Vakhushti Khan Explained

Vakhushti Khan
Death Date:1667/69
Office1:Governor of Shushtar
Allegiance: Safavid Iran
Blank2:Clan
Relations:Otar / Zu al-Faqār (brother), Gorjasbi / Mansur (brother), Kaykhosrow (brother), Rodam (wife of Shah Navaz Khan, Vakhtang V)
Parents:Aslamaz
Children:Aslamas Beg
Data2:Orbeliani
Term Start1:September 1632
Term End1:1667 or 1669
Predecessor1:Aqa Moharram
Successor1:Fath 'Ali Khan
Occupation:Official
Monarch1:Safi of Persia, Abbas II of Persia, Suleiman I of Persia

Vakhushti Khan (d. 1667/69) was a Safavid official and royal gholam from the Georgian Orbeliani clan, who served as the governor (hakem) of Shushtar from September 1632 up to his death in 1667 or 1669. His descendants continued to flourish in Shushtar well into Nader Shah's era (r. 1736–1747).

Vakhushti was a son of the Georgian nobleman Aslamaz and had at least two other brothers named Otar (Zu al-Faqār) and Gorjasbi (Mansur), who held prominent positions as well. According to Alexander Orbeliani (1802–1869), he had one more brother named Kaykhosrow. He was a close relative of Rodam, the wife of Shah Navaz Khan (Vakhtang V).

His name Vakhushti derives from Old Iranian vahišta- ("paradise", superlative of veh "good", i.e., "superb, excellent"). Its equivalent in Middle Persian is wahišt and in New Persian behešt.

Vakhusti's second son, Aslamas (also known as Aslan), served as commander of the élite gholam corps (qollar-aghasi) in 1693–1695, and as governor (beglarbeg) of Qandahar in 1694–95, or 1696–1697.

Sources

. Floor. Willem. Willem Floor. Safavid Government Institutions. 2001. Mazda Publishers. Costa Mesa, California. 978-1568591353.