Ghassem Khan Vali, Sardar Homayoun

Ghassem Khan Vali, Sardar Homayoun

Born	1874 Tehran
Died	1933 Tabriz
Occupation(s)	General Army, Politician, First Mayor of Tabriz

Ghassem Khan Vali (1878–1933; Persian: سردار همايون والی قاسم), otherwise and better known by his military title of Sardar Homayoun, the son of Ali Khan Vali and grandson of Mohamad Ghassem Khan Vali [fr]^[1] was the first Imperial Iranian Army general to graduate from the prestigious Saint-Cyr Military School in France, which was founded by Napoléon in 1802.

Life

During the Overthrow of the Qajar dynasty, Sardar Homayoun was encouraged by the local politicians and moderates, backed by Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside and the British Government, to become the Shah of Persia (his ancestry as a member of the Qajar dynasty supported his claim to the throne).^[2] He declined out of his loyalty to Ahmad Shah, although it was stated that it was out of his fear for his family's safety and his moral reluctance to use force against his countrymen, a measure which was inevitable for the maintenance of the monarchy. His reluctance was seen as cowardice by the British, who later gave the position to Reza Shah Pahlavi. During Reza Shah's reign, Vali was appointed commander of the Cossack Division in Northern Iran. He was the first Mayor of Tabriz in 1908, (see list of Tabriz Mayors), and as a modern man, he was at the origin of the first electrical generator to Tabriz. He also introduced the first metallic printing press in Iran. Sardar Homayoun also was one of the first modern economists in Iran. He retired soon after to his family's estate to pursue writing and farming. An aristocrat by birth, he believed in the character conferred by military education and discipline.

Family

His cousin, Doust Mohammad Khan Moayer ol-Mamalek, was the son-in-law of Nasser al-Din Shah who married his daughter Princess Esmat os-Saltaneh. He had five daughters and two sons. His sons, Ebrahim and Ali Vali, also served in the Imperial Iranian Army as generals during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah.