Marriage-based Relations between Local notables and Royal family The case study: Najafqolī Khān Donbolī of Tabrīz in Qājār period

Concentrating on the Najafqolī Khān family in Azerbaijan in the Qājār period، this article studies the importance of the marriage - based relations between the Iranian local notables and the royal family. Najafqolī Khān “II” was in favour of ‘Abbās Mīrzā due to his devotional services during the Russo-Persian War، which made him a great promotion in the Qājār’s bureaucratic monarchy and provided his marriage to Mehrjahān، the daughter of ‘Abbās Mīrzā. The author has analyzed one of Mohammad Shāh’s personal correspondences to his sister، Mehrjahān، and pointed out that these correspondences، although seem personal and private، included administrative contents. Najafqolī Khān took advantage from the personal relation with monarch، and at the same time the monarch ordered him to resolve the problems of his local society. So the marriage relation between the royal family and the local notables was quite important to both of them and، in short، they utilized each other to achieve their own purposes.