´¡²ÑĪ¸é(-E) LAŠKAR (pl. omarÄ-ye laškar), military rank equivalent to general granted during ReÅ¼Ä Khan’s rise to power. The titles amÄ«r-e laškar and amÄ«r-e tÅ«mÄn coexisted till the latter term was abolished with other Qajar titles in 1304 Š./1925 (Ê¿A. MostawfÄ«, Šarḥ-e zendagÄnÄ«-e man yÄ tÄrīḵ-e eÇ°temÄÊ¿Ä« o edÄrÄ«-e dawra-ye QÄÇ°ÄrÄ«ya, Tehran, 1343 Š., II, p. 650). In 1301 Š./1922, an amÄ«r-e laškar was head of security offices (TÄrīḵ-e arteš-e novÄ«n-e ĪrÄn, ed. SetÄd-e Bozorg ArteštÄrÄn, Tehran, 1335 Š./1956, p.67); in 1303 Š./1924, during ReÅ¼Ä Khan’s campaign in ḴūzestÄn against Shaikh Ḵaẓʿal, Naá¹£rallÄh Khan Ä€yrom was amÄ«r-e laškar of the south and Aḥmad Ä€qÄ Khan was amÄ«r-e laškar of the west (Safar-nÄma-ye ḴūzestÄn, Tehran, 2535 = 1355 Š./1976, index, with photographs). The following omarÄ-ye laškar attended ReÅ¼Ä Shah’s coronation on 4 OrdÄ«behešt 1305/25 April 1926: ḴodÄyÄr Khan, Aḥmad Ä€qÄ Khan, Naá¹£rallÄh Khan Ä€yrom, JalÄyer, Ê¿AlÄ« Ä€qÄ Khan NaqdÄ«, Aná¹£ÄrÄ«, ḴozÄÊ¿Ä«, ḤabÄ«ballÄh MÄ«rzÄ JahÄnbÄnÄ«, QÄsem Khan WÄlÄ« (Ê¿A. AmÄ«r ṬahmÄsp, TÄrīḵ-e šÄhÄnšÄhÄ«-e AÊ¿lÄḥażrat ReÅ¼Ä ŠÄh-e KabÄ«r, Tehran, 2535 = 1355 Š./1976, pp. 679f.). Most of these officers were to occupy important functions later on, as would lower officers who later became amÄ«r-e laškar: MortaÅ¼Ä Khan YazdÄn-panÄh (²õ²¹°ù³ÙÄ«±è; ibid., p. 422, photograph, p. 701), ḤabÄ«ballÄh Khan ŠaybÄnÄ« (²õ²¹°ù³ÙÄ«±è; ibid., p. 701), KarÄ«m Ä€qÄ Khan BÅ«zarÇ°omehrÄ« (Sarhang; ibid., p. 702; later mayor of Tehran). Aḥmad Ä€qÄ Khan (later AḥmadÄ«), then head of security, became the first sepahbod under Moḥammad-ReÅ¼Ä Shah PahlavÄ«. In OrdÄ«behešt 1314 Š./April 1935, the title of amÄ«r-e laškar was abolished and replaced first by laškar-bod and later by sar-laškar (TÄrīḵ-e arteš-e novÄ«n, p. 76); according to MoÊ¿Ä«n, (Farhang-e fÄrsÄ« I, p. 357) this change occurred in 1313 Š./1934.
Bibliography: Given in the text.
(J. Calmard)
Originally Published: December 15, 1989
Last Updated: August 3, 2011
This article is available in print.
Vol. I, Fasc. 9, p. 965
J. Calmard, “´¡²ÑĪ¸é LAŠKAR,” Encyclopædia Iranica, I/9, p. 965, available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/amir-e-laskar-pl (accessed on 30 December 2012).
