Reza Qoli Khan Ardalan

My immediate Kurdish lineage can be traced back to my great great grandfather, Reza Qoli Khan, the governor general of Kurdistan. The Kurds of Iran were fearless in seeking their independence from the Qajar King of Iran, Nasser-ed Din Shah (reign 1848-1896) The King decided to send his aunt, Tuba Khanom, the daughter of Crown Prince Abbas Mirza, a legendary Qajar warrior, to my great great grandfather as a peace bride. The Qajar monarch felt that this might be a way for the rebellious Kurds to conform to his ways. Instead, Princess Tuba Khanom fell in love with Reza Qoli Khan and the courage and patriotism of the Kurds, and, as it turned out, the Kurds in no way deceased from their rebellion.