Prince Rostom of Kartli

Rostom (Georgian: როსტომი) or Rustam Khan (Persian: خان جودکي; died 8 March 1722) was a Georgian prince, member of the Bagratid House of Mukhrani of Kartli, and a general in the service of the Safavid dynasty of Iran. He was killed by the Afghan rebels at the climactic battle of Gulnabad.

For the 17th-century vali/king of Kartli, see Rostom of Kartli. For the Georgian-Iranian soldier in the first half of the 17th century, see Rostam Khan (sepahsalar under Safi). For the Georgian-Iranian soldier in the second half of the 17th century, see Rostam Khan (sepahsalar under Suleiman I).

Family background

Rostom was a natural son of Levan, the regent of Kartli, by an unknown concubine. He was a half-brother of three monarchs of Kartli—Kaikhosro, Vakhtang VI, and Jesse—and the catholicos patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Domentius IV. Rostom's career, like those of many of his relatives, was shaped by the political hegemony of Safavid Iran over Kartli. He spent many years far from his homeland as a member of the Safavid élite to which he was also related by kinship: he was married to a daughter of Fath 'Ali Khan Daghestani, who served as grand vizier (chief minister) of Iran from 1716 to 1720.[1]

Safavid general

Rostom's appointments in the Safavid service included being darugha (prefect) of the capital city of Isfahan in 1709, khan (governor) of Kerman in 1717, and qullar-aqasi (commander) of the shah's élite ghulam regiments in 1717. In this latter capacity he served through the Afghan revolts, which had taken lives of Rostom's uncle, George XI (Gurgin Khan), his half-brother, Kaikhosro, and a cousin, Alexander.

Rostom played a prominent role in the battle with the Afghan rebels led by Mahmud Hotaki at Gulnabad, close to Isfahan, on 8 March 1722. The grand vizier, Muhammad-Quli-Khan Shamlu, urged patience and avoidance of a pitched battle before putting the capital's defences in a state of proper readiness. Rostom, being in command of the Safavid right wing, went ahead with an attack and successfully charged the Afghan left wing. In the meantime, the Arab cavalry of the Safavid army, tempted into looting the Afghan baggage train, detached from the fighting and the grand vizier also failed to advance with his main troops. Mahmud had his forces regrouped and surrounded Rostom's men, who fought with desperate courage until completely annihilated. On his retreat, Rostom fell off when his horse stumbled in the mud. An Afghan soldier hit him with a flail and others repeatedly speared him with their lances, killing him.[2][3][4][5]

The battle occasioned the downfall of the Safavid dynasty. In vain did the beleaguered shah Sultan Husayn urge Vakhtang VI of Kartli to come to his aid. After a six-month siege, Isfahan fell to Mahmud's army and the Afghan chieftain took over the shah's throne.[2]

See also

References
  1. Savory, Roger M. (1993). "Dāḡestānī, Fatḥ ʿAlī Khan". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. 6. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  2. Lang, David Marshall (1952). "Georgia and the Fall of the Ṣafavī Dynasty". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 14 (3): 537–538. doi:10.1017/s0041977x00088492. S2CID 128468654.
  3. Mikaberidze, Alexander (2011). "Gulnabad, battle of". In Mikaberidze, Alexander (ed.). Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World: A Historical Encyclopedia. Volume 1. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 351–352. ISBN 978-1598843378.
  4. Lang, David Marshall (1957). The Last Years of the Georgian Monarchy, 1658-1832. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 113.
  5. Axworthy, Michael (2006). The Sword of Persia: Nader Shah, from Tribal Warrior to Conquering Tyrant. London: I.B.Tauris. pp. 45, 47–48. ISBN 1850437068.

Sources
  • Floor, Willem (2001). Safavid Government Institutions. Costa Mesa, California: Mazda Publishers. ISBN 978-1568591353.
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