Qajar dynasty

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File:Mohammad Shah stamp|thumb|Mohammad_Shah_stamp]]]] The Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal dynasty of Turkic origin, specifically from the Qajar tribe, which ruled Iran from 1789 to 1925. The Qajar family took full control of Iran in 1794, deposing the last Shah of the Zand dynasty, and reasserted Iranian sovereignty over large parts of the Caucasus. The Qajar rulers were members of the Qajar tribe, which had been one of the original Qizilbash tribes that had supplied power to the Safavid dynasty.

History[edit | edit source]

The Qajar dynasty was founded by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, who was crowned in 1796 as the Shah of Iran. His reign marked the beginning of the Qajar era. Agha Mohammad Khan's reign was characterized by efforts to reunify Iran and restore its territorial integrity after the chaos that followed the fall of the Safavid Empire and the subsequent Afghan invasion.

After Agha Mohammad Khan's assassination in 1797, his nephew Fath-Ali Shah Qajar ascended to the throne. Fath-Ali Shah's reign saw the loss of Iran's territories in the Caucasus to the expanding Russian Empire through the Treaty of Gulistan (1813) and the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828).

The Qajar dynasty continued to rule Iran through the 19th century, facing internal strife, foreign intervention, and modernization efforts. The reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (1848-1896) was notable for attempts at modernization and the introduction of Western technology and ideas, although these efforts were met with mixed success.

The last Qajar ruler, Ahmad Shah Qajar, was deposed in 1925 by Reza Shah Pahlavi, marking the end of the Qajar dynasty and the beginning of the Pahlavi dynasty.

Culture and Society[edit | edit source]

The Qajar period was a time of significant cultural and artistic development in Iran. The Qajar rulers were patrons of the arts, and their reign saw the flourishing of Persian painting, architecture, and literature. The Qajar era is also noted for the development of Persian theater and the introduction of new forms of entertainment.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

The Qajar dynasty left a lasting impact on Iran's political, cultural, and social landscape. The period was marked by significant changes, including the introduction of modern education, the establishment of new institutions, and the influence of Western ideas. The Qajar era also saw the beginning of Iran's struggle for constitutionalism, culminating in the Persian Constitutional Revolution of 1905-1911.