Fath-Ali Shah Qajar

Early life

He was born on 5 August 1772 in the city of Damghan, then under the governorship of his father. He was called Fath-Ali, a name borne by his prominent great-grandfather, Fath-Ali Khan Qajar. But he was mainly known by his second name of Baba Khan until his coronation in 1797. However, the Russians still called him Baba Khan until 1813, as they refused to recognize his rule. He was the eldest son of Hossein Qoli Khan Qajar (the brother of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar) and the daughter of the Mohammad Agha Ezz al-Dinlu of the Ashaqa-bash branch of the Qajar tribe. Due to Hossein Qoli Khan being suspected of plotting to rebel against the Zand dynasty, Baba Khan (then aged five) was sent as a hostage to the court of the Zand ruler Karim Khan Zand () in Shiraz. There Baba Khan joined his uncle Agha Mohammad Khan, who was also a hostage at the court.

Baba Khan later returned to Damghan (according to the 19th-century Iranian writer Reza-Qoli Khan Hedayat, this took place in 1775), where he was witness to the conflict amongst the Davallu Qajar chiefs of Astarabad, which ultimately led to the murder of his father by the Kuklan Turkmens in 1777. Baba Khan sought shelter with his uncle Morteza Qoli Khan Qajar in the village of Anzan (near Astarabad), where he stayed for two years. Following the death of Karim Khan in 1779, Baba Khan shifted his allegiance to Agha Mohammad Khan, who had returned to Mazandaran and overpowered Morteza Qoli and two other brothers in Barforush. Although Agha Mohammad Khan had been castrated at a young age, he married Baba Khan's mother in Sari and practically became his stepfather and guardian.

In 1780, Baba Khan and Agha Mohammad Khan were captured in Baforush by the latter's brother Rezaqoli Khan Qajar, who was displeased of the favour that Baba Khan received by Agha Mohammad Khan. They were eventually released, and in 1781 Baba Khan seized Damghan from Qader Khan Arab Bestami, thus recovering his father's former domain. Baba Khan also captured and married Qader Khan's daughter Badr Jahan. In 1783, Baba Khan married his first Qajar wife, Asiya Khanom Devellu in Sari. The marriage was a political union organized by Agha Mohammad Khan to make peace with the Yokhari-bash branch of the Qajars, the clan of Asiya Khanom. Following Agha Mohammad Khan's accession to the throne at Tehran on 21 March 1786, Baba Khan was designated as his heir and vice-regent.

Baba Khan took part in his uncle's war with the Zands in southern Iran, where he in 1787 narrowly succeeded in defeating the governor of Yazd, Mohammad-Taqi Bafqi, who acknowledged Qajar suzerainty. Baba Khan then went to Gilan to protect it against Qajar chiefs whose loyalty was questionable.

Baba Khan was governor of Fars when his uncle was assassinated in 1797. Baba Khan then ascended the throne and used the name of Fath Ali Shah (with the word "shah" added to his name). He became suspicious of his chancellor Ebrahim Khan Kalantar and ordered his execution. Hajji Ebrahim Khan had been chancellor to Zand and Qajar rulers for some fifteen years. Much of his reign was marked by the resurgence of Persian arts and painting, as well as a deeply elaborate court culture with extremely rigid etiquette. In particular during his reign, portraiture and large-scale oil painting reached a height previously unknown under any other Islamic dynasty, largely due to his personal patronage.

Fath Ali also ordered the creation of much royal regalia, including coronation chairs; the "Takht-e Khurshīd" or Sun Throne; the "Takht-e Nāderi" or Naderi Throne, which was also used by later kings; and the "Tāj-e Kiyāni" or Kiani Crown, a modification of the crown of the same name created by his uncle Agha Mohammad Khan. The latter, like most of his regalia, was studded with a large number of pearls and gems.

