Imam-Quli Khan
Encyclopedia
Imam-Quli Khan (died 1633) was an Iran
ian military and political leader of Georgian
origin who served as a governor of Fars, Lar and Bahrain
for the shah
s Abbas I
and Safi
.
(Undiladze
), the celebrated Georgian general in the service of Iran’s Saffavid Dynasty. Imam-Quli Khan is first mentioned as governor of Lar in Fars in 1610. He succeeded his father as governor-general (beglarbeg
) of Fars in 1615, but retained his position at Lar and was granted the rank of an amir of the divan
by Shah Abbas I. In 1619-20, Imam-Quli Khan oversaw Abbas’s project to link the headwaters of the Karun
and Zayandarud rivers in order to enhance the water supply of his capital, Isfahan. Shah Abbas placed complete trust in Imam-Quli Khan who grew in influence and prestige and became one of the wealthiest khans
of the Saffavid empire. He built a madrasa and many palaces in Shiraz
and the still standing bridge Pol-e Khan over the Kor
at Marvdasht
.
Being in charge of the Saffavids' southern possessions, Imam-Quli Khan continued his father’s policy of undermining the Portuguese
positions in the Persian Gulf
. In 1621, he persuaded the English East India Company to cooperate with the Persians by threatening to cancel the trading privileges that had been granted to the company by the shah in 1615. As a result, Imam-Quli Khan’s army aided by the English navy captured the strategic Portuguese fort on the island of Qeshm
and laid a siege to Hormuz
, which surrendered after a defence of ten weeks in May 1622. The khan’s military exploits are commemorated in the works by the poet Qadri from Fars.
After the death of Abbas, Imam-Quli Khan found himself in disagreement with new favorites of Shah Safi, Abbas’s successor to the throne of Iran, and became marginalized, until he and his family were put to death at Safi's orders and vast possessions converted into the crown domain in 1633. Only his brother, Daud Khan
, survived as he had fled to Georgia. A statue to Imam-Quli Khan was erected in Qeshm in the 1990s.
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 military and political leader of Georgian
Georgians in Iran
Iranian Georgians are an ethnic group living in Iran. Today's Georgia was a subject to the Safavid empire in 17th century and Shah Abbas I relocated communities of Christian, Muslim, and Georgian Jews as part of his programs to develop industrial economy, strengthen the military and populate newly...
origin who served as a governor of Fars, Lar and Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
for the shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
s Abbas I
Abbas I of Persia
Shāh ‘Abbās the Great was Shah of Iran, and generally considered the greatest ruler of the Safavid dynasty. He was the third son of Shah Mohammad....
and Safi
Safi of Persia
Shah Safi was Shah of Iran from 1629 to 1642. He was the sixth ruler of the Safavid dynasty.Safi was given the name Sam Mirza when he was born. He was the son of Mohammed Baqir Mirza, the eldest son of Shah Abbas I, and Dilaram Khanum, a Georgian wife. In 1615, Abbas had Mohammed Baqir killed,...
.
Biography
Imam-Quli Khan was the son of Allahverdi KhanAllahverdi Khan
Allahverdi Khan was an Iranian general and statesman of Georgian origin who, although initially a ghulām , rose to high office in the Safavid state....
(Undiladze
Undiladze
The Undiladze were a Georgian noble family whose members rose in prominence in the service of Iran’s Safavid dynasty and dominated the Shah’s court at a certain period of the late 16th and early 17th centuries....
), the celebrated Georgian general in the service of Iran’s Saffavid Dynasty. Imam-Quli Khan is first mentioned as governor of Lar in Fars in 1610. He succeeded his father as governor-general (beglarbeg
Beylerbey
Beylerbey is the Ottoman and Safavid title used for the highest rank in the hierarchy of provincial administrators It is in western terms a Governor-general, with authority...
) of Fars in 1615, but retained his position at Lar and was granted the rank of an amir of the divan
Divan
A divan was a high governmental body in a number of Islamic states, or its chief official .-Etymology:...
by Shah Abbas I. In 1619-20, Imam-Quli Khan oversaw Abbas’s project to link the headwaters of the Karun
Karun
The Kārun is Iran's most effluent, and the only navigable, river. It is 450 miles long. It rises in the Zard Kuh mountains of the Bakhtiari district in the Zagros Range, receiving many tributaries, such as the Dez and the Kuhrang, before passing through the capital of the Khuzestan Province of...
and Zayandarud rivers in order to enhance the water supply of his capital, Isfahan. Shah Abbas placed complete trust in Imam-Quli Khan who grew in influence and prestige and became one of the wealthiest khans
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
of the Saffavid empire. He built a madrasa and many palaces in Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city in Iran* Shiraz County, an administrative subdivision of Iran* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Ara Shiraz, Armenian sculptor...
and the still standing bridge Pol-e Khan over the Kor
Kor
Kor refers to:*Kor River, an important river in the Fars province of Iran that may have been named after Cyrus the Great .*Kor , a Klingon character in the fictional Star Trek universe...
at Marvdasht
Marvdasht
Marvdasht is a city in and the capital of Marvdasht County, Fars Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 123,858, in 29,134 families.- Historical background :Marvdasht is as ancient of the history of Iran and the vast Persian empire...
.
Being in charge of the Saffavids' southern possessions, Imam-Quli Khan continued his father’s policy of undermining the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
positions in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. In 1621, he persuaded the English East India Company to cooperate with the Persians by threatening to cancel the trading privileges that had been granted to the company by the shah in 1615. As a result, Imam-Quli Khan’s army aided by the English navy captured the strategic Portuguese fort on the island of Qeshm
Qeshm
Qeshm Qeshm Qeshm (Persian: قشم - pronounced kē´shm is an Iranian island situated in the Strait of Hormuz, and separated from the mainland by the Clarence Strait/Khuran in the Persian Gulf .-Geography:...
and laid a siege to Hormuz
Capture of Ormuz (1622)
In the 1622 Capture of Ormuz, a Anglo-Persian force combined to take over the Portuguese garrison at Hormuz Island, thus opening up Persian trade with England...
, which surrendered after a defence of ten weeks in May 1622. The khan’s military exploits are commemorated in the works by the poet Qadri from Fars.
After the death of Abbas, Imam-Quli Khan found himself in disagreement with new favorites of Shah Safi, Abbas’s successor to the throne of Iran, and became marginalized, until he and his family were put to death at Safi's orders and vast possessions converted into the crown domain in 1633. Only his brother, Daud Khan
Daud Khan Undiladze
Daud-Khan an Iranian military commander and politician of Georgian origin who served as governor of Ganja and Karabakh from 1625 to 1630....
, survived as he had fled to Georgia. A statue to Imam-Quli Khan was erected in Qeshm in the 1990s.