Mohammad Khan Qaraei-Torbati

Mohammad Khan Qaraei-Torbati
Reign	1816-1832
Born	c. 1790
Birthplace	Zaveh
Died	c. 1850
Place of death	Tabriz
Predecessor	Eshaq Khan Qaraei-Torbati
Successor	Ali Mohammad Khan Qaraei-Torbati
Consort to	unknown daughter of Amir Hasan Khan Sheybani of Tabas daughter of Mohammad Khan of Shahr-e-Now
Offspring	Abolghasem Khan Qaraei-Torbati Yaqoub Khan Qaraei-Torbati Allah Qoli Khan Qaraei-Torbati Saheb Khanoom Qaraei-Torbati a daughter married to a son of Abbas Mirza
Royal House	Qaraei tribe
Father	Eshaq Khan Qaraei-Torbati

Sardar Mohammad Khan Qaraei-Torbati (Persian: سردار محمد خان قرایی تربتی), was one of the wealthiest and most powerful chieftains in Khorasan during the reigns of Fath Ali Shah. He was admired by his friends and cursed by his foes.^[1]

The Qajar central government attempted to conciliate the new ruler of Turbat by recalling Muhammad Wali Mirza to Tehran, dishonoring him while there, and sending Hasan Ali Mirza Qajar Shoja os Saltaneh in his place. Hasan Ali ventured to Zaveh to attempt to placate Mohammad Khan for the treacherous murder of his father. The essence of the lies exchanged at their meeting was that Tehran denied any implication in the murder of Eshaq while Mohammad professed allegiance to the Qajars. The deal was sealed with Mohammad granting his sister to Hasan Ali Mirza for marriage. The result of this marriage was Qahreman Mirza Qajar ancestor of famous Qahreman, Qahremani and Shojania families of Khorasan.^[2]

After Hasan Ali's departure Mohammad aligned himself with Bunyad Beg Hazara and began a career of depradation and slave dealing. This latter practice gained him covert alliances with the Khan of Khiva and the Emir of Bukhara, a situation that did little to enhance his reputation in Tehran. In 1832 the crown prince, Abbas Mirza, after subduing the Salor of Sarakhs, turned his attention to Mohammad Khan and his renegade tribe. Under the guise of using Zaveh as a staging ground for his army's invasion of Herat, Abbas moved the royal forces into the Qaraei district where he deceived Mohammad into a meeting that resulted in his capture.

The independence of the Qaraei tribe and the district of Zaveh ended with Mohammad Khan. The governors of the district were thereafter no longer of the Qaraei tribe but of the Qajar tribe. The chief of the Qarais traditionally served alternate terms of naib and vazir to the Qajar governor for the rest of the 19th century. Mohammad Khan died comfortably, a prisoner in his own house in Tabriz.^[3]

Positions held

• Hakim of Ghurian 1813–1816
• Hakim of Mashhad 1829
• Hakim of Dowlatabad (Khorasan) 1816-1833
• Ilkhan of Qaraei tribe 1816-1833
• Vazir to Governor of Khorasan
• Sardar(Commander-in-Chief) of Persian army, in Khorasan

References

1. ^ Tarikhe Torbat-e-Heydariyeh ba tekiyeh bar naghshe Eshaq Khan Qaraei, by Mohammad Qanei]]
2. ^ http://www.iranica.com/newsite/index.isc?Article=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/unicode/v8f6/v8f626.html
3. ^ http://www.rugreview.com/orr/9-2-51.htm

Persondata
Name	Mohammad Khan Qaraei-Torbati
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth	Zaveh
Date of death
Place of death	Tabriz