View source for Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

{{Short description|Shah of Iran from 1848 to 1896}}
{{redirect|Nassereddin Shah|the filmmaker|Naseeruddin Shah}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Naser al-Din Shah Qajar<br />{{no bold|ناصرالدین شاه قاجار}}
| title        = Shahanshah of Iran {{br}}Zell'ollah (Shadow of God [on earth])<ref name="Amanat"/><br>Qebleh-ye 'ālam (Pivot of the Universe)<ref name="Amanat"/><br>Islampanah (Refuge of Islam)<ref name="Amanat">{{citation|title=Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896|first=Abbas|last=Amanat|publisher=I.B. Tauris|year=1997|isbn=9781860640971|series=Comparative studies on Muslim societies|page=10}}</ref>
| image        = Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, close up, with slight smile by Nadar.jpg
| caption      = Naser al-Din Shah, photographed by [[Nadar]] in 1889
| succession   = [[Shah of Iran]]
| reign        = 5 September 1848 – 1 May 1896
| full name    = Naser al-Din Shah<br>{{lang|fa|ناصرالدین‌شاه}}
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1831|7|17|df=y}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Naser-al-Din-Shah | title=Nāṣer al-Dīn Shāh &#124; Qājār Shah of Iran, Assassination & Legacy &#124; Britannica }}</ref>
| birth_place  = [[Kahnamu]], [[Qajar Iran|Iran]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1896|5|1|1831|7|17|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Tehran]], [[Qajar Iran|Iran]]
| burial_date  = 
| burial_place = [[Shah-Abdol-Azim shrine]]
| predecessor  = [[Mohammad Shah Qajar]]
| successor    = [[Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar]]
| regent1      = [[Malek Jahan Khanom]]
| regent2      = {{Collapsible list|title=''See list''||[[Amir Kabir]]|[[Mirza Aqa Khan Nuri]]|[[Mirza Hosein Khan Moshir od-Dowleh|Mirza Hosein Khan]]|[[Mirza Yusuf Ashtiani]]|[[Mirza Ali Asghar Khan Amin al-Soltan|Mirza Ali Asghar Khan]]}}
| reg-type2    = {{nowrap|[[List of Premiers of Iran (1699–1907)|Premiers]]}}
| dynasty      = [[Qajar dynasty|Qajar]]
| father       = [[Mohammad Shah Qajar]]
| mother       = [[Malek Jahan Khanom]]
| spouse       = 85 women, among them: {{plain list|
* [[Galin Khanom]]
* [[Taj al-Dawlah]]
* [[Shokouh al-Saltaneh]]
* [[Jeyran (wife of Naser al-Din Shah)|Jeyran]]
* [[Anis al-Dawla]]
* [[Amina Aqdas]]
* [[Khazen al-Dawlah]]
* [[Munir al-Saltaneh]]
* [[Fatemeh Soltan Baghbanbashi]]
}}
| issue        = See [[#Issue|below]]
| religion     = [[Shia Islam]]
| signature_type = [[Tughra]]
| signature    = Naser al-Din Shah stamp.jpg
}}

'''Naser al-Din Shah Qajar''' ({{langx|fa|ناصرالدین‌شاه قاجار|Nâser al-Din Shâh-e Qâjâr}}, {{IPA|fa|nɒːˌseɹ æl‿ˈdiːn ˌʃɒːh‿e qɒːˈd͡ʒɒːɹ|pron}}; 17 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of [[Qajar Iran]] from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. During his rule there was internal pressure from the people of Iran, as well as external pressure from the [[British Empire]] and the [[Russian Empire]]. He granted many concessions, most importantly the [[Reuter concession]] and the [[Tobacco Protest|Tobacco concession]], both of which were cancelled.

He allowed the establishment of newspapers in the country and made use of modern forms of technology such as telegraph, photography and also planned concessions for railways and irrigation works. Despite his modernising reforms on education, his tax reforms were abused by people in power, and the government was viewed as corrupt and unable to protect commoners from abuse by the upper classes which led to increasing anti-governmental sentiments. He was assassinated at [[Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine]] in [[Ray, Iran|Ray]] near [[Tehran]]. He was the first modern Iranian monarch who formally visited Europe and wrote of his travels in his memoirs.
He was the son of Mohammad Shah Qajar and Malek Jahan Khanom and the third longest reigning monarch in Iranian history after [[Shapur II]] of the [[Sasanian dynasty]] and [[Tahmasp I]] of the [[Safavid dynasty]]. Naser al-Din Shah had sovereign power for close to 48 years.

==Reign==

===Effectiveness of his early rule===
The state under Naser al-Din was the recognized government of Iran, but its authority was undermined by local tribal leaders due to the lack of a standing army. The army was weakened by wars with Russia in the [[Treaty of Gulistan]] (1813) and [[Treaty of Turkmenchay|Turkmenchay]] (1828) <ref>{{Cite book |last=Anderson |first=Betty Signe |title=A History of the Modern Middle East |date=2016 |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=9780804798754 |edition=Electronic |location=Stanford, California |pages=102–103 |language=English}}</ref> The religious and tribal chieftains held quite a bit of autonomy over their communities. Naser al-Din was not effective in implementing his sovereignty over his people. Local groups had their own militias and oftentimes did not obey laws passed by the monarchy, since it did not have the power to enforce them. The people followed the ulama's fatwas instead of state-issued law. When Naser al-Din took power, his army barely had 3,000 men which was significantly smaller than the armies under various tribal leaders. When the state needed a proper army, he would hire the local militias.<ref>William Cleveland, ''A History of the Modern Middle East'', 5th ed., (Westview, 2012) p. 100</ref> Prior to his reforms, Naser's government had very little power over their subjects and even during the reforms, they faced more scrutiny over their ability to implement those reforms successfully.

