ẒAHIR-AL-DAWLA, EBRÄ€HIM KHAN (d. Tehran, 1240/1824), military leader and governor of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô under Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah Qajar (r. 1797-1834). A cousin, stepson, and son-in-law of Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah, EbrÄåhim Khan was an important patron of architecture, particularly famous for the EbrÄåhim Khan Complex in the old bazaar of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô. Entrusted with the governorship of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô, he undertook the reconstruction of the city after the devastating siege of ĀḡÄå Moḥammad Khan Qajar (r. 1794-97). He favored and supported the Shaikhis (Šayḵis) of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô.
Youth. EbrÄåhim Khan was from the QawÄånlu branch of the Qajar tribe (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, p. 110; Vaziri, 2006, p. 759, footnote). His father, Mehdi-Qoli Khan, was the brother of ĀḡÄå Moḥammad Khan Qajar and a paternal uncle of Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah, while his mother, Ä€sia ḴÄånom, was the daughter of Moḥammad Khan QawÄånlu. There are no references to EbrÄåhim Khan’s birth date, but we know that his father died early, during the siege of AstarÄåbÄåd by Karim Khan Zand when EbrÄåhim Khan was a child. After this event, ĀḡÄå Moḥammad Khan married EbrÄåhim Khan’s mother to Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah, and raised and nurtured EbrÄåhim Khan as his own son, together with his other nephews, Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah and his brother Ḥosayn-Qoli Khan (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, pp. 301, 348; Vaziri, 2006, p. 759 footnote; HedÄåyat, 1957, p. 76). Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah also highly revered EbrÄåhim Khan and honored him with the appellation of Ẓahir-al-Dawla and EbrÄåhim Khan-e Ê¿Amu (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, p. 78; Vaziri, 2006, p. 85). In 1206/1791, Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah married his first offspring and first daughter HomÄåyun Solá¹Äån (ḴÄånom ḴÄånomÄån, ḴÄån BÄåji) to EbrÄåhim Khan (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, pp. 27, 28, 316; HedÄåyat, 1971, p. 250; Vaziri, 2006, p. 762; EÊ¿temÄåd-al-Salá¹ana, p. 1417).
EbrÄåhim Khan as a military leader. EbrÄåhim Khan was an important military leader and companion of Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah. With his numerous campaigns in different regions, EbrÄåhim Khan helped the new king establish and stabilize his dominion over the territories conquered by ĀḡÄå Moḥammad Khan. Before being appointed governor of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô, he was commissioned to pacify and suppress the insurgents in the regions of Isfahan, FÄårs and Iraq, in 1798 (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, p. 195; EÊ¿temÄåd-al-Salá¹ana, p. 1450; Donboli, pp. 49-50), GilÄån in 1800 (EÊ¿temÄåd-al-Salá¹ana, p. 1458; Donboli, p. 69), and Khorasan in 1800-02 (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, p. 195; HedÄåyat, 1971, pp. 375-76, 362, 367; EÊ¿temÄåd-al-Salá¹ana, pp. 1456-8, 1462; Donboli, pp. 69, 71, 79, 87). A consistent source of insurgency and instability lay in the southeastern regions of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô and Baluchistan. Once entrusted with the governorship of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô, he became specifically responsible for maintaining the security of these troublesome regions. For the rest of his career, he fought frequently with the local khans of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô, Bam, NarmÄåšir, Baluchistan, and SistÄån, and gained a strong hold over these regions (HedÄåyat, 1971, pp. 387, 403; Vaziri, 2006, pp. 734, 759, 760, footnote; Donboli, pp. 124-5).
