Manouchehr Khan Gorji

Manuchehr Khan Gorji Mo'tamad al-Dawle (died 1847) was a government official in Qajar Iran. He was of Georgian origin; hence, Gorji (i.e., "Georgian") in his surname. He was known as a sympathizer of Báb, the founder of Bábism religious movement.

Manuchehr was Christian by birth and from Tbilisi. His original Georgian name was Chongur Enakolopashvili (Georgian: ენაკოლოფაშვილი). During his early life, he participated in the campaign of General Pavel Tsitsianov during the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813, but was captured by the Iranian troops near the Yerevan Fortress in the summer of 1804, converted to Islam, and castrated. Given an employment in the shah's harem, he rose to higher court and government positions by virtue of his military and administrative skills. Manuchehr Khan was heavy-handed in dealing with tribal and urban revolts and used his good contacts with the court to further his influence.

Inside the court, he formed an alliance with Khosrow Khan Gorji. In 1837, the governor of Kermanshah, Bahram Mirza, who was also the brother of then incumbent king Mohammad Shah Qajar (r. 1834–1848), was recalled to the Iranian capital of Tehran after complaints by the people of his governorate. Manuchehr subsequently succeeded him as its governor.

In 1838, he was given the governorship of the royal city of Isfahan, an office he would keep until his death. In 1839, the entire Isfahan Province was added to the domain of Manuchehr Khan Gorji, which already included Kermanshah, Khuzestan, and Lorestan. As a result of said promotions, "he became in effect the viceroy of much central and southwestern Iran and delegated authority in Kermanshah to a series of subordinate governors". Around the same time, still in the 1830s, Manuchehr Khan was responsible for the establishment of a central court of justice in Isfahan, which had both secular and religious judges, and in its implementation was roughly resembling the historical maẓālem court.

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