===Diplomacy and wars===
[[File:Naser al-Din Shah by Abul Hasan Ghaffari 1854.jpg|thumb|left|Naser al-Din Shah by [[Sani ol molk|Abul Hasan Ghaffari]], 1859]]
Naser al-Din was in [[Tabriz]] when he heard of his father's death in 1848,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rabiee|first=Manizheh|title=Life of Naser al-Din Shah|publisher=Muʼassasah-ʼi Farhangī-i Ahl-i Qalam|year=2005|isbn=9789648084191|location=Tehran|pages=34|oclc=84660641}}</ref> and he ascended to the [[Sun Throne]] with the help of [[Amir Kabir]]. During his reign he would have to deal with the [[Revolt of Hasan Khan Salar]], as well as [[Battle of Fort Tabarsi|insurrections by Babis]].

Naser al-Din had early [[reformist]] tendencies, but was dictatorial in his style of government. With his sanction, thousands of [[Bábism|Bábis]] were killed, this was in reaction to an assassination attempt from a small group of Bábis.<ref>Abbas Amanat. [https://books.google.com/books?id=L-xt4WkT4WIC ''Pivot of the universe: Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy''], pp. 204–218.</ref> This treatment continued under his prime minister Amir Kabir, who even ordered the execution of the [[Báb]] – regarded as a manifestation of God to Bábí's and [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼís]], and to historians as the founder of the [[Bábism|Bábí religion]].

Unable to regain the territory in the [[Caucasus]] [[Russo-Persian Wars|irrevocably lost]] to [[Russian Empire|Russia]] in the early 19th century, Naser al-Din sought compensation by [[Siege of Herat (1856)|seizing Herat]], in 1856. [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]] regarded the move as a threat to [[British India]] and [[Anglo-Persian War|declared war on Persia]], forcing the return of Herat as well as Iran's recognition of the kingdom of Afghanistan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Naser-al-Din-Shah|title=Nāṣer al-Dīn Shāh &#124; Qājār Shah of Iran, Assassination & Legacy &#124; Britannica|website=www.britannica.com|accessdate=7 July 2024}}</ref>

Naser al-Din was the first modern Iranian monarch to visit Europe in 1873 and then again in 1878 (when he saw a [[Fleet Review, Royal Navy#Queen Victoria|Royal Navy Fleet Review]]), and finally in 1889 and was reportedly amazed with the technology he saw. During his visit to the United Kingdom in 1873, Naser al-Din Shah was appointed by [[Queen Victoria]] a Knight of the [[Order of the Garter]], the highest English order of chivalry. He was the first Iranian monarch to be honoured as such. His travel diary of his 1873 trip has been published in several languages, including Persian, German, French, and Dutch.

In 1890 Naser al-Din met British major [[Gerald F. Talbot]] and signed a [[contract]] with him giving him the ownership of the Iranian [[tobacco]] industry, but he later was forced to cancel the contract after [[Ayatollah]] [[Mirza Hassan Shirazi]] issued a [[Fatwā|fatwa]] that made farming, trading, and consuming tobacco [[haram]] (forbidden). Consuming tobacco from the newly monopolized 'Talbet' company represented foreign exploitation, so for that reason it was deemed immoral. It even affected the Shah's personal life as his wives did not allow him to smoke.

This was not the end of Naser al-Din's attempts to give concessions to Europeans; he later gave the ownership of Iranian customs incomes to [[Paul Julius Reuter]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ādamīyat |first1=Farīdūn |title=Andīshah-ʼi taraqqī va hukūmat-i qānūn ; ʻaṣr-i sipahsālār |last2=آدميت، فريدون. |date=2006 |publisher=Intisharat-i Khvar̄azmi, ̄ |isbn=964-487-090-5 |edition=Chap̄-i 3 |location=Tihran |pages=348–370 |oclc=677122775}}</ref>

===Reforms===
[[File:Nasir ad-Din Nadar.jpg|thumb|Naser al-Din Shah Qajar in 1881. Photographed by [[Nadar]]]] He defeated various rebels in the Iranian provinces, most notably in [[Khorasan Province|Khorasan]], balanced the budget by introducing reforms to the tax system, curbed the power of the [[clergy]] in the judiciary, built several military factories, improved relations with other powers to curb British and Russian influence, opened the first newspaper called ''Vaghaye-Ettefaghieh'', embellished and modernized cities (for example by building the [[Tehran Bazaar]]) and most importantly opened the first Iranian school for upper education called the [[Dar ul-Funun (Persia)|Dar ul-Funun]] where many Iranian intellectuals received their education.

The Shah gradually lost interest in reform. However, he took some important measures such as introducing [[telegraphy]] and [[post office|postal]] services and building roads. He also increased the size of the state's military and created a new group called the [[Persian Cossack Brigade]]<ref>William Cleveland, ''A History of the Modern Middle East'', 5th ed., (Westview, 2012) p. 103</ref> which was trained and armed by the Russians. He was the first Iranian to be photographed and was a patron of [[photography]] who had himself photographed hundreds of times. His final prime minister was [[Mirza Ali Asghar Khan Amin al-Soltan|Ali Asghar Khan]], who after the shah's assassination aided in securing the transfer of the throne to [[Mozaffar al-Din Shah Qajar|Mozaffar al-Din]].

