Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi

rdf:langString Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi

rdf:langString Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi

rdf:langString Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi

rdf:langString Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi, late 18th century

rdf:langString Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi, late 18th century

rdf:langString Agha Mohammad Khan

rdf:langString Fath-Ali Shah

rdf:langString Kalantar of Shiraz

rdf:langString Religion

rdf:langString Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi (Persian: حاجی ابراهیم شیرازی; 1745–1801), who is also known by his honorific title E'temad-al-Dawla (Persian: اعتماد الدوله), was an Iranian statesman who served as the kalantar (lord mayor) of the city of Shiraz during the late Zand era and later as the first grand vizier of Qajar Iran. Ebrahim inherited his father's title, kadkhoda (warden) of the Balakaft quarter of Shiraz, and later became kadkhoda-bashi (chief warden) of all of the city's areas adjacent to Balakaft. In 1781, Ali-Morad Khan Zand captured Shiraz; to prevent riots, he dismissed all kadkhodas including Hajji Ebrahim, and sent them to Isfahan and fined them 40,000 tomans. To reclaim his titles, Ebrahim helped Jafar Khan Zand capture Shiraz in 1785 and the new Shah appointed him kalantar of Shiraz. When Jafar was assassinated in his palace in 1789, Ebrahim took side of the his son Lotf Ali Khan by arresting Sayed Morad Khan and declaring Lotf Ali as the king. After a dispute with Lotf Ali Khan in 1790, Ebrahim changed sides and swore allegiance to Agha Mohammad Khan. In 1791, when Lotf Ali Khan was marching to Kerman, Ebrahim took control of Shiraz and ordered the arrest of all Zand generals. Lotf Ali Khan abandoned his campaigning and returned; he went to the south of Fars, where he clashed with Ebrahim's forces, which resulted in defeat, then marched on and camped Kazerun. Ebrahim requested help from Agha Mohammad Khan, who at the time was conquering Azerbaijan. Agha Mohammad Khan went to Shiraz and appointed Ebrahim as governor of the province. In 1792 Lotf Ali Khan again fought to seize Shiraz but he was defeated and fled to Tabas. In 1794, Lotf Ali Khan was arrested and killed, Agha Mohammad Khan became the new Shah of Iran and Ebrahim became his grand vizier. In this time, Ebrahim became engaged in internal and administrative affairs, and was one of Agha Mohammad Khan's major advisors. In 1795, Ebrahim proposed a coronation ceremony for Mohammad Khan, at which he placed the crown on the king. Ebrahim was present when Agha Mohammad Khan was assassinated in Shusha; he quickly returned to Tehran and proclaimed Fath-Ali, the nephew of the late Shah, the new king, preventing a civil war. Ebrahim remained grand vizier until 1801, when he was killed at the behest of Fath-Ali Shah, who was afraid of Ebrahim's powerful position. Most of Ebrahim's family, with the exception of one of his sons Ali Akbar and his daughter Mahbanu Khanum, were also subsequently killed. Ebrahim's descendants later formed the Qavam family, who became influential in the mid-to-late Qajar period. Some of his descendants like Mirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi had important roles and were powerful in the royal court. Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi's role in ending the succession war of Karim Khan and transitioning power from Zands to the Qajars, as well as enthroning four kings, made him known as a kingmaker, and marks him as one of the most remarkable politicians in modern Iranian history.