Qajar Royal Succession: the Case of Muzaffar Al-Din Mirza
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QAJAR ROYAL SUCCESSION: THE CASE OF MUZAFFAR AL-DIN MIRZA by Latifeh E. Hagigi A dissertation submitted to the faculty of The University of Utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Middle East Studies / History Department of Languages and Literature The University of Utah December 2012 Copyright © Latifeh E. Hagigi 2012 All Rights Reserved The University of Utah Graduate School STATEMENT OF DISSERTATION APPROVAL The dissertation of Latifeh E. Hagigi has been approved by the following supervisory committee members: Michel Mazzaoui , Chair 11/14/2007 Date Approved Amin Banani , Member 11/14/2007 Date Approved Mehdi Marashi , Member 11/14/2007 Date Approved Peter von Sivers , Member 11/14/2007 Date Approved Bernard Weiss , Member 11/14/2007 Date Approved and by Fernando Rubio , Chair of the Department of Languages and Literature and by Charles A. Wight, Dean of The Graduate School. ABSTRACT From the earliest times, ancient Iranian myths and legends addressed the tradition of royal succession. As monarchical rule continued throughout pre- and post-Islamic history, succession remained an important component of affairs of the court. It was critical for kings to designate heirs to the throne if their legacy was to endure. However, as most Iranian dynasties were tribal in origin, succession of a ruling family was often attained after intense struggles with rivaling branches of the same tribe. Policies related to succession were developed in order to keep a balance between family members. The Qajars, who seized power as a tribe in 1786, also faced challenges with respect to the tradition of succession. This study deals with how the tradition of succession developed during the Qajar period. It primarily focuses on the case of Muzaffar al-Din Mirza, addressing the turbulent events leading to his appointment as governor of the province of Azarbaijan (1861-1896) and as crown prince the following year. In addition to internal factors such as familial rivalries and court intrigue, the Qajars faced the external factor of an ever- increasing foreign intervention in nearly all of the country’s affairs. Succession became a bone of contention mainly between Britain, Russia and France. The political manipulation these powers resorted to came to a head during the early period of Nasir al- Din Shah’s reign (1848-1896). Therefore, this study addresses the complex internal and external forces that eventually led to Muzaffar al-Din Mirza’s appointment as a provincial governor and finally heir apparent. Furthermore, it examines how, with the arrival of modernity and technologies such as the telegraph, Nasir al-Din Shah was able to centralize his power, and how Muzaffar al-Din Mirza consequently was able to preserve his position as crown prince and governor for thirty-five years and eventually to ascend the throne (1896). The study concludes with an overview of Qajar royal succession after the heir apparency of Muzaffar al-Din Mirza. Although their cases were neither as complicated nor as tumultuous as that of Muzaffar al-Din Mirza, the final heir apparents of the Qajar dynasty were selected by the same traditions as those established at the very beginning of the dynasty’s rule. iv To my parents for their unfailing enthusiasm for my work: to the memory of my mother, who long wished to see the fruits of my research, and to my father, for his continuing support of all my endeavors. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION .................................................................................. viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 Tradition of Succession in Iranian History ......................................................... 6 Notes on Qajar Historiography and Sources ..................................................... 17 Overview of the Chapters ................................................................................. 25 Notes ................................................................................................................. 29 II. THE QAJAR TRADITION OF SUCCESSION ...................................................... 37 Introductory Remarks ....................................................................................... 37 Conditions of Succession and the Assigned Duty of the Heir Apparent .......... 41 The Qajar Tradition in Practice ......................................................................... 52 Notes ................................................................................................................. 74 III. NASIR AL-DIN SHAH’S HEIR APPARENTS: MUZAFFAR AL-DIN MIRZA’S PREDECESSORS ................................................................................... 86 Introductory Remarks ....................................................................................... 86 The First Two Heir Apparents of Nasir al-Din Shah ........................................ 88 The Third Heir Apparent: Amir Muhammad Qasim Mirza .............................. 90 Notes ............................................................................................................... 127 IV. MUZAFFAR AL-DIN MIRZA: THE FOURTH AND FINAL HEIR APPARENT ............................................................................................................ 140 Introductory Remarks ..................................................................................... 140 Birth and Family Lineage ............................................................................... 142 The Years in Tehran (1269-1277/1853-1861) ................................................ 144 Amir Muhammad Qasim Mirza’s Death to Muzaffar al-Din Mirza’s Appointment as Heir Apparent (1274-1278/1858-1862) ................................ 175 Epilogue .......................................................................................................... 193 Notes ............................................................................................................... 201 V. CONCLUDING REMARKS .................................................................................. 229 Main Observations and Conclusions .............................................................. 230 The Continuation of the Tradition through the Post-Qajar Period ................. 240 Contributions and Implications for Further Studies and Understandings ............................................................................................... 242 Notes ............................................................................................................... 245 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................... 247 NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION The transliteration system used in this study is that of the International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies without diacritical marks and with some modifications. The letter cayn is represented by the sign / c /and hamza by the sign / ’ /. Silent h in Persian is transliterated / a /, as in the word nama, with the exception of words such as bih and kih. The letter vav is transliterated as / v /, with both Persian and Arabic words, as in the word vali. The dipthongs are transliterated / aw / as in dawlat and / ay / as in shaykh. The Persian izafa is transliterated as / i /, as in khatirat-i dust, or / yi / as in safarnama-yi Shah. In the case of proper names, the izafa is not represented, but in some cases it is represented in titles, such as Mahd-i cUlya. In the bibliography, long / ǎ / is indicated with the diacritical mark to distinguish it from short / a /. Words that have entered the English language, such as “bazaar,” are represented by the English common spelling. Some proper names widely used in the West, particularly those of authors, institutions, and places, are left in their familiar form under alternate spellings that do not conform to this transliteration system. Primary sources from the Qajar period provide dates according to the Islamic lunar calendar (qamari). In the few cases where dates are in accordance with the Persian solar calendar (shamsi), they are indicated as such with Sh. In all cases, the Christian (Gregorian) equivalents are supplied. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to Professor Ehsan Yarshater for introducing me to Iranian studies and cultivating my interest in pursuing graduate studies in the field. His consistent guidance and encouragement throughout the years have been invaluable to me. He provided me with the original idea of conducting research on the topic that would become my dissertation. My thanks to members of my advisory committee: Professors Michel Mazzaoui (committee chair), the late Leonardo Alishan, Amin Banani, Mehdi Marashi, Peter von Severs, and Bernard Weiss. Professor Alishan’s untimely death was a tragedy for the academic community; I want to take this opportunity to remember him fondly as an eminent scholar and teacher. I appreciate the support and encouragement Professors Banani, Marashi, and Weiss have given me while writing the dissertation. Professor Marashi also provided invaluable guidance towards my graduate studies and professional development. I have benefited tremendously from Professor