Hajj Mirza Aghasi
Encyclopedia
Hajj Mirza Aghasi or Aqasi (حاج میرزا آقاسی), sometimes known as Haji-Mollah Abbas Iravani, was Sadr-e Aazam (equivalent to Prime Minister
) of Mohammad Shah Qajar
of Iran
during 1835-1848.
Mirza Aghasi initiated Mohammad Shah into Sufi mysticism, and the two men "came to be known as two 'dervishes'." While he has often been criticized for contributing to the disasters of the reign, it is possible that he was attempting to use Sufism as a weapon against the growing hold of the official representatives of religion, the mullah
s, who were opposing both modernization and foreign influence.
In foreign affairs, he managed to "prevent Iran disintegrating either into autonomous principalities or appanages of Russia
in Asia
and Britain
in India
," and internally he "revived the cultivation of the mulberry
tree in the Kirman region, to feed silkworms; and he envisaged the diversion of the waters of the River Karaj
for Tehran
's water-supply."
The failure of Haj Mirza Aghasi's countrymen to praise him for his enterprise was partly no doubt due to an equally shrewd appreciation on their part that new economic alignments emerging during his period as Prime Minister were not destined to enrich the people, but only to make a rapacious aristocracy more powerful, while the situation of the cultivator became little better than slavery.
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
) of Mohammad Shah Qajar
Mohammad Shah Qajar
Mohammad Shah Qajar was king of Persia from the Qajar dynasty .- Rise to power :...
of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
during 1835-1848.
Mirza Aghasi initiated Mohammad Shah into Sufi mysticism, and the two men "came to be known as two 'dervishes'." While he has often been criticized for contributing to the disasters of the reign, it is possible that he was attempting to use Sufism as a weapon against the growing hold of the official representatives of religion, the mullah
Mullah
Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...
s, who were opposing both modernization and foreign influence.
In foreign affairs, he managed to "prevent Iran disintegrating either into autonomous principalities or appanages of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
," and internally he "revived the cultivation of the mulberry
Mulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
tree in the Kirman region, to feed silkworms; and he envisaged the diversion of the waters of the River Karaj
Karaj River
Karaj River is a river of northern Iran. It flows through the Alborz mountain range....
for Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
's water-supply."
The failure of Haj Mirza Aghasi's countrymen to praise him for his enterprise was partly no doubt due to an equally shrewd appreciation on their part that new economic alignments emerging during his period as Prime Minister were not destined to enrich the people, but only to make a rapacious aristocracy more powerful, while the situation of the cultivator became little better than slavery.
Sources
- Peter Avery, Modern Iran, Praeger, 1965.
- M. Saadat NourySaadat NourySaadat Noury , also spelled as Saadat Nouri, is an Iranian author, a poet, and a journalist. His full name is منوچهر سعا دت نوری Manouchehr Saadat Noury .-Early life and family:...
, Haji Mirza Aghasi