In 1797, Fath Ali was given a complete set of the Britannica's 3rd edition, which he read completely; after this feat, he extended his royal title to include "Most Formidable Lord and Master of the Encyclopædia Britannica." In 1803, Fath-Ali Shah appointed his cousin Ebrahim Khan as the governor of the Kerman province, which had been devastated during the reign of Agha Mohammad Khan.

In Khorasan, there would be a growing revolt led by Nader Mirza, who would restore the Afsharid dynasty. The Shah's control was so limited in fact that an 1800–1801 tax register listed only Sabzevar and Neyshabur as paying taxes to the government, while the rest of the local Khorasani leaders paid no taxes to the state at all.

Russo-Persian Wars (1804–1828)

Russo-Persian War (1804–1813)

Main article: Russo-Persian War (1804–1813)

During the early reign of Fath Ali Shah, Imperial Russia took control of Georgia, a territory which Iran had ruled intermittently since 1555 with the Peace of Amasya. Georgia, led by Heraclius II, had forged an alliance with Iran's rival, Russia, following the Treaty of Georgievsk. To punish his Georgian subjects, his uncle, Agha Mohammad Khan, had invaded and sacked Tbilisi, seeking to reestablish full Iranian suzerainty over Georgia, in which he succeeded. Even though the Russian garrisons in the city had to retreat, Iran did not manage to put back all of its needed garrisons over the country as Agha Mohammad Khan was assassinated soon afterwards in Shusha, following with Russia's act of annexation of those priorly-Iranian ruled parts of Georgia in 1801, after many Georgian embassies and a treaty. Also, not only was Georgia annexed but Dagestan was also invaded, which had also been under Iranian rule since the early Safavid era. As it was seen as a direct intrusion into Iranian territory, Fath Ali Shah, determined to reassert Iranian hegemony over the whole region, declared war on Russia after General Pavel Tsitsianov attacked and stormed the city of Ganja, massacring many of its inhabitants and forcing many thousands to flee deeper within the Iranian domains. In 1804, Fath Ali Shah ordered the invasion of Georgia in order to regain it, under pressure from the Shia clergy, who were urging a war against Russia. The war began with notable victories for the Iranians, but Russia shipped in advanced weaponry and cannons that disadvantaged the technologically inferior Qajar forces, who did not have the artillery to match. Russia continued with a major campaign against Iran; Iran asked for help from Britain on the grounds of a military agreement with that country (the military agreement was signed after the rise of Napoleon in France). However, Britain refused to assist Iran claiming that the military agreement concerned a French attack not Russian.

Iran had to ask for help from France, sending an ambassador to Napoleon and concluding a Franco-Persian alliance with the signature of the Treaty of Finkenstein. However, just when the French were ready to help Iran, Napoleon made peace with Russia. At this time, John Malcolm arrived in Iran and promised support but Britain later changed its mind and asked Iran to retreat. Though many years the war had been stale and located in various parts of Transcaucasia, the peace with Napoleon enabled the Russians to increase their war efforts in the Caucasus against Iran. In early 1813, under General Pyotr Kotlyarevsky, the Russians successfully stormed Lankaran. Russian troops invaded Tabriz in 1813 and Iran was forced to sign the Treaty of Gulistan with Russia.

Treaty of Gulistan

Main article: Treaty of Gulistan

On account of consecutive defeats of Iran and after the fall of Lankaran on 1 January 1813, Fath Ali Shah, was forced to sign the disastrous Treaty of Gulistan. The text of treaty was prepared by a British diplomat; Sir Gore Ouseley; and was signed by Nikolai Fyodorovich Rtischev from the Russian side and Hajji Mirza Abol Hasan Khan from the Iranian side on 24 October 1813 in the village of Gulistan.

By this treaty all of the cities, towns, and villages of Georgia, villages and towns on the coast of the Black Sea, all of the cities, towns and villages of the Khanates in the South Caucasus and North Caucasus, and part of the Talysh Khanate, including Megrelia, Abkhazia, Imeretia, Guria, Baku khanate, Shirvan Khanate, Derbent, Karabakh khanate, Ganja khanate, Shaki Khanate and Quba Khanate became part of Russia. These territories altogether comprise modern-day Georgia, southern Dagestan, and most of the contemporary Azerbaijan Republic. In return, Russia pledged to support Abbas Mirza as heir to the Iranian throne after the death of Fath Ali Shah.

