("prince").Adenin Remy: ''Almanach de Bruxelles: "The Qajar Dynasty"'' (internet 2015). Bahman Mirza and his sons used the more familiar style of ''navvab'' ("highness"). Many of Bahman Mirza's male offspring were high-ranking officers in the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

and stayed in the Tsar's service until the

October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mom ...

Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...

Shusha / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govha ...

Ganja Ganja (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for marijuana. Its usage in English dates to before 1689. Etymology ''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi/Urdu ( hi, गांजा, links=no, ur, , links=no, IPA: �aːɲd͡ ...

and

Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world an ...

. Many of them served in the

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian A ...

during the short independence from Russia 1918–1920. With the Soviets coming to power and annexing

, many of Bahman Mirza's sons were executed or fled to Iran.

Historic background

The royal rule of succession of the Qajar dynasty is male

primogeniture Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...

by a Qajar princess. This special addition means that not automatically the eldest son succeeded his father but the eldest son born by a Qajar princess. All other sons are legitimate but morganatic and have no right to succeed. This fact caused in the first half of the 19th century troubles within the fruitful imperial family. The eldest princes, often powerful governors and their father's favorites did not automatically accept their younger brothers or nephews superior status. Bahman Mirza was the 4th son of

Abbas Mirza Abbas Mirza ( fa, عباس میرزا; August 26, 1789October 25, 1833) was a Qajar crown prince of Iran. He developed a reputation as a military commander during the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813 and the Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828, a ...

by his cousin and chief wife Aisha, daughter of Mohammad Khan Qajar Davalu. Abbas Mirza was the 4th son and designated heir apparent of

Fath Ali Shah 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 ...

by his chief wife and queen Assiyeh I, daughter of Fath Ali Khan Qajar Davalu. When Abbas Mirza died 1833 before Fath Ali Shah, his eldest son Mohammad Mirza became the new crown prince and Bahman Mirza was the next younger brother. Mohammad Shah suffering from grave illness was a weak monarch, hence Bahman Mirza as well as the foreign powers Great Britain and Russia insisted in his regal rights although Mohammad Shah had already an infant son by a Qajar mother, who was proclaimed crown prince in 1835, had still a bad health but was meant to be next ruler as Nasir al-Din Shah. Thus, Bahman Mirza wanted to execute the office of acting vicegerent of

, viceroy for his brother and regent for his infant nephew. In 1847 Bahman Mirza fell out of royal favor due to political intrigues at court and went in 1848 into exile to Russia. He first moved to Tiflis and in 1853 to

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 ...

. The family lived there at Shusha where they hold real estates and a large summer palace. Many family members served at the Russian imperial court of

Sankt Peterburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

and became popular figures in the later Republic of Azerbaijan. In 1872 one of Bahman Mirza's sons arranged with his cousin Nasser al-Din Shah and the family was rehabilitated in Iran and invited to return to Tehran. Bahman Mirza refused to go back but some of his children did. Hence, the family was divided into a Russian branch, serving the

, and recognised in 1886 with the titles of ''Prince Persidskii'' and ''Princess Persidskaya'' styled “His or Her Illustrious Highness“ in the Russian Empire by the Tsar. As well as into a Persian branch in Tehran at the

's court, holding the traditional Persian title of ''shahzadeh'' (“prince”). Bahman Mirza used for himself and his mature sons the more familiar style of ''navvab'' (“highness”). The Bahmani children and grandchildren were sent to European schools and got the best education. And many of Bahman Mirza's male offspring were high-ranking officers in the

and stayed in the Tsar's service until the

Shusha / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govha ...

and

. Many of them served in the

during the short independence from Russia 1918–1920. With the Soviets coming to power and annexing

, many of Bahman Mirza's sons were executed or fled to Iran. Bahman Mirza issued 61 children - 31 sons and 30 daughters, only 50 survived infancy. So he became the father of the Bahmani-Qajars with the lines of the Qajars of Azerbaijan named Bahmanov, Bahmanoglu and Ghajar as well as the Bahman and Bahmani family in Iran. While his daughters, who often had been taken part in many charity events married into all famous families of

like the Akhundov, Badalbeili, Vezirov, Tagiev, Shahtakhtinski, Beglarbegov, Mehmandarov, Abbasovo, Muradov and Mirzov families.

