1.1 Ownership by Haji Mirza Aghasi
Hosseinabad belonged to Haji Mirza Aghasi, the powerful Prime Minister during the reign of Mohammad Shah Qajar. Aghasi was known for his influence over the young king, his attempts at centralization, and his control over vast estates. Landownership was a crucial component of political power in the Qajar era, and Hosseinabad was one of the many villages he held as part of his broader economic base.
Aghasi’s decision to gift Hosseinabad to Naser al-Din Shah was a strategic gesture—reinforcing loyalty and ensuring continued political favor. Such transfers of land were common in Qajar court politics, where estates functioned as both property and political currency.
1.2 From Royal Gift to Dowry: Esmat al-Dawlah and Moeir al-Mamalek
After receiving Hosseinabad, Naser al-Din Shah incorporated it into the dowry of his daughter Esmat al-Dawlah, a prominent figure in royal and cultural circles. She married Dost Mohammad Khan Moeir al-Mamalek, a high-ranking aristocrat whose family held administrative posts and enjoyed considerable influence.
It was during this period that the village was renamed “Mehrabad.” The new name—combining “Mehr” (sun, love, or kindness in Persian) with “abad” (cultivated settlement)—reflected the Qajar-era trend of romantic or refined naming for aristocratic possessions. Such renaming symbolized not just ownership but the elevated status of the land under its new custodians.
