List of grand viziers of Persia

The following is a list of grand viziers of Persia (Iran) until 1906, when the office of Prime Minister of Iran was created as a result of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution. There were different names for this office during different historical periods such as Wuzurg Framadar, Vizier (Persian: وزیر), Sāheb Divān (Persian: صاحب‌دیوان), Vizier of the Supreme Court (Vazir-e Divān-e A'lā, Persian: وزیر دیوان اعلیٰ), Grand vizier (Vazir-e A'zam, Persian: وزیر اعظم), Premier (Shakhs-e Avval, Persian: شخص اول) and Sadr-e A'zam (Persian: صدراعظم).

Wuzurg Framadar (224–651)

Abarsam, active during the reign of Ardashir I.^[1]
Khosrow Yazdgerd (for Yazdgerd I)
Mihr Narseh (for Yazdgerd I and Bahram V)
Suren Pahlav (for Bahram V)
Bozorgmehr (for Kavad I and Khosrow I)
Izadgushasp (for Khosrow I)
Piruz Khosrow (for Kavadh II and Ardashir III)
Mah-Adhur Gushnasp (for Ardashir III)
Farrukh Hormizd (for Boran)

Ulugh Bitikchi/Saheb Divan/Vizier (1256–1335)

Ulugh Bitickhi

Sayf al-Din Bitikchi (?–1263) (for Hulagu Khan)

Saheb Divan

Shams al-Din Juvayni (1263–16 October 1284) (for Hulagu Khan, Abaqa Khan and Tekuder)

Vizier

Buqa (15 September 1284–January 1289) (for Arghun Khan)

Saheb Divan

Sa'ad al-Dawla Abhari (1289–1291) (for Arghun Khan)
Sadr al-Din Ahmad Khaledi Zanjani (1st time) (18 November 1292–24 March 1295) (for Gaykhatu)

Vizier

Jamal al-Din Ali Dastjerdani (1st time) (1295–1295) (for Baydu)
Amir Nawrūz (5 October 1295–1295) (for Ghazan)
Sharaf al-Din Mohammad Biabanaki Semnani (?–7 September 1296) (for Ghazan)
Jamal al-Din Ali Dastjerdani (2nd time) (7 September 1296 – 5 October 1296) (for Ghazan)
Sadr al-Din Ahmad Khaledi Zanjani (2nd time) (30 October 1296 – 30 April 1298) (for Ghazan)
Rashid-al-Din Fazlollah Hamadani (1298–1316) and Sa'd-al-Din Mohammad Avaji (1298–1312) (for Ghazan and Öljaitü)
Rashid-al-Din Fazlollah Hamadani (1298–1316) and Taj-al-Din Ali-Shah Jilani (1312 – June 1324) (for Öljaitü and Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan)
Ghias-al-din Mohammad Ali-Shahi (for Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan)
Rokn-al-Din Sa'en Fasavi (Nosrat-al-Din Adel Fasavi) (1324–?) (for Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan)
Demasq Kaja (?–24 August 1327) (for Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan)
Ghiyas-al-Din Mohammad Rashidi and Ala'-al-Din Mohammad Faryumadi (just for 8 months as a colleague of Ghiyas-al-Din) (for Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan)
Ghiyas-al-Din Mohammad Rashidi (for Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan and Arpa Ke'un)

Vizier/Grand Vizier (1500–1732)

Vizier

Shams-al-Din Zakariya Kujuji (1500–1512) and Najm-al-Din Mahmud Jan Daylamite (1503–?) (for Ismail I)
Mirak beg Daylamite (?–?) (for Ismail I)
Shah-mir Daylamite (?–?) (for Ismail I)
Kamal-al-Din Shah-Hossein Isfahani (1514–15 April 1523) (for Ismail I)
Jalal al-Din Mohammad Kujuji (1523–1524) (for Ismail I and Tahmasp I)
Qadi Jahan Qazvini (1st time) (1524–1525) (for Tahmasp I)
Qavam-al-Din Jafar Savaji (1525–1531) (for Tahmasp I)
Ahmad Beg Nur-e Kamal (?–?) (for Tahmasp I)
Sa'd-al-Din Enayatallah Khuzani (1533–1535) and Mo'in-al-Din Yazdi (?–?) (for Tahmasp I)
Qadi Jahan Qazvini (2nd time) (1535–1549) (for Tahmasp I)
Ghias-al-Din Ali Shirazi (?–?) (for Tahmasp I)
Aqa Mohammad Farahani (?–?) (for Tahmasp I)
Jalal-al-Din Amir-Beg Kujuji (?–?) (for Tahmasp I)
Mirza Beg Sabeqi Abhari (?–?) (for Tahmasp I)
Masum Beg Safavi (?–1568) (for Tahmasp I)
Seraj-al-Din Ali Qomi (1568–?) (for Tahmasp I)
Jamal-al-Din Ali Tabrizi and Seyyed Hassan Farahani (simultaneously 1573–?) (for Tahmasp I)
Mirza Shokrollah Isfahani (20 July 1576–13 June 1577) (for Tahmasp I and Ismail II)

