Mohammad Khan Qaraei-Torbati
Sardar Mohammad Khan Qaraei-Torbati (Persian: سردار محمد خان قرایی تربتی), was one of the wealthiest and most powerful chieftains in Khorasan during the reigns of Fath Ali Shah. He was admired by his friends and cursed by his foes.[1]
| Mohammad Khan Qaraei-Torbati | |
|---|---|
| ilkhan of the Qaraei Tribe | |
| Reign | 1816-1832 |
| Predecessor | Eshaq Khan Qaraei-Torbati |
| Successor | none |
| Born | c. 1790 Zaveh |
| Died | c. 1850 Tabriz |
| Spouse | unknown daughter of Amir Hasan Khan Sheybani of Tabas daughter of Mohammad Khan of Shahr-e-Now |
| Issue | a son who died before 1831 Yaqoub Khan Qaraei-Torbati Abolghasem Khan Qaraei-Torbati Allah Qoli Khan Qaraei-Torbati Saheb Khanoom Qaraei-Torbati a daughter married to a son of Abbas Mirza two sons who went with him to Tabriz while he was in prison and his family in exile. |
| House | Qaraei tribe |
| Father | Eshaq Khan Qaraei-Torbati |
The Qajar central government attempted to conciliate the new ruler of Turbat by recalling Muhammad Wali Mirza to Tehran, dishonoring him while there, and sending Hasan Ali Mirza Qajar Shoja os Saltaneh in his place. Hasan Ali ventured to Zaveh to attempt to placate Mohammad Khan for the treacherous murder of his father. The essence of the lies exchanged at their meeting was that Tehran denied any implication in the murder of Eshaq while Mohammad professed allegiance to the Qajars. The deal was sealed with Mohammad granting his sister to Hasan Ali Mirza for marriage. The result of this marriage was Qahreman Mirza Qajar ancestor of famous Qahreman, Qahremani and Shojania families of Khorasan.[2]
After Hasan Ali's departure Mohammad aligned himself with Bunyad Beg Hazara and began a career of depredation and slave dealing. This latter practice gained him covert alliances with the Khan of Khiva and the Emir of Bukhara, a situation that did little to enhance his reputation in Tehran. In 1832 the crown prince, Abbas Mirza, after subduing the Salor of Sarakhs, turned his attention to Mohammad Khan and his renegade tribe. Under the guise of using Zaveh as a staging ground for his army's invasion of Herat, Abbas moved the royal forces into the Qaraei district where he deceived Mohammad into a meeting that resulted in his capture.
The independence of the Qaraei tribe and the district of Zaveh ended with Mohammad Khan. The governors of the district were thereafter no longer of the Qaraei tribe but of the Qajar tribe. The chief of the Qarais traditionally served alternate terms of naib and vazir to the Qajar governor for the rest of the 19th century. Mohammad Khan died comfortably, a prisoner in his own house in Tabriz.[3]
Positions held
References
- Tarikhe Torbat-e-Heydariyeh ba tekiyeh bar naghshe Eshaq Khan Qaraei, by Mohammad Qanei
- ESḤĀQ KHAN QARĀʾĪ TORBATĪ published by Encyclopaedia Iranica
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-01-11. Retrieved 2009-08-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)