Haji Washington

Haji Hossein-Gholi Khan Noori (Mo'tamed ol-Vezareh, later Sadr es-Saltaneh) (Persian: حسینقلی خان صدرالسلطنه‎), also known as Haji Washington (Persian: حاجی واشنگتن‎), was an Iranian politician, cabinet minister, and diplomat.

Portrait of Haji Washington

Early life and education

Hajji Hossain-Gholi Khan, Motamed ol Vezareh was the second son of the Persian vizier/prime minister, Mirza Agha Khan Nouri. During his childhood, he lived with his father. He then entered the service of the Ministry of finance, and later the ministry of foreign affairs.

Political career

He was appointed the first ambassador to the United States in 1889, where he kept a scrap-book of newspaper cuttings from the American press about the reigning monarch Nasir-ad-din Shah. He objected to the manner in which the Shah’s official visit to England in 1889 was covered by the press and he resigned from his post in protest. After his return from the United States, he served as the minister of public works ("favaayed-e aamme") and married Nasir-ad-din Shah’s daughter.

Diplomatic career

Haji Hossain-Gholi Khan, Motamed ol Vezareh was the Persian Consul General to India. In 1885, when the Democratic Party took over the administration, Benjamin, the first US ambassador in Iran, resigned his post conforming with diplomatic practice. On November 20, 1885, President Cleveland appointed Fredrick H. Winston as Benjamin's successor. On August 3, 1886, Spencer Pratt was appointed as the third US Consul General in Tehran. At this time, Nasereddin Shah decided to open a permanent Iranian embassy in Washington. Haji Hossain-Gholi Khan, Motamed ol Vezareh was appointed as Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary to Washington [1]

He selected his staff of ten of the English-speaking members of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. It took him and his staff 2 months and a very difficult journey to arrive in Washington. Although his character seemed peculiar to the Americans, he had a friendly attitude and a sociable nature and he soon gained easy access to a number of circles. His reports were positive and illuminating. He managed to spark interest in Iran among American orientalogists.[2][3].

Later years

He returned to live in Tehran after his mission to US. He had a modern house built for himself, and following the western tradition, had his new title (صدرالسّلطنه) engraved on a ceramic plate by the door. Iranians who were not used to nameplates made fun of him and considered him eccentric.

• A son by the name of Eng. Reza Khadjenoori who was one of the first mechanical engineers graduated from Germany. At age of 24 just after his graduation and at his arrival to Tehran, he went watching from the balcony of his home in Baharestan Square the entrance of Dr. Mossadegh who was his father cousin to the Parliament. He was shot by an unknown bullet August 19, 1953 . He never married.

• A daughter by the name of Ms. Parivache Khadjenoori who married Senator Dr. Abbas Moadeb Naficy, Ministry of Health, Physician of Queen Mother and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Managing Director of Iranian Red Cross and Professor at Tehran University. He was the elder son of Dr. Ali Asghar Moadeb Naficy (Moadeb o Dolleh) and the grandson of Dr. Ali Akbar Naficy ( Nazem o Ateba). According to documents, for more than 600 years always the personal physician of Persian kings were from Naficy dynasty - Ms. Parivache had only one child by the name of Ms. Faranak naficy who married Mr. Massoud afzali the only son of General Mohammad Reza Afzali one of the first pilots of Iran Air force during the rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who passed away in 2013– Ms. Faranak has only one child by name of Mr. Arashk Afzali born in 1998.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Iran and America: Re-kind[l]ing a Love Lost By Badi Badiozamani, Badi Badiozamani, Ph.D. Published by East West Understanding Pr., 2005 ISBN 0-9742172-0-4, 978-0-9742172-0-8 316 pages, PSRI
  2. ↑ Foreign Office Bulletin Dated 1956, pp. 28–45]
  3. ↑ The first Diplomatic Relations Between Iran and America, Abbas Eghbal, Yadegar Magazine, 1944]

References