Qarachaqay Khan

Qarachaqay Khan (Persian: قرچغای خان; died 1625) was a military commander in Safavid Iran of Armenian origin. He was known for his great collection of porcelain items and loyal service to Shah Abbas I. Qarachaqay Khan was killed while commanding an expedition against the Georgian rebels.

Qarachaqay Khan
"A court scene", Iran, c. 1620. Qarachaqay Khan appears standing in a red coat, with a prominent handlebar mustache.[1][2]
Commander-in-chief (sepahsalar-e Iran)
In office 1616–1625
Monarch	Abbas the Great
Preceded by	Shahqoli Soltan Ustajlu
Succeeded by	Zeinal Khan Shamlu
Governor of Azerbaijan province
In office 1618–1620
Monarch	Abbas the Great
Preceded by	Shahbandeh Beg Torkman (1st term)
Succeeded by	Shahbandeh Beg Torkman (2nd term)
Governor of Mashhad
In office 1618–1625
Monarch	Abbas the Great
Preceded by	Nazar Khan Tavakoli
Succeeded by	Manuchihr Khan
Personal details
Born	Erivan, Erivan province, Safavid Iran
Died	25 March 1625 near Martqopi
Resting place	Mashhad
Children	Imam Verdi Khan, Abu al-Fath Manuchihr Khan
Occupation	Military leader, official
Military service
Allegiance	Safavid Iran
Battles/wars	Ottoman–Safavid War of 1603–1618 Battle of Sufiyan Battle of Martqopi †

Career

Born as a Christian Armenian in Erivan, Qarachaqay was enslaved in childhood and brought to the Safavid court to be raised as a gholam. He began his career in a royal tailoring workshop and was soon distinguished in the Safavid army as an artillery officer. In 1605, Qarachaqay Beg, being in charge of a musketeer regiment, under the command of Allahverdi Khan—also originally a gholam of Georgian origin—contributed to Abbas I's victory over the Ottoman forces at Sufiyan near Tabriz.^[3]

Crimean Khan Janibek Giray battle with the Persian commander Qarachaqay Khan in 1617. Şehname-i Nadiri (Nadiri's book of kings) (1620s).^[4]

During his career in the Safavid army and administration, Qarachaqay amassed a valuable collection of Chinese porcelain which he presented to Shah Abbas around 1610. Shortly afterwards, Qarachaqay was bestowed with the title of muqarab al-hazrat ("intimate of the illustrious"), reserved for the Shah's close companions. In 1616, he received the title of khan and was appointed commander-in-chief (sepahsalar-e Iran) of the Safavid army.^[5][6] A year after the defeat of the Ottoman troops led by Khalil Pasha, he became governor of Tabriz and all of Azerbaijan, but was soon recalled by the shah to continue his service as governor of Mashhad in northeastern Khorasan in 1618.^[7][8] When Abbas I decided to marry his granddaughter to Semayun Khan of Kartli (Simon II) in 1624, Qarachaqay Khan ordered Yusuf Khan, likewise of Christian Armenian origin and a childhood friend, to host the banquet in the first term of the wedding party.^[9] In the same year, Qarachaqay Khan, accompanied by the Safavid Georgian officer Murav-Beg (Giorgi Saakadze), captained a punitive expedition against the rebels in Georgia.^[10] Murav-Beg conspired with the insurgents, who unexpectedly attacked and destroyed the Iranian camp at Martqopi, killing Qarachaqay Khan^[11] and one of his sons, Imam Verdi Khan.^[10] Both were buried within a family shrine complex in Mashhad.^[10]

Of Qarachaqay Khan's other sons, Abu al-Fath Manuchihr Khan (died 1636) rose to the governorship of Mashhad and Ali Quli Khan became prefect of Qom and head of the shah's library. Manuchihr Khan's son, Qarachaqay Khan (died c. 1668), was also governor of Mashhad. All of them were known as sponsors of learning and culture.^[12][10][13]

See also

• Shahnameh of Qarachaqay Khan