Fath-Ali Shah Qajar

Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (1772–1834) was the second shah of Qajar Iran, reigning from 1797. Born in Damghan and originally called Baba Khan, he was the elder son of Hossein Qoli Khan. As a boy he was held hostage at the Zand court in Shiraz alongside his uncle Agha Muhammad Khan, who later made him heir to his throne.

His reign saw a flowering of Persian painting and portraiture; he commissioned portraits and rock reliefs near those of the ancient Sasanians to glorify his rule.

Two wars with Russia ended in the Treaties of Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828), which stripped Iran of Georgia, Derbent and much of Armenia and Azerbaijan. After his son Abbas Mirza predeceased him, he died in 1834 and was buried at Qom.