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Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar
Fourth king of the Qajar dynasty
Fourth king of the Qajar dynasty
Full NameNasir al-Din Shah Qajar
EpithetSultan Sahib Qiran, Shah-i Shahid
Well-known AsNasir al-Din Shah
Religious AffiliationIslam
LineageQajar
Well-known RelativesMuzaffar al-Din Shah (son), Amir Kabir (brother-in-law)
Birth1247/1831-32
Place of BirthTabriz
Death1313/1896
Cause of DeathAssassination
Burial PlaceHoly Shrine of 'Abd al-'Azim al-Hasani in Ray (city)
Known forLong reign, Modernization efforts, Assassination
Notable rolesKing of Iran
ActivitiesEstablishing the National Museum, founding the mint, post office, telegraph, and four major schools including Dar al-Funun.


Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār (Persian: ناصر الدین شاه قاجار), (1247/1831–1313/1896) was the fourth monarch (reign: 1264/1848–1313/1896) of the Qajar dynasty (1789–1925). He held the title "Sultan-i Sahib Qaran" and, following his assassination, was posthumously referred to as "Shah-i Shahid" (the Martyr King). Nasir al-Din's reign spanned nearly fifty years, concluding with his assassination within the precincts of the Holy Shrine of 'Abd al-'Azim al-Hasani.

Historical accounts concerning his religious observance vary. Some consider him as a pious individual who performed daily prayers, observed fasting, and commissioned the gilding of the dome of the Holy Shrine of al-'Askariyyayn. Furthermore, following his recovery from an illness, he made a vow to serve as an honorary shoe-keeper (kafshdar) at the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a). Conversely, other accounts suggest that Nasir al-Din Shah was not strictly observant of Shari'a law, noting that his various actions in both religious and political spheres were complex and often contradictory.

Politically, historians note that Nasir al-Din Shah confronted numerous challenges, including famines, wars, and internal rebellions. Early in his reign, he appointed Amir Kabir as his chief minister; however, following court intrigues, Amir Kabir was dismissed and subsequently killed. The Shah also granted significant concessions to Russia and Britain, actions which provoked domestic protests, most notably the Tobacco Movement. The Nasiri era also saw the signing of treaties such as the Treaty of Paris, which compelled Iran to relinquish its claim to Herat and recognize the independence of Afghanistan.

In the cultural and social spheres, Nasir al-Din Shah demonstrated a keen interest in modernity, initiating reforms in various sectors including education and culture. He established modern educational institutions, such as Dar al-Funun, and attempted to reform women's attire and lifestyle. The visual arts are said to have flourished during his reign, with Nasir al-Din Shah himself displaying a personal interest in painting and calligraphy.

Biography

Nasir al-Din was the son of Muhammad Shah and the fourth ruler of the Qajar dynasty. The Qajars were a branch of the Qizilbash originating from the Safavid period.[1] He was born in Tabriz in 1247/1831 and ascended to the throne of Iran in 1264/1848.[2] Nasir al-Din was also known as "Sultan Sahib Qiran" (a title implying a reign exceeding thirty years) and was called "Shah-i Shahid" after his death.[3] By his father's order, Nasir al-Din married at the age of fourteen[4] and had 85 permanent and temporary wives by the time of his death.[5] He had a strong passion for hunting and the arts,[6] and some familiarity with French.[7]

Nasir al-Din Shah's account of the coincidence of Laylat al-Qadr with the turn of the year 1895:

"Since tonight is the night of Nowruz and... the night of Ramadan 23—the vigil (Ihya) and Laylat al-Qadr—people are occupied with prayer and supplication. We were occupied with reciting Sura al-Rum, Sura al-'Ankabut, and Sura al-Dukhan. We were in the midst of reading when the Na'ib al-Saltana entered our presence. After we finished, we proceeded to the museum room."[8]

