Pari Khan Khanum was born in August 1548 in Ahar, Iran to Safavid Shah Tahmasp & Sultan-Agha Khanum, a Safavid Queen and the second wife of Tahmasp. Growing up, she was involved in court and bureaucratic life but as her fathers rule came to an end, he gave her more authority and the legal status that allow her to acquire more power. Near the end of Tahmasp’s life, as Pari cared for him on his sick bed, a number of discussions were held to determine who would be his successor. During the dynastic struggle between her two brothers over who would succeed their father, Pari became the de facto ruler of the state. Even after her older brother Ismail became Shah, Pari continued to hold court in her residence, hosting a number of officers and high ranking statesmen. Shortly in Ismail’s rule though, he prohibited these visits to her palace, dissolved her court, and seized a number of her assets. He died shortly after he became shah. It is thought that, Pari, feeling hostile towards the brother who she had helped get on the throne, had him poisoned. Ismail’s replacement was the elderly, near blind Mohammad Khodabanda, allowed her to once again, become the defacto ruler with Khodabanda ruling on in name. Her sphere of influence grew to be so powerful that statesmen turned to her for permission before visiting the new Shah to offer congratulations. When the new Shah and his wife arrived, Pari welcomed them with a parade, surrounded by 4,000 private guards, court attendants, and personal assistants. The wife of the new Shah though, recognized the limitations of her power as long as Pari was alive and ordered her execution on February 12, 1578.