Dilaram Khanum (, also spelled Del Aram or Delaram; died 1647) was a

Safavid The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

Georgian concubine of Safavid

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

Mohammad Baqer Mirza Mohammad Baqer Mirza () better known in the West as Safi Mirza (; 15 September 1587, Mashhad – 2 February 1614, Rasht) was the oldest son of Shah Abbas the Great (r. 1588-1629), and the crown prince of the Safavid dynasty during Abbas' reign ...

, and the mother of King Safi ( 1629–1642).

Life

Dilaram Khanum was of Georgian origin and came to the

Safavid Imperial harem The Safavid imperial harem refers to the harem of the monarchs of the Safavid dynasty of Iran. The harem of the Safavid shahs played an important role in the history of Safavid Iran (1501-1736). It was the quarters of the women of the Imperia ...

as a slave concubine to Mohammad Baqer Mirza. In 1632, a court intrigue came to light that involved opposition to Safi's rule originating in the king's harem. This resulted in the king's ordering the massacre of forty women of the harem as well as the blinding and killing of almost all the sons of the daughters of Abbas I ( 1588–1629). Prior to the 1632 event, one of AbbasI's aunts, Zeynab Begum, was the leading female in the

harem A harem is a domestic space that is reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A harem may house a man's wife or wives, their pre-pubescent male children, unmarried daughters, female domestic Domestic worker, servants, and other un ...

. After the event, Dilaram became the most influential

matriarch Matriarchy is a social system in which positions of power and privilege are held by women. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. While those definitions apply in general English, ...

. When Dilaram's son Safi died in 1647, he was succeeded by her grandson, who was known by his

regnal name A regnal name, regnant name, or reign name is the name used by monarchs and popes during their reigns and subsequently, historically. Since ancient times, some monarchs have chosen to use a different name from their original name when they accede ...

of AbbasII ( 1642–1666). In the early years of AbbasII's reign, when he was still young,

grand vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...

Saru Taqi Mirza Mohammad Taqi (; – 11 October 1645), better known as Saru Taqi (, meaning "Taqi the blond") was a eunuch in Safavid Iran, who served as the Grand Vizier of the Safavid king (''shah'') Safi () and the latter's son Abbas II () until h ...

functioned as his

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

, with Dilaram's strong support.

Sponsorings

Dilaram Khanum sponsored the construction of two schools, in 1645/6 and 1647/8 respectively. The "Jaddeh

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and Caravan (travellers), caravans. They were present throughout much of the Islamic world. Depending on the region and period, they were called by a ...

" (Jaddeh means grandmother) in

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

, constructed during the vizierate of Saru Taqi and being one of the largest in the city, referred to Dilaram Khanum, the grandmother of king Abbas II. In total, there are two caravanserais in Isfahan that are attributed to Dilaram Khanum's sponsoring.

References

Sources

* * * * {{Use dmy dates, date=January 2017 1647 deaths Iranian people of Georgian descent Safavid concubines 17th-century Iranian women 17th-century people from Safavid Iran 17th-century slaves Burials at Imam Reza Shrine