QAJAR DYNASTY

the ruling dynasty of Iran from 1794 to 1925. In 1779, following the death of Mohammad Karim Khan Zand, the Zand dynasty ruler of southern Iran, Agha Mohammad Khan (reigned 177997), a leader of the Turkmen Qajar tribe, set out to reunify Iran. By 1794 he had eliminated all his rivals, including Lotf 'Ali Khan, the last of the Zand dynasty, and had reasserted Iranian sovereignty over the former Iranian territories in Georgia and the Caucasus. In 1796 he was formally crowned as shah, or emperor. Agha Mohammad was assassinated in 1797 and was succeeded by his nephew, Fath 'Ali Shah (reigned 17971834). Fath 'Ali attempted to maintain Iran's sovereignty over its new territories, but he was disastrously defeated by Russia in two wars (180413, 182628) and thus lost Georgia, Armenia, and northern Azerbaijan. Fath 'Ali's reign saw increased diplomatic contacts with the West and the beginning of intense European diplomatic rivalries over Iran. He was succeeded in 1834 by his grandson Mohammad, who fell under the influence of Russia and made two unsuccessful attempts to capture Herat. When Mohammad Shah died in 1848 the succession passed to his son Naser od-Din (reigned 184896), who proved to be the ablest and most successful of the Qajar sovereigns. During his reign Western science, technology, and educational methods were introduced into Iran and the country's modernization was begun. Naser od-Din Shah exploited the mutual distrust between Great Britain and Russia to preserve Iran's independence. When Naser was assassinated by a fanatic in 1896, the crown passed to his son Mozaffar od-Din Shah (reigned 18961907), a weak and incompetent ruler who was forced in 1906 to grant a constitution that called for some curtailment of monarchial power. His son Mohammad 'Ali Shah (reigned 190709), with the aid of Russia, attempted to rescind the constitution and abolish parliamentary government. In so doing he aroused such opposition that he was deposed in 1909, the throne being taken by his son. Ahmad Shah (reigned 190925), who succeeded to the throne at age 11, proved to be pleasure-loving, effete, and incompetent and was unable to preserve the integrity of Iran or the fate of his dynasty. The occupation of Iran during World War I (191418) by Russian, British, and Ottoman troops was a blow from which Ahmad Shah never effectively recovered. With a coup d'tat in February 1921, Reza Khan (ruled as Reza Shah Pahlavi, 192541) became the preeminent political personality in Iran; Ahmad Shah was formally deposed by the majlis (national consultative assembly) in October 1925 while he was absent in Europe, and that assembly declared the rule of the Qajar dynasty to be terminated.