The Qajar Empire of Iran: 1789 - 1925 Quiz

Answer: Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan has only been separated from Iran since the beginning of the 19th century, via the Russo-Persian Wars.

Although the Qajars had their lands of present-day Azerbaijan, they did not fully take control of Iran until the death of the last shah of the Zand dynasty.

Answer: Lotf Ali Khan

As the son of Jafar Khan, Lotf Ali Khan inherited the Iranian throne in 1789. The Zand dynasty had seen a lot of turmoil and infighting amongst the chiefs, after the death of the founder of the Zand dynasty, Karim Khan Zand, in 1779.

Many were disillusioned with the Zand dynasty. Karim Khan Zand was regarded as benevolent - a tough act to follow. Mohammad Khan Qaja quickly gathered followers with his charisma.

Lotf Ali Khan was tortured in Tehran where he died under arrest, in 1794.

Answer: Afsharid dynasty

Mashhad is the capital city of modern-day Iran's Razavi Khorasan Province, in the north-east of the country.

After overthrowing the Afsharid dynasty in 1796, Mohammad Khan Qajar was able to restore Iranian power over the Georgian areas. This was until these territories were completely lost to Imperial Russia over the 19th century.

Answer: Battle of Krtsanisi

Mohammad Khan Qajar waged war on Georgia. This was in response to King Heraclius II of Georgia allying Georgia with the Russian Empire. The Battle of Krtsanisi resulted in defeat for the Georgians, their capital, Tblisi ransacked and destroyed. Eastern parts of Georgia were also temporarily taken over by Qajar Iran.

The hold on Georgia would not last for long: in 1797, Mohammad Khan Qajar was assassinated in his tent, in the city of Shusha. King Heraclius II of Georgia died around a year after. With Qajar Iran dealing with the issue of Mohammad Khan Qajar's successor, and Georgia still recovering from the battle, it was easy for Russia to annex Georgia some years later, under the reign of Tsar Paul.

Answer: Fath-Ali Shah Qajar

Fath-Ali Shah Qajar was the nephew of Mohammad Khan Qajar, the first shah of Qajar Iran. He ruled Iran from 1797 until his death in around 1834.

During his reign, Iran completely lost several territories to Russia, including what is now Azerbaijan, Armenia, Dagestan and Georgia.

Answer: Naser al-Din Shah

Naser al-Din Shah was the first Persian shah to be photographed. He was a patron of photography, and happily arranged to be the subject of a photograph hundreds of times. He also saw the use of photography for political purposes, taking photographs that flattered and re-defined the national identity of Iran.

Naser al-Din was partial to reformist ideas, however his rule was a dictatorship. Under his orders thousands of followers of Bábism (an old Abrahamic religion) were massacred.

Answer: Fath Ali Shah and Abbas Mirza

Fath Ali Shah Qajar's harem contained 160 wives. They bore him 60 sons and 48 daughters who survived into adulthood. It is calculated that he had around 700 children and grandchildren by the time of his death in 1834.

Abbas Mirza was one of Fath Ali Shah's sons, and his line although smaller than his father's, still produced 26 sons and 22 daughters, who together in time crafted a more powerful branch of the royal lineage.

Answer: Mohammad Khan Qajar

As a young adult, Mohammad Khan Qajar was captured by Adel Shah Afshar, of the Afsharid Shah of Iran. He was castrated as a result of his capture, and hence had no children to pass the throne to once he had died.

Mohammad Khan Qajar was succeeded by his nephew.

Answer: Sayyed ʻAli Muḥammad Shirazi

Sayyed ʻAli Muḥammad Shirazi, or simply Ali Muhammad, was a descendent of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. He was a Sayyid, which is a title bestowed upon those who are accepted as descendants of Muhammad, through the grandsons of his daughter Fatima, and Ali who was Muhammad's cousin.

Now referring to himself as "the Báb," Ali Muhammad found 18 disciples who believed in him within five months. He called them "Letters of the Living." Some of these people died in the Battle of Fort Tabarsi, and are considered martyrs in Bábism. This battle took place between 1848-1849, with the Bábis eventually surrendering due to starvation upon being driven into their fort. This happened in what is now the Mazandaran Province of Iran.