Interlude on a different front

Between 1805 and 1816, Qajar rulers began invading Herat in neighboring Afghanistan with small detachments. The Iranians were attempting to retake control of the city but were forced to abandon it due to Afghan uprisings. In 1818 the Shah sent his son Mohammad Vali Mirza to capture the city but he was defeated at the Battle of Kafir Qala.

Russo-Persian War (1826–1828)

Main article: Russo-Persian War (1826–1828)

In 1826, 13 years after the Treaty of Gulistan, the Shah, on the advice of British agents and the utter dissatisfaction with the outcome of the previous war, decided to occupy the lost territories. Crown prince Abbas Mirza, head of the armies, invaded the Talysh Khanate and Karabakh khanate with an army of 35,000 on 16 July 1826. The first year of the war was very successful, and the Iranians managed to regain most of their lost territories of the 1804–1813 war, including the principal cities of Lenkoran, Quba, and Baku. However the tide turned after the winter. In May 1827, Ivan Paskevich, Governor of Caucasus, invaded Echmiadzin, Nakhichevan, Abbasabad and on 1 October Erivan. Fourteen days later, General Eristov entered Tabriz. In January 1828, when the Russians reached the shores of Lake Urmia, Abbas Mirza urgently signed the Treaty of Turkmenchay on 2 February 1828.

Treaty of Turkmenchay

Main article: Treaty of Turkmenchay

The Turkmenchay Treaty was signed on 21 February 1828 by Hajji Mirza Abol Hasan Khan and General Ivan Paskevich. By this treaty the Erivan khanate (most of present-day Armenia, and also a small part of Eastern Anatolia), Nakhchivan khanate (most of the present-day Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan), the Talysh Khanate (southeastern Azerbaijan), and the Ordubad and Mughan came under the rule of Imperial Russia. By this treaty, Iran had lost most of its Caucasian territories comprising all of Transcaucasia and Dagestan to neighboring Imperial Russia. Iran furthermore pledged to pay Russia 10 Million in Gold, and in return Russia pledged to support Abbas Mirza as heir to the Iranian throne after the death of Fath Ali Shah. The treaty also stipulated the resettlement of Armenians from Iran to the Caucasus, which also included an outright liberation of Armenian captives who were brought and had lived in Iran since 1804 or as far back as 1795.

Later life

Fath Ali later employed writers and painters to make a book about his wars with Russia, inspired by the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi. This book, considered by many to be the most important Persian book written in the Qajar period, is called the Shahanshahnama.

In 1829, Alexander Griboyedov, the Russian diplomat and playwright was killed in the Massacre at the Russian Embassy in Tehran. To apologize, the Shah sent prince Khosrow Mirza to Tsar Nicholas I to deliver a formal apology, as well as one of the biggest diamonds of his crown jewelry, namely the Shah Diamond.

When his favourite son and crown prince Abbas Mirza died on 25 October 1833, Fath Ali named his grandson Mohammed Mirza as his crown prince. Fath Ali died a year later, on 24 October 1834. He was buried in a tomb in the Fatima Masumeh Shrine of Qom.

He is instantly recognizable in all 25 known portraits – mainly due to his immense, deeply black beard, which reached well beneath his narrow waist. One of these portraits is being exhibited in the collection of the University of Oxford. Another one, by the artist, Mihr Ali, is at the Brooklyn Museum.

Besides eulogistic chronicles, the only real sources that allow us to judge his personality are those of British, French and Russian diplomats . These vary greatly: earlier in his reign they tend to portray him as vigorous, manly and highly intelligent. Later they begin to point out his extreme indolence and avarice. The image of decadence was epitomised by the story that he had a special harem slide of marble constructed. Every day he would lie on his back naked "as, one by one, naked harem beauties swooped down a slide, specially made for the sport, into the arms of their lord and master before being playfully dunked in a pool."

