Mirza Ghiyas Beg
Ghiyas | |
|---|---|
An 18th-century portrait of Mirza Ghiyas Beg. Color and gold over gold-sprinkled black ground on paper. | |
| Vakil of the Mughal Empire (Grand Vizier) | |
| In office 1611–1622 | |
| Monarch | Jahangir |
| Preceded by | Asaf Khan Qazvini |
| Succeeded by | Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1544 Tehran, Safavid Empire |
| Died | c. 1622 Kangra, Mughal Empire |
| Spouse | Asmat Begam |
| Relations | Khvajeh Mohammad-Sharif (father) Mohammad-Taher Wasli (brother) Ahmad Tehrani (uncle) Amin Razi (cousin) Jahangir (son-in-law) |
| Children | Muhammad-Sharif Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan Manija Begum Nur Jahan Ibrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang Khadija Begum |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Mughal Empire |
| Years of service | 1577–1622 |
Mirza Ghiyas Beg (Persian: مرزا غياث بيگ), also known by his title I'timad-ud-Daulah (Persian: اعتماد الدوله), was an important official in the Mughal Empire, whose children included the generals, wives and mothers of the Mughal emperors.
Born in Tehran, Mirza Ghiyas Beg belonged to a family of poets and high officials. Nevertheless, his fortunes fell into disfavor after the death of his father in 1576. Along with his pregnant wife Ismat Begum, and his three children, they immigrated to India. There he was received by the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605), and was enrolled into his service. During the latter's reign, Mirza Ghiyas Beg was appointed treasurer for the province of Kabul.
His fortunes further increased during the reign of Akbar's son and successor Jahangir (r. 1605-1627), who in 1611 married his daughter Nur Jahan and appointed Mirza Ghiyas Beg as his prime minister. By 1615, Mirza Ghiyas Beg had risen to further prominence, when he was given the status of 6,000 men and was given a standard and drums, a prestige normally restricted for distinguished princes.