IICHS - Institute for Iranian Contemporary Historical Studies

Miranda Habibi

The elder son of Jafarqoli Khan Bakhtiari and Bibi Shahpasand, Hosseinqoli Khan was born in Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari about 1824. He had three brothers and six sons, Sardar As’ad being one of them. When he was 24 years old, he became the officer in charge of some districts of Bakhtiari region. Within a few years he expanded his area of influence and obtained the government of Bakhtiari for one of his old uncles and he became his deputy. Two years later he became Ilkhani of Bakhtiari and appointed his brother Imamqoli Khan as Ilbeigui and Rezaqoli Khan as the governor of Charmahal. Then he turned for Babadi tribes and arrested Mussa Khan, the chief of the tribe for the charge of murder, theft and plunders and sent him to Isfahan to Mirza Taghi Khan AmirKabir. He was beheaded by Amir Kabir’s order in public view when he was 90 years old. He strengthened the pillars of his power in such a situation and went to Chaman Soltanieh where he was granted an audience with Nasseraddin Shah. Hosseinqoli Khan was entitled Nazem Bakhtiari and was given a mantle and a gold sword by Nasseraddin Shah. In 1859, he became the Ilkhani of Bakhtiari officially and announced his loyalty and obedience towards the central government. Among foreign travelers, only Edward Stock had met Hosseinqoli Khan Ilkhani and describes him as a powerful governor and religious man.

For many years he was the governor of Bakhtiari and incurred the jealousy of Isfahan governors including Farhad Mirza Mo’tamed-od-dowleh. He wrote a letter to Nasseraddin Shah and reported that Zilos-Soltan intends to depose the crown prince, Mozaffaraddin Mirza through helps from Ilkhani. Nasseraddin Shah recalled Zilos-Soltan to Tehran immediately and reprimanded him for preferring the Bakhtiaris to Qajars. Having decided to cleanse himself of the charges, Zilos-Soltan planned the murder of Ilkhani with Nasseraddin Shah’s permission. Ilkhani was invited by Zilos-Soltan to attend the march of forces in the Shah Square of Isfahan followed by a reception in the government house, 1882. Eventually, he was given a poisonous coffee to drink. His daughter, Bibi Maryam remembered well that the next day it was announced that the Ilkhani had had a stroke.