Titles

Fath-Ali Shah used both the ancient Persian title of shahanshah (King of Kings), i.e., Emperor, and the Turco-Mongol title of khaqan (khan of khans), thus representing himself as both ruler of the country and the tribes.

Appearance

Fath-Ali Shah was the last Qajar shah to dress in the traditional manner, which included a decorated Persian long robe, high heels, and a long beard. The Scottish statesman and historian John Malcolm, who met Fath-Ali Shah in 1800, described him as "above the middle size, his age little more than thirty, his complexion rather fair, his features regular and fine, with an expression denoting quickness and intelligence."

Legacy

During his reign, Fath-Ali Shah successfully restructured a mostly Turkic tribal khanship into a centralized and stable monarchy based on the old imperial design. This brought to Iran a relatively calm and prosperous period, secured a mutually beneficial relationship between state and religion, established the foundational principles of state administration, and supported cultural and artistic revival which remained a distinctive feature of the Qajar dynasty.

Marriage and children

Fath-Ali Shah is reported to have had more than 1,000 spouses. He was survived by fifty-seven sons and forty-six daughters, along with 296 grandsons and 292 granddaughters.

A book published in England in 1874 provided different numbers:

While this is a large number of children, the claim that Fatḥ-ʻAli holds the record is not true. (Moulay Ismail ibn Sharif, who lived a hundred years earlier in Morocco, is said to hold the record for the most number of children born to a man.)

Fatḥ-Ali's first son, Mohammad Ali Mirza Dowlat Shah, was seven months older than the second son Abbas Mirza. Yet it was the latter who was named "Wali-ahd" or crown prince. This was because Dowlat Shah's mother, Ziba Chehreh Khanoum, was of non-Qajar origin (she was a Georgian woman), and therefore he was passed over in favour of his younger brother.

Consorts

Here, a non-exhaustive list of Fath-Ali Shah's consorts is arranged in an interactive sortable table.

