The Qajar family (; 1789–1925) was an

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

royal family founded by Mohammad Khan (), a member of the Qoyunlu clan of the Turkoman-descended Qajar tribe. The dynasty's effective rule in Iran ended in 1925 when Iran's ''

Majlis (, pl. ') is an Arabic term meaning 'sitting room', used to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups of administrative, social or religious nature in countries with linguistic or cultural connections to the Mus ...

'', convening as a constituent assembly on 12 December 1925, declared

Reza Shah Reza Shah Pahlavi born Reza Khan (15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944) was shah of Iran from 1925 to 1941 and founder of the roughly 53 years old Pahlavi dynasty. Originally a military officer, he became a politician, serving as minister of war an ...

, a former brigadier-general of the

Persian Cossack Brigade The Persian Cossack Brigade, also known as the Iranian Cossack Brigade (), was a Cossacks, Cossack-style cavalry unit formed in 1879 in Qajar Iran, Iran. It was modelled after the Caucasian Cossack regiments of the Imperial Russian Army. Until 1 ...

, as the new ''

shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...

'' of what became known as

Pahlavi Iran The Imperial State of Iran, officially known as the Imperial State of Persia until 1935, and commonly referred to as Pahlavi Iran, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty. The Pahlavi dynasty was created in 1925 and lasted ...

List of Qajar monarchs

Qajar imperial family

The Qajar Imperial Family in exile is currently headed by the eldest descendant of Mohammad Ali Shah, Sultan Mohammad Ali Mirza Qajar, while the Heir Presumptive to the Qajar throne is Mohammad Hassan Mirza II, the grandson of Mohammad Hassan Mirza, Sultan Ahmad Shah's brother and heir. Mohammad Hassan Mirza died in England in 1943, having proclaimed himself shah in exile in 1930 after the death of his brother in France. Today, the descendants of the Qajars often identify themselves as such and hold reunions to stay socially acquainted through the ''Kadjar (Qajar) Family Association'', often coinciding with the annual conferences and meetings of the International Qajar Studies Association (IQSA). The Kadjar (Qajar) Family Association was founded for a third time in 2000. Two earlier family associations were stopped because of political pressure. The offices and archives of IQSA are housed at the International Museum for Family History in Eijsden.

Titles and styles

The shah and his consort were styled '' Imperial Majesty''. Their children were addