The Dirtiest Court Boy Who Became Naser al-Din Shah’s Favorite! +Photos

According to Saed News’ society section, Gholam Ali was the nephew of one of the Shah’s wives, named Amineh Aqdas. After the Shah’s beloved cat, known as Babri Khan, went missing, this young boy—who had often played with the cat—filled the void left in the Shah’s heart and quickly became the most cherished person at court.

It was this closeness and affection that earned Gholam Ali the title “Aziz al-Sultan.” Numerous photographs of Naser al-Din Shah exist in which the young or adolescent Aziz al-Sultan can be seen at the Shah’s side.

Here’s an excerpt from the memoirs of Aziz al-Sultan, also known as Malijak II, offering a candid and amusing glimpse into his childhood hygiene—or lack thereof.

"One of the hardest things for me was taking a bath, especially during my early years, when going to the bathhouse seemed almost impossible. Sometimes I would bathe only once every two months… In winter, I could barely bear to see the bath. That made me a particularly dirty child, and I often fell ill during the cold months.

Despite this extraordinary filth, it was remarkable that the Shah would kiss me and smell me. I did not wash my face or hair. Back then, it was uncommon for men, and especially children, to cut their hair. I had a lot of thick hair, and much of it was oily because we did not use forks and knives at the table—we ate with our hands. I was a child and ate with my hands, scratching my head with the same greasy fingers. Naturally, my hair remained oily and dirty, and lice appeared.

I had a dirty face, tangled hair, a lice-infested scalp—yet the Shah would hold me in his arms, kiss me, and never hint that I was unclean. Meanwhile, the Shah himself took meticulous care of his hygiene. I can confidently swear I have never seen anyone as clean as Naser al-Din Shah."