About
Nassereddine Shah, the fourth sovereign of the Qajar dynasty, ruled Iran from 1848 to 1896. His long reign was marked by modernizing reforms, particularly under his prime minister Amir Kabir, who founded the first Western-style school (Dār ul-Funun) and introduced the telegraph. He was the first Persian monarch to visit Europe, undertaking three sumptuous journeys in 1873, 1878, and 1889. A passionate photographer, he helped popularize the art in Iran. His grant of a tobacco monopoly concession to a British company in 1890 sparked a national boycott and a fatwa, an event widely regarded as the origin of modern Iranian nationalism. He was assassinated in 1896 by a follower of Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī.
* 1831-07-16 — † 1896-05-01
Major works
- Dār ul-Funun (1851)school
Key milestones
- 1848Ascends to the throne of Iran on September 5, 1848.
- 1857Signs the Treaty of Paris, ending the Anglo-Persian War.
- 1896Assassinated by Mirzā Rezā Kermāni on May 1, 1896.
Themes
Modernizing reformsPhotographyIranian nationalismTravels to EuropeForeign concessions
Sources: britannica.com · catdir.loc.gov