Reza Qoli Mirza Afshar was the eldest son of Nader Shah, King of Afsharid Iran. After his father's coronation in 1736, Reza Qoli, aged 17, became the Governor of the province of Khorasan. During his tenure, he subdued rebellious khans and marched up to Bukhara to put an end to the Khanate of Bukhara, his father's enemies. Before heading off to India, Nader Shah appointed Reza Qoli the regent of Iran. Reza Qoli ensured peace through harsh measures when collecting taxes and executed people for petty crimes. He had Tahmasp II and Abbas III, two pretenders to the throne, killed, which caused an uproar among the people. When Nader Shah returned from India, he dismissed Reza Qoli as regent, snubbing him for his actions during the regency.
Indian portrait of Reza Qoli Mirza Afshar, dated 1800-1820
Wedding of Reza Qoli Mirza, folio from Jahangosha-ye Naderi by Mirza Mehdi Khan Astarabadi, 1757. In this painting, Nader is sitting on a carpet at the centre while two of his sons stand behind him, Reza Qoli Mirza on the right and Morteza Mirza on the left.
Nader Shah appoints his son Reza Qoli Mirza as Prince Regent before leaving for India, folio from Jahangosh-ye Naderi, made in North India, dated 1757-1758
The Investiture of the Crown Prince Reza Qoli Mirza, by his Father, Nader Shah Afshar, by Abu'l-Hasan Mostawfi Ghaffari, 1774, now kept at Sa'dabad Complex at Tehran. Two other of Nader's sons, and a mullah (religious authority who used to crown previous kings), are also present in the painting.
Tahmasp II was the penultimate Safavid shah of Iran, ruling from 1722 to 1732.
Court scene with Tahmasp II in the centre, and Nader to his left. From a illustrated Indian copy of the Jahangosha-ye Naderi, dated 1757/58