[[File:The Shah and the British Royal Family.jpg|thumb|left|The Shah on his European tour, seated with British and Russian royalty in the [[Royal Albert Hall]], London]]
Although he was successful in introducing those western-based reforms, he was not successful in gaining complete sovereignty over his people or getting them to accept these reforms. The school he opened, Dar al-Funun, had very small enrollment numbers. The restrictions defined by Sh'ia Islam on the shah's collection of the ''zakat'' led to those funds going straight into the coffers of the ulama. Therefore, the financial autonomy given to the ulama enabled them to remain structurally independent, keeping madrasahs open and supporting the students therein.<ref>Cleveland, William L. ''A History of the Modern Middle East'' (Westview Press, 2013) p. 104</ref> The ulama also maintained their authority to challenge state law. To fund these new institutions and building projects, Naser al-Din repeatedly used [[tax farming]] to increase state revenue. Tax collectors routinely abused their power and the government was viewed as corrupt and unable to protect them from abuse by the upper class. This anti-government sentiment increased the ulama's power over the people because they were able to provide them security. Keddie states in her book, ''Roots of Revolution: An Interpretive History of Modern Iran'', that at the time "it was still considered a sign of greater status to be admitted to the ranks of the ulama than it was to become a member of the civil service."<ref>William Cleveland, ''A History of the Modern Middle East'', 5th ed., (Westview, 2012) p. 104</ref>

In 1852 Naser al-Din dismissed and executed [[Amir Kabir]], the famous Iranian reformer. With him, many believe, died the prospect of an independent Iran led by meritocracy rather than nepotism.

In the later years of his rule, however, Naser al-Din steadfastly refused to deal with the growing pressures for reforms. He also granted a series of concessionary rights to foreigners in return for large payments. In 1872, popular pressure forced him to withdraw one concession involving permission to construct such complexes as [[railway]]s and [[irrigation]] works throughout Iran. He visited Europe in 1873, 1878 and 1889. In 1890, he granted a 50-year concession on the purchase, sale, and processing of all tobacco in the country, which led to a national [[boycott]] of tobacco and the withdrawal of the concession. This last incident is considered by many authorities to be the origin of modern [[Iranian nationalism]].

==Assassination==
[[File:Brooklyn Museum - The Late Nasir al-Din Shah Lying in State in the Takiah Dawlat One of 274 Vintage Photographs.jpg|thumb|left|Naser al-Din Shah [[lying in state]] in the [[Tekyeh Dowlat]]]]
Naser al-Din Shah was assassinated by [[Mirza Reza Kermani]], a follower of [[Jamal al-Din al-Afghani]], when he was visiting and praying in the [[Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine]] on 1 May 1896. It is said that the revolver used to assassinate him was old and rusty, and had he worn a thicker overcoat, or been shot from a longer range, he would have survived the attempt on his life.<ref>Mo'ayeri p. 105</ref> Shortly before his death, he is reported to have said "I will rule you differently if I survive!" The assassin was prosecuted by the defence minister, Nazm ol-Dowleh.

[[Mirza Reza Kermani|Kermani]]’s act, though singular in its occurrence, quickly came to symbolize the deep-seated dissatisfaction with the established autocracy. Motivated by a fervent belief in reform and influenced by contemporary revolutionary ideas, his deed was interpreted by many as a deliberate challenge to the legitimacy of the Qajar regime. Scholars such as Ervand Abrahamian have argued that this assassination not only stripped the Shah of his personal authority but also exposed systemic weaknesses within the state apparatus that would later fuel demands for constitutional governance.<ref>{{cite book |last=Abrahamian |first=Ervand |title=A History of Modern Iran |year=2008 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-79246-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Abrahamian |first=Ervand |title=Iran Between Two Revolutions |year=1982 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-08665-0}}</ref> In a similar vein, historians like [[Negar Keddie]] contend that the symbolic nature of the act underscored the tension between traditional monarchical power and emerging modern political thought, thereby prefiguring the ideological currents that ultimately culminated in the [[Iranian Constitutional Revolution]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Keddie |first=Negar |title=Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution |journal=Middle Eastern Studies |year=1992 |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=341–356 |doi=10.1080/00263209208700871|doi-broken-date=1 July 2025 }}</ref>

Nasser-al-Din Shah's assassination and the subsequent execution of Kermani marked a turning point in Iranian political thought that would ultimately lead to the [[Iranian Constitutional Revolution]] during his successor [[Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar|Mozaffar ad-Din Shah]]'s turbulent reign.<ref>[http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/Assassination-of-Nasser-al-Din-Shah.htm Assassination of Nasser-al-Din-Shah]</ref>
[[File:Naser al-Din Shah's tomb stone 8013.jpg|thumb|Naser al-Din Shah's tombstone, [[Golestan Palace]]. The original tomb is at [[Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine]].]]
Naser al-Din was buried in the [[Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine]], in [[Rey, Iran|Ray]] near [[Tehran]], where he was assassinated. His funeral took place six months after his death. A British diplomat who spoke with some who had been present, [[Charles Hardinge]], commented "... the corpse was conveyed on a very high funeral car and was 'high' in more ways than one".<ref>"Old Diplomacy" (1947), by Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, p. 63</ref> His one-piece marble tombstone, bearing his full effigy, is now kept in the [[Golestan Palace]] Museum in Tehran.

