Davidkhanian family

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Davidkhanian Mansion, Tehran

The Davidkhanian family is one of the oldest and most prominent families of Iran, tracing their lineage back to the Safavid empire in early 18th century Iran.[1] Many members of the family served the country as generals, diplomats, politicians, cabinet ministers, and advisors to the Shah.[2]

The Davidkhanian mansion, one of the estates owned by the family, is located on Sepah Street, the oldest street in Iran. It now serves as government offices.[1]

In January of 2022, H.D. Wright, a member of the family, published an essay in The Armenian Weekly on the Iran nuclear deal, arguing that "until the U.S. sees Iran as a partner, rather than an adversary to be manipulated and exploited, true progress will remain elusive."[3]

Prominent members of the family[]

Prominent members of the family include, among many others[]

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Prominent marriages into the family include, among many others[]

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Connected families[]

  • The Setkhanian family was an Iranian political family whose members included numerous diplomats, generals, and military advisors to the Shah. The progeny of a mid-18th century Armenian immigrant to Iran, many members of the family became prominent in Iranian foreign affairs, politics, and business. General Alexander Khan Setkhanian, grandson of the progenitor Set Khan, married Maryam Davidkhanian, the daughter of Martiros Khan Davidkhanian, linking the families in 1894.[6]
  • The Hayward and Hopper families, first made prominent by Senator Monroe Hayward and actor Dennis Hopper, were linked to the Davidkhanian family in 2004, when Marin Hopper, the granddaughter of Leland Hayward and daughter of Dennis Hopper, married John Tigran, the grandson of Siran Davidkhanian.[5]

Origins[]

Davit Bek, brother of Gharabeg, the progenitor of the Davidkhanian family

The progenitor of the family, known as 'Gharabeg,' was the brother of revolutionary Davit Bek.[7] Davit Bek (1669-1728) was an Armenian military commander and the leader of an Armenian rebellion against invading Ottoman forces and Muslim tribes. Bek and his family was of noble lineage, descending from princes of Chavndour (district of Kovsakan in southeastern Syunik), and had served the vali, the king of Kartli, Vakhtang VI. In 1722, after the Safavid state collapsed, numerous Muslim tribes began to compete in the area for influence, as Persia could no longer sanction the rule of the meliks. To maintain order, the meliks requested aid from Vakhtang, the King of Iberia, who sent Davit Bek, reportedly one of his most capable officers, together with some 2,000 Armenian soldiers.[7]

With the help of the local peasants and the meliks, Davit successfully defended the Armenian-inhabited areas from the tribes. To halt the subsequent Ottoman encroachments upon the area, King Tahmasp ll appointed Davit as the governor of the area. Emboldened by his successes, many Armenians revolted against the Ottomans and joined Davit's ranks.[8] Following Bek's campaigns, Gharabeg was brought to Isfahan by the Shah, who recognized the Armenian talent for commerce.[9]

Contributions[]

The Davidkhanian family has contributed to the economic, military, and political development of Iran since the Safavid era, while playing a role in Iranian foreign affairs, most prominently in Iran-Russia and Iran-United Kingdom relations during the Great Game.

Economics[]

The Battle of Ganja (1804) during the Russo-Persian War

While serving as the Minister of Finance of Iran and Chief Financial Supervisor to Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, Markar Khan Davidkhanian played a leading role in shaping the monetary and foreign policy of Iran during the early 19th century, one of the most tumultuous periods in Iranian economic history. Davidkhanian was appointed Chief Financial Advisor in 1804, a year after the Russo-Persian War had begun, which was a struggle for supremacy in Transcaucasia dating back to the time of Peter the Great and Nader Shah. Both Tsar Alexander and Fath-Ali Shah hoped to consolidate disputed territory in Georgia. Although Persia had the numerical advantage on the battlefield, Russia had superior technology, training, and strategy. Despite the Persian alliance with Napoleon, France could provide little concrete help, and in early 1813 Persia signed the Treaty of Gulistan, ceding what is modern-day Dagestan, Georgia, and large parts of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Russia also gained trade rights within Persia.[10][11] Although peace reigned for thirteen years after the war, the Persian economy was in shambles, forcing Davidkhanian to rely on foreign subsidies. In July 1826, Russia occupied Mirak, violating the Treaty of Gulistan and reigniting war between the two powers. Persia signed the Treaty of Turkmenchay to end the war in February 1828, which forced Davidkhanian to pay 20 million rubles in silver.[12] As Russia increased its sphere of influence in Iran, Davidkhanian attempted to stem the flow of the Shah's dwindling finances, organized foreign loans, and managed domestic economic instability.[8]

Military[]

