Hossein Khan Sardar
Encyclopedia
Hosein Qoli Khan Sardar Qajar (1740-1830), the last Iran
ian governor of Azerbaijan
, ruled as virtual shah of the Khanate of Erevan
. In 1826-1828 he and Abbas Mirza
, the Crown Prince, attempted to win back the Transcaucasian possessions lost to Russia
during the war of 1804-1813 which had ended with the Gulistan Treaty
. However, using superior tactics and weapons developed since their defeat of Napoleon
, the Tsar’s generals inflicted even greater losses on Iran
.
In addition to ceding further territories, the 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay
forced Iran to pay crippling reparations. The treaty also banned Hosein Khan and his younger brother, Hasan Khan, from ever venturing north of the Aras River, the new border.
Hosein Khan was a confidant of Fath Ali Shah, who had cemented their relationship by marrying the Sardar’s sister and giving one of his daughters, Shirin Jan Khanom, in marriage to Hosein Khan's son, Mohammad Qoli Khan.
Foreign travelers call him one of the most powerful and wealthy chiefs in Persia with as much authority as ʿAbbās Mirzā . Ḥosaynqoli Khan did not have any members of his family as hostages in Tehran, had the right to mint coins, and had the rare opportunity of keeping a large part of the revenue for defense purposes. He encouraged trade and created a stable administration. Even Armenian and Russian sources, who have little good to say about the Persian khans in Transcaucasia, praise Ḥosaynqoli for being kind, honest, noble, conscientious, and just .
The Shah had been indebted to the Sardar ever since, on the death of Agha Mohammad Khan, the founder of the Qajar dynasty
, Hosein Khan led an advance column of troops to Tehran
to secure the capital and the throne for Fath Ali. Later, the Shah dispatched him to quell a rebellion in Khorasan province. In return for his loyalty, the Sardar was rewarded with the Khanate of Erevan, which he ruled until the last Russo-Persian War (1826-1828).
Hosein Khan was also granted estates encompassing some 62 villages near the city of Qazvin
. Later generations of Sardars bequeathed their inheritance to religious endowments, or vaqf. The ab anbar sardar, a cavernous underground water reservoir in Qazvin was named after Hosein Khan. Local legend has it that, at 3,000 cubic meters and 28.5 meters from base to ceiling, it took seven months to fill and its supply of water lasted for seven years. Fed by three qanats (subterranean water canals), it is the largest in Iran.
Unlike other Transcaucasian khans, Ḥosaynqoli did not make a deal with the Russians and managed to thwart their efforts for two decades. Russia’s anger was demonstrated in article XII of the Treaty and Turkamančāy (1828), which specifically deprived him and his brother of the right to sell or exchange their property in Erevan ,a right granted to all others .
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...
ian governor of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, ruled as virtual shah of the Khanate of Erevan
Erivan Khanate
The Khanate of Erivan , was an administrative territory that was established Safavid Persia in the early 17th century. It covered an area of roughly 7,500 square miles, and corresponded to most of present-day central Armenia, most of the Iğdır Province of present-day Turkey, and the Sharur and...
. In 1826-1828 he and Abbas Mirza
Abbas Mirza
Prince, Field-Marshal Abbas Mirza born Amol city , was a Qajar crown prince of Persia. He developed a reputation as a military commander during wars with Russia and the Ottoman Empire, as an early modernizer of Persia's armed forces and institutions, and for his death before his father, Fath Ali...
, the Crown Prince, attempted to win back the Transcaucasian possessions lost to 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...
during the war of 1804-1813 which had ended with the Gulistan Treaty
Gulistan Treaty
The Treaty of Gulistan was a peace treaty concluded between Imperial Russia and Persia on 24 October 1813 in the village of Gulistan as a result of the first Russo-Persian War. The peace negotiations were precipitated by Lankaran's fall to Gen...
. However, using superior tactics and weapons developed since their defeat of Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, the Tsar’s generals inflicted even greater losses on 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...
.
In addition to ceding further territories, the 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay
Treaty of Turkmenchay
The Treaty of Turkmenchay was a treaty negotiated in Turkmenchay by which the Qajar Empire recognized Russian suzerainty over the Erivan khanate, the Nakhchivan khanate, and the remainder of the Talysh khanate, establishing the Aras River as the common boundary between the empires, after its...
forced Iran to pay crippling reparations. The treaty also banned Hosein Khan and his younger brother, Hasan Khan, from ever venturing north of the Aras River, the new border.
Hosein Khan was a confidant of Fath Ali Shah, who had cemented their relationship by marrying the Sardar’s sister and giving one of his daughters, Shirin Jan Khanom, in marriage to Hosein Khan's son, Mohammad Qoli Khan.
Foreign travelers call him one of the most powerful and wealthy chiefs in Persia with as much authority as ʿAbbās Mirzā . Ḥosaynqoli Khan did not have any members of his family as hostages in Tehran, had the right to mint coins, and had the rare opportunity of keeping a large part of the revenue for defense purposes. He encouraged trade and created a stable administration. Even Armenian and Russian sources, who have little good to say about the Persian khans in Transcaucasia, praise Ḥosaynqoli for being kind, honest, noble, conscientious, and just .
The Shah had been indebted to the Sardar ever since, on the death of Agha Mohammad Khan, the founder of the Qajar dynasty
Qajar dynasty
The Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal family of Turkic descent who ruled Persia from 1785 to 1925....
, Hosein Khan led an advance column of troops to 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...
to secure the capital and the throne for Fath Ali. Later, the Shah dispatched him to quell a rebellion in Khorasan province. In return for his loyalty, the Sardar was rewarded with the Khanate of Erevan, which he ruled until the last Russo-Persian War (1826-1828).
Hosein Khan was also granted estates encompassing some 62 villages near the city of Qazvin
Qazvin
Qazvin is the largest city and capital of the Province of Qazvin in Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 349,821, in 96,420 families....
. Later generations of Sardars bequeathed their inheritance to religious endowments, or vaqf. The ab anbar sardar, a cavernous underground water reservoir in Qazvin was named after Hosein Khan. Local legend has it that, at 3,000 cubic meters and 28.5 meters from base to ceiling, it took seven months to fill and its supply of water lasted for seven years. Fed by three qanats (subterranean water canals), it is the largest in Iran.
Unlike other Transcaucasian khans, Ḥosaynqoli did not make a deal with the Russians and managed to thwart their efforts for two decades. Russia’s anger was demonstrated in article XII of the Treaty and Turkamančāy (1828), which specifically deprived him and his brother of the right to sell or exchange their property in Erevan ,a right granted to all others .
Further reading
- George BournoutianGeorge BournoutianGeorge A. Bournoutian is a Senior Professor of History at Iona College. He is the author of numerous books on Armenian history and has taught Armenian history at Columbia University, Tufts University, New York University, Rutgers University, the University of Connecticut, Ramapo College, and...
The Khanate of Erevan Under Qajar Rule, 1795-1828, Mazda Publishers, 1992.