Haji Hossein-Gholi khan Noori (Mo'tamed ol-Vezareh, later Sadr es-Saltaneh) , also known as Haji Washington , was an Iranian

Iranian peoples

The Iranian peoples are an Indo-European ethnic-linguistic group, consisting of the speakers of Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, as such forming a branch of Indo-European-speaking peoples...

 politician

Politics of Iran

The politics of Iran take place in a framework of theocracy guided by an Islamist ideology. The December 1979 constitution, and its 1989 amendment, define the political, economic, and social order of the Islamic Republic of Iran, declaring that Shi'a Islam of the Twelver school of thought is...

, cabinet minister, and diplomat

Diplomat

A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...

.

Early life and education

Hajji

Hajji

Hajji or El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, and is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel. The title is placed before a person's name...

 Hossain-Gholi Khan, Motamed ol Vezareh was the seventh (some say the fourth) son of the controversial Persian

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

 vizier

Vizier

A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....

/prime minister

Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

, Mirza Agha Khan Nouri. During his childhood, he lived with his father, who was in semi-exile by the order of Nasereddin Shah in Esfahan. He then entered the service of the Ministry of finance, and later the ministry of foreign affairs.

Political career

He served as the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs in Persia (Iran). After his return from the United States, he served as the minister of public works ("favaayed-e aamme").

Diplomatic career

Haji Hossain-Gholi Khan, Motamed ol Vezareh was the Persian Consul General to India. In 1885, when the Democratic Party

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 took over the administration, Benjamin, the first US ambassador in Iran, resigned his post conforming with diplomatic practice. On November 20, 1885, President Cleveland

Grover Cleveland

Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...

 appointed Fredrick H. Winston as Benjamin's successor. On August 3, 1886, Spencer Pratt

Spencer Pratt

Spencer William Pratt is a former American television personality known for his role on MTV's The Hills, along with his wife Heidi Montag. He is the older brother of Stephanie Pratt, who also appears on The Hills....

 was appointed as the third US Consul General in Tehran. At this time, Nasereddin Shah decided to open a permanent Iranian embassy in Washington. Haji Hossain-Gholi Khan, Motamed ol Vezareh was appointed as Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary to Washington

He selected his staff of ten of the English-speaking members of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. It took him and his staff 2 months and a very difficult journey to arrive in Washington. Although his character seemed peculiar to the Americans, he had a friendly attitude and a sociable nature and he soon gained easy access to a number of circles. His reports were positive and illuminating. He managed to spark interest in Iran among American orientalogists..

Later years

He returned to live in Tehran after his mission to US. He had a modern house built for himself, and following the western tradition, had his new title (صدرالسّلطنه) engraved on a ceramic plate by the door. Iranians who were not used to nameplates made fun of him and considered him eccentric.

His daughter married Hossein Ghods-Nakhai

Hossein Ghods-Nakhai

Hossein Ghods-Nakhaï , was an Iranian poet, politician, cabinet minister, and diplomat.-Family background:He was the son of the Iranian cleric, Hajj Agha Hasan Nakhai, originally from Hezar-Jarib in the Mazandaran province. Like his father, Hossein's surname was initially Nakhai...

, the Iranian minister of foreign affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs (Iran)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is an Iranian government ministry. The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the Cabinet member in charge....

 and ambassador to Washington in Pahlavi era.

See also

• Hajji Washington (film), a film created that recounts the story of this same politician