Haji Washington

Hajji Hossein-Gholi Khan Noori (1846-1937), also known as Hajji Washington (Persian: حاجی واشنگتن‎‎), was an Iranian politician, cabinet minister, and diplomat.

Portrait of Haji Washington

Early life and education

Hajji Hossain-Gholi Khan was the seventh son of the Persian vizier/prime minister, Mirza Agha Khan Nouri.He was educated by his exiled father .His father died when he was only 16 years old. He then entered the service of the Ministry of finance, and later the ministry of foreign affairs.[1]

Political career

He was appointed the first ambassador to the United States in 1889, where he kept a scrap-book of newspaper cuttings from the American press about the reigning monarch Nasir-ad-din Shah. He objected to the manner in which the Shah’s official visit to England in 1889 was covered by the press and he resigned from his post in protest. After his return from the United States, he served as the minister of public works ("favaayed-e aamme") and married Nasir-ad-din Shah’s daughter.

Diplomatic career

Haji Hossain-Gholi Khan was the Persian Consul General to India. In 1885, when the Democratic Party took over the administration, Benjamin, the first US ambassador in Iran, resigned his post conforming with diplomatic practice. On November 20, 1885, President Cleveland appointed Fredrick H. Winston as Benjamin's successor. On August 3, 1886, Spencer Pratt 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 was appointed as Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary to Washington [2]

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 . His reports were positive and illuminating. He managed to spark interest in Iran among American orientalogists.[3][4].

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.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ http://rch.ac.ir/article/Details/9319
  2. ↑ Iran and America: Re-kind[l]ing a Love Lost By Badi Badiozamani, Badi Badiozamani, Ph.D. Published by East West Understanding Pr., 2005 ISBN 0-9742172-0-4, 978-0-9742172-0-8 316 pages, PSRI
  3. ↑ Foreign Office Bulletin Dated 1956, pp. 28–45]
  4. ↑ The first Diplomatic Relations Between Iran and America, Abbas Eghbal, Yadegar Magazine, 1944]
  5. ↑ http://rch.ac.ir/article/Details/9319

References

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