IICHS - Institute for Iranian Contemporary Historical Studies

Nilufar Kasra

Daughter of Mozaffaraddin Shah and Sarvarossaltaneh, Ashrafolmoluk is one of the famous women of Iran’s contemporary history. She was born in Tabriz, 1846. She received her education from Tabriz old style school. She married to Mohsen Khan, son of Mirza Ali Khan Aminoddowleh, his father’s grand vizier when she was fourteen, and was acquainted with the socio political questions of the time. Mirza Ali Khan Aminoddowleh was aware of the brightness of his daughter in law, Fakhroddowleh and would talk to her in his free time. He knew his son’s faults. He was well aware that only this young lady had the potential to save Amini family in critical phases. He had lost all his sons except of Mohsen, so he occupied himself with the affairs of his grandchildren Hossein, Gholamhossein, Mahmud, Ali, Mohammad, Ahmad, Aboulqassem, Reza and Massoumeh. Upon his removal from his office, his daughter in law, Ashrafolmoluk stood for him and protected him against any harm.

Upon the death of Aminoddowleh, Fakhoroddowleh’s troubles began in Lashte nesha of Guilan. As to the animosity of Mohammad Ali Shah with Aminoddowleh family, no office was given to Mirza Mohsen Khan, and he only lived off his lands in Lashte nesha. His two great political flaws, one of them being his bombardment of Majlis and delivering the refugee liberalists to the Cossacks, and the second, his getting arrested by the Jungle revolutionaries led him to take distance from any political and economic activities and retire himself to his lands.

On the eve of 1921 coup, despite heavy snow, Fakhorddowleh moved with her family to Qom. He took a house near to the shrine so that in case there was any threat of arrest, they could take refuge in that holy place. She had a dispute with Mirza Karim Khan Rashti about the lands in Lashte nesha in Guilan general department of justice, which was shortly after was transferred to Tehran. To fight for the properties of her father in law, she went to meet Reza Khan and succeeded to keep her possessions.

Her activities brought her great prestige among the leading figures of the time. She was the mediator between the Qajar family and Reza Khan. She was aware of the circumstances of the time and the character of Ahmad Shah Qajar, and she tried to keep peace between them.

Fakhroddowleh was founded the first taxi agency in Tehran. She even intended to found a national agency of stock exchanges, but she did not succeed to do so because of the circumstances. She was a charitable lady. She would support orphans and would give them the chance to continue their education and would provide the girls with dowries and the boys with capital to begin an investment. In her late years, she suffered a heavy blow through his son’s death. Since then, she spent most of her life in Elahieh garden and did not socialize with others. In her last journey to the holy cities of Iraq, she bought shrine for herself. However, in last days of her life, she told her companies to bury her next to her son in Ebn babvay.

Fakhroddowleh died in January 1956 at the age of 73, due to heart attack. She had asked her family not to hold memorial services for her and to spend the expenses for charity affairs. However, his family hold a great memorial service for her which many princes, and leading figures and dignitaries attended to.