Nasir al-Din went to visit the shrine of Abd al-'Azim al-Hasani; he ordered that the shrine area not be cleared of the public. Mirza Riza Kirmani, a follower of Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asadabadi, approached the Shah disguised in women's clothing and fired shots, killing him.[9] Nasir al-Din Shah was buried in the Holy Shrine of 'Abd al-'Azim al-Hasani in Ray (city). Forty days later, his son Muzaffar al-Din Shah was crowned.[10]

Religiosity

Historical narratives offer diverging perspectives regarding Nasir al-Din's religiosity. He maintained close relations with certain religious scholars.[11] Some sources recount his performance of prayers and fasting, viewing him as outwardly religious and devout.[12] His composition of religious poetry dedicated to the Imams of the Shia is often cited as evidence of his piety.[13] Others, observing different aspects of his behavior, did not consider him particularly observant of Shari'a.[14] Notably, the gilding of the dome of the Holy Shrine of al-'Askariyyayn in Samarra was carried out by his order.[15]

During an illness, Nasir al-Din Shah made a vow that upon his recovery, he would serve as a shoe-keeper at the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) for fifteen days. After regaining his health, he fulfilled this duty at the shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) and composed the following verse:

His poem while serving as a shoe-keeper at the shrine of Imam al-Rida (a):

What need have I for earthly kingship • When I hold the shoe-keeping of the Eighth Sultan?

It is fitting that I boast over kings on the Day of Recompense • For serving as shoe-keeper to the Sultan of Religion, Imam Rida. [16]

Actions

The Nasiri era was characterized by significant turbulence, including famines, wars, rebellions, court intrigues, the turnover of various grand viziers, the substantial influence of religious and bazaar institutions, and the granting of numerous concessions to Russia and Britain.[17]

Murder of Amir Kabir

In the early years of his reign, Nasir al-Din appointed Muhammad Taqi Khan Farahani as Grand Vizier and gave his sister, 'Izzat al-Dawla, in marriage to him. Amir Kabir, who had consolidated significant power and exercised considerable influence over the young king, initiated widespread reforms.[18] However, internal disputes and jealousy within the court led to Amir Kabir's dismissal after 39 months in office. Following his dismissal, he was exiled to Kashan and subsequently murdered in the Fin Garden bathhouse.[19]

Granting Concessions to Britain and Russia

Historians view the fifty-year reign of Nasir al-Din, like that of other Qajar monarchs, as an era of intense rivalry between Russia and England to secure their respective interests. Any policy in Iran that conflicted with the interests of either power faced significant obstacles, often forcing the Shah to seek their approval on numerous matters.[20] Regarding this predicament, the Waqayi' Attifaqiyya newspaper noted: "The Shah has become so weary of his current state that he would far prefer the governorship of a single village, provided it were not under [foreign] rule, to this kingship."[21]

During the Nasiri period, many concessions were granted to foreign powers for various reasons.[22] Some of these concessions triggered widespread domestic unrest, the most significant being the Regeur Concession, which granted a tobacco monopoly to a British company. This contract sparked a wave of public protests, culminating in a fatwa prohibiting tobacco use issued by Mirza-yi Shirazi. Ultimately, the Shah was compelled to cancel the contract.[23] This event became known as the Tobacco Movement.

Additionally, the Treaty of Paris was signed during Nasir al-Din Shah's reign. Under this treaty, the government of Iran was forced to abandon its claims to Herat and recognize the independence of Afghanistan.[24]

Template:Qajar Kings

Suppression of Babism

Main article: Babism

Followers of 'Ali Muhammad Bab staged uprisings in various cities but were defeated. Ultimately, 'Ali Muhammad Bab was executed in Tabriz in Sha'ban 1266/June–July 1850 by the order of Amir Kabir.[25] In Shawwal 1268/July–August 1852, a group of Babis attempted an unsuccessful assassination of Nasir al-Din,[26] prompting the government to undertake a campaign to suppress the Babi sect.[27]

Prevalence of Tekyehs

Main article: Tekyeh-e Dowlat

The construction and popularity of Tekyehs increased significantly during the era of this Qajar king. Tekyeh-e Dowlat was a structure erected for the performance of Ta'ziya and the holding of mourning ceremonies. It was built by order of Nasir al-Din Shah between 1285/1868–69 and approximately 1290/1873–74.[28]

