According to the news agency Online newsQajaria cannot be recognized only by military failures and the weakness of the central government. During this period, concepts such as the constitution, parliament, and political participation entered the public debate, and changes were made in education, communication, art, and political thought. To understand the history of modern Iran, examining this period and its contradictions is of particular importance.
When did Qajar rule Iran?
Qajaria gained power from the end of the 12th century and officially ended in 1304. Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar was the founder of the dynasty and Ahmad Shah was considered its last king. Tehran also became the capital and political center of the country during this period.
The Qajars were a Turkic-speaking tribe that gained influence and military status in the periods before the formation of the dynasty, especially in the northern regions of Iran. After the fall of the Safavids and the conflicts of the Afsharia and Zandiya periods, Agha Mohammad Khan was able to eliminate his rivals and create a centralized government.
Qajar history can be examined in several stages: the establishment of the government by Agha Mohammad Khan, the wars between Iran and Russia during the reign of Fath Ali Shah, reforms and economic concessions during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah, the constitutional revolution during the reign of Muzaffar al-Din Shah, the confrontation of Muhammad Ali Shah with the Majlis, and finally the decline of the monarchy during the reign of Ahmad Shah.
Agha Mohammad Khan; The founder of Qajar
After the death of Karim Khan Zand in 1157, the competition between claimants for the throne intensified. Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, who was from the Qwanlu branch, gradually gained power in this chaotic atmosphere and campaigned to gain control over different parts of Iran. The defeat of Lotf Ali Khan Zand was one of the decisive stages of his rise to power.
Agha Mohammad Khan brought a large part of the country under his command and was crowned in 1175 solar year. Centralizing power and restoring the authority of the central government was one of his main goals; A goal that was pursued by campaigning and dealing harshly with opponents.
His campaign to Georgia and the capture of Tbilisi in 1174 AD were important events of this period. This operation was accompanied by widespread violence and had consequences in Iran’s relations with regional powers, especially Russia. Agha Mohammad Khan was killed in 1176 A.H. while he was in Shushi. Despite the shortness of his reign, he laid the foundations of a government that ruled Iran for more than a century.
Feth Ali Shah and the wars between Iran and Russia
After the death of Agha Mohammad Khan, his nephew Fath Ali Shah came to the throne. The period of his rule, from 1176 to 1213, was accompanied by intense competition between Iran and Russia over the Caucasus.
The first war between Iran and Russia lasted from 1183 to 1192 and ended with the Treaty of Golestan. The Iranian army was facing a lack of new equipment and difficulty in organizing the forces; In contrast, the Russian army had a more cohesive military organization. Based on the Golestan Treaty, Iran lost an important part of its possessions in the Caucasus.
The second war was fought from 1205 to 1206 and ended with the Treaty of Turkmanchai. This agreement gave more territorial and political concessions to Russia and added to the limitation of Iran’s influence in the Caucasus.
The defeat in these two wars, in addition to changing the borders and imposing compensation, revealed the military and administrative weakness of the government. This experience drew the attention of some gentlemen and reformers to the necessity of modernizing the army and rebuilding the administrative system.
Muhammad Shah and the difficulty of reforms
Mohammad Shah ascended to the throne in 1213 and ruled until 1227. His tenure was accompanied by efforts to strengthen the central government, court rivalries, and continued financial and military problems.
Deputy Farahani [میرزا ابوالقاسم] He was one of the important figures of this period and played a role in the administration of state affairs and the reform of the bureaucracy. Political and court disputes finally led to his removal and murder. The fate of the governor showed how much the reforms in the Qajar structure depended on the Shah’s support and how it could be stopped by changing the balance of power in the court.
Mohammad Shah also marched to Herat in 1216 and 1217. This action was opposed by Britain; Because this power considered Herat important in connection with the security of Afghanistan and its interests in India. This event was an example of the effect of competition between European powers on Iran’s foreign policy.
