Mirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi

Mirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi
Iranian Ambassador to the United kingdom
In office 1809–1810
Monarch	Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
Preceded by	Office re-created
Succeeded by	Muhsin Khan Mushir od-Dowleh
Iranian Ambassador to Russia
In office 1815–1816
Monarch	Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Unknown
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 1823–1834
Monarch	Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
Preceded by	Nishat Isfahani
Succeeded by	Mirza Ali Farahani
In office 1838–1845
Monarch	Mohammad Shah Qajar
Preceded by	Mirza Mas'ud Khan Ansari
Succeeded by	Mirza Mas'ud Khan Ansari
Personal details
Born	1776 Shiraz, Iran
Died	1845 Iran
Relations	Family: Qavam family Father: Mirza Mohammad-Ali

Mirza Abolhassan Khan Shirazi Ilchi Kabir (Persian: میرزا ابوالحسن خان شیرازی ایلچی کبیر‎) was an Iranian statesman who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1824 to 1834, and then again from 1838 until his death in 1846. He also served as the ambassador to Imperial Russia and Great Britain, and was the main Iranian delegate at the signing of the notorious Treaty of Gulistan (1813) with neighbouring Russia.

Abolhassan was born in 1776 at Shiraz; he was the second son of Mirza Mohammad-Ali, a secretary of Nader Shah, and a daughter of Ebrahim Khan Kalantar, thus making him part of the influential Qavam family.

As a young man, Mirza Abolhassan was appointed as the governor of Shushtar. In April 1801, however, the family lost much of its power and influence during the downfall of Ebrahim, and thus all members of the family were persecuted by the Iranian government. While many were blinded or killed, some managed to flee. Mirza Abolhassan, however, was captured by Iranian troops, and was exiled in his native Shiraz. Abolhassan shortly afterwards fled from Shiraz, reaching Basra, where he then took a vessel to Hyderabad in India. Luckily, he was some time later pardoned, and went back to Iran, where he served Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, and quickly rose to high offices.

Abolhassan was chosen in 1809 as ambassador to lead a diplomatic mission to London at the court of the British king George III to seek support against growing ambitions of Russia in Caucasia. His escorting officer or "mehmandar" in Great Britain was Sir Gore Ouseley, who later encouraged Abolhassan to join the Free Masons in 1810. During his trip, Abolhassan kept a diary that was later published under the title, Heyratnameth (the book of wonders). This book, in which Abolhassan formulated his perception of Europe's modern achievements, was read widely in the Qajar court and later inspired sociopolitical movements, such as Iran's constitutional revolution.

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