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Najm al-Saltanah

 
  • Description A collection of letters, financial and legal documents, and other writings related to Najm al-Saltanah (1270-1350 AH), including correspondence with her brother ‘Abd al-Husayn Mirza Farmanfarma when he was in Iraq in 1317 AH (1899-1900).
  • Scope and Content Malik Taj Najm al-Saltanah (1270-1350 AH) is the daughter of Firuz Mirza (son of ‘Abbas Mirza Nayib al-Saltanah) and Hajiyah Huma Khanum (daughter of Bahman Mirza Bahaʼ al-Dawlah). Though little is known about her childhood, like other women of her background, Najm al-Saltanah probably learned to read and write from a home tutor. At sixteen, she married Murtiza Quli Khan Vakil al-Mulk Isfandiyari (d. 1297 AH). They lived in Kirman from 1286 to 1296 AH while he was governor and then returned to Tehran. The union produced two daughters: Muluk Khanum ‘Ishrat al-Dawlah (married to Muvassiq al-Saltanah) and Hajiyah Zarrin Taj Khanum Shukat al-Dawlah (married to Haj ‘Abbasquli Sahm al-Mulk Biyat Araki). In 1297 AH, the same year her first husband died, she married Mirza Hidayat Allah Vazir Daftar Ashtiyani (d. 1310 SH). They had two children: Aminah Daftar al-Muluk (b. 1302 AH) and Muhammad Musaddiq (b. 1300 AH). Note: some correspondence in the collection relates to Najm al-Saltanah's wish for Muhammad Musaddiq to marry Ashraf Khanum Fakr al-Dawlah, daughter of her sister, Ashraf Surur al-Saltanah Hazrat-i ‘Aliya, and Muzaffar al-Din Shah. After Muzaffar al-Din Shah did not approve of the union, Muhammad Musaddiq married Zahra Imami Ziyaʼ al-Saltanah (III), daughter of Ziyaʼ al-Saltanah II (daughter of Nasir al-Din Shah) and Sayyid Zayn al-ʻAbidin Imam Jumʻah. In 1311 AH, Najm al-Saltanah married Mirza Fazl Allah Khan Vakil al-Mulk Tabrizi Tabatabaʼi Diba and lived in Tabriz for the duration of his posting. The marriage produced one son: Abu al-Hasan Diba Siqqat al-Dawlah (b. 1312 AH). In addition to her brother ‘Abd al-Husayn Mirza Farmanfarma, Najm al-Saltanah had two sisters: Mah Sima Khanum (who died in her youth) and Ashraf Khanum Surur al-Saltanah who married the crown prince Muzaffar al-Din Mirza. Ashraf Khanum was given the title Hazrat-i ‘Uliya. Through her endowment, Najm al-Saltanah has become part of the social history of modern Tehran. In 1307 SH, she began to plan the building of a hospital on property inherited from her third husband. On 6 December 1929 (15 Azar 1308), Najmiyah Hospital was offically inaugurated. After the death of Najm al-Saltanah, this endowment was administered by her eldest daughter Hajiyah Zarrin Taj Khanum Shukat al-Dawlah, then Muluk Khanum ‘Ishrat al-Dawlah, and finally Aminah Khanum Daftar al-Muluk.
  • Related Materials For further information on Najm al-Saltanah, her brother ‘Abd al-Husayn Mirza Farmanfarma, other family members and women of the era as well as the text of the endowment of Najimiyah Hospital (pp. 193-199) and some photographs related to the life of Najm al-Saltanah, see: Ettehadieh, Mansoureh. Zanani kih zir-i maqna‘ah kulahdari nimudahand [Women who wore hats under their veils] (Tehran: nashir-i tarikh-i iran, 1388 SH [2009 or 10])
  • Acquistion Notes This collection consists of materials found in the Farmanfarma family papers in Tehran and made available to Women's Worlds in Qajar Iran by Mansoureh Ettehadieh (Nezam-Mafi) in 2010.
  • Repository Private collection of Mansoureh Ettehadieh
  • Restrictions No restrictions on publication.

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