Attempts Made by Fath-Ali Shah Qajar’s Princes for Crowning (Case Study: Hossein Ali Mirza, Farmanfarma)

By applying the policy of appointing his children to states and provincial governments, while expanding his dynasty power throughout Iranian lands, Fath-Ali Shah Qajar created an intense competitive atmosphere among the Qajar ruling princes. The competitions among the three powerful and power-seeking princes of Fath Ali Shah (born in 1203 AH / 1789 AD), i.e. Mohammad Ali Mirza, Abbas Mirza, and Hossein Ali Mirza - were more pronounced. Hossein Ali Mirza was appointed as the governor of Fars and southern regions of Iran under the name of Farmanfarma, ruling in the area until the kingdom of Mohammad Shah. His establishment in Fars led him to be influenced by the ancient kings and Muslim rulers of Fars. During this affectedness of Shiraz court, he took the royal glamorousness and grandeur, and the princes ruling Fars thought of ruling the whole Iranian lands. Until the second period of the Russo-Persian War, Hossein Ali Mirza had always obeyed the central government and demonstrated this citizenship by constantly sending taxes to Tehran. But since then, when the authority of the Shah and Abbas Mirza, the Crown Prince, collapsed, his centrifugal policies increased. He disobeyed the central government by expulsion of Nouri family which was affiliated to the Tehran court, and not paying taxes regularly. After the death of Abbasmirza, Hossein Ali Mirza rose to the position of crown prince against Mohammad Mirza and intensified the competition after the death of Fath Ali Shah, declaring himself the official king of Iran in Shiraz. In spite of the support of the Russian and British governments over the reign of Mohammad Shah and the internal disputes of Fars, Hossein Ali Mirza was defeated by his crowned nephew, Mohammad Shah and surrendered. Via a descriptive-analytical approach, the present study aims to present Hussein Ali Mirza's political-military achievements in Fars to examine his position and role in the early Qajar succession competitions.