Mir Sayyed Muhammad Marashi (June 1714 – May 1763), better known by his dynastic name of Suleiman II (Persian: شاه سلیمان), was a Safavid pretender who briefly became ruler of parts of Iran from 1749 to 1750. He was a descendant of the Safavid dynasty through his mother, who was the daughter of Safavid shah Suleiman I.
Background and Rise to Power
Following the assassination of Nader Shah Afshar in 1747, a power vacuum emerged in Iran. Nader Shah's grandson, Shahrokh Shah, was enthroned at Mashhad in October 1748 by Iranian nobles. Two months later, Nader Shah's nephew Ebrahim Mirza proclaimed himself shah but was defeated and forced to flee. During this period, Mir Sayyed Muhammad Marashi was in charge of the affairs of the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad and refused to admit Ebrahim Mirza into the shrine city.
In 1750, local tribal forces—including Mir Alam Khan Khuzaima, along with Kurdish and Jalayirid chiefs—enthroned Mir Sayyed Muhammad as Suleiman II, capitalizing on his Safavid lineage through his mother. Shahrokh Shah was captured and blinded during this coup.
Reign and Downfall
Suleiman II's reign was extremely brief, lasting from 17 December 1749 to 14 January 1750 (less than one month by some reckonings, though other sources place his rule from 1749 to 1750). He was soon removed from power and blinded himself. Shahrokh Shah was subsequently restored to the throne.
Personal Life
Suleiman II was born in June 1714 in Isfahan, Safavid Iran. He was married to Khan Agha Begum and had several sons: Sultan Daud Mirza, Sultan Ali Mirza, Sultan Hasan Mirza, Sultan Qasim Mirza, and Sultan Hashim Mirza. He died in May 1763 in Mashhad, Afsharid Iran, at the age of 48. He was a follower of Shia Islam.