==Artistic and literary interests==
Naser al-Din Shah was very interested in painting and [[photography]]. He was a talented painter and, even though he had not been trained, was an expert in [[pen and ink]] drawing. Several of his pen and ink drawings survive. He was one of the first photographers in Iran and was a patron of the art. He established a photography studio in [[Golestan Palace]].<ref>Tahmasbpoor, Mohammad-Reza (2008). ''Nāser-od-din, the Photographer King''. Tehran: Nashr-e Tarikh-e Iran. {{ISBN|964-6082-16-5}}</ref>

Naser al-Din was also a [[poetry|poet]]. 200 couplets of his were recorded in the preface of ''Majma'ul Fusahā'', a work by [[Reza-Qoli Khan Hedayat]] about poets of the Qajar era. He was interested in history and geography and had many books on these topics in his library. He also knew [[French language|French]] and [[English language|English]], but was not fluent in either language.<ref>Mo'ayeri p. 30</ref>

''Hekāyāt Pir o Javān'' ({{lang|fa|حکایت پیر و جوان}}; "The Tale of the Old and the Young") was attributed to him by many; it was one of the first Persian stories written in modern European style.<ref>Mansuri, Kurosh (2006). ''Hekāyāte Pir Va Javān''. Tehran: Motale'at Tarikh. {{ISBN|964-6357-69-5}}</ref>

He also wrote the book ''[[Diary of H.M. the Shah of Persia During His Tour Through Europe in A.D. 1873]]''.

==Family==
[[File:Khalili_Collection_Islamic_Art_laq-0049.jpg|thumb|[[Lacquerware|Lacquer box]] depicting a young Qajar prince, perhaps Naser al-Din Shah before his accession to the throne. Created mid-19th century, [[Isfahan]], possibly by Mohammad Esmail Esfahani]]
'''Consorts'''
* ''[[Galin Khanom|Galin Khanom Falkr al-Molk]]'', daughter of Ahmad Ali Mirza, son of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar;
* Setareh Khanom (div.), from the people of Tabriz;<ref name="s409">{{cite book | last=Amanat | first=Abbas | title=Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831-1896 | publisher=University of California Press | date=1997 | isbn=978-0-520-08321-9 | page=324}}</ref>
* ''Shams od-Dowleh'', daughter of [[Soltan-Ahmad Mirza Azod od-Dowleh|Ahmad Mirza ''Azod al-Dawlah'']], son of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar and Galin Khanom, daughter of Amir Khan Qajar Davallu Sardar;
* [[Taj al-Dawlah|Khujastah Khanum ''Taj al-Dawlah'']] (died {{circa}} 1905), daughter of [[Seyfollah Mirza]] Jahanbani, son of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar;
* Gawhar Malik Khanom ''Turan al-Saltanah'', daughter of Muhammad Hasan Mirza ''Mu'tazid al-Dawlah'', son of Khusraw Mirza and Qamar Taj Khanom;
* ''Surur al-Saltaneh'', daughter of Imam Quli Mirza ''Imad al-Dawlah'', son of Muhammad Ali Mirza Dawlatshahi;
* ''[[Shokouh al-Saltaneh]]'', daughter of Fathollah Mirza ''Shoa al-Sultanah'', son of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar and Shahar Bano Khanom;
* ''Akhtar al-Saltaneh'', daughter of [[Hasan Ali Mirza]], son of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar;
* ''Badr al-Saltaneh'', a Qajar princess;
* Homa Khanom ''Valizadeh'', daughter of Khosrow Khan Ardalan and Hosn-e Jahan Khanom, daughter of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar;
* [[Jeyran (wife of Naser al-Din Shah)|Jeyran Khanom ''Forough al-Saltanah'']] (m. 1851; {{circa}} 1831 – 2 January 1860), daughter of Muhmmad Ali Khan Of Tajrish, a royal gardener;<ref name="q740">{{cite book | last=Scheiwiller | first=Staci Gem | title=Liminalities of Gender and Sexuality in Nineteenth-Century Iranian Photography: Desirous Bodies | publisher=Taylor & Francis | date=Dec 1, 2016 | isbn=978-1-315-51212-9 | page=43}}</ref>
* [[Anis al-Dawla|Fatemeh Sultan Khanom ''Anis al-Dawlah'']] (m. 1859; {{circa}} 1842 – 1 October 1896), sister of Muhammad Hasan ''Mu'azzam al-Dawlah'';
* [[Amina Aqdas|Zubaydah Khanom ''Amina Aqdas'']] (m. 1860; {{circa}} 1840 – 3 August 1891), sister of Mirza Muhammad Khan Malijak;
* [[Fatemeh Sultan Baghbanbashi|Fatemeh Sultan Khanom ''Khanom Bashi'']] (1868 – 1957), daughter of a gardener, and sister of Mah Rukhsar Khanom;
* Mah Rukhsar Khanom, sister of Fatemeh Sultan Khanom ''Khanom Bashi'';<ref name="x246">{{cite book | last=Scheiwiller | first=Staci Gem | title=Liminalities of Gender and Sexuality in Nineteenth-Century Iranian Photography: Desirous Bodies | publisher=Taylor & Francis | date=Dec 1, 2016 | isbn=978-1-315-51212-9 | page=65}}</ref>
* ''Mahbub al-Saltaneh'';
* ''[[Khazen al-Dawlah]]'';
* ''Zinat al-Saltaneh'', daughter of Hassan Khan Salar;
* ''Iffat al-Dawlah'' later ''Iffat al-Saltanah'', daughter of Riza Quli Bayg, Bahman Mirza's servant;
* ''[[Munir al-Saltaneh]]'', daughter of Mohammad Taghi Khan and sister of Mohammad Ebrahim Khan Vazir Nezam ''Nezam ed-Dowleh'';
* Sakineh Soltan Khanom ''Esfahani Kuchak, Vaqar al-Dawlah'', a lady from the people of Isfahan;<ref name="u551">{{cite book | last1=Lambert-Hurley | first1=Siobhan | last2=Majchrowicz | first2=Daniel | last3=Sharma | first3=Sunil | title=Three Centuries of Travel Writing by Muslim Women | publisher=Indiana University Press | date=Aug 2, 2022 | isbn=978-0-253-06205-5 | pages=87, 91}}</ref>
* Nush Afarin Khanom ''Matbu al-Dawlah'', daughter of Ali Murad Khan;
* Marjan Khanom, a Turkoman;
* Bala Khanom Bozurg ''Marahim al-Sultanah'';
* Hajjiyeh Zahra Khanom;<ref name="t133">{{cite book | last=Scheiwiller | first=Staci Gem | title=Women's Agency and Ontology in Nineteenth-Century Iranian Photography: A Mirror for Princesses | publisher=Taylor & Francis | date=May 30, 2025 | isbn=978-1-04-035154-3 | page=116}}</ref><ref name="u551"/>
* Khadija Khanom ''Akhtar Zaman'';
* ''Agha Shahzadah'';
* Khan Zadah Khanom;
* ''Izzat al-Saltaneh'', daughter of Muhammad Ja'far Mirza;
* Khadijah Khanom ''Vaqar al-Saltanah'', daughter of Haji Husayn Ali, a merchant;
* Ayisheh Khanom, sister of Sardar Amjad of Mazandaran and Leyla Khanom;
* Leyla Khanom, sister of Sardar Amjad of Mazandaran and Ayisheh Khanom;
* Ghamar Taj Khanom ''Zighouleh'', sister of ''Saheb-os-Soltan'';
* ''Nadim al-Saltaneh'';
* ''Vajieh al-Dowlah'';
* ''Hormat al-Saltaneh'';
* ''Vaghar al-Saltaneh'';
* Khojasteh Khanom, daughter of Mirza Abdol Motaleb;
* Farangis Khanom, formerly a lady-in-waiting to ''Izzat al-Dawlah'', daughter of [[Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar]];
* Fatemeh Sultan Khanom, from the people of Tehran;
* Roshanak Khanom;<ref name="t133"/>
* Shaukat Khanom;<ref name="t133"/>
* Nuzhat Khanom;<ref name="t133"/>
* Delbar Khanom;<ref name="u551"/><ref name="x862">{{cite journal | last=Bachtin | first=Piotr | title=The Royal Harem of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1848–96): The Literary Portrayal of Women's Lives by Taj al-Saltana and Anonymous 'Lady from Kerman' | journal=Middle Eastern Studies | publisher=Taylor & Francis, Ltd. | volume=51 | issue=6 | year=2015 | issn=0026-3206 | jstor=24585913 | pages=986–1009 | doi=10.1080/00263206.2015.1044897 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/24585913 | access-date=Aug 17, 2025}}</ref>
* Zeynab Khanom, formerly a servant of Amina Aqdas;<ref name="x862"/>
* A daughter of ''Hazrat-e Vala'' Mohammad Hassan Mirza ''Hashmat al-Saltaneh'', ''Hashmat al-Dawlah'';<ref name="x862"/>
<ref name="i463">{{cite web | title=Children of Nasser-ed-Din Shah Qajar (Kadjar) | website=The Qajar (Kadjar) Pages | url=http://www.qajarpages.org/nassereddinchildren.html | access-date=Aug 9, 2025}}</ref><ref name="e279">{{cite web | title= Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar |website=Women's World in Qajar Iran| url=http://www.qajarwomen.org/en/people/169.html | access-date=Aug 9, 2025}}</ref>

