Cheragh Khan Zahedi

Cheragh Khan Zahedi (Persian: چراغ خان زاهدی‎, also spelled Cherag), also known as Pirzadeh (پیرزاده), was an Iranian officer in Safavid Iran, who served as the head of the royal bodyguard (qurchi-bashi) from 1631 until his death in 1632.

Biography

Cheragh Khan was the son of a certain Shaikh Sharif and a descendant of Zahed Gilani, the prominent Iranian grandmaster (murshid), and the teacher of Safi-ad-din Ardabili, who was the eponymous ancestor of the Safavid dynasty.[1] Cheragh Khan was a supporter of the family of the qurchi-bashi Isa Khan Safavi, which was a cousin family to the ruling Safavid dynasty. However, in 1632/1633, he accused the sons of Isa Khan Safavi planning to stage a coup against Safi and then usurp the throne. Safi then had them executed, including Isa Khan Safavi himself.[1] Cheragh Khan was then given the qurchi-bashi post as a reward.[1][2]

However, Cheragh Khan was one year later accused of hiding his empathy for the family of Isa Khan Safavi, and was executed in July 1632.[1] He was succeeded by Amir Khan Zulqadr.

References

1. Savory 1991, p. 263.
2. Babaie 2004, p. 140.

Sources

• Matthee, Rudi (2011). Persia in Crisis: Safavid Decline and the Fall of Isfahan. I.B.Tauris. pp. 1–371. ISBN 978-0857731814.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Babaie, Sussan (2004). Slaves of the Shah: New Elites of Safavid Iran. I.B.Tauris. pp. 1–218. ISBN 9781860647215.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Savory, Roger M. (1991). "ČERĀḠ KHAN ZĀHEDĪ". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. V, Fasc. 3. p. 263.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)