QAJAR IRAN, SECOND HALF 19TH CENTURY

The two albums in this lot include numerous examples of royal and official correspondence relating to the court of Nasir al-Din Shah. The first volume opens with the embossed seals of Nasir al-Din Shah as well as the name Na‘ib al-Saltana, cut out from official documents and, on the facing page an illuminated document addressed to Na’ib al-Saltana with Nasir al-Din Shah’s seal dated 22 Dhu’l-Qa’da AH 1303/ 22 August 1886 AD. Kamran Mirza Na’ib al-Saltana was the son of Nasir al-Din Shah who at the tender age of six was appointed governor of Tehran in AH 1277/1860-61 AD. In AH 1285/1868-69 AD he was appointed Sardar-i Kull and in AH 1287/1870-71 AD, he was appointed his father’s deputy while he went on pilgrimage. He also acted as his father’s deputy during the latter’s visits to Europe. During the years AH 1297-1313 he was Minister of War, a role which he resumed again in AH 1324/1906-07 AD after a period of inactivity. In AH 1335/1916-17 AD, during the reign of Ahmad Shah, he was appointed governor of Khorassan, though he died after just over a year in this post (op.cit., pp.193-94). The second volume includes documents which mostly relate to Mir Kazim Khan Nizam al-Mulk, son of the Grand Vizier Mirza Aqa Khan Nuri. Born in AH1246/1830-31 AD, he received the title Nizam al-Mulk in AH 1268/1851-52 AD and in AH 1270/1854-55 AD was appointed deputy to his father, the grand vizier.

For more information about the collection of Hossein Khadjeh Nouri please refer to the catalogue note of lot 38.