EbrÄåhim Khan as governor of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô. In the wake of ĀḡÄå Moḥammad Khan’s crushing siege of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô in 1794, the city was left moribund and without a governor. The rulers of Yazd were able to exert some control over °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô, but they were constantly in conflict with the local khans. After Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah had ascended to the throne and consolidated his power in the northern and central regions of Iran, he turned his attention to the southeastern parts of the country, which were on the verge of political disintegration and had lost their economic infrastructure and were no longer operating under the hegemony of the central government. In order to regain control, Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah appointed EbrÄåhim Khan as governor of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô. During his tenure as governor, which lasted 22 years (1218-40/1803-24), EbrÄåhim Khan undertook a comprehensive restoration plan and was remarkably successful in reconstructing socio-economic infrastructure and maintaining the political stability of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô and its surrounding regions (HedÄåyat, 1971, p. 387; Vaziri, 2006, pp. 82, 85, 757, footnote; idem, 1974, p. 116; EÊ¿temÄåd-al-Salá¹ana, p. 1468; BÄåstÄåni PÄårizi, 1965, pp. 3-5). He asked the king for a tax-exemption for the city to be able to invest in the economic reconstruction of the city (Pur Aḥmad, p. 241). With his strong hold over and constant suppression of the local khans, EbrÄåhim Khan improved the security of the region so that trade, which was essential to the economy, could be resumed. The economic restoration of the region demanded a large labor force, which was difficult to amass, given the dramatic depopulation of the region in the face of severe political and economic problems. EbrÄåhim Khan persuaded people from neighboring regions, and of various professions, to resettle in °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô, and to benefit from the emerging economic possibilities in the region (Vaziri, 1974, p. 193; BÄåstÄåni PÄårizi, 1965, p. 13).
The physical restoration of the city was also crucial to his plans. He restored and expanded its governmental center, the arg (‘citadel’), and added new administrative and military sectors. The high-ranking officials of the city also built new elaborate residences there. EbrÄåhim Khan also equipped this enlarged complex with the city’s fifth gate, which was named DarvÄåza-ye arg (‘the citadel gate’; Vaziri, 1974, pp. 105, 118). He also repaired many qanats in the city and suburbs of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô and restored fields and gardens. His most famous building project is a multi-functional complex, now part of the old bazaar of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô, named after him, ²Ñ²¹Âá³¾³ÜÊ¿²¹-²â±ð EbrÄåhim Khan (‘the EbrÄåhim Khan complex’). The complex consists of a bazaar, now known as BÄåzÄår-e zargari, (‘the goldsmiths bazaar’), a religious school with a library, as well as a bath (Vaziri, 1974, pp. 110, 112, footnote; BÄåstÄåni PÄårizi, 1965, p. 12; idem, 1974, p. 9). EbrÄåhim Khan sought not only to rejuvenate the labor force, but also to restore the cultural life and religious affairs of the city. According to the sources, he patronized religious schools and invited clerics from ArabestÄån, FÄårs, and Khorasan, such as Shaikh NeÊ¿mat-AllÄåh Baḥrayni, Shaikh Ê¿Abd-al-Ḥosayn AḥsÄåʾi, MollÄå Ê¿Ali AÊ¿mÄå, and Sayyed KÄåẓem Rašti, a leader of the Shaikhis (BÄåstÄåni PÄårizi, 1965, p. 3). He also liked poetry and supported poets, having himself composed some poems under the pen name of Toḡrol (HedÄåyat, 1957, p. 76).
Death. In 1824, EbrÄåhim Khan went to capital, Tehran, for an event in which some other governors also participated. Before his departure, he appointed his elder son Ê¿AbbÄås-Qoli MirzÄå as his deputy in °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô and his other son Rostam Khan as his deputy in Bam (Vaziri, 2006, p. 765, footnote). While in Tehran, he succumbed to a fatal ailment (HedÄåyat, 1971, pp. 635-6; EÊ¿temÄåd-al-Salá¹ana, p. 1567). As his date of birth is not recorded, his exact age at the time of death is not known. However, we can assume that he was not very old, given the fact that at the time of the siege of AstarÄåbÄåd (1783) he was a child, and that he married his first wife in 1791. Moreover, on the occasion of his death, the author of MaʾÄåṯer-e solá¹Äåniya remembers him as a young, good-humored, kind person (Donboli, p. 392).
