SAEDNEWS: Ashraf Amini, known as Fakhr al-Dowleh, was a Qajar princess and one of the daughters of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah.
According to the History and Culture section of Saed News, Fakhr al-Dowleh was one of the most influential women of her time. She amassed significant wealth and power, and even after the fall of the Qajar dynasty and the weakening of her family, she remained active in political and social affairs. She even played a mediating role between the Pahlavi dynasty and the Qajars, helping to prevent conflict and resentment between them.
Tehran researcher Seyed Mohsen Majidi recounts Fakhr al-Dowleh’s role in bringing electricity to the Sattarkh neighborhood: “In the 1920s, Ashraf al-Molouk Fakhr al-Dowleh introduced the first electric generator to the Ray and Sattarkh neighborhoods, which became known as ‘Barq Khanom’ (Lady’s Electricity). Before this, the shrine of Abdul Azim Hassani and the surrounding streets were lit by candles. With the arrival of ‘Barq Khanom,’ the shrine, homes, and streets in the area were supplied by the generator. A few years later, a large cable and two massive generators from the Ray Cement Factory were also brought to the shrine and neighborhood; it was said that the size of these generators rivaled that of the Titanic. For a time, the residents of Sattarkh had two sources of electricity, drawing power both from Barq Khanom and the cement factory generators. After Reza Shah’s death and the construction of his tomb in Ray, the electricity supply system changed, and street lighting improved. Today, the Barq Khanom generator is preserved in a basement near the shrine of Allameh Sha’rani.”
Fakhr al-Dowleh is also recognized as the founder of Tehran’s first taxi service. A philanthropist, she built several schools, hospitals, and mosques during her lifetime, and supported the education and marriages of many underprivileged youths. She took in several boys and girls as wards, providing them housing in Amin al-Dowleh Park. She also provided dowries for young women and startup funds for young men. Her contributions extended to building mosques, schools, hospitals, and orphanages in Tehran, Kahrizak, Lasht-e Nesha, and Shahabad.
In 1950 (1329 in the Iranian calendar), Fakhr al-Dowleh was honored with the Medal of Appreciation by the Ministry of Culture for her educational endowments. During a pilgrimage to the holy cities of Iraq, she purchased a personal tomb where she wished to be buried. However, after the death of her son Hossein Amini, who was interred in the family tomb at Ibn Babawayh, she requested to be buried beside him there.