Grand Vizier (E'temad-od-Dowleh)

Mirza Salman Jaberi (13 June 1577–14 May 1583) (for Ismail I and Mohammad Khodabanda)
Mirza Hedayatollah Saruni (1583–1585) (for Mohammad Khodabanda)
Mirza Mohammad Kermani (1st time) (1585–1587) (for Mohammad Khodabanda)
Mirza Shahvali Shirazi (1587–1589) (for Abbas I)
Mirza Mohammad Kermani (2nd time) (1589–1589/90) (for Abbas I)
Mirza Lotfollah Shirazi (1589/90–1590) (for Abbas I)
Mirza Hatem Beg Nasiri Ordubadi (1590 – 28 May 1610) (for Abbas I)
Mirza Taleb Khan Nasiri Ordubadi (1st time) (1610–1620) (for Abbas I)
Salman Khan Ustajlu (1620–1623) (for Abbas I)
Khalifeh Soltan (1st time) (1623–1631) (for Abbas I and Safi of Persia)
Mirza Taleb Khan Nasiri Ordubadi (2nd time) (1623 – 28 July 1634) (for Safi of Persia)
Saru Taqi (11 August 1634–1644) (for Safi of Persia and Abbas II)
Khalifeh Soltan (2nd time) (1644–1653) (for Abbas II)
Mohammad Beg the Armenian Tabrizi (1653–1661) (for Abbas II)
Mirza Mohammad-Mehdi Karaki (1661–1669) (for Abbas II and Suleiman of Persia)
Shaykh Ali Khan Zanganeh (1669–1671) (for Suleiman of Persia)

The office was vacant (1671–1672)

Shaykh Ali Khan Zanganeh (1672–1688) (for Suleiman of Persia)

The office was vacant (1688–1690)

Mohammad-Taher Vahid-e Qazvini (1690–1698) (for Suleiman of Persia and Sultan Husayn)
Mohammad-Mo'men Khan Shamlu (1699–1707) (for Sultan Husayn)
Shahqoli Khan Zanganeh (1707–1716) (for Sultan Husayn)
Fath-Ali Khan Daghestani (1716 – 8 December 1720) (for Sultan Husayn)
Mohammad-Qoli Khan Shamlu (1721 – 23 October 1722) (for Sultan Husayn)
Amanollah Khan E'temad-od-Dowleh (1722 – 25 April 1725) (for Mahmud Hotak)
Zele Khan E'temad-od-Dowleh (1725–1727) (for Ashraf Hotak)
Mohammad-Amin Khan E'temad-od-Dowleh (1727–1729) (for Ashraf Hotak)
Rajab-Ali Khan E'temad-od-Dowleh (1729–1732) (for Tahmasp II)

The office was vacant (1732–1750)

Grand Vizier (1750–1794)

Zakariya Khan Kazzazi (June 1750–1751) (for Ismail III)
Mohammad-Salim Khan Afshar (1751–?1752) (for Ismail III)
Zakariya Khan Kazzazi (?1752–?1756) (for Ismail III)
Mirza Aqil Alavi (?1758–1763) (for Karim Khan Zand)
Mirza Jafar Isfahani (1763–1779) (for Karim Khan Zand)
Mirza Rabi Isfahani (?–1785) (for Ali-Morad Khan Zand)
Mirza Mohammad-Hossein Farahani (1785–?) (for Jafar Khan Zand and Lotf-Ali Khan Zand)

Grand Vizier/Sadr-e A'zam/Premier (Qajar Dynasty)


