| Qajar dynasty | |
|---|---|
| Parent house | Qoyunlu line of Qajars tribe |
| Country | Sublime State of Persia |
| Founded | 1789 |
| Founder | Agha Mohammad Shah (1789–1797) |
| Final ruler | Ahmad Shah (1909–1925) |
| Titles | Shah of Iran |
| Deposition | 1925 |
| Cadet branches | Bahmani family |
The Qajar dynasty (
listen (help·info); Persian: دودمان قاجار Dudmân-e Qâjâr, Azerbaijani: Qacarlar قاجارلار)[a] was an Iranian[1] royal dynasty of Turkic origin,[2][3][4][5] specifically from the Qajar tribe, ruling over Iran from 1789 to 1925.[6][7] The Qajar family took full control of Iran in 1794, deposing Lotf 'Ali Khan, the last Shah of the Zand dynasty, and re-asserted Iranian sovereignty over large parts of the Caucasus. In 1796, Mohammad Khan Qajar seized Mashhad with ease,[8] putting an end to the Afsharid dynasty, and Mohammad Khan was formally crowned as Shah after his punitive campaign against Iran's Georgian subjects.[9] In the Caucasus, the Qajar dynasty permanently lost many of Iran's integral areas[10] to the Russians over the course of the 19th century, comprising modern-day eastern Georgia, Dagestan, Azerbaijan and Armenia.[11]
Iran’s international trade developed speedily during the Qajar dynasty. From 1800 and 1914, the total value of imports and exports was estimated to have grown from some 2.5 million to 20 million pounds sterling (at 2015 rates).[12]
| Name | Portrait | Title | Born-Died | Entered office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohammad Khan Qajar | Khan[13] Shah[13] |
1742–1797 | 1789[14] | 17 June 1797 | |
| 2 | Fat′h-Ali Shah Qajar | Shahanshah[13] Khaqan[13] |
1772–1834 | 17 June 1797 | 23 October 1834 | |
| 3 | Mohammad Shah Qajar | Khaqan son of Khaqan[13] | 1808–1848 | 23 October 1834 | 5 September 1848 | |
| 4 | Naser al-Din Shah Qajar | Zell'ollah (Shadow of God [on earth])[13] Qebleh-ye 'ālam (Pivot of the Universe)[13] Islampanah (Refuge of Islam)[13] |
1831–1896 | 5 September 1848 | 1 May 1896 | |
| 5 | Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar | 1853–1907 | 1 May 1896 | 3 January 1907 | ||
| 6 | Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar | 1872–1925 | 3 January 1907 | 16 July 1909 | ||
| 7 | Ahmad Shah Qajar | 1898–1930 | 16 July 1909 | 31 October 1925 | ||
The Qajar Imperial Family in exile is currently headed by the eldest descendant of Mohammad Ali Shah, Sultan Mohammad Ali Mirza Qajar, while the Heir Presumptive to the Qajar throne is Mohammad Hassan Mirza II, the grandson of Mohammad Hassan Mirza, Sultan Ahmad Shah's brother and heir. Mohammad Hassan Mirza died in England in 1943, having proclaimed himself shah in exile in 1930 after the death of his brother in France.
Today, the descendants of the Qajars often identify themselves as such and hold reunions to stay socially acquainted through the Kadjar (Qajar) Family Association,[15] often coinciding with the annual conferences and meetings of the International Qajar Studies Association (IQSA). The Kadjar (Qajar) Family Association was founded for a third time in 2000. Two earlier family associations were stopped because of political pressure. The offices and archives of IQSA are housed at the International Museum for Family History in Eijsden.
The shah and his consort were styled Imperial Majesty. Their children were addressed as Imperial Highness, while male-line grandchildren were entitled to the lower style of Highness; all of them bore the title of Shahzadeh or Shahzadeh Khanoum.[16]
The headship of the Imperial Family is inherited by the eldest male descendant of Mohammad Ali Shah.
The Heir Presumptive is the Qajar heir to the Persian throne.
Religion
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Main article: Qajar dynasty family tree |
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Main article: Mothers of Qajar Shahs |
