Qorbanat shavam, “may I be sacrificed for you” (aka, I love you a lot), begins this alleged letter from Amir Kabir to Nasir al-Din Shah. In his letter, Amir Kabir wrote about an incident while the king was away from Tehran, and how the aunt of a corrupt official intervened in state affairs. The letter ends with
عليحضرت بدانند كه اداره امور مملكت با توصيه عمو و خاله نمى شود
“Your Majesty should know that government affairs cannot be run based on input from uncles and aunts.”
Nasir al-Din Shah’s mother, Mahd Olya, was a really active part of his early reign and didn’t get along with Amir Kabir. In fact, she had him removed of his post and ultimately sentenced to death, despite his close relationship with the king. This letter is said to have been an indirect jab at Nasir al-Din for letting his mom get in the way of too many things.
Some historians have dismissed this letter as a forgery. Either way, it makes for a good story.
“Three Photographic Traditions in Iran” by Donna Stein. Pretty good article on the history of photography in Iran, especially during the 19th century.
This image is probably from Sevruguin, whom we’ve talked about before. The boldness of the women’s gazes is striking.
Exciting news
If you google “Qajars,” whoweretheqajars should be your 3rd result! WHOA.
If you google “Qajar,” however, this blog is nowhere to be found.
During the Qajar period, divorce settlements were simple, handwritten documents that asserted the wife’s rights to her dower and acknowledged the dissolution of the union.
Batul Khanum and Mirza Agha the Barber got divorced in 1917.
The original ice cream truck, except not a truck (a vendor!), in Tehran, Iran.
“The mullah is having ice cream too…probably a nice mullah.”
Photo by Antoin Sevruguin
The sign reads: “The place of the martyrdom of Amir Kabir is here. However, due to lack of space, the statues concerning the scene of his martyrdom have been moved to the adjacent hammam.”
Photo and caption by @ShimaHoush (follow her on twitter for more good stuff)
A QAJAR BEAUTY PLAYING A LUTE, IRAN, 19TH CENTURY
Oil on canvas, seated on a carpet with a cat sat beside her — 59.3in. (150.8cm.) x 39¾in. (101cm.)
So, not all women had mustaches. Just FYI.
A lot of nationalists hate the Qajars for all the territories they lost to their neighbors during the 19th and early 20th centuries (not to mention all regions they failed to reconquer when they first rose in the 18th century).
This map shows some, not all, of the border changes of the 19th/20th centuries. A few of these changes took place during the Pahlavi regime, but the bulk are from the Qajar era.
![How many [awesome] mustaches do you see?
The Constitutional Revolution of 1906 resulted in a number of changes, catapulting Iranians into a new kind of public political sphere. Iranians got a constitution and voted on their first parliament. Iran’s first parliament had 156 members, most of whom were Tehranis/merchants.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/5ff5b01b5c780453a7520663c9500f41/tumblr_mla7xuXIO71r84v2no1_1280.jpg)
How many [awesome] mustaches do you see?
The Constitutional Revolution of 1906 resulted in a number of changes, catapulting Iranians into a new kind of public political sphere. Iranians got a constitution and voted on their first parliament. Iran’s first parliament had 156 members, most of whom were Tehranis/merchants.
In 1890, the Qajar imperial government issued its first banknotes. A picture of who else but Nasir al-Din Shah and his glorious mustache graced the front of each note.
pictured: 1 tuman note, 5 tuman note, and 50 tuman note.
