file:ملیجک_و_انیس‌الدوله.jpg, link=https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%BE%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87:%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%AC%DA%A9_%D9%88_%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B3%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D9%87.jpg, 232x232px, Anis al-Dawla and Aziz al-Soltan Anis al-Dawla (Persian: انیس‌الدوله) (''c''. 1842 - 1896) was a royal consort of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar of Qajar Iran, Iran (r. 1848–1896).Nashat, G. (5 August 2011) “ANĪS-AL-DAWLA,” Encyclopædia Iranica, II/1, pp. 74-76, available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/anis-al-dawla-d (accessed on 30 December 2012).

Life

She was born c. 1842 and was the daughter of an impoverished shepherd from Amamme village in Lavāsān, northeast of

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

, and was employed as a free

maidservant A handmaiden (nowadays less commonly handmaid or maidservant) is a personal maid or female servant. The term is also used metaphorically for something whose primary role is to serve or assist. Depending on culture or historical period, a handma ...

to Jeyrān in the Qajar harem in 1859. She became the favorite of the shah after Jeyrān's death in 1860. She was the only wife to take meals with Nāṣer-al-dīn, a unique privilege, and to join him regularly at bedtime after he received visits from other wives. She was also the only one to openly criticize him and organise political opposition to government policies that she disagreed with. While the shah had other favorites, such as her own servant

Amina Aqdas Amina Aqdas (Persian: امینه اقدس) (died 1893) was a royal consort of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar of Iran (r. 1848–1896).G. Nashat,Amīna Aqdas" Encyclopædia Iranica, I/9, pp. 954-955, accessed on 30 December 2012. She was the daughter of a ...

, she remained his main favorite. He granted the Shahrastanak Palace to her. She had a great desire to visit the West. In 1873, she did accompany the Shah on his visit to Moscow; however, she was forced to interrupt the visit and return after it became apparent that the host governments was not able to manage the protocol around secluded veiled women. She blamed prime minister

Mirza Hosein Khan Moshir od-Dowleh Mirza Hosein Khan Moshir od-Dowleh Sepahsalar () or simply Mirza Hosein Sepahsalar () (1828–1881) was the Grand Vizier (prime minister) of Iran (Persia) during the Qajar era under Naser al-Din Shah Qajar between 1871 and 1873. After a succes ...

, for her interrupted journey, and managed to have him deposed from his post. In the harem, she took precedence over all other eighty-five wives. She took over the duties of the shah's mother,

Malek Jahan Khanom Malek Jahan Khanom (; 26 February 1805 – 2 April 1873) was the wife of Mohammad Shah Qajar and the mother of Naser al-Din Shah. She was the '' de facto'' regent of Iran for one month, from 5 September until 5 October in 1848, between the de ...

, after her death in 1873, and was given revenue from districts rather than a salary like the other women. She received the wives of heads of foreign legations and visiting dignitaries. Her influence over the shah resulted in her receiving many appeals from supplicants. She died soon after Naser al-Din Shah's assassination.

References

{{reflist 1896 deaths Qajar royal consorts 19th-century Iranian women