Amir Kabir and Naser al-Din Shah’s reforms
Naser al-Din Shah ascended to the throne in 1227. At the beginning of his rule, Mirza Taqi Khan Amir Kabir became chancellor and tried to reform financial affairs, deal with administrative corruption, organize the army and expand new education.
The establishment of Dar al-Funun in 1230 was one of the most important actions of Amir Kabir. This institution was formed to teach fields such as medicine, engineering and military science and played a role in training specialist forces. The newspaper “Vaqa’i Tahjahiyeh” was also published a little earlier, i.e. in February 1229; A magazine that was one of the first important experiences of organized journalism in Iran.
Amir Kabir’s plans were opposed by groups of courtiers. He was removed from the chancellery in 1230 and was murdered in Kashan a few months later. His removal and murder was a clear example of the limitations of the reformers in a system where the main power was in the hands of the Shah and the court.
Naseruddin Shah; Modernity and economic benefits
Naser al-Din Shah traveled to Europe three times and got acquainted with some aspects of technology and new administrative organization. During his period telegraph and photography expanded and printing and press became more important. However, familiarity with new technologies did not lead to a deep reform of government institutions, and political power remained in the hands of the Shah and the court.
The Qajar government turned to giving economic concessions to foreigners in order to cover costs and attract financial resources. The concessions were sometimes opposed by merchants and other groups in the society; Because economic monopolies could limit the interests of Iranian producers and merchants.
One of the important examples was the tobacco franchise, which was assigned to a British company in 1269 AD. This privilege was met with the protest of merchants, scholars and different groups of society and formed a wide movement. The government finally canceled the privilege in 1270.
The tobacco movement was very important; Because it showed that various social groups can form a coalition to face the government’s decision. This experience had an effect on the formation of the political atmosphere leading to the constitutional revolution. Naser al-Din Shah was assassinated by Mirza Reza Kermani in 1275, and his son Muzaffar al-Din Shah ascended to the throne.
Muzaffaruddin Shah and the Constitutional Revolution
During the period of Muzaffaruddin Shah, the government’s financial problems, dissatisfaction with foreign concessions, the weakness of the country’s administration, and the spread of reformist ideas provided the basis for political protests. Merchants, clerics, intellectuals and groups of people played a role in this movement.
The constitutional revolution took place in the years 1284 to 1288. The constitutionalists wanted to limit the arbitrary power of the king, form a parliament and run the country based on law. Muzaffaruddin Shah issued the constitutional decree in August 1285 and the first National Assembly was formed in the same year. The constitution was also signed by the king in January 1285. The amendment to the constitution was approved in 1286 solar year, during the era of Mohammad Ali Shah.
The constitution was not just a change in the structure of the monarchy; This movement helped to expand political journalism, form associations and propose concepts such as the rights of the nation and the responsibility of the government. However, political differences, foreign interventions and the weakness of executive institutions made it difficult to fully realize the constitutional goals.
Muhammad Ali Shah and closing the parliament
Following the death of Muzaffar al-Din Shah on January 12, 1285, Muhammad Ali Shah came to the throne and opposed the limitation of the power of the monarchy. The crisis between the Shah and the Majlis reached its peak in 1287, and the government forces closed the Majlis. A number of political activists and journalists were also arrested or suppressed.
This action did not end the constitution. The resistance of constitutionalists continued, including in Tabriz, and forces from other cities also moved. In 1288 solar year, the constitutionalists entered Tehran and removed Mohammad Ali Shah from the throne. Ahmad Shah, his son, became king.
Despite the victory of the constitutionalists, the country did not stabilize quickly. Political differences, financial problems of the government, military weakness and Russian and British intervention limited the effectiveness of the government. However, the experience of the parliament and the constitution became an enduring part of Iran’s political history.
Ahmad Shah and the end of the Qajar dynasty
Ahmad Shah came to the throne in 1288 solar year and as a child. The First World War, which started in 1293, turned Iran into a scene of presence and competition of foreign forces despite the declaration of neutrality. Insecurity, business disruption and economic problems made people’s lives more difficult.
