How to Found a New Dynasty: The Early Qajarsâ Quest for Legitimacy
In: Journal of Persianate StudiesSearch for other papers by Nobuaki Kondo in
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Abstract
This paper focuses on how early Qajars established their rule and legitimacy. At first, ÄqÄ Mohammad KhÄn, the first shah, imitated other rulers since NÄder ShÄh, such as Mohammad-Hasan KhÄn QÄjÄr, ÄzÄd KhÄn AfghÄn, and Karim KhÄn Zand, in his coins and documents. Like his predecessors, he also tried to install a Safavid prince at Tehran as a puppet ruler. However, following his official coronation and his conquest of Iran, he changed the format of his royal edicts and issued extraordinarily heavy gold coins. Nevertheless, neither ÄqÄ Mohammad KhÄn nor his successors created an official genealogy to legitimize their rule, instead modifying a genealogical tree of Ottoman origin to juxtapose their names alongside those of other royal families without connecting themselves directly to Biblical or Qurʾanic ancestors. The early Qajar case reveals new methods of establishing dynastic legitimacy which differed from the approach of earlier dynasties in the Persianate world.
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How to Found a New Dynasty: The Early Qajarsâ Quest for Legitimacy
In: Journal of Persianate StudiesSearch for other papers by Nobuaki Kondo in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
This paper focuses on how early Qajars established their rule and legitimacy. At first, ÄqÄ Mohammad KhÄn, the first shah, imitated other rulers since NÄder ShÄh, such as Mohammad-Hasan KhÄn QÄjÄr, ÄzÄd KhÄn AfghÄn, and Karim KhÄn Zand, in his coins and documents. Like his predecessors, he also tried to install a Safavid prince at Tehran as a puppet ruler. However, following his official coronation and his conquest of Iran, he changed the format of his royal edicts and issued extraordinarily heavy gold coins. Nevertheless, neither ÄqÄ Mohammad KhÄn nor his successors created an official genealogy to legitimize their rule, instead modifying a genealogical tree of Ottoman origin to juxtapose their names alongside those of other royal families without connecting themselves directly to Biblical or Qurʾanic ancestors. The early Qajar case reveals new methods of establishing dynastic legitimacy which differed from the approach of earlier dynasties in the Persianate world.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1342 | 175 | 17 |
| Full Text Views | 120 | 21 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 226 | 39 | 2 |