Descendants. As a member of the royal family, EbrÄåhim Khan was presumably wealthy and powerful even before he became governor of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô. However, during his long reign over the vast regions of the southeast, and in the course of many restoration and reconstruction projects, EbrÄåhim Khan and his family accumulated even more property and wealth and therefore gained outstanding status and power in the city of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô and in neighboring regions (BÄåstÄåni PÄårizi, 1965, p. 3). Thus, the descendants of EbrÄåhim Khan have exercised remarkable influence in the political, cultural, and religious history of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô and neighboring cities to the present day (Vaziri, 2006, pp. 85-7). The large and influential EbrÄåhimi and Amir-EbrÄåhimi families of °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô trace their lineage back to EbrÄåhim Khan (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, p. 195; Vaziri, 1974, p. 139).
EbrÄåhim Khan had 21 daughters, the most famous of whom was Galin ḴÄånom, who married ŠoÊ¿Äåʾ-al-Salá¹ana, the 35th son of Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, pp. 193-4). The number of his sons has been recorded differently. He probably had 21 sons, whose names have been recorded in historical sources. Ê¿AbbÄås-Qoli was his eldest son from his first wife, the daughter of Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah. Appointed EbrÄåhim Khan’s deputy during his father’s last trip to Tehran, AbbÄås-Qoli Khan was officially named his successor by Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah. Nevertheless, he revolted against the king and was defeated, but escaped a severe punishment due to his relation to the king (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, p. 110; HedÄåyat, 1971, pp. 695-7; EÊ¿temÄåd-al-Salá¹ana, p. 1567; BÄåstÄåni PÄårizi, 1965, pp. 5, 13, 14). His full brothers were QahhÄår-Qoli Khan and Abu’l-Fatḥ Khan. Another son of EbrÄåhim Khan was Rostam Khan, who married ŠÄåh Gowhar ḴÄånom, a daughter of Fatḥ-Ê¿Ali Shah (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, p. 319), and who was appointed by EbrÄåhim Khan as governor of Bam, but was defeated by his rebellious stepbrother, Ê¿AbbÄås-Qoli Khan, in 1827 (Vaziri, 2006, pp. 744-5, footnote). The remaining brothers were ŠÄåhroḵ Khan, who married ŠÄåh Gowhar ḴÄånom after the death of Rostam Khan (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, p. 34), Asad-AllÄåh Khan, ḠolÄåm-Ḥosayn Khan, Moḥammad Ḥasan Khan; Naá¹£r-AllÄåh Khan, Ê¿Ali-Qoli Khan, Ḵosrow Khan, MusÄå Khan, EsmÄåÊ¿il Khan, Ê¿Isa Khan, Ê¿Ali-Moḥammad Khan, BahrÄåm Khan, Moḥammad á¹¢Äådeq Khan, ḠolÄåm-Ê¿Ali Khan, Moḥammad-Taqi Khan, Ê¿Abd-al-Raḥim Khan, and Moḥammad Karim Khan, who was the most famous of EbrÄåhim Khan’s sons and the head of the Shaikhis in °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, p. 319; Vaziri, 2006, p. 762).
EbrÄåhim Khan and the Shaikhis. In a pilgrimage to Karbala, EbrÄåhim Khan met Sayyed KÄåẓem Rašti and was highly influenced by him. EbrÄåhim Khan’s son, Moḥammad Karim Khan, pursued religious studies under the supervision of Sayyed KÄåẓem and was then appointed by him as the head of the Shaikhis in Kerman. As a result of the support of EbrÄåhim Khan and his family, Shaikhism was promoted and strengthened in °±ð°ù³¾Äå²Ô, which became the seat of the Shaikhis of Iran. The EbrÄåhim Khan School and its library were devoted to the study and promotion of Shaikhism. After Moḥammad Karim Khan died, his son Moḥammad Khan took over his position (Ê¿´¡Å¼´Ç»å-²¹±ô-¶Ù²¹·É±ô²¹, p. 195; Hermann and Rezai, pp. 92-4).
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(Mehrnoush Soroush)
Originally Published: March 4, 2011
Last Updated: March 4, 2011