After the war, the government was facing a lack of financial resources and a weak central authority. Agreement between Iran and Britain in 1298 [۱۹۱۹ میلادی] It faced opposition among politicians and public opinion.
On March 3, 1299, a military coup led by Reza Khan and played by Seyyed Diyauddin Tabatabai took place. Reza Khan gradually became the main figure of Iranian politics. Ahmad Shah left Iran in 1302 and never returned to the country. On the 9th of Aban 1304, the National Council announced the end of the Qajar monarchy and the transfer of the monarchy to the Pahlavi dynasty was made possible.
Iran’s society and economy in the Qajar period
Iranian society during the Qajar period was mainly agricultural and most people lived in villages. Land ownership, taxation and traditional methods of production played an important role in the economy. Cities were also the centers of trade, crafts, administrative and religious activities, and the market had an important place in social and economic life.
With the expansion of communication with Europe, foreign trade and the import of industrial goods increased. Some merchants benefited from the expansion of trade; But imported goods and foreign concessions created difficult competition for some domestic producers. The limited income of the government, the weakness of the tax system and the expenses of the court and wars also reduced the ability of the government to implement reforms.
Meanwhile, Dar al-Funun, new schools, newspapers and the expansion of printing provided new fields for education and exchange of ideas. These institutions did not transform the Iranian society by themselves, but they played a role in the formation of the intellectual and social atmosphere of the subsequent developments.
Art and culture in the Qajar era
The Qajar period is also important in the history of Iranian art. The architecture of palaces and city mansions, court paintings, decorative arts, photography and the spread of printing were some of the cultural effects of this period. Portraiture, especially the depiction of kings and courtiers, had a prominent place in Qajar painting.
There were changes in the field of literature and political thought. The expansion of journalism and the translation of foreign works made the discussion about law, education and government reform more prominent. Writers like Mirza Malkam Khan and Fath Ali Akhundzadeh were among those who wrote about political and social reforms. These currents of thought, along with economic and political factors, helped to shape the constitutional environment.
Why did the Qajar dynasty fall?
The fall of Qajar was not the result of a single factor and resulted from a series of political, economic, military and social crises.
- Weakness of the central government: The government in many periods depended on local forces and personal relationships to manage different regions and did not have a unified administrative and military system.
- Military defeats and reduction of regional influence: The Iran-Russia wars and the Golestan and Turkmanchai treaties weakened Iran’s position in the Caucasus. In later periods, the rivalry between Russia and Britain affected the country’s politics.
- Financial and economic problems: limited income, government spending and wars, debts and concessions to foreign countries reduced the power of the government and increased social discontent.
- Expansion of political demands: the constitutional revolution showed that some parts of the society want law, parliament and supervision of the government. However, political differences and post-constitutional crises prevented the rapid establishment of a stable government.
- 1299 coup and Reza Khan’s rise to power: the weakening of the authority of the monarchy during the period of Ahmad Shah and the increase of Reza Khan’s military power paved the way for the end of the Qajar dynasty.
The end of the Qajar dynasty was the result of the combination of the government’s long-standing weaknesses with the changes in society and the strengthening of the military force in critical conditions.
Qajar historical heritage
The Qajar period in Iran’s history was full of contradictions. After years of internal strife, this dynasty created a relatively unified government; But it failed to maintain Iran’s influence in the Caucasus and to face the pressure of foreign powers. The concentration of power in the court, the weakness of the administrative system and financial problems also limited the ability of the government to respond to the needs of the society.
At the same time, the Qajar period was the period of the formation of institutions and currents that had an impact on the subsequent history of Iran: Dar al-Funun and new schools, journalism, the spread of printing and finally the constitutional revolution. The constitution with the draft constitution and parliament is considered a turning point in the history of Iran’s governance.
To understand this period, one must see both its political crises and failures and its cultural and social changes. The Qajar period was neither a period of mere backwardness nor a period of successful reforms; Rather, it is considered a complex stage in Iran’s transition from traditional monarchy to new politics and society.
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