Beginning of Modernity in Iran

The reign of Nasir al-Din Shah was an era of global transformation and a period of conflict between tradition and modernity. The Shah himself was eager to adopt aspects of modern Western civilization; however, a primary obstacle was the potential reduction of royal authority that such reforms might entail.[29]

Some researchers view the era of Nasir al-Din Shah as a transitional period from tradition to modernity.[30]

Nasir al-Din's court comprised two distinct factions: modernists and traditionalists. The modernists acknowledged, either explicitly or implicitly, the superiority of the West in most matters, excluding religion. This led to a defensive stance that emphasized the spiritual superiority of Muslims, positioning Islam as a social identity in opposition to Western ideologies.[31]

During Nasir al-Din Shah's reign, four major schools were established: Dar al-Funun and Nizam-i Nasiri in Tehran, Zill al-Sultan in Isfahan, and a school in Tabriz.[32] Additionally, a mint, a post office, and a telegraph office were founded.[33]

New judicial laws were enacted during this period, under which executive bodies were prohibited from interfering in the judicial system.[34] Nasir al-Din Shah sought to form a cabinet modeled after European governments. For a time, he established a council of ministers, though he frequently altered its composition and size.[35] Eventually, due to inefficiency, the Shah reverted to the traditional practice of appointing a single Grand Vizier.[36] The royal library also experienced its peak of prosperity during his time.[37] Concurrently, the Shah attempted to modify the style of dress among his wives—a change that gradually spread to other women in society.[38]

Some researchers believe that the wave of reforms initiated during the era of Nasir al-Din Shah laid the foundations for the Iranian Constitutional Revolution.[39]

Interest in Art

Nasir al-Din had a keen interest in calligraphy and practiced based on the models of Muhammad Rida Kalhur, the famous calligrapher.[40] He also penned detailed travelogues in his own hand.[41] Ta'ziya expanded during this period; however, fictionalized elements within Ta'ziya also increased, evolving into a form akin to theatrical performance.[42] Nasir al-Din Shah had a great passion for painting[43] and produced many works himself.[44] Renowned painters such as Kamal-ul-mulk flourished during the Nasiri era and maintained interactions with the court.[45]

Nasir al-Din composed poetry regarding the birth of Imam 'Ali (a):

His poem on the birth of Imam 'Ali (a)

The festival of the birth of the Commander of the Faithful has arrived • The world of this life and the hereafter is perfumed with ambergris
For the glad tidings of the birth of Haydar • Gabriel descended from the heavens to the earth.[46]

Regarding the Day of 'Ashura

That day, which was the day of "Hal min nasir" • Would that I were your helper (nasir) on that day.[47]

Regarding the graves of the martyrs of Karbala:

I went to Karbala, to the head of every martyr's grave • I saw that the soil of the martyrs is as musk and ambergris
Every single martyr's shrine possessed four corners • Save for a six-cornered shrine in those seven climes
I asked someone the reason, weeping; he replied • Below the feet of Husayn's grave lies the grave of Akbar [48]

'Allama Tihrani narrates from the historian Shaykh Muhammad Sharif Razi regarding the Shah's visit to the holy shrine of the Master of Martyrs (a) that the poems most orators recite were composed by him at the moment of his entry into the holy precinct (ha'ir), which he offered spontaneously:

If I had heard the Friend's invitation on that day • I would have snatched the ball of desire on that day
That day was the day of "Hal min nasir" • Would that I were your helper on that day.

