Mirza Mahmud Khan Hakim ol-Molk

Mirza Mahmud Khan Hakim ol-Molk was an Iranian politician and personal physician of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar .

Biography Mirza Mahmoud Khan was born on 1856 to Mirza Ali-Naqi Hakim-Bashi in Borujerd. Mirza Ali-Naqi Hakim-Bashi was son of Mirza Hassan Hakim-Bashi Isfahani. His paternal ancestor, Hakim Daud was one of the renowned physicians of the Safavid era. Mahmoud Khan was also uncle of Ebrahim Hakimi, who served as Prime Minister during Pahlavi era. Education and Start of career Mahmoud Khan entered to Dar os-Saltaneh State School in Tabriz on 1875, where he studied the fundamentals of mathematics and natural sciences. Demonstrating his aptitude by passing the relevant examinations, he was subsequently summoned to Tehran. With the support of the Tabriz administration, he then spent six years at Tehran's Dar al-Fonun diligently studying mathematics, geography, French language and natural sciences, followed by medicine and surgery, before returning to Tabriz. Mahmoud Khan studied medicine at Tehran's Dar al-Funun under the French physician Dr. Tholozan and served as an assistant to Dr. Mohammad, a medical graduate from the University of Paris. Subsequently, he entered to service of Mozaffar ad-Din Mirza during his tenure as Crown Prince, serving as his personal physician.

According to the daily memoirs of Mohammad Hasan Khan E'temad os-Saltaneh, Mahmoud Khan Hakim ol-Molk also gained medical knowledge, directly or indirectly from Jean-Baptiste Feuvrier, the French physician to Naser al-Din Shah.

Career

Following the death of Mirza Abolhassan Hakim-Bashi, Mozaffar ad-Din Mirza included Mahmoud Khan among his personal physicians in 1885. In 1886, Mozaffar ad-Din granted him title Moshir ol-Hokama. Mahmoud Khan received the title Hakim ol-Molk in 1896 following the accession of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar, he was appointed Chief of the Imperial Physicians (Ra'is ol-Atebba).

Shah's growing favor toward Hakim ol-Molk resulted in conferral of numerous decorations, ranks and titles upon him. These included a distinguished jewel-encrusted cane from the Royal Treasury, along with a royal decree (Namat-e khosravani) appointing Mirza Mahmoud Khan as Minister of Coinage and Minister of the Imperial Court.