Taj ol-Dowleh (, died 1881) was the forty-second wife of

Fath-Ali Shah Qajar Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (; 5 August 1772 – 24 October 1834) was the second Shah of Qajar Iran. He reigned from 17 June 1797 until his death on 24 October 1834. His reign saw the irrevocable ceding of Iran's northern territories in the Caucasus, com ...

and a poet. Her birth name was ''Tavus Khanum'' () and she was of Georgian descent. She was born 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 ...

. She married Fath-Ali Shah in 1845 when she was 15 years old. The shah changed the name of the

Sun Throne The Sun Throne () also known as the Peacock Throne () is an Imperial throne of Iran. A radiant sun disk on its headboard and a consort of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar give the throne each of its names respectively. The throne has the shape of a platform ...

to Tavus Throne on the occasion of this marriage. She was educated under the supervision of Neshat Isfahani. After a while the shah ordered the construction of a mansion for her because of his passionate love. Moreover, a part of the royal treasury, called the special treasury, was entrusted to her. Every

Nowruz Nowruz (, , () , () , () , () , Kurdish language, Kurdish: () , () , () , () , , , , () , , ) is the Iranian or Persian New Year. Historically, it has been observed by Iranian peoples, but is now celebrated by many ...

she invited the shah along with his wives and married daughters to her mansion for thirteen days. At the moment of the shah's death, she was beside him in Isfahan and after that she took refuge to

Mohammad Bagher Shafti Mohammad Bagher Shafti (; 1767 in Shaft – 22 March 1844 in Isfahan), was an Iranian Twelver Shia cleric. The Seyyed mosque in Isfahan was built by him. According to Hossein Nasr and Hamid Dabashi, he is probably the first clergyman to be giv ...

from the princes' clashes for the throne. After the enthronement of

Mohammad Shah Qajar Mohammad Shah (; born Mohammad Mirza; 5 January 1808 – 5 September 1848) was the third Qajar ''shah'' of Iran from 1834 to 1848, inheriting the throne from his grandfather, Fath-Ali Shah. From a young age, Mohammad Mirza was under the tutela ...

she donated all of her jewelry to him and went on a

Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

trip with her son, Sayf ol-Dowleh. After some Hajj trips she went to

Najaf Najaf is the capital city of the Najaf Governorate in central Iraq, about 160 km (99 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2024 is about 1.41 million people. It is widely considered amongst the holiest cities of Shia Islam an ...

and lived there until the end of her life. Her cemetery is in

Imam Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until Assassination of Ali, his assassination in 661, as well as the first imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muha ...

's apron. She had six children: Soltan Mohammad Mirza Sayf ol-Dowleh,

Soltan-Ahmad Mirza Azod od-Dowleh Soltan-Ahmad Mirza Azod od-Dowleh (; 16 July 1824 – 1902) was a Qajar prince and official in 19th-century Iran, who is known for composing the memoir ''Tarikh-e Azodi''. He was the 49th son of the shah (king) Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (), and his moth ...

, Farokhsir Mirza Naier ol-Dowleh, Shirinjan Khanum, Khorshid-Kolah Khanum Shams ol-Dowleh (she was married to Mirza MohammadAli Khan Nezam ol-Dowleh and her daughter, Shams ol-Molouk, married

Aga Khan II Prince Aqa Ali Shah (; 1830 – 17 August 1885), known as Aga Khan II (), was the 47th hereditary imam of the Nizari Isma'ili Muslims. A member of the Iranian royal family, he became the Imam in 1881. He was the second Nizari Imam to hold the ti ...

) and Morasa Khanum.

References

{{reflist People from Isfahan Qajar royal consorts Iranian people of Georgian descent 1881 deaths Year of birth missing