Then he let out a cry and fainted. Upon regaining consciousness, he composed these verses and wept:

Who are you who have taken a home in every heart? • Who are neither in an assembly nor outside an assembly?
Neither Muhammad, nor Ali, nor Hasan; then who are you • Who have shown manifestations like a flower in every meadow?
In creation like Muhammad, in character like Ali • In face of all creation, a Hasani creation
The same stranger, Husayn, who on the day of 'Ashura • Exchanged the world for an old shirt.[49]

Notes

  1. ↑ Amānat, Qiblah-i ʿĀlam: Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār wa Pādshāhī-yi Īrān, p. 38.
  2. ↑ "Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār", supplement to Nāma-yi Farhangistān, p. 25.
  3. ↑ "Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār", supplement to Nāma-yi Farhangistān, p. 25.
  4. ↑ Muṣḥafī, Īrān dar Dawri-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, Tārīkh-i Jāmiʿ-yi Īrān, vol. 12, p. 136.
  5. ↑ Muʿayyir al-Mamālik, Yāddāsht-hā-yī az Zindagānī-yi Khuṣūṣī-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, p. 16.
  6. ↑ Ramaḍānī, Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār, p. 65.
  7. ↑ "Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār", supplement to Nāma-yi Farhangistān, p. 25.
  8. ↑ "Rawāyat-i Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh az Ham-zamānī-yi Shab-i Qadr bā Taḥwīl-i Sāl 1274", Khabar Online site.
  9. ↑ Muṣḥafī, Īrān dar Dawri-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, Tārīkh-i Jāmiʿ-yi Īrān, vol. 12, pp. 214-215.
  10. ↑ Farahmand, Gudhar-ī bar Imtiyāzāt-i Pay-dar-pay-i Ingilīs dar ʿAhd-i Nāṣirī, p. 128.
  11. ↑ Amānat, Qibla-i ʿĀlam: Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār wa Pādshāhī-yi Īrān, p. 40.
  12. ↑ Ramaḍānī, Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār, p. 65.
  13. ↑ Mudarris Tabrīzī, Rayḥānat al-Adab fī Tarājim al-Maʿrūfīn bi-l-Kunya aw al-Laqab, vol. 6, p. 107.
  14. ↑ Maḥbūbī Ardakānī, Chihil Sāl Tārīkh-i Īrān, p. 662.
  15. ↑ Maḥbūbī Ardakānī, Chihil Sāl Tārīkh-i Īrān, p. 662.
  16. ↑ "Rawāyatī az 15 Rūz Kafshdārī-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār dar Ḥaram-i Imām Riḍā (a)", Shahrara News.
  17. ↑ For more information, see: Muṣḥafī, Īrān dar Dawri-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, Tārīkh-i Jāmiʿ-yi Īrān, 1394 Sh, vol. 12, pp. 176-180; Farahmand, Gudhar-ī bar Imtiyāzāt-i Pay-dar-pay-i Ingilīs dar ʿAhd-i Nāṣirī, 1387 Sh, p. 116.
  18. ↑ Raḍawī-nizhād, Chahār Siyāsat-madār-i Millī wa Muttaqī-yi Nām-āwar-i Īrān, 1377 Sh, pp. 19-21.
  19. ↑ Raḍawī-nizhād, Chahār Siyāsat-madār-i Millī wa Muttaqī-yi Nām-āwar-i Īrān, 1377 Sh, pp. 19-21.
  20. ↑ Muṣḥafī, Īrān dar Dawri-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, Tārīkh-i Jāmiʿ-yi Īrān, 1394 Sh, vol. 12, pp. 216-217.
  21. ↑ Amānat, Qiblah-i ʿĀlam: Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār wa Pādshāhī-yi Īrān, 1383 Sh, pp. 378–379.
  22. ↑ Farahmand, Gudhar-ī bar Imtiyāzāt-i Pay-dar-pay-i Ingilīs dar ʿAhd-i Nāṣirī, 1387 Sh, p. 116.
  23. ↑ Farahmand, Gudhar-ī bar Imtiyāzāt-i Pay-dar-pay-i Ingilīs dar ʿAhd-i Nāṣirī, 1387 Sh, p. 128.