Coat of arms

The family coat of arms based on the old Persian

Lion and Sun The Lion and Sun ( fa, شیر و خورشید, Šir-o xoršid, ; Classical Persian: ) is one of the main emblems of Iran (Persia), and was an element in Iran's national flag until the 1979 Iranian Revolution and is still commonly used by oppo ...

emblem, the royal symbol since the Seljuq time in the 13th century. In 1785 Agha Mohammad Khan adopted the emblem and under Fath Ali Shah in 1803 it became symbol of the land as well as of royal house, with a crouching lion. In 1871 the current version was published. Azure on a base Vert a lion guardant couchant Argent upon a rock Argent, all in front of a sun irradiated Or. The shield covered by a robe of estate in a form of a lion's skin Or, two paws visible; lined Argent and ensigned an ancient crown Or of seven visible points, with a cap Gules. File:Shield with Bahman coat of arms.jpg, Shield with the Lion-Sun charge. File:Family Coat1.jpg, The Coat of Arms with mantle

Genealogy

Field Marshal Prince Bahman Mirza Qajar was born 11 October 1810 at Tehran, and died 11 February 1884 at

Shusha / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govha ...

/ Karabagh. He was the 4th son of Crown Prince Abbas Mirza "Nayeb os-Saltaneh" by Princess Aisha (Jahan) Khanom Davalu, and younger full brother to

. 1831–1834 he became Governor (''hakem'') of

Ardabil Ardabil (, fa, اردبیل, Ardabīl or ''Ardebīl'') is a city in northwestern Iran, and the capital of Ardabil Province. As of the 2022 census, Ardabil's population was 588,000. The dominant majority in the city are ethnic Iranian Azerbaija ...

, 1834 Governor of

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 ...

and Commander-in-Chief (''sepah-salar''), 1836–1841 Governor-General (''beyglerbegi'') of Borujerd, Lorestan and Hamadan, 1842–1847 Vicegerent (''vali'') of Azerbaijan and Governor of Tabriz. Anushiravan with guard

Bahman Mirza had 31 sons and 30 daughters. Some of them became ancestors of the Azerbaijani Qajar families: Persidsky, Bahmanov and Kadjar. His 31 sons in order of seniority: # (by Malek Soltan Khanom) Prince Anoushiravan Mirza "Zia od-Dowleh" "Amir Touman" (b. 19 Aug 1833 in

, d. 23 Oct 1899 in

Shusha / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govha ...

, Karabagh), 1873 Governor of Turshiz, 1881–1882 Governor of

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 ...

, 1884–1886 and 1898–1899 of Semnan,

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 elevat ...

and Shahrud, 1888–1889 Governor von

Borujerd Borujerd ( fa, بروجرد ''Borūjerd'') is a city and the capital of Borujerd County, Lorestan Province in western Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 234,997 persons. Among the existing modern cities in Iran, Borujerd is one of the ...

and Lorestan. He married a. as his ''Galin Khanom'' Badie ol-Jamal Khanom, daughter of Mohammad Hassan Khan Sardar Iravani, b. he married a daughter of his maternal uncle Prince Amir Teymur Mirza Hessami-Qajar, son of Mohammad Taqi Mirza by the daughter of Hossein Khan Donboli, and issued: ## Princess Malekeh-Afagh Khanom (b. 1864 at Tabriz; d. 26 Oct 1917 at Teheran, bur. at the Shrine of Shah Abdol-Azim, Tehran), married ca. 1880 1rstly: Mirza Hossein (d. 1898 at Tehran) from the Behnam family, mostowfis of

; married 1898 2ndly: Amanollah Khan Zia' os-Soltan (d. 1931 at Hamburg) son of Safar Khan Donboli from the Khans of the

Khoy Khanate The Khoy Khanate, also known as the Principality of Donboli, was a hereditary Kurdish khanate around Khoy and Salmas in Iran ruled by the Donboli tribe from 1210 until 1799. The khanate has been described as the most powerful khanate in the regi ...

