[[Image:AbbasMirza.gif|frame|right|80px|'Prince Abbas Mirza']]

'''Abbas Mirza ''' (عباس میرزا in [[Persian language|Persian]]) (Sept [[1789]] - [[October 25]], [[1833]]), was a [[Qajar]] [[crown prince]] of [[Iran|Persia]]. He developed a reputation as a military commander during wars with [[Russia]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]], as an early modernizer of [[Persia]]'s armed forces and institutions, and for his untimely death before his father, [[Fath Ali Shah]]. Abbas was an intelligent prince, possessed some literary taste, and is noteworthy on account of the comparative simplicity of his life.

He was a younger son of [[Fath Ali Shah]], but on account of his mother's royal birth was destined by his father to succeed him. Entrusted with the government of a part of Persia, he sought to rule it in European fashion, and employed officers to reorganize his army. He was soon at war with Russia, and his aid was eagerly solicited by both [[England]] and [[Napoleon]], anxious to checkmate one another in the East. Preferring the friendship of [[France]], Abbas Mirza continued the war against Russia's [[General Kotlyarevsky]], but his new ally could give him very little assistance. Kotlyarevsky defeated the 10-times numerically superior Persian army in the [[Battle of Aslanduz]] and in October, [[1813]], Persia was compelled to make a disadvantageous peace, ceding some territory in the [[Caucasus]] (present-day [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Dagestan]], and most of the [[Republic of Azerbaijan]]).

He gained some victories during the war [[1821]] war between the Ottoman Empire and Persia, resulting in a peace treaty signed in [[1823]] after the [[Battle of Erzurum]]. The war was a victory for Persia. His [[Russo-Persian War, 1826-1828|second war with Russia]], which began in [[1826]], ended in a string of costly defeats and Persia was forced to cede nearly all of its [[Armenia]]n territories and [[Nakhchivan]]. When the peace treaty was signed in February, [[1828]], Abbas Mirza then sought to restore order in the province of [[Khorasan]], which was nominally under Persian supremacy, and while engaged in the task died at [[Mashhad]] in [[1833]]. In [[1834]] his eldest son, [[Mohammed Mirza]], succeeded [[Fath Ali Shah]] as the next king. R. G. Watson (History of Persia, 128-9) describes him as “the noblest of the Kajar race”.<ref> Lockhart, L. "Abbas Mirza." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007</ref>

He is most remembered for his valor in battle and his failed attempts to modernize the Persian army. He was not successful in part due to the lack of government centralization in Iran during the era. Furthermore, it was Abbas Mirza who first dispatched Iranian students to Europe for a western education.<ref>[[Patrick Clawson]] and [[Michael Rubin (historian)|Michael Rubin]]. ''Eternal Iran''. Palgrave Macmillan. 2005. ISBN 1-4039-6276-6 p.34</ref>

==Sons==
* [[Mohammed Mirza]] ''to become Mohammad Shah Qajar''
* [[Bahram Mirza]] ''royal title: Moez [[ed-Dowleh]]''
* [[Djahangir Mirza]]
* [[Bahman Mirza]]
* [[Fereydoun Mirza]] ''royal title: Nayeb al-Ayaleh''
* Eskandar Mirza
* [[Khosrow Mirza]]
* [[Ghahreman Mirza]]
* [[Ardeshir Mirza]] ''royal title: Rokn [[ed-Dowleh]]''
* [[Ahmad Mirza]]
* [[Ja'far Gholi Mirza]]
* [[Mostafa Gholi Mirza]]
* [[Soltan Morad Mirza]] ''royal title: Hessam Saltaneh''
* [[Manouchehr Mirza]]
* [[Farhad Mirza]] ''royal title: Mo'tamed [[ed-Dowleh]]''
* [[Nosrat Dowleh Firouz Mirza|Firouz Mirza]] ''royal title: Nosrat [[ed-Dowleh]]''
* [[Khanlar Mirza]] ''royal title: Ehteshami [[ed-Dowleh]]''
* [[Bahador Mirza]] ''royal title: Bahador Mirza''
* [[Mohammad Rahim Mirza]]
* [[Mehdi Gholi Mirza]]
* [[Hamzeh Mirza]] ''royal title: Heshmat [[ed-Dowleh]]''
* [[Ildorom Bayazid Mirza]]
* [[Lotfollah Mirza]] ''royal title: Shoa' [[ed-Dowleh]]''
* [[Mohammad Karim Mirza]]
* [[Ja'ffar Mirza]]
* [[Abdollah Mirza]]

== See also ==
*[[Military history of Iran]]

== Notes and references ==
{{reflist}}

*{{1911|article=Abbas Mirza|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Abbas_Mirza}}
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Abbas Mirza}}
* ''[[The Persian Encyclopedia]]'', articles on ''Abbas Mirza'', ''Persia-Russia Wars'', ''Persia-Ottoman wars'', ''Golestan Treaty'', and ''Torkaman-Chay Treaty''.
*''Modern Iran''. Keddie, Nikki.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mirza, Abbas}}
[[Category:1789 births]]
[[Category:1833 deaths]]
[[Category:Iranian royalty]]
[[Category:Qajar dynasty]]
[[Category:Iranian military commanders]]

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