'''Sons'''
*Prince Soltan Mahmoud Mirza (1847–1849) [[Vali Ahad]] of Persia, 1849
*Prince Soltan Moin ed-Din Mirza (1849 – 6 November 1856) [[Vali Ahad]] of Persia, 1849–56
*Prince [[Mass'oud Mirza Zell-e Soltan|Soltan Mass'oud Mirza Zell-e Soltan]] (5 January 1850 – 2 July 1918)
*Prince Mohammad-Qassem Mirza (1850 – 29 June 1858) [[Vali Ahad]] of Persia, 1856-8
*Prince Soltan Hossein Mirza Jalal od-Dowleh (1852–1868)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.qajarpages.org/nassereddinchildren.html|title=Children of Nasser-ed-Din Shah Qajar (Kadjar)|website=www.qajarpages.org|accessdate=7 July 2024}}</ref>
*Prince [[Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar|Mozaffar ed-Din Mirza]] (25 March 1853 – 7 January 1907)
*Prince [[Kamran Mirza Nayeb es-Saltaneh|Kamran Mirza Nayeb os-Saltaneh]] (22 July 1856 – 15 April 1929)
*Prince [[Nosrat al-Din Mirza Salar es-Saltaneh|Nosrat ed-Din Mirza Salar os-Saltaneh]] (2 May 1882 – 1954)
*Prince Mohammad-Reza Mirza Rokn os-Saltaneh (30 January 1884 – 8 July 1951)
*Prince Hossein-Ali Mirza Yamin od-Dowleh (1890–1952)
*Prince [[Ahmad Mirza Azd es-Saltaneh|Ahmad Mirza Azd os-Saltaneh]] (1891–1939)

