Rulership in Qajar style
Jalal Farahmand
The present document is an interesting story of a governing
tribe in Qajar period which about 200 years ruled over a widespread
and crowded territory of Iran this is the story of Tonekabon and two
districts around at i.e. Kolarostagh and Kajoor which in accompany
with Tonekabon were known as Mahal - e- Salas.

The exclusive governors of this district were from Khalatbari tribe
who themselves had reached to the power through struggle against
another tyrant. At the time of Karimkhan Zand’s ruling, the respected
and old persons of Tonekaban as representative of the people went to
the capital of the country at that time i.e. Shiraz for complaining of
powerful governed of there who was a person from Oslu tribe.

Karimkhan accepting their complaint, agreed with the appointment at a
new governor and they suggested a person for this office named Mahdi
khan and the title of khan was granted to him and his family
thenceforth by the king of Zand.
Later, Mahdi khan because of his devotion to Agha Mohammad khan got
double power and authority. Agha Mohammad khan along with separating
Tonekabon from Guilan and annexing it to Mazandaran, Also gave
Kolarostagh and Kajoor to Mahdi khan and thereafter this three
provinces were known as Mahal - e - Salas and they were under the
authority and power of Mahdi khan’s family till the end of Qajar’s
period.
Mahdi khan had three children, Abedin khan, Ismael khan and Hadi khan,
At the time of Fath Ali shah – e – Qajar he reached the power instead
of his father and his governorship continued until 1244 After his
death, his three sons, Jafar Gholi khan, fath Ali khan and vali khan
respectively governed on this district. The governing of the third
son, Vali khan began in 1349 and continued till 1254 who was killed in
heart, when he was in accompany with Mohammad Shah. In consideration
of his services shah, besides giving the governorship of this distric
to his son habib Amirkhan saed – od – Dowleh, Also according to un
founded customs of Qajar’s period, gave the general rank of his father
to this young boy.
The uncle of Habib Asad khan i.e. Fath Ali khan and his children came
to Tehran of whom the most well-known was Nasrollah khan Khalatbar,
entitled Etelaolmlk and the other was Abbas Ali Khalatbar, the foreign
minister in phalavi’s regime. The family of Habib Asad khan Also had
famous persons and Mohammad Vali Khan Tonekaboni entitled Sepahdar was
the most well- known one of then which had an active role in the
conquest of Tehran after the minor despotism In the governor ship
period of Habib Asad Khan Saed – od – Dowleh, the relations of this
family with Qajar’s court increased in a way that the dependent
persons to this family began to trespass and take possession of the
other territories and lands of neighboring tribes and the width of
their landed properties in creased that after Habib Asad khan’s death,
the large territories of agricultural lands and pastures of Noor and
Kajoor and Kolarostagh to the western part of Rankooh and its country
– annexation were in the hands of them. Such obstinate governing had
no obedience from the central government and paid little tax to the
center It is not clear that what is the benefit of such governing for
it people.

This document is also about the governing of Habibollah khan and his
sons and apparently, the violence of this family in creased in a way
that the people of this district found no alternative except appealing
to prominent persons and religious scholars of that time (Ulama).
The writer of this letter (unfortunately we don’t know his name) who
has sent it to Nasir- ed - Din Shah described. The situation of Iran
precisely that the letter like a film can pictured the horrible events
of that time in front of our eyes. To force people to do to unpaid
works, to take heavy duties, to exploit unfairly from the children of
peasants and to plunder of the others properties were the principles
of such system.

Unfortunately, the wronged pleading of people for justice did not have
any result because these regional chiefs and rulers had powerful and
influential friends in the corrupt administrative system of that day
who supported them and could change the shah’s view and usually they
caused that the opponents failed in their measures. but the power of
people was like a spring which was squeezed with the increase of
violence and waited for a day to be released and this didn’t long too
much being the constitutionalism and being weakened the power of
regional rulers and in creasing the desire of people for freedom, this
spring was released and this released power caused that the properties
of Sepahdar Tonekaboni and his son Amir masoud were plundered but
because of weakness of the constitution, sad khalatbari could suppress
these non organized movements.
We read this petition to Naser - ed - Din Shah.
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