Persian cavalry troops at the Caucasus front during the Ottoman-Persian War

Following defeats against the Russian empire, another relative by marriage, Ambassador Set Khan, began a campaign with his friend Crown Prince Abbas Mirza to modernize the Persian military and address tactical disparities between the Russia empire and Persian state. After traveling to London to acquire a team of English mining experts and Greek miners, Set Khan began to mine sites that produced copper, silver, and coal. As copper was in high demand in Iran, Set Khan concentrated his team's efforts on cannon smelting, which was considered a breakthrough in Iranian military development.[6] The Persian court hoped that the imperial powers threatening Iran—Russia in the North and the British to the South—could be held at bay by the adoption of European military technology. Given the geopolitical context, Set Khan's exploitation of the copper mines of Azerbaijan were a major advancement for the Persian military reform effort because previously all significant quantities of copper for canon smelting had been purchased from the Ottoman Empire.[13] The transformation of the Persian military was evident during the Ottoman-Persian War, most prominently at the Battle of Erzurum, during which a Persian force of 30,000, led by Abbas Mirza, scored a crushing defeat against an Ottoman army of 50,000 in Eastern Anatolia, leading to the Treaty of Erzurum, despite the numerical disadvantage and prevalence of Cholera in the Persian army.[14][15]

Persian Cossack Brigade

In the same period, by a proposal of the Shah with the backing of the Tsar, the Russians formed the Persian Cossack Brigade, which would play a crucial role in the next few decades of Iranian history and Iran-Russian relations.[16] In 1879, Martiros Khan Davidkhanian began working for the Brigade as a translator. He quickly rose through the ranks until attaining the rank of Raiss-e` Arkan-e Harb, which loosely means the Head of Battle Columns. It was with this rank that he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Persian Cossack Brigade, a position he held for twenty-six years. During this period, he was the highest ranking soldier in the Brigade.[1] In 1879, while Martiros was serving as Chief of Staff, Nasir-ed-Din Shah was assassinated, causing chaos to break out in the streets of Iran. Neither the police nor the regular Iranian army could control the rampaging mobs, so the Brigade was given free rein by the Prime Minister Amin os-Soltan to restore order. The Brigade quickly occupied Tehran, and with the support of the Russians and the British, escorted Mozaffar ad-Din Shah into Tehran, effectively establishing themselves as kingmakers. Following this event, the Brigade was able to exert significant control in internal Persian politics.[17]

Eskandar Khan Davidkhanian (first from left) with Reza Shah (second from left)

During the 1906 Constitutional Revolution, Eskandar Khan Davidkhanian, the son of Martiros Khan Davidkhanian, served as Deputy Commander of the Brigade, ranking higher than the future Shah, Reza Pahlavi.[18] During the revolution, Eskandar, second in command to Vladimir Liakhov, shelled the Majlis. Another relative, Alexander Khan Setkhanian, also participated in the containment of the revolution, and later rose to fill his father-in-law Martiros Khan Davidkhanian's former position of Chief of Staff of the Brigade. When asked why he participated in the event, one of the most infamous in Iranian history, Alexander responded, "I am a soldier, not a politician; my loyalty is to the Brigade and to the Shah.[6]

Meguertitch Khan Davidkhanian (center) with his men, before putting an end to the Sheikh Khazal rebellion

Over a decade later, after Reza Shah had visited the Davidkhanian mansion to seek the loyalty of Alexander Khan, the husband of Maryman Davidkhanian, Meguertitch Khan Davidkhanian assisted in the process of centralizing power. Sheikh Khazal, who was supported by the British who had sent him some 3,000 arms and additional ammunition, was demanded by the government to surrender.[19] Reza Shah asked Meguertitch Khan Davidkhanian and Fazlollah Zahedi to meet Sheikh Khazal and convince him to journey to Tehran. Both met with Khazal and spent an evening with him on board his yacht, anchored in the Shatt al-Arab river by his palace in the village of Fallahiyah near the city of Mohammerah. That very evening, Reza Shah sent a gunboat of fifty troops, led by Meguertitch Khan Davidkhanian, to board the yacht. Meguertitch and his men arrested Khazal, marking the end of the rebellion. He was awarded the Order of Sepah by Reza Khan for his efforts.[20]

Politics[]

Circa 1927, Meguertitch Khan Davidkhanian was appointed Governor of Khorramshahr, a territory ceded by the Ottomans in the Treaty of Erzurum, signed when Markar Khan Davidkhanian was Finance Minister.[15] The territory was later targeted during the Iran-Iraq War at the Battle of Khorramshahr. Khorramshahr was eventually recaptured by the Iranians during Operation Beit-ol-Moqaddas in 1982, a year before Meguertitch Khan Davidkhanian's death.[21][2]