'''Daughters'''
*Princess Afsar od-Dowleh
*Princess Fakhr ol-Moluk (1847 – 9 April 1878)
*Princess [[Ismat al-Doulah]] (1855 – 3 September 1905)
*Princess Zi'a os-Saltaneh (1856 – 11 April 1898)<ref>Zi'a es-Saltaneh married Seyed Zeyn-ol-Abedin Emam Jome'eh. Her daughter, Zia Ashraf Emami married [[Mohammad Mosaddegh]]</ref>
*Princess [[Touran Agha Khanoum Qajar|Fakhr od-Dowleh]] (1861–1893)<ref>Farrokhzad, Pouran. ''Kārnamā-ye Zanān-e Kārā-ye Irān (Az Dīroz tā Emrūz)'' ("Chronicle of Distinguished Iranian Women from Yesterday to Today"). Tehran, 2002</ref>
*Princess Forugh od-Dowleh (1862–1916)
*Princess Eftekhar os-Saltaneh (1880–1941)
*Princess Farah os-Saltaneh (1882 – 17 April 1899)
*Princess [[Tadj al-Saltaneh]] (1883 – 25 January 1936)
*Princess Ezz os-Saltaneh (1888–1982)<ref>Mo'ayeri pp. 16–17</ref>
*Princess Sharafsaltaneh

'''Extended Family'''

[[Jwamer Aga|Jwamer Agha's]] descendants are related to Nasr al-Din Shah Qajar through the marriage of Jwamer's eldest son to 2 Qajar princesses from Naser al-Din Shah Qajar.<ref>Awene Kurdish Article about Jwamer Agha Hamawand in Sorani by Awene</ref><ref>The Royal Harem of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1848–96): The Literary Portrayal of Women's Lives by Taj al-Saltana and Anonymous 'Lady from Kerman'</ref><ref>"Crowning Anguish: Memoirs of a Persian Princess from the Harem to Modernity" by Taj al-Saltaneh</ref> Thus they bear the title of Princess of Qajar.

==Honours==
[[File:Nasser-ed-Din Shah.jpg|thumb|The Shah in a diamond studded uniform. He often wore the famous [[Daria-i-Noor|Darya-ye Noor]].]]

===Persian===
* Founder of the Imperial Order of the August Portrait, ''1848''<ref name="qajarorders">{{citation | url = http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Persia/Orders/portrait.htm | title = Nishan-i-Tamtal-i-Humayun – The Decoration of the Imperial Portrait | website = The Qajar dynasty orders & decorations | author-first = Christopher | author-last = Buyers | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20030423003317/http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Persia/Orders/portrait.htm | access-date = 2021-08-30| archive-date = 23 April 2003 }}</ref>
* Founder of the [[Order of Zolfaghar|Decoration of the Commander of the Faithful]], ''November 1856''<ref name="qajarorders"/>
* Founder of the [[Neshan-e Aqdas|Imperial Order of the Aqdas]], ''1870''<ref>{{cite book | author-last = Gritzner|author-first = Maximilian |author-link=Maximilian Gritzner | title = Handbuch der Ritter- und Verdienstorden aller Kulturstaaten der Welt | publisher = Holzminden Reprint-Verlag | location = Leipzig | year = 2000 | pages = 327–334| isbn = 9783826207051 | language = de}}</ref>
* Founder of the [[Order of Aftab|Imperial Order of the Sun for Ladies]], ''1873''<ref name="qajarorders"/>