. She had issued three sons and one daughter, mother of Ali Akbar Bahman and the Bahman Family. ## Princess Malekzadeh Khanom, married Sana' od-Dowleh Bahrami, and had issued. # (by Malek Soltan Khanom) Prince Jalal od-Din Mirza (b. ca. 1836, d. 1870), Major in Russian army, Major-General in Persian army, poet and historian. He was Shafi Khan Qajar's father. # (by Malek Soltan Khanom) Prince Reza Qoli Mirza (b. 1837 in Iran; d. 1894 in St. Petersburg), General in Russian army. He had issued. # (by Shahzadeh Khanom) Prince Shahrokh Mirza (b. 15/09/1844 in Iran, d. 1915 in Baku), Colonel in Russian army. He had issued. # Prince Nasrollah Mirza (b. 1848), Colonel in Nizhny-Novgorod Dragoon regiment, returned to Iran. He had issued. # Prince Mohammad Ali Mirza "Sho’a os-Soltan" "Amir Touman" (b. 1849), Commander-in-Chief of the Persian Cossack division in

Isfahan 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 ...

. He had issued. # (by Malek Jahan Khanom) Prince Khan Baba Khan Mirza (b. 1849; d. 1926), Colonel in Russian army. He had issued. # (by Mehr Farid Khanom) Prince Abdol Samed Mirza (b. 1851 at Tiflis; d. 1924 at Shusha), Colonel in Russian army. He had issued. # Prince Qoflan Agha Mirza (b. 1851). # Prince Aziz Khan Mirza (b. ca. 1851). # Prince Mahmoud Mirza (b. ca. 1853), General in Russian army. He had issued. # (by Mehr Farid Khanom) Prince Amir Kazem Mirza (b. 1853; d. 1920), Major-General in Russian army. He had issued. # (by Kuchek Barda Khanom) Prince Ali Qoli Mirza (b. 1854; d. 1905). He had issued. # Prince Baha od-Din Mirza (b. 20/7/1855). # Prince Heydar Qoli Mirza (b. 15/8/1855; d. 1918). He had issued. # (by Kuchek Barda Khanom) Prince Khan Jahan Mirza (b. ca. 1855), Colonel in Russian army. # (by Chichek Khanom) Prince Amanollah Mirza (b. 8/1/1857 in Shusha; d. 1937 in Tehran), Major-General in Russian army, Deputy-Commander in Azerbaijan army, returned to Iran and became instructor of the Persian army. He had issued. # Prince Ilkhani Mirza (b. 1858, d. 1901). # Prince Homayoun Mirza (b. 1860). # Prince Seyfollah Mirza (b. 6/3/1864; d. 1926), Colonel in Russian army. He had issued. # (by Mehr Farid Khanom) Prince Amirkhan Mirza (b. ca. 1864). # (by Kuchek Barda Khanom) Prince Imamverdi Mirza (b. ca. 1864), returned to Iran. # (by Kuchek Barda Khanom) Prince Khan Alam Mirza (b. ca. 1865). He had issued. # Prince Allahverdi Mirza (b. ca. 1866). # (by Kuchek Barda Khanom) Prince Keyqobad Mirza (1867–1923). He had issued, father of the Bahmanov family. # (by Chickek Khanom) Prince Qolam Shah Mirza (b. 1867; d. 1918). # (by Chichek Khanom) Prince Shah Qoli Mirza (b. 1871). # (by Chichek Khanom) Prince Mohammad Mirza aka Mamed Qoli Mirza (b. 1872; d. 1920), Major-General in Russian army. He had issued. # (by Kuchek Barda Khanom) Prince Ardashir Mirza (b. 1875). # Prince Seyf ol-Malek Mirza. # (by Khandan Khanom) Prince Sahebgharan Mirza, returned to Iran and became 1903 Chamberlain-in-Control of

Muzaffar al-Din Shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar ( fa, مظفرالدین شاه قاجار, Mozaffar ad-Din Ŝāh-e Qājār; 23 March 1853 – 3 January 1907), was the fifth shah of Qajar Iran, reigning from 1896 until his death in 1907. He is often credited with ...

