Mirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi
| Mirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Iranian Ambassador to the United kingdom | |
|
In office 1809–1810 | |
| Monarch | Fath-Ali Shah Qajar |
| Preceded by | Office re-created |
| Succeeded by | Muhsin Khan Mushir od-Dowleh |
| Iranian Ambassador to Russia | |
|
In office 1815–1816 | |
| Monarch | Fath-Ali Shah Qajar |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Unknown |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
|
In office 1823–1834 | |
| Monarch | Fath-Ali Shah Qajar |
| Preceded by | Nishat Isfahani |
| Succeeded by | Mirza Ali Farahani |
|
In office 1838–1845 | |
| Monarch | Mohammad Shah Qajar |
| Preceded by | Mirza Mas'ud Khan Ansari |
| Succeeded by | Mirza Mas'ud Khan Ansari |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
1776 Shiraz, Iran |
| Died |
1845 Iran |
| Relations |
Family: Qavam family Father: Mirza Mohammad-Ali |
| Religion | Twelver Shia Islam |
Mirza Abolhassan Khan Shirazi Ilchi Kabir (Persian: میرزا ابوالحسن خان شیرازی ایلچی کبیر), was an Iranian statesman who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1824 to 1834, and then again from 1838 until his death in 1846.[1] He also served as the ambassador to Imperial Russia and Great Britain, and was the main Iranian delegate at the signing of the notorious Treaty of Gulistan (1813) with neighbouring Russia.
Family
Abolhassan was born in 1776 at Shiraz; he was the second son of Mirza Mohammad-Ali, a secretary of Nader Shah, and a daughter of Ebrahim Khan Kalantar, thus making him part of the influential Qavam family.
Exile and return
As a young man, Mirza Abolhassan was appointed as the governor of Shushtar. In April 1801, however, the family lost much of its power and influence during the downfall of Ebrahim, and thus all members of the family were persecuted by the Iranian government. While many were blinded or killed, some managed to flee. Mirza Abolhassan however, was captured by Iranian troops, and was exiled in his native Shiraz. Abolhassan shortly afterwards fled from Shiraz, reaching Basra, where he then took a vessel to Hyderabad in India. Luckily, he was some time later pardoned, and went back to Iran, where he served Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, and quickly rose to high offices.
Later life
Abolhassan was chosen in 1809 as ambassador to lead a diplomatic mission to London at the court of the British king George III to seek support against growing ambitions of Russia in Caucasia. His escorting officer or "mehmandar" in Great Britain was Sir Gore Ouseley, who later encouraged Abolhassan to join the Free Masons in 1810. Upon his return of that mission, Mirza Abolhassan obtained the title "Khan" and "Ilchi" (envoy).
Abolhassan was the main delegate for Iran in the Gulistan of 1813 and Turkmenchay treaties, under which Iran lost most of her Caucasian territories to Russia.
In 1818 Mirza Abolhassan Khan was sent again to London to find British support against Russia. That mission however failed, as Russia had meanwhile become an ally of the British against Napoleon I, and after the defeat of Napoleon I, France was no more a serious threat to British interests in Iran. Accordingly, good relations of Great Britain with Iran had a lesser weight to those with Russia.
In 1835, Abolhassan sealed himself in the Shah-Abdol-Azim shrine as a protest to Prime Minister Ghaem Magham Farahani. Abolhassan Khan later died in 1845.
References
- ↑ Keddie, Nikki R. (1999). Qajar Iran and the rise of Reza Khan, 1796-1925. Mazda Publishers. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-56859-084-4.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi. |
- Javadi, H. "ABU’L-ḤASAN KHAN ĪLČĪ Persian diplomat, b. 1190/1776 in Šīrāz.". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Office re-created |
Iranian Ambassador to the United kingdom 1809-1810 |
Succeeded by Muhsin Khan Mushir od-Dowleh |
| Preceded by Office created |
Iranian Ambassador to Russia 1815-1816 |
Succeeded by Unknown |
| Preceded by Nishat Isfahani |
Minister of Foreign Affairs 1823-1834 |
Succeeded by Mirza Ali Farahani |
| Preceded by Mirza Mas'ud Khan Ansari |
Minister of Foreign Affairs 1838-1845 |
Succeeded by Mirza Mas'ud Khan Ansari |
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