Battle of Khorramshahr, province governed by Meguertitch Khan Davidkhanian

Davidkhanian also served as the military Governor of Dezful, one of the oldest cities in the Khuzestan province, during the Iran-Iraq War.[19]

Academia[]

Martiros Khan Davidkhanian and Eskandar Khan Davidkhanian were among the first professors at Dar ul-Funun, the first modern university and modern institution of higher learning in Iran. Martiros Khan Davidkhanian taught French and Russian for thirty-two years. His son, Eskandar, followed in his footsteps, teaching French and Russian as well. While serving as the Chief of Staff of the Persian Cossack Brigade, Martiros later taught Russian to Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, the King of Iran.[1]

Modern Exhibits[]

(from left) Martiros Khan Davidkhanian, , and Sarkis Khan Davidkhanian, Vank Cathedral

In the Armenian Ethnographic Museum of New Julfa, located in the Vank Cathedral,[22] one of the oldest of Iran's Armenian churches,[23] there are portraits of Markar Khan Davidkhanian, Martiros Khan Davidkhanian, David Khan Davidkhanian, and on display. In addition, there is a painting of Sarkis Khan Davidkhanian by Sumbat der Kiureghian hanging in the museum.[24]

Government Portraits[]

See also[]

Network[]

Associated Families[]

Related pages[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Navasargian, Alice (2012). The Immortals.
  2. ^ a b Ismail, Rain. Armenian Iranians (in Persian). Tehran: Amirkabir Publishing Institute.
  3. ^ Wright, H. D. (2022-01-06). "Between New York and Tehran". The Armenian Weekly. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  4. ^ "Hoeltzer House". Official Website of Fariborz Alaghehband. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  5. ^ a b "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Marin Hopper, John Goldstone". The New York Times. 2004-03-21. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  6. ^ a b c Zia-Ebrahimi, Reza (2017-01-31). "David N. Yaghoubian. Ethnicity, Identity, and the Development of Nationalism in Iran". The American Historical Review. 122 (1): 276–277. doi:10.1093/ahr/122.1.276. ISSN 0002-8762.
  7. ^ a b Adalian, Rouben Paul (2010). Historical Dictionary of Armenia. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0810874503.
  8. ^ a b Bournoutian, George A. (2001). Armenians and Russia, 1626-1796: A Documentary Record. Mazda Publishers. ISBN 978-1568591322.
  9. ^ "Armenia in the Age of Columbus". 2016-03-03. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  10. ^ Baddeley, John F. (1908). The Russian Conquest of the Caucasus. London: Longman, Green and Co. p. 90.
  11. ^ Fisher, William Bayne (1991). The Cambridge history of Iran. Cambridge University Press. pp. 145–146.
  12. ^ Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2003. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-85743-137-7.
  13. ^ Mahbubi Ardakani, Husayn (1992). تاريخ مؤسسات تمدن جديد در ايران (in Persian). Tihran: Anjuman-i Danishjuyan-i Danishgah-i Tihran, 1354- [1992. OCLC 957273960.
  14. ^ Dupuy, R. Ernest (1993). The Harper Encyclopedia of Military History. HarperCollins Publishers.
  15. ^ a b Masters, Bruce (1991). "The Treaties of Erzurum (1823 and 1848) and the Changing Status of Iranians in the Ottoman Empire". Iranian Studies. 24 (1/4): 3–15. doi:10.1080/00210869108701754. ISSN 0021-0862. JSTOR 4310752.
  16. ^ Yeats, Alexander J.; Ziring, Lawrence (1981). Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan: A Political Chronology. Praeger. ISBN 978-0-03-058651-4.
  17. ^ Abrahamian, Ervand (1982-07-21). Iran Between Two Revolutions. ISBN 978-0-691-10134-7.
  18. ^ Foundation, Encyclopaedia Iranica. "Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica". iranicaonline.org. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  19. ^ a b Lazarian, Janet. Encyclopedia of Armenian Iranians. Helmand Publications.
  20. ^ Steven, Ward. Immortal: A military history of Iran and its armed forces.
  21. ^ "Historical Photos: 23 May 1981 , Khorramshahr Liberation Day". www.payvand.com. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  22. ^ "Isfahan: Vank Museum". www.caroun.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  23. ^ "Vank Cathedral: A gorgeous fusion of Islamic, Armenian architecture". Tehran Times. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  24. ^ "معاون مرکز سلامت محیط و کار وزارت بهداشت: کارت واکسیناسیون کرونا رایگان است، فریب سایتهای پولی را نخورید!". Norjugha (in Persian). Retrieved 2021-12-22.
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