. He had issued. His daughters known by name in order of seniority: # Princess Mariyam Saltanat Khanom (b. 1836; d. 27/2/1866), married Begdad Bey Javanshir from the Khans of Kharabakh. She had issued one son, one daughter. # Princess Azari Homayoun Khanom "Shahzadeh Khanom" (b. ca. 1838), married 1861 Abol Fath Khan Ziyadkhanov (b. 1843) from the Qajar-Ziyadoghlu (Ziadlu) dynasty of

. She had issued three sons and five daughters. # (by Shahzadeh Khanom) Princess Rowshandeh Soltan Khanom (b. ca. 1846), married Hajji Buyuk Murad Beyg Nuribekov (d. 1870). She had issued one son and one daughter. # Princess Qizikhanim Khanom "Tadj ol-Molouk" (b. 1847 in Tabriz), married Mohammad Qassem Agha Javanshir from the Khans of Kharabakh. She had issued. # Princess Sabiyeh Khanom, founder of the Nizamiyeh Pushkin Library in

. # Princess Nawab Agha Khanom, married Ismail Khan. # Princess Malek-Sifagh Khanom. # (by Mehr Farid Khanom) Princess Zarri Khanom (b. 1864; d. 1943), married as his second wife, Karim Bey Mehmandarov (b. 1854; d. 1929). She had issued three sons and five daughters. # (by Mehr Farid Khanom) Princess Khorshid Khanom, married Zafar Ali Beyg Valibekov (b. 1861; d. 1902). She had issued one son and two daughters. # (by Mehr Farid Khanom) Princess Khanzadeh Khanom, married and had issued one daughter. # Princess Keykab Khanom. # (by Mehr Farid Khanom) Princess Abbaseh Khanom (b. 6/10/1865), married Reza Beyg Sadigbeyov, son of Sadegh Beyg. She had issued one son and three daughters. # Princess Noor Jahan Khanom (b. 1868; d. 1955), married 1890 Mostafa Bey Aghayev (d. 1921). She had issued one son and five daughters. # Princess Turan Khanom. # (by Kuchek Barda Khanom) Princess Ashraf Khanom, married Khahan Khan Nakchivanski (d. after 1920) from the Khans of Nakhichevan. She had issued. # (by Kuchek Barda Khanom) Princess Manzar Khanom, married Nasser Beyg Javanshir from the Khans of Kharabakh. # (by Kuchek Barda Khanom) Princess Bahdjat Khanom, married Nasser Beyg Javanshir from the Khans of Kharabakh. She had issued one daughter. # (by Kuchek Barda Khanom) Princess Noor al-Ain Khanom. # (by Kuchek Barda Khanom) Princess Firuzeh Khanom, married Feridoun Beyg. She had issued one daughter. # Princess Fakhr os-Soltan Khanom. # Princess Shahzdi Khanom, married Abol Fath Agha, son of Soleyman Agha, a descendant of the Sultans of Shamshadil, by his wife Saida Begum, a descendant of the Qajar-Ziyadoghlu (Ziadlu) dynasty of

.{{cite web, url=http://zarrinkafsch-bahman.org/8.html, title=The Line of Bahman Mirza – The House of Zarrinkafsch-Bahman (Qajar), author=Arian Kazem Zarrinkafsch-Bahman (Qajar), work=zarrinkafsch-bahman.org, access-date=2015-04-10, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503235141/http://zarrinkafsch-bahman.org/8.html, archive-date=2009-05-03, url-status=dead

Famous members

* Nizami Bahmanov * Aleksander Reza Qoli Mirza Qajar * Feyzullah Mirza Qajar * Shafi Khan Qajar * Ali Akbar Bahman

References

Notes

* Eldar Ismayilov: ''A Persian Prince of the Qajar House in the Russian Empire'', Moscow, 2009. * Genghis Kadjar: ''The Kadjars'', Baku, 2003. * Mohammad Ali Bahmani-Qajar: ''Some Remarks about Prince Bahman Mirza Qajar'', Tehran 2012. * Arian K. Zarrinkafsch-Bahman
The Bahman-Qajar Ancestors

Qajar dynasty Russian noble families Iranian noble families Azerbaijani noble families Bahmani family