Hossein Ali Mirza

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Hossein Ali Mirza
Shah (self-styled)
Prince-Governor[1]
Farman Farma
Hosseinali Mirza.jpg
Hossein Ali Mirza Farman Farma by Mihr 'Ali. this painting is in Golestan Palace and was broke in early times after Islamic Revolution[2]
Born26 August 1789
Amol
Died16 January 1835(1835-01-16) (aged 45)
Ardabil
Burial
Mashhad
HouseQajar dynasty
ReligionIslam

Hossein Ali Mirza (Persian: حسین علی میرزا, romanized: Ḥosayn-ʿAlī Mīrzā; 26 August 1789 – 16 January 1835), a son of Fath-Ali Shah (r. 1797–1834), was the Governor of Fars and pretender to the throne of Qajar Iran.

As governor, Ali Mirza restored Shah Cheragh. To obtain gold, he opened the tombs of the Achaemenid kings but discovered that they were empty. During his rule, the city of Shiraz was subjected to high taxation and low security. Ali Mirza gained independence from the government of Hajji Mohammad Hossein Isfahani, rented Bushehr ports to the British and almost started a war with Muscat.

After Fath-Ali Shah's death, Prince Mohammad Mirza was crowned Shah (King) as Mohammad Shah Qajar, but Ali Mirza led a revolt and claimed the throne as Hossein Ali Shah. The revolt lasted for two months, ending in a defeat in Shiraz at the hands of Manouchehr Khan Gorji. On the orders of Mohammad Shah, Ali Mirza was blinded and imprisoned in Ardabil, where he died of cholera in January 1835.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Ali Mirza was born on 26 August 1789 and was the fifth son of Fath-Ali Shah. His mother was Badr-e Jahan Khanum, daughter of Qader Khan, Amir of an Arab tribe settled in Bastam. In November 1799 he married the daughter of Amir Guna Khan Zafaranlu, Khan of a Kurdish tribe in Quchan.[3] In the same year he was appointed as Governor of Fars.[4]

Rule in Fars[]

Young Hossein Ali Mirza by an unknown painter, late 1790s – early 1800s

Ali Mirza appointed Cheragh Ali Khan Navai, a loyal servant to Fath-Ali Shah and commander of 800 to 1000 musketeers from Nur, Mazandaran, as his vizier.[a] Cheragh Ali served for Ali Mirza until his recall in 1805 as a result of various charges made by the people of Fars against him. He was replaced by Naser Allah Khan Qaraguzlu, who was dismissed in 1808.[3]

The next vizier, Mohammad Nabi Khan, increased the price of bread in Shiraz; this led to a massive riot led by Mirza Hadi Fatai who, in a fatwa, ordered the killing of Nabi Khan and his subordinates.[3] Shortly afterwards, Hajji Mohammad Hossein Khan Amin al-Dowla came to Shiraz and Nabi Khan was dismissed and tortured and lost his wealth. Over time Amin al-Dawla's influence on Ali Mirza increased to the extent that he was able to get Ali Akbar Qawam al-Mulk appointed as Mayor (Kalantar) of Shiraz.[3] even though Ali Mirza was against it.[6]

In his 20s, Ali Mirza's authority increased, and he independently made an agreement with the East India Company, though he was less interested in government issues[3] than in the game of chovgan.[7] He was indifferent to the safety of his subjects; his palace was well-protected, but the city walls were broken and there was no encircling ditch.[3]