|See more consorts |

• Arezou Khanom, from the Shahsavan Zargar;
• Agha Begom, daughter of Seyyed Morad Khan Zand;
• Agha Begom, descendant of the Safavid shahs;
• Alagoz Khanom, from the Bestam people;
• Ahou Khanom, an Armenian;
• Banafsheh Badaam or Neghieh Badaam, an Armenian from Azerbaijan;
• Bibi Khanom, daughter of Yussef Khan Barforoushi;
• Bibi Kouchak Khanom, sister of Sadeq Khan Boroudjerdi;
• Begum Khanum, daughter of Hajji Elyaas Tajrishi;
• Begom Khanom, of the people of Varamin;
• Fatemeh Khanom also known as Faati Baaji;
• Golbakht Khanom, a Turkoman from Yamut and former wife of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar;
• Gowhar Khanom, daughter of Nadir Quli Khan Zand;
• Gowhar Khanom, daughter of Fath-Ali Khan, son of Riza Quli Khan, who was Fath-Ali Shah's uncle;
• Gowhar Khanom, daughter of Khan Baba Khan Nankuli;
• Gowhar Khanom, from the Kulyayi clan;
• Gowhar Taj Khanom, daughter of Mirza Mohammad Khan Qajar Davalou, Beglarbegi of Tehran and sister of Allahyar Khan Asif al-Dawlah;
• Hajjieh Khanom, of the people of Talesh;
• Husn-e Molk Khanom, of the Lezgi people;
• Jan Begom, from the people of Qom;
• Jan Jan Khanom, from the people of Isfahan;
• Jan Jan Khanom, another wife from the people of Isfahan;
• Jahan Khanom, from the tribe of Bajelan;
• Jahan Afrouz Khanom;
• Jahan Afrouz Khanom, daughter of Seyyed Nazar Khan Biranvand;
• Javaher Khanom, from the Torkaman tribe;
• Jeyran Khanom, from the Koklan tribe of the Torkaman;
• Khatun Baji, of the people of Mazandaran;
• Hajjieh Khatun Jan Khanom, daughter of Mohammad Ali Khan Zand, son of Karim Khan Zand;
• Khan Jan Khanom, from the people of Isfahan;
• Khanum Jan Khanom, daughter of Mohammad Ali Khan Zand, son of Karim Khan Zand;
• Khanum Jani Khanom, daughter of Ebrahim Khan Taleshi;
• Khanum Jani Khanom, from the Sadat of Mazandaran;
• Khanum Kouchak, daughter of Mohammad Taghi Khan Zand, and great great grand-daughter Karim Khan Zand;
• Khatayeh Khanom;
• Khadijeh Khanom, a Jew;
• Khadijeh Khanom, another Jew;
• Khadijeh Khanom (m. 1800), daughter of Mohammad Khan Ezzodinlou Qajar;
• Kheradeh Khanom, sister of Abolghassem Khan Tehrani;
• Khajeh Baji, responsible for the personal articles of toiletry of Fath-Ali Shah;
• Kheyr al-Nessa Khanom (m. 1796), daughter of Shahrokh Shah, son of Reza Qoli Mirza and grandson of Nader Shah Afshar;
• Kheyr al-Nessa Khanom, of the Balbas Kurds;
• Kheyr al-Nessa Khanom, also known as Aay Baji, daughter of Majnoun Khan Pazouki;
• Khosh Nama Khanom, a Georgian;
• Mah Afrin Khanom, daughter of Gol Mohammad Khan Shirazi;
• Maryam Begom also known as Begum Khanom, daughter of Imam Qoli Khan Afshar and sister of Hossein Qoli Khan Afshar Oroumi;
• Maryam Khanom, a Georgian;
• Mirza Maryam Khanom, daughter of Mirza Salih Tehrani; held the position of secretary (mustawfiyyeh) in the harem;
• Malik Sultan Khanom, daughter of Ebrahim Khan Sardar Qajar Davalou;
• Malek Jahan Khanom, from the people of Isfahan
• Nabat Khanom (div.), a Jew; former wife of Ja'far Quli Khan, Fath-Ali Shah's uncle; after her divorce from Fath-Ali Shah, she was married to Mirza Shafi, the premier;
• Nessa Baji, from the people of Talish;
• Parizad Khanom, of the people of Qazvin;
• Pari Shah Khanom, a Georgian; after Fath-Ali Shah's passing, went to on the Hajj to Mecca and became known as Hajji Shah;
• Shahr Banu Khanom, from Khodabandehlou tribe;
• Shah Pasand Khanom, daughter of Ramazan Bayg from Khamsahz Azarbayjan;
• Sakineh Khanom, from the people of Isfahan;
• Setareh Khanom;
• Shah Pari Khanom also known as Sardar;
• Shah Navaz Khanom also known as Shah Faraz Khanom, a Georgian;
• Soltan Khanom, daughter of Allah Qoli Khan Qajar Davalou, son of Jan Mohammad Khan Qajar Davalou;
• Tarlan Khanom (m. 1798), daughter of Allah Yar Khan Qalijah;
• Zaynab Khanom, sister of Ali Khan Bakhtiari;
• Zaynab Khanom, daughter of Ahmad Khan Muqaddam, Bayglarbaygi of Maraghah;
• Ziba Chehr Khanom, sister of Nassir Khan Shirkouhi;
• Zuleikha Khanom, of the Turkaman;

Children

Here, a non-exhaustive list of Fath-Ali Shah's children is arranged in an interactive sortable table. The table's denotations are:

• S: Son
• D: Daughter

References

Sources

• {{cite book |trans-title=Azodi History |access-date=2025-08-21}}
• {{cite book |trans-title=Biographies of Iran's Elites in 1688-1979 |access-date=2025-03-01}}
• {{cite book

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