===Foreign===
* [[Austrian Empire]]: Grand Cross of the [[Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary|Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen]], in Brilliants, ''1859''<ref>{{citation|chapter-url=https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1895&size=45&page=302|chapter=Ritter-Orden: Königlich-ungarischer St. Stephans-Orden|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie|date=1895|access-date=29 August 2021|page=[https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1895&page=303&size=45 66]}}</ref>
* [[Grand Duchy of Baden]]:<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden'' (1896), "Großherzogliche Orden" [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1878737 pp. 63], [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1878751 77]</ref>
** Knight of the [[House Order of Fidelity]], ''1889''
** Knight of the [[Order of Berthold the First]], ''1889''
* [[Kingdom of Bavaria]]: Knight of the [[Order of Saint Hubert]], ''1889''<ref>''Hof- und - Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern'' (1890), "Königliche Orden". [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx3e6p&view=1up&seq=37 p. 9]</ref>
* [[Belgium]]: Grand Cordon of the [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]] (military), ''4 August 1857''<ref>{{Citation |title=Almanach Royal Officiel |page=50 |date=1858 |chapter=Liste des Membres de l'Ordre de Léopold |chapter-url=https://archives.bruxelles.be/almanach/watch/AR/ALMANACH%20ROYAL%20OFFICIEL_1858_R%20208/ALMANACH%20ROYAL%20OFFICIEL_1858_R%20208#page/25 |language=french |via=Archives de Bruxelles}}</ref>
* [[Second French Empire|French Empire]]: Grand Cross of the [[Legion d'Honneur]], ''1855''
* [[Kingdom of Italy]]:
** Knight of the [[Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation]], ''13 April 1861''<ref name="dell'interno1884">{{cite book|author=Italia : Ministero dell'interno|title=Calendario generale del Regno d'Italia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nI42-d6rlRQC&pg=PR1|year=1884|publisher=Unione tipografico-editrice|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=nI42-d6rlRQC&pg=PA47 47]}}</ref>
** Grand Cross of the [[Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus]], ''1862''
* [[Netherlands]]: Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Netherlands Lion]], ''1868''
* [[Ottoman Empire]]:
** [[Order of Osmanieh]], 1st Class, ''1880''
** [[Order of Glory (Ottoman Empire)|Order of Glory]], ''1880''
* [[Kingdom of Prussia]]:<ref name="prus">{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste|journal=Preussische Ordens-Liste|volume=1|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878864&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|pages=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878864&view=1up&seq=15&skin=2021 11], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878864&view=1up&seq=38&skin=2021 34]|language=German|location=Berlin|year=1877}}</ref>
** Knight of the [[Order of the Black Eagle]], ''12 January 1860''; in Brilliants, ''1873''
** Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Red Eagle]], in Brilliants, ''9 June 1873''
* [[Russian Empire]]:
** Knight of the [[Order of the White Eagle (Russia)|Imperial Order of the White Eagle]], ''1838''
** Knight of the [[Order of St. Andrew|Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle the First-called]], ''1873''
** Knight of the [[Order of St. Alexander Nevsky|Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky]], ''1873''
** Knight of the [[Order of St. Anna|Imperial Order of Saint Anna]], 1st Class, ''1873''
** Knight of the [[Order of Saint Stanislaus (House of Romanov)|Imperial Order of Saint Stanislaus]], 1st Class, ''1873''
* [[Sweden-Norway]]: Knight of the [[Royal Order of the Seraphim]], ''7 March 1890''<ref>{{citation|title=Sveriges statskalender|year=1895|url=https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/62170/1/gupea_2077_62170_1.pdf|accessdate=29 August 2021|page=406|language=sv|via=gupea.ub.gu.se}}</ref>
* [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]: Stranger Knight Companion of the [[Most Noble Order of the Garter]], ''26 June 1873''<ref name=p65>Wm. A. Shaw, ''The Knights of England'', Volume I (London, 1906) [https://archive.org/stream/cu31924092537418#page/n153/mode/2up p. 65]</ref>
* [[Kingdom of Württemberg]]: Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Crown (Württemberg)|Order of the Württemberg Crown]], ''1889''<ref name="Landesamt1894">{{cite book|author=Württemberg (Kingdom). Statistisches Landesamt|title=Staatshandbuch für Württemberg|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dv2pWrDo9aYC&pg=PP3|year=1894|publisher=Druck von W. Kohlhammer|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=dv2pWrDo9aYC&pg=PA29 29]}}</ref>

==List of premiers==
[[File:The king of Persia (Naser al-Din Shah Qajar) sitting on a horse with his entourage of officers, bodyguards, footmen and executioners around him. Gouache painting by an Persian artist.jpg|thumb|Naser al-Din Shah Qajar sitting on a horse with his entourage of officers, bodyguards, footmen and executioners around him.]]
*[[Amir Kabir]] (1848–1851) 
*[[Mirza Aqa Khan Nuri]] (1851–1858) 
*''Post abolished'' (1858–1871)
*[[Mirza Hosein Khan Sepahsalar]] (1871–1873) 
*[[Mirza Yusuf Ashtiani]] (1873–1880) (''1st time'') 
*[[Kamran Mirza Nayeb es-Saltaneh|Prince Kamran Mirza]] (1880–1885) 
*Mirza Yousof Khan Ashtiani (1885–1887) (''2nd time'') 
*[[Mirza Ali Asghar Khan Amin al-Soltan]] (1887–1896) (''1st time'')

==Fictional depictions==
* Naser al-Din Shah is played by [[Bahram Radan]] in 2022 tv series ''[[Jeyran (TV series)|Jeyran]]''.
* Naser al-Din Shah is depicted in 1976 TV series ''[[Soltan-e Sahebgharan]]'' and also in 1984 TV series ''Amir Kabir''.
* He is also depicted in 1992 movie ''Nassereddin Shah, Actor-e Cinema'' ([[Once Upon a Time, Cinema]]) written and directed by [[Mohsen Makhmalbaf]] and 1984 ''[[Kamalolmolk (film)|Kamal ol-Molk]]'' directed by [[Ali Hatami]].
* He was the inspiration for the main character of the novel ''De koning'', published in 2011, and the novel ''Salam Europa!'', published in 2016, by the [[Iranians in the Netherlands|Persian–Dutch]] writer [[Kader Abdolah]].
* It can be inferred from the time period and historical references that Naser al-Din Shah is depicted in the 1990 novel [[Phantom (Kay novel)|Phantom]] by Susan Kay which explores the life of the titular character in Gaston Leroux's [[The Phantom of the Opera (novel)|The Phantom of the Opera]].
* In animation form his life depicted by Beate Petersen in ''Nasseredin Shah and his 84 wives'' at 2011.
* Joseph Roth: The tale of the 1002nd night: a novel (1939).

