Farhad Khan Qaramanlu

Farhad Khan Qaramanlu (Persian: قره مرد تو ل فرهاد خان‎‎; died 1598), also known by his honorific title of Rukn al-Saltana (Arabic: رکن الدین السلطنه‎‎, "Pillar of the state"), was a Turkoman military officer from the Qaramanlu family, and was the last member of the Qizilbash to serve as commander-in-chief (sipah-salar) of the Safavid Empire.

The son of Husam Beg, Farhad Khan was descended from Bayram Beg Qaramanlu, a prominent nobleman, who served under the founder of the Safavid dynasty, king (shah) Ismail I (r. 1501–1524). Farhad Khan had a brother named Zu'l Fiqar Qaramanlu, who would later accompany him in many of his expeditions.

Farhad Khan was originally a servant of the Safavid prince Hamza Mirza, who was the son of shah Mohammad Khodabanda and one of the many pretenders to the Safavid throne during the civil war in Iran which had started with the death of shah Tahmasp I in 1576. However, Hamza Mirza was eventually murdered in 1586, while Farhad Khan fled to Ottoman territory due the jealousy of many nobles, whom Farhad Khan feared that they would kill him. When Mohammad Khodabanda's son Abbas I ascended the throne in 1588, Farhad Khan returned to Iran.

Farhad Khan then a loyal servant of Abbas I and quickly rose to high offices. In 1589/90, Farhad Khan was given the task of having the vizier Mirza Mohammad Munshi arrested and executed, which he successfully did. He then received the honorific title of "Rukn-al-Saltana", and speedily became one of the kings favorites. Farhad Khan played an essential role in Abbas I's "reconquest" of Iranian territory. In 1589/90, Yuli Beg, who was the governor of the Safavid capital of Isfahan and had rebelled, surrendered to Farhad Khan. One year later, Farhad Khan, along with Hatim Beg Urdubadi, campaigned in Kerman against the uncontrollable Afshar leader, Yusuf Khan.

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