BAHMAN MĪRZĀ, BAHĀʾ-AL-DAWLA, the thirty-seventh son of Fatḥ-ʿAlī Shah, born 26 Šawwāl 1226/13 November 1811 of Golbadan Bājī, originally a (Georgian?) slave girl of Fatḥ-ʿAlī Shah’s mother Mahd-e ʿOlyā (Aḥmad Mīrzā ʿAżod-al-Dawla, Tārīḵ-eʿażodī, ed. ʿA. Navāʾī, Tehran, 1355 Š./1976, p. 22). Bahman Mīrzā’s mother came to prominence after Mahd-e ʿOlyā’s death, when she was chosen as head of the household pursestrings, a task she performed with efficiency and fidelity (Tārīḵ-eʿażodī, pp. 22-24). When the shah married her she received the title Ḵāzen al-dawla (treasurer of the state).
A prince of the realm, Bahman Mīrzā was entitled to participate in the government of Iran, however, as the shah’s thirty-seventh son his power was limited. In 1252/1836, he replaced ʿAbbāsqolī Khan Javānšīr as governor of Kāšān and in 1256/1840 became the governor of Yazd. As governor, he lead an expedition against the Ismaʿili Āqā Khan I Maḥallātī, but was defeated and fled ignominiously back to Yazd (Reżāqolī Khan Hedāyat, Tārīḵ-e rawżat al-ṣafā-ye nāṣerī, Tehran, 1339 Š./1960, pp. 250-51).
Bahman Mīrzā appears to have been interested in books. A manuscript purchased by E. G. Browne (Lit. Hist. Persia IV, p. 450 n. 2) had been copied for him. Bahman Mīrzā also wrote a diary which contains notes on Qajar history (Monzawī, Nosḵahā VI, p. 4329).
Bibliography:
Given in the text. See also Yaḡmā Jandaqī, Majmūʿa-ye āṯār, ed. S. ʿA. Āl-e Dāwūd, Tehran, 1362 Š./1983, II, pp. 123, 229-30.
Search terms:
| بهمن میرزا بهاءالدوله | bahman mirza baha aldowleh | bahman mirzaa bahaa al dawleh | bahman mirza bahaa al dowleh |
(ʿA. Navāʾī)
Originally Published: December 15, 1988
Last Updated: August 23, 2011
This article is available in print.
Vol. III, Fasc. 5, pp. 491-492
