Hossein-Qoli Khan Nezam al-Saltaneh Mafi | |
|---|---|
 Formal portraitc. 1900–08 | |
| 4thPrime Minister of Iran | |
| In office 21 December 1907 – 21 May 1908 | |
| Preceded by | Abolqasem Naser ol-Molk |
| Succeeded by | Ahmad Moshir al-Saltaneh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1832 (1832) |
| Died | 6 August 1908(1908-08-06) (aged 75–76) Tehran |
| Nationality | Iranian |
| Parent | Mohammad Sharif Khan Mafi Qazvini |
Mirza Hossein-Qoli Khan Mafi (Persian:میرزا حسینقلی خان مافی; 1832 – 6 August 1908) titledNezam al-Saltaneh (نظام السلطنه) was anIranian politician serving as theprime minister of Iran from 21 December 1907 to 21 May 1908.[1][2][3]
Hossein-Qoli belonged to a sub-branch of theLur Bayranavand tribe, the Mafi clan. Since 1794, the clan had lived inQazvin and its surroundings.[3] Before becoming prime minister, Hossein-Qoli served as the governor ofBushehr (1857),Yazd (1874),Dashtestan (1875),Zanjan (1885),Khuzestan andBakhtiari areas along withChaharmahal (1887 and again in 1894),Azerbaijan (1899) andFars.[4]
He died at the age of 86 and is buried inImamzadeh Abdollah, Ray.
Numerous contemporary accounts describe Hossein-Qoli as an aspirational, thoughtful, and trustworthy administrator. He was a devout Muslim and an ardent nationalist. He followed traditional social norms and, like his brother Mohammad-Hasan Khan, was against the growing trend of many of their peers copying everything that was European. Hossein-Qoli was a patron of the poetsIraj Mirza andForsat-od-Dowleh Shirazi and was well-versed in classical Persian literature and Iranian history.[3]
His letters were frequently mixed with sayings and poetry. Hossein-Qoli described his tour to the ruins of theSasanian city ofal-Mada'in inOttoman Iraq with a sarcastic sense of humor and a pragmatic approach to life in general. He wrote, "I beheld Mada'in, but took no heed," a reference to the famous poem by the 12th-century poetKhaqani in which the viewer at the ruins of Mada'in is cautioned to pay heed to the shifting fortunes and ravages of time.[3]