Along with Mazandarani musketeers, Ali Mirza had troops of common tribes including Khamseh.[8] His troops were not always loyal. For example, Wali Khan Mamassani plundered roads even though he had an alliance through marriage between his daughter and Ali Mirza's son, Timur Mirza. Shiraz was beset by grinding taxation, poor public safety, and fatwas from Ulama that caused a large amount of violence against Jewish people.[3] Meanwhile, Ali Mirza was increasing his influence in the Persian Gulf; he was basically independent from the government of Hajji Mohammad Hossein Isfahani and negotiated to rent Bushehr ports to the British. In 1827 he had a conflict with Oman which ended peacefully.[9] In 1830, as a result of discontent, his authority was at its weakest, and the Khans of Dashtestan demanded increased power in Fars and openly defied him.[1] Ali Mirza sent troops to stop the rebels, but they defied him, too. To stay in power, he asked for help from British troops. The rebels were defeated by British troops, the khans lost all of their power, and Ali Mirza gained full control of Fars.[10] This rebellion was not meant to dismiss Hossein Ali Khan, but to restore the power of the khans that had had influence in the Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi administration.[1]

Attempt for the throne[]

Ali Mirza did not want to be involved in Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828, even though Abbas Mirza asked for help.[10] With the Treaty of Turkmenchay, Abbas Mirza's popularity as Crown Prince decreased. Ali Mirza did not pay taxes expelled the Shah's representatives.[11]

In 1833, the death of Abbas Mirza gave an opportunity for Ali Mirza to claim the throne. Ali Mirza was the fifth son of Fath-Ali but had a non-Qajar mother, which made him an unacceptable candidate. The Treaty of Turkmenchay recognized Abbas Mirza as Crown Prince and after his death the Russian Empire supported Mohammad Mirza, his eldest son, as the next ruler. However, all of the Shah's eldest sons (including Dowlatshah) were dead and Ali Mirza thought that choosing Mohammad Mirza as Crown Prince would deprive him of his rights and would be a surrender to the demands of the Russians.[12] All of these points caused Ali Mirza to strive for the throne.[3] Ali Mirza searched for allies; his negotiations with the British Empire and the Ottomans were not successful.[13] He then tried to consolidate his hold on Kerman[14] and negotiated with tribal leaders of the Bakhtiaries and Lurs, but failed in both.[13] In 1834, Ali Mirza defeated a local revolt led by Mohammad Zaki Khan; historians believe this revolt was a conspiracy to increase Ali Mirza's prestige.[15]

Revolt[]

Manouchehr Khan Gorji led an army towards Shiraz and defeated Hossein Ali Mirza

On 22 October 1834, Fath-Ali Shah died and many of his sons defied the new king, Mohammad Shah. When news reached Tehran, Ali Shah Mirza, eighth son of the deceased Shah and Mayor of Tehran, proclaimed himself as King with the support of the British Empire. He was defeated by Mohammad Shah and Mirza Abu'l-Qasem Qa'em-Maqam in a battle near Tehran.[16][17]

Ali Mirza ordered Khutbahs to proclaim him as the new King of Iran and struck coins in his name as "Hossein Ali Shah Qajar".[3] In Fars, his position as King was unacceptable to tribal khans who had once lost their power to him. The public viewed Ali Mirza as a cruel and ruthless ruler, and his claim to the throne was not supported by tribal leaders or the people in his court.[14] On 4 December 1834, he sent an army under the command of his brother, Shoja-al-Saltana, towards Isfahan, which successfully captured the city. With the defeat of Ali Shah Mirza, the British and Russian Empires proclaimed Mohammad Shah as king near Qomsha (today Shahreza). Shoja-al-Saltana was defeated by Manouchehr Khan and, after the battle, Manouchehr Khan marched towards Shiraz with an army that included British officers.[3]

Ali Mirza's authority was insecure and he faced revolts by various tribes. Most of his army deserted him when they heard of the defeat of Shoja-al-Saltana, and his treasury was almost depleted.[18] Without an army, Yazd struggled to defend against Manouchehr Khan's attack.[19] When Manouchehr Khan reached Shiraz, the morale of Ali Mirza's army was low and Shiraz fell in a two-hour battle and Ali Mirza was easily captured.[3][20] Ali Mirza lost all of his wealth, titles, and lands and was sent to a castle in Ardabil.[18] Fars was held by Mohammad Shah until 1840, when he granted it to Mirza Hossein Khan.[21]