  24. ↑ Farahmand, Gudhar-ī bar Imtiyāzāt-i Pay-dar-pay-i Ingilīs dar ʿAhd-i Nāṣirī, 1387 Sh, pp. 119-120.
  25. ↑ Amānat, Qiblah-i ʿĀlam: Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār wa Pādshāhī-yi Īrān, 1383 Sh, p. 287.
  26. ↑ Amānat, Qiblah-i ʿĀlam: Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār wa Pādshāhī-yi Īrān, 1383 Sh, p. 284.
  27. ↑ Amānat, Qiblah-i ʿĀlam: Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār wa Pādshāhī-yi Īrān, 1383 Sh, pp. 290-292.
  28. ↑ Dhikā', Tārīkh-chi-yi Sākhtumān-hā-yi Arg-i Salṭanatī-yi Tihrān wa Rāhnamā-yi Kākh-i Gulistān, 1349 Sh, p. 287.
  29. ↑ Muṣḥafī, Īrān dar Dawri-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, Tārīkh-i Jāmiʿ-yi Īrān, 1394 Sh, vol. 12, p. 216.
  30. ↑ Kiyān-far, "Kulang-i Mashrūṭa rā Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh bar Zamīn Zad", Entekhab site.
  31. ↑ Muṣḥafī, Īrān dar Dawri-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, 1394 Sh, vol. 12, p. 239.
  32. ↑ Maḥbūbī Ardakānī, Chihil Sāl Tārīkh-i Īrān, 1368 Sh, p. 661.
  33. ↑ "Sawghāt-i Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh az Farang; Chādur-i Mushkī yā Shalītih?", Tarikh-e Irani site.
  34. ↑ Muṣḥafī, Īrān dar Dawri-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, Tārīkh-i Jāmiʿ-yi Īrān, 1394 Sh, vol. 12, p. 185.
  35. ↑ Muṣḥafī, Īrān dar Dawri-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, Tārīkh-i Jāmiʿ-yi Īrān, vol. 12, p. 216.
  36. ↑ Ramaḍānī, Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār, 1383 Sh, p. 62.
  37. ↑ Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, Binyāngudhār-i Kitābkhānih-yi Salṭanatī-yi Īrān, Tarikh-e Irani site.
  38. ↑ "Sawghāt-i Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh az Farang; Chādur-i Mushkī yā Shalītih?", Tarikh-e Irani site.
  39. ↑ Algar, Naqsh-i Rūḥāniyyat-i Pīshraw dar Junbish-i Mashrūṭiyyat, 1356 Sh, p. 174.
  40. ↑ Ṣaḥrāgard, Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh wa Khūsh-niwīsī, p. 76.
  41. ↑ "Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh Qājār", supplement to Nāma-yi Farhangistān, p. 26.
  42. ↑ Algar, Naqsh-i Rūḥāniyyat-i Pīshraw dar Junbish-i Mashrūṭiyyat, p. 191.
  43. ↑ Muʿayyir al-Mamālik, Yāddāsht-hā-yī az Zindagānī-yi Khuṣūṣī-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, p. 31.
  44. ↑ For more information, see: Naqqāshī-hā-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh.
  45. ↑ Muʿayyir al-Mamālik, Yāddāsht-hā-yī az Zindagānī-yi Khuṣūṣī-yi Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, pp. 31 and 37.
  46. ↑ Iʿtiḍādī, Dīwān-i Ashʿār-i Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, p. 10.
  47. ↑ Iʿtiḍādī, Dīwān-i Ashʿār-i Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, p. 43.
  48. ↑ https://www.karbobala.com/poems/info/411
  49. ↑ Ḥusaynī Tihrānī, Allāh-shināsī, vol. 1, pp. 127-128; Mudarris Tabrīzī, Rayḥānat al-Adab, vol. 6, pp. 107–109.

References

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  • Algar, Hamid. Naqsh-i Rūḥāniyyat-i Pīshraw dar Junbish-i Mashrūṭiyyat — Dīn wa Dawlat dar Īrān: Naqsh-i ʿUlamā dar Dawri-yi Qājāriyya. Translated by Abū al-Qāsim Sirrī. Tehran: Tūs, 1356 Sh.
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