Abstract
ABSTRACT For two centuries, the image of the Crown Prince ʽAbbas Mirza (1789–1833) has remained unblemished in Iranian history. He has been portrayed as perfect in character, progressive in advancing the cause of reform in Iran and bold in fighting the superpower of Russia. This paper offers a revisionist account by questioning this image and aims to portray ʽAbbas Mirza as someone who, operating during one of the most critical periods in Iranian history, was burdened by a long war, internal rivalries and the competition of foreign powers. The account written by a long-serving French officer, Louis Gaspard Barrachin, at the court of ʽAbbas Mirza during the interim years between the two wars with Russia, rejects the simplistic conventional narrative and presents a lonely figure with weaknesses and a complex real character. The paper also reveals the French officer’s main objective of attempting to find a firm foothold in Iran for France so as to advance French interests in the Middle East.
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