Death[]

Ali Mirza was blinded and imprisoned in Ardabil. In the final days of his life, he prayed and cried for his mistakes and asked for forgiveness.[22] On 16 January 1835 he died from cholera.[20] His body was buried in Mashhad.[3]

Administration and contributions[]

Fath-Ali Shah Inscription in 1840 by Eugène Flandin

In his earlier days, Ali Mirza ordered the restoration of Shah Cheragh, which was destroyed in the earthquake of 1795.[7] In 1810, news reached Shiraz that Abdollah Mirza has discovered the Tomb of Arghun, Ilkhan of the Ilkhanate, which was full of gold. Ali Mirza opened the tombs of Achaemenid Kings in Marvdasht but discovered that they were empty.[23] In the same year, he built a garden called Bāḡ-e Now in Iranian style, with cascades and water spouts; the mansion overlooked a large, octagonal pool in which the building was reflected like a mirror.[3][b] The garden was described by George Curzon in 1889 as "extensive, beautiful" but he also noted that it was "crumbling away and the stocco and painting [were] peeling off the wall".[3] In 1831, in an action approved by the Shah, he ordered the construction of an inscription in Acheamenid style for Fath-Ali Shah that depicted him seated with his sons gathered around him.[24] The court of Ali Mirza, in comparison with other princes, was very magnificent and he spent large amounts of money on festivals. His extravagance caused historians to compare the money he spent on his court to the funding that Ottoman sultans gave to their own courts.[5]

Children and descendants[]

Firouz Nosrat-ed-Dowleh III, Qajar prince and Foreign Minister of Iran between 1919-1920. Ali Mirza was Firouz's great-grandfather through marriage of his daughter, Bahareh Khanum with Firouz Mirza, son of Abbas Mirza and grandfather of Firouz.

Ali Mirza's children fled to India and England or stayed in Iran.[3] While they had titles and were governors of secondary cities, they did not achieve a position as powerful as Governor of Fars.[25] Six of his children are known:

  • Reza Qoli Mirza (1805 – 1863, London) the eldest son of Ali Mirza with his first wife, daughter of Amir Guna Khan Zafaranlu. At the time of the revolt, he was recently married to Shokoh Jahan, daughter of Key Khosrow Khan Sanjabi, Khan of the Sanjabi tribe. As the eldest son, he would be a pretender to his father's titles thus Mohammad Shah ordered his death. With the fall of Shiraz, he fled to London and died at the court of Queen Victoria.[26] He wrote of his travels to London in his travelogue.[27] His descendants are the Razai family, who are mostly landowners.[26]
  • Imam Qoli Mirza (1806 – 1854, Kermanshah) the son of Ali Mirza with a daughter of Cheragh Ali Khan Navai. He entered to the military and served his father until his defeat, then was forgiven by Mohammad Shah and was sent to Kermanshah to serve as a major. In 1854 he was killed in strife with bandits. His descendants have the surname Qajar-i Kermanshahi.[28]
  • Timur Mirza (1809 – 1834, Qomsha) son of Ali Mirza with a daughter of Mohammad Qoli Khan Afshar. He was trained by musketeers and commanders. In 1835 he and his uncle, Shoja-al-Saltana, captured Isfahan. He was killed in a battle with Manouchehr Khan's army near Qomsha.[29]
  • Shahrokh Mirza was forgiven by Mohammad Shah and appointed as Governor of Kashan. He died at an unknown date during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar.[30]
  • Bahareh Khanum married Firouz Mirza, son of Abbas Mirza and ancestor of the Farmanfarmaian family.[31]
  • Fatemeh Khanum was the youngest child of Ali Mirza and married Bahram Mirza.[32]

Coinage and titulage[]