<gallery>
File:Musicians and dancers at the Court of Nasser-al-Din.jpg|Musicians and dancers at the Court of Naser-al-Din Shah.
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em|content=*[[Amir Kabir]]
*[[Anglo-Persian War]]
*[[Attempts at Constitutionalization in Iran]]
*[[Austro-Hungarian Military Mission in Persia]]
*[[Bábism|Bábi Movement]]
*[[Imperial Bank of Persia]]
*[[Jakob Eduard Polak]]
*[[Joseph Tholozan]]
*[[Naser al-Din Shah's slide]]
*[[Order of Aftab]]
*[[Persian Cossack Brigade]]
*[[Prix d'Ispahan]]
*[[Qajar family tree]]
*[[The Great Game]]
*[[Tobacco Protest]]
*[[Treaty of Paris (1857)|Treaty of Paris]]
*[[Treaty of Akhal]]}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book
| last = Amanat
| first = Abbas
| year = 2004
| title = Pivot of the universe
| publisher = Karnameh
| location = Tehran
| isbn = 964-431-049-7
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Clay
| first = Catrine
| year = 2006
| title = King, Kaiser, Tsar
| publisher = John Murray
| location = London
| isbn = 978-0-7195-6536-6
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Mo'ayeri
| first = Dustali
| year = 1982
| title = Some notes from private life of Nasser al-Din Shah
| publisher = Nashr-e Tarikh-e Iran
| location = Tehran
}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal |last1=Charouz |first1=Ladislav |title=Naser al-Din Shah's 1873 Visit to the World's Fair in Vienna |journal=Iran: Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies |date=2022 |volume=60 |issue=1 |pages=135–147 |doi=10.1080/05786967.2020.1762503}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Grobien |first1=Philip Henning |title=Modernity, Borders and Maps: Iran's Ability to Advocate for its Borders During the Reign of Naser al-Din Shah |journal=Iran: Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies |date=2023 |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=285–298 |doi=10.1080/05786967.2021.1895672|s2cid=233775219 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{EB1911 poster|Nasr-ed-Din}}
*[http://www.qajarpages.org/nassereddinshah.html Nasser-al-Din Shah's Portrait]
*[https://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi590716185/ Nasseredin Shah and his 84 wives]
*[http://www.iranian.com/Pictory/qajar.html His visit to England(select from list)]
*[http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Middle_East/Iran////photo1048940.htm Statue of Nasseredin Shah] in [[Golestan Palace]]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071007021343/http://iranjoa.com/iranjoa14/golestan/english/pic12.htm Side view of Nasser-al-Din Shah's marble tombstone]
*[http://Irancollection.alborzi.com/ Coins, banknotes and medals of Qajar period] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126095027/http://irancollection.alborzi.com/ |date=26 January 2021 }}
*''Window on an Era: A Qajar Royal Album''. Selected photographs from a private album of Nasser al-Din Shah, with an introduction by [[Kaveh Golestan]], [https://web.archive.org/web/20071016104603/http://kargah.com/history_of_iranian_photography/window_on_an_era/index.php?other=1 ''Kargah'']
*Mohammad-Reza Tahmasbpoor, ''History of Iranian Photography: Early Photography in Iran'', Iranian Artists' site, [https://web.archive.org/web/20071016104449/http://kargah.com/history_of_iranian_photography/early/index.php?other=1 ''Kargah'']
*''History of Iranian Photography. Postcards in Qajar Period'', photographs provided by Bahman Jalali, Iranian Artists' site, [https://web.archive.org/web/20071016104554/http://kargah.com/history_of_iranian_photography/postcards/index.php?other=1 ''Kargah''].
*''History of Iranian Photography. Women as Photography Model: Qajar Period'', photographs provided by Bahman Jalali, Iranian Artists' site, [https://web.archive.org/web/20071011111127/http://kargah.com/history_of_iranian_photography/qajarwomen/index.php?other=1 ''Kargah''].
* Sir James William Redhouse, ''The Diary of H.M. the Shah of Persia during His Tour through Europe in A.D. 1873'', A Verbatim Translation (John Murray, London, 1874), [https://archive.org/details/diaryofhmshahofp00nasiuoft ''Internet Archive''] (Digitized by Robarts at [[University of Toronto]]).
* Sir Albert Houtum Schidler and Baron Louis de Norman, ''A Diary Kept by His Majesty the Shah of Persia during His Journey to Europe in 1878'', in English (Richard Bentley & Son, London, 1879), [https://archive.org/details/adiarykeptbyhis00normgoog ''Internet Archive''] (Digitized by Google).
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090423035640/http://www.yadegaran.com/ Photos of qajar kings]

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[Qajar dynasty]]|16 July|1831|1 May|1896}}
{{s-roy|ir|}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Mohammad Shah Qajar]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[List of monarchs of Persia|Shah of Iran]]| years = 1848–1896}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Qajar Dynasty}}{{Qajar princes}}{{Iran-United Kingdom relations}}

{{Persian Constitutional Revolution Persions}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Qajar, Nasser Al-Din Shah}}
[[Category:1831 births]]
[[Category:1896 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century monarchs of Persia]]
[[Category:Qajar monarchs|Nasser Al-Din]]
[[Category:Murdered Persian monarchs]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Iran]]
[[Category:People murdered in Iran]]
[[Category:People of the Persian Constitutional Revolution]]
[[Category:People from Tabriz]]
[[Category:Assassinated Iranian politicians]]
[[Category:People of the Anglo-Persian War]]
[[Category:Iranian photographers]]
[[Category:19th-century monarchs in the Middle East]]
[[Category:19th-century photographers]]
[[Category:19th-century murdered monarchs]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia)]]
[[Category:Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Extra Knights Companion of the Garter]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (House of Romanov)]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class]]
[[Category:Iranian slave owners]]
[[Category:Assassinated heads of state in Asia]]
[[Category:Politicians assassinated in the 1890s]]
[[Category:Children of Mohammad Shah Qajar]]
[[Category:People murdered in 1896]]
[[Category:Burials at Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine]]