Neshat Esfahani

In 1821, he became the first foreign minister of Iran, and during the last years of his life he functioned as the de facto prime minister of Iran, although the titular incumbent was Abdollah Khan Amin ol-Dowleh. Neshat is also regarded as one of the foremost poets and stylists of Persian of the early Qajar era.

• Honorific Suffix — Mo'tamed-ol-Dowleh • Name — Neshat Esfahani • Office1 — Monshi ol-Mamalek (Head of the Royal chancellery) • Monarch1 — Fath-Ali Shah Qajar • Term Start1 — 1809/10 • Term End1 — 1824/5 • Predecessor1 — Mirza Reza Qoli Nava'i • Successor1 — Hajji Mirza Rahim Shirazi • Office2 — Minister of Foreign Affairs • Monarch2 — Fath-Ali Shah Qajar • Term Start2 — 1821 • Term End2 — 1823 • Predecessor2 — office established • Successor2 — Mirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi • Born — 1759 • Birthplace — Isfahan, Zand Iran • Died — 1829 • Place of death — Tehran, Qajar Iran • Relatives — Mirza Abd ol-Baqi Esfahani (died 1822/3) • Blank1 — Pen Name • Data1 — Neshat • Blank2 — Notable work • Data2 — Ganjineh-ye Neshat • Native Name — نشاط اصفهانی

Neshat was born in 1759 in Isfahan to a family of well-known sayyeds who originally hailed from Jahrom in Fars province. His ancestors had served the Safavids as doctors (hakims). His namesake maternal grandfather Abd ol-Vahhab, a patron of the arts, had been the governor of Isfahan and had bequated a large amount of wealth to his children. Neshat received a thorough traditional education, which included studies in Persian and Arabic literatures, as well as theology, mathematics and logic. He rose to become an accomplished calligrapher, with the shekasteh style being his speciality. In addition to his native Persian, he also became fluent in Arabic and Turkish. Neshat had started composing poetry at a young age and developed an interest in the bazgasht-e adabi ("literary return") movement, which aimed to revive the formal norms of early Persian poetry. At this time, he began writing under the pen name Neshat ("Joy"). Neshat was a key player in the movement, and it is said that the poets and intellectuals from Isfahan would gather at his home. He gained notoriety for the first time during this period.

When Neshat reached the age of forty-three, due to rumours of his poetical gift, he was invited to move to the capital Tehran by Fath-Ali Shah Qajar in order to become a secretary in his court. In 1809–1810, Neshat replaced Mirza Reza Qoli Nava'i as the head of the royal chancellery (monshi ol-mamalek) of Fath-Ali Shah, and received the title of Mo'tamed-ol-Dowleh. Neshat found himself very often in the company of Fath-Ali Shah, and it appears that from this period on until his death he increasingly drew the most important aspects of government into his own hands. He prepared and wrote the majority of the governing Shah's communications during this time, in addition to many other documents and treaties. Although Neshat was a person of wealth and resources, he nonetheless racked up a debt of almost 30,000 tomans because of his reputation for generosity and hospitality. This trait came under constant rumor and attack from competing courtiers. Neshat's loan was ultimately settled in full by Fath-Ali Shah on his own. In addition to his position as a royal chancellor, Neshat also undertook numerous diplomatic missions on behalf of the Shah. He accompanied an Iranian mission sent by the Shah to French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and in 1817/18 he was sent to quell an uprising in the province of Bakharz and the fortress of Gorian near Herat, which was led by Bonyad Khan, the governor of these two towns. Neshat was captured by the rebels while he was personally leading the Iranian army, but he was able to persuade Bonyad Khan to write a letter to Shoja-ol-Dowleh, the governor of Khorasan, and ask for pardon. Thus, the whole affair was resolved, and Neshat returned to Tehran. In 1821/22, he successfully put down another rebellion in Afghanistan. In October 1821, Fath-Ali Shah, mimicking European examples, founded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, with Neshat becoming the first foreign minister of Iran. For four years, Neshat held the position. Together with his successor as foreign minister Mirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi, Neshat strongly opposed going to war with Russia in 1826, a decision which sparked enmity from the mujtahids who called for jihad against the unbelievers. However, this stance still did not result in Neshat losing favor from Fath-Ali Shah Qajar. According to the Qajar-era writer Hasan Fasa'i, in 1824/25 the office of chancellor was bestowed upon Hajji Mirza Rahim Shirazi as Neshat's rank had grown past the title and tasks of chancellor of Iran. Due to Neshat's efficiency in fulfilling his duties, Fasa'i adds, he devoted his time dealing with affairs which would have normally been part of the duties of the countries' prime minister. However, Fasa'i notes that Neshat refrained from calling himself Prime Minister. The modern historian Gavin R.G. Hambly, citing Fasa'i, explains that Neshat functioned as de facto prime minister during the last years of his life, although the titular incumbent was Abdollah Khan Amin ol-Dowleh. During his time at the Qajar court, Neshat had risen to become a major figure of the bazgasht-e adabi movement, and an avid supporter of Fath-Ali Shah's promotion of such poets. Neshat died on 8 Juny 1829 in Tehran as a result of tuberculosis. A chronogram, commemorating his death, read: "Neshat (Joy) has gone from the heart of the world". After his death, Fath-Ali Shah conferred his title of Mo'tamed-ol-Dowleh upon Manuchehr Khan Gorji.

The impression Neshat left on at least some visitors from Europe was favourable to a degree. Neshat was described as "... beyond all comparison the most eminent man at court for talents, probity, general popularity, and attachment to his master's interest" by the Scottish travel writer James Baillie Fraser (1783–856) at the time. Fraser praised Neshat's honesty and lack of intrigue while praising his plain manners. Neshat apparently had the ability to personally inform Fath-Ali Shah about the princes' wrongdoings. On his side, Fath-Ali Shah was open to hearing Neshat out and was wise enough to assign Neshat as the main contact for dealing with European ambassadors in Iran.