Hossein Ali Mirza Follis coin, Shiraz mintage

Ali Mirza's realm included the three main mints of Iran: Yazd, Kerman, and Shiraz. His coins are mostly follis, and gold coins were rare due to a shortage of material.[33] The reverse states that the coin was minted in Shiraz.[34] Other coins engraved his name as Hossein Ali Shah on the reverse and titled him as Sultan of Sultans. This is different from the coins of his father, Fath-Ali Shah, as he used the title of Shahanshah.[33][35]

When Ali Mirza became Governor of Fars, his father titled him as Farmanfarma, a Safavid-origin title given to generals.[36] Since there was no equivalent for "Farman Farma" in English, Ali Mirza was titled as Prince-Governor.[1]

Notes[]

  1. ^ These musketeers later settled in near Shiraz and called themself Nuri tribe.[5]
  2. ^ This garden was restored in 1951 and became the Park Saadi Hotel.[3][5]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Davies 1987, p. 128.
  2. ^ History group 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Hambly 1982.
  4. ^ Davies 1987, p. 125.
  5. ^ a b c Aghazadeh 2020, p. 6.
  6. ^ Edrisi 2014.
  7. ^ a b Amdad 2008, p. 295.
  8. ^ Amdad 2008, p. 296.
  9. ^ Davies 1987, p. 127.
  10. ^ a b Amdad 2008, p. 300.
  11. ^ Aghazadeh 2020, p. 11.
  12. ^ Amanat 1999.
  13. ^ a b Amdad 2008, p. 302.
  14. ^ a b Davies 1987, p. 129.
  15. ^ Ghaem Maghami 1952, p. 38.
  16. ^ Shamim 1963, p. 118.
  17. ^ Ghadimi Gheydari 2010, p. 17.
  18. ^ a b Davies 1987, p. 130.
  19. ^ Amdad 2008, p. 305.
  20. ^ a b Hambly 1991, p. 168.
  21. ^ Davies 1987, p. 134.
  22. ^ Amdad 2008, p. 306.
  23. ^ Malik Shahmirzadi 1986, p. 155.
  24. ^ Amdad 2008, p. 301.
  25. ^ Bamdad 1999, p. 195.
  26. ^ a b Khazai 2017, p. 134.
  27. ^ Bamdad 1999, p. 196.
  28. ^ Bamdad 1999, p. 197.
  29. ^ Amdad 2008, p. 307.
  30. ^ Rajabi 2006, p. 87.
  31. ^ Aghazadeh 2020, p. 16.
  32. ^ Bamdad 1999, p. 198.
  33. ^ a b Arefi 2014, p. 123.
  34. ^ Shahbazi Farahani 2007, p. 56.
  35. ^ Amanat 1997, p. 10.
  36. ^ Ashraf 1999.

Bibliography[]

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  • Amanat, Abbas (1997). Pivot of the Universe : Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520914056. OCLC 44964072.
  • Arefi, Raheb (2014). Qajar history (a look at Qajar history based on coins and medals of this period) (in Persian). Tehran: Rashedin Publications. ISBN 9786003612297.
  • Ashraf, Ahmad (1999). "FARMĀNFARMĀ". Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition. New York.
  • Amdad, Hassan (2008). Fars in Qajar era (in Persian). Shiraz: Fars Encyclopedia Publications. ISBN 9789649689630.
  • Aghazadeh, Jafar (2020). "Attempts Made by Fath-Ali Shah Qajar's Princes for Crowning (Case Study: Hossein Ali Mirza, Farmanfarma)". Historical Studies. 11: 1–23. ISSN 2251-7766.
  • Davies, Charles Edward (1987). "Qajar Rule in Fars Prior to 1849". Iran. 25: 125–153. doi:10.2307/4299789. ISSN 0578-6967. JSTOR 4299789. OCLC 819189725.
  • Edrisi, Mehra (2014). "Haji Ghavam Al-Molk Shirazi". Encyclopaedia of Islamic world. Tehran.
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  • History group (2013), "The story of Hossein Ali Mirza's broken painting in Golestan Palace", Akharinnews
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