No.	Picture	Name	Title of office	Took office	Left office	Shah (monarch)
1		Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi	Vazir-e A'zam	November 1794	14 April 1801	Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar
1		Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi	Vazir-e A'zam	November 1794	14 April 1801	Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
2		Mirza Shafi Mazandarani	Vazir-e A'zam (1801–1809) Sadr-e A'zam (1809–1819)	14 April 1801	12 July 1819
3		Hajji Mohammad Hossein Khan (Sadr-e Esfahani, Nezam-al-Dowleh)	Sadr-e A'zam	1819	1823
4		Abdollah Khan Amin ol-Dowleh (1st time)	?	1823	1825
5		Asef al-Dowleh	Sadr-e A'zam	1825	21 March 1828
6		Abdollah Khan Amin ol-Dowleh (2nd time)	?	21 March 1828	23 October 1834
7		Mirza Abu'l-Qasem Qa'em-Maqam	?	January 1835	26 June 1835	Mohammad Shah Qajar
8		Haji Mirza Aqasi (Abbās Bayāt Iravāni)	Shakhs-e Avval (Premier)	1835	20 October 1848	Mohammad Shah Qajar
9		Mirza Taghi Khan Farahani (Amir Kabir)	Shakhs-e Avval (Premier)	20 October 1848	13 November 1851	Naser al-Din Shah Qajar
10		Mirza Aqa Khan Nuri (Mirza Nasrollah Khan Nuri)	Sadr-e A'zam	November 1851	30 August 1858
11		Jafar Khan Moshir od-Dowleh	Head of the State Council	15 September 1858	November/December 1862
—	The office was vacant.			November/December 1862	23 March 1865
12		Mirza Mohammad Khan Sepahsalar (Davallu Qajar)	?	23 March 1865	16 June 1866
—	The office was vacant.			16 June 1866	14 October 1867
13		Mirza Yusuf Ashtiani (Mostowfi-al-Mamālek)	Ra'is-al-Vozarā (Prime minister or Chief minister) First minister (Vazir-e Avval)	14 October 1867	13 November 1871
14		Mirza Hosein Khan Moshir od-Dowleh (Sepahsālār)	Sadr-e A'zam	13 November 1871	14 September 1873
—	Since 1873 to 1878 Mirza Hosein Khan Moshir od-Dowleh (Minister of Foreign Affairs and War) and Mirza Yusuf Ashtiani (Minister of Interior Affairs and Treasury) acted together as Grand Vizier. Since 1878 Kamran Mirza Nayeb es-Saltaneh was added to this group of statesmen.			1873	1880
—		Mirza Yusuf Ashtiani	Acting Sadr-e A'zam (After dismiss of Mirza Hosein Khan Moshir od-Dowleh on 1880, Mirza Yusef Ashtiani was in charge of Sadr-e A'zam affairs, however he was not called Sadr-e A'zam. On 24 June 1884, he officially became Sadr-e A'zam).	1880	24 June 1884
15		Mirza Yusuf Ashtiani	Sadr-e A'zam	24 June 1884	7 April 1886
—		Mirza Ali Asghar Khan Amin al-Soltan	Acting (Minister of Court)	7 April 1886	1888
16		Mirza Ali Asghar Khan Amin al-Soltan	Grand Vizier (1888 – 25 January 1893) Sadr-e A'zam (25 January 1893 – 22 November 1896)	1888	22 November 1896
16		Mirza Ali Asghar Khan Amin al-Soltan		1888	22 November 1896	Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar
—	The office was vacant.			22 November 1896	6 April 1897
17		Mirza Ali Khan Amin-al-Dowleh	Ra'is-al-Vozarā (Prime minister or Chief minister) (6 April 1897 – 7 August 1897) Grand Vizier (7 August 1897 – November/December 1897) Sadr-e A'zam (November/December 1897 – 5 June 1898)	6 April 1897	5 June 1898
18		Mirza Mohsen Khan Moshir-al-Dowleh (Mazāher)	Ra'is-al-Vozarā (prime minister or chief minister)/Head of the State Council	5 June 1898	11 August 1898
19		Mirza Ali Asghar Khan Amin al-Soltan (Atabak)	Sadr-e A'zam	11 August 1898	15 September 1903
—	The office was vacant.			15 September 1903	23 January 1904
20		Abdol Majid Mirza (Atabak)	Grand Vizier (23 January 1904 – 26 August 1904) Sadr-e A'zam (26 August 1904 – 29 July 1906)	23 January 1904	29 July 1906
21		Mirza Nasrollah Khan Moshir-al-Dowleh	Ra'is-al-Vozarā (prime minister or chief minister) (30 July 1906 – 1 August 1906) Sadr-e A'zam (1 August 1906 – 7 March 1907)	30 July 1906	7 March 1907

References

^ E. Yarshater, “Abarsam,” Encyclopædia Iranica, I/1, pp. 67-68; available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/abarsam (accessed on 10 January 2014).

Sources

Chaumont, Marie-Louise (2000). "FRAMADĀR". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. X, Fasc. 2. pp. 125–126.
For a full list of Viziers of Iran in the last 2000 years, see: "Iranian Viziers: From Bozorgmehr to Amir Kabir" (وزیران ایرانی از بزرگمهر تا امیر کبیر) by Abdolrafi' Haqiqat (عبدالرفیع حقیقت). Perry–Castañeda Library collection DS 271 F34 1995
Mohammad Taghi Bahar, Taarikh-e Mokhtasar-e Ahzaab-e Siaasi-e Iraan (A Short History of Political Parties of Iran), Amirkabir, 1978.
Encyclopædia Iranica Online, available at www.iranica.com
The Persian Encyclopedia