Askar Khan Afshar

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Askar Khan Afshar (Persian: عسکر خان افشار) was an Iranian diplomat and statesman who was sent to Paris and played a prominent role in the development of diplomatic relations between Qajar Iran and European powers in the early 19th century. Askar Khan served as Fath-Ali Shah Qajar's ambassador to France during the brief Franco-Persian alliance. He arrived in Paris in July 1808 and was received by Napoleon at the Château de Saint-Cloud on 4 September, representing one of the most prominent diplomatic exchanges between Qajar Iran and Napoleonic France. During his residence in France, Askar Khan reported political and military developments to the Iranian court and maintained correspondence with senior Qajar officials. His mission coincided with the deterioration of Franco-Persian relations as France and Russia became allies, and he eventually left France in April 1810 after Iran shifted its diplomatic orientation toward Great Britain. In 1817, he served as mehmandar for the Russian embassy led by Aleksey Yermolov, accompanying the delegation during its journey through Iran. His diplomatic mission to Paris, together with the surviving correspondence and European portraits depicting him, has made him a notable figure in the history of Qajar Iran's relations with Europe.