Answer: Amir Kabir

Although the execution took place under the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, the order for the execution order was given by Prime Minister Amir Kabir.

Amir Kabir was the chief minister to Naser al-Din for the first three years of his rule. He saw the adherents to Bábism as a threat, and oppressed them. He not only ordered the execution of the religion's founder, he ordered the execution of the Seven Martyrs of Tehran, having them all publicly beheaded in 1850, for refusing to deny their faith.

In 1850, he would also have Bábism's founder executed by firing squad. The first Báb was charged with apostasy, which resulted in his death - an execution that has proved challenging to historians. One thing that is agreed on, is that the night before the execution, a young follower of the religion (usually referred to as "Anis ") threw himself at the Báb's feet, asking for martyrdom with him. The guards obliged.

Almost 10,00o people were present for the Báb and Anis' execution. The shots were fired, but the Báb was suddenly nowhere to be seen. This is still proclaimed as proof of the Báb's divinity in the Baháʼí Faith, the progression of Bábism in the modern era. Some accounts state he was found in the barracks, dragged back and shot again, killing him. Some say the guards found him elsewhere in the grounds of Tabriz courtyard (which is now the ruins of the Arg of Tabriz). All accounts state that he was killed the second time the guards fired at him.

One letter from Sir Justin Sheil who witnessed the execution, stated "His death, according to the belief of his disciples, will make no difference as Báb must always exist." - the bizarreness of his execution, would certainly have fanned the claims of his divinity."

Answer: Persian Tobacco Protest

The 1890 Persian Tobacco Protest was a Shia Muslim rebellion in Iran, born out of anger at the tobacco concessions approved by Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar. He had granted the United Kingdom full control over the export, production and sale of Iranian tobacco, for fifty years in return for £15,000 a year, which was just under £2 million a year, by today's standards.

Persian merchants (or "bazaaris") and farmers were furious, and protested throughout the country. This culminated in a fatwa (a judgement on a point of Islamic law, given by a credible Islamic authority) being issued by Grand Ayatollah Mirza Hassan Shirazi, a celebrated and venerated Shia leader of the time. His fatwa stated that consuming, cultivating or selling tobacco was haram (forbidden). This even had an effect on the shah, his wives refused to let him smoke and his servants refused to prepare his tobacco pipe.

The shah was forced to cancel the concessions to Britain. This was grossly embarrassing for him, and it hurt him very much financially. This left Iran in desperation, accepting a loan from Russia and financially indebting itself to the Russian Empire.

Answer: Zahra Khanom Tadj es-Saltaneh

Zahra Khanom Tadj es-Saltaneh was an outspoken feminist and campaigner for women's rights in Iran around the 1910s onwards. She was the first Iranian woman of the time to not wear a veil in court. She wrote memoirs criticizing Qajar society and how Iranian women were oppressed.

To organise her meetings secretly, she told her children and grandchildren she was attending religious ceremonies.

Answer: Treaty of Paris

The Treaty of Paris of 1857. Ambassador Farrokh Khan dealt with the negotiations from the Persian side. Qajar Iran agreed to withdraw from the city of Herat, Afghanistan, and apologise to the British ambassador.

The British, in turn, agreed to not house enemies of the Shah of Iran.

Answer: Ahmad Shah Qajar

Ahmad Shah succeeded his father, Mohammad-Ali Shah, to the throne of Iran in 1909. His father was removed by the Iranian parliament. Because of his young age when this happened, his uncle Ali Reza Khan acted as regent until he was old enough to make his own decisions on the throne.

There was a coup against Ahmad Shah Qajar in 1921, which disturbed him and weakened his power. In 1923, he left Iran for health reasons. While he was in Europe, the Qajar dynasty was formally terminated. This turned his health-related trip to Europe into exile. He died in 1930 in France.

Answer: Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine

While visiting the Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine in the city of Rey, Iran, in 1896, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar was shot by a man named Mirza Reza Kermani, a follower of Assad Abadi. The gun used was old and worn, and had the shah been wearing a thicker coat, or had he been further away, he may have survived. The shah was buried in this tomb around 6 months later. The man who assassinated him was executed.

Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine also contains the tomb of Sayyid al-Karim, a renowned Shia imam.