Dilaram Khanum

Dilaram Khanum (Persian: دلارام خانم, also spelled Del Aram or Delaram; died c. 1647) was a Safavid Georgian concubine of Safavid crown prince Mohammad Baqer Mirza,[1][2] and the mother of King Safi (r.  1629–1642).[1][3]

Life

According to Prof. David Blow, 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 (r.  1588–1629).[4] Prior to the 1632 event, one of Abbas I's aunts, Zeynab Begum, was the leading female in the harem.[4] After the event, Dilaram became the most influential matriarch.[1] When Dilaram's son Safi died in 1647, he was succeeded by her grandson, who was known by his regnal name of Abbas II (r.  1642–1666).[1] In the early years of Abbas II's reign, when he was still young, grand vizier Saru Taqi functioned as his regent, with Dilaram's strong support.[1]

Sponsorings

Dilaram Khanum sponsored the construction of two schools, in 1645/6 and 1647/8 respectively.[5] The "Jaddeh caravanserai" (Jaddeh means grandmother) in Isfahan, 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.[3] In total, there are two caravanserais in Isfahan that are attributed to Dilaram Khanum's sponsoring.[6]

References
  1. Blow 2009, p. 232.
  2. Bierbrier 1997, pp. 249–250.
  3. Babaie et al. 2004, p. 104.
  4. Blow 2009, p. 229.
  5. Newman 2008, p. 87.
  6. Newman 2008, p. 88.

Sources
  • Babaie, Sussan; Babayan, Kathryn; Baghdiantz-McCabe, Ina; Farhad, Massumeh (2004). Slaves of the Shah: New Elites of Safavid Iran. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-0857716866.
  • Bierbrier, Morris (1997). "The Descendants of Theodora Comnena of Trebizond". The Genealogist. 11 (2).
  • Blow, David (2009). Shah Abbas: The Ruthless King Who became an Iranian Legend. London, UK: I. B. Tauris & Co. Ltd. p. 20. ISBN 978-1845119898. LCCN 2009464064.
  • Newman, Andrew J. (2008). Safavid Iran: Rebirth of a Persian Empire. I.B.Tauris. p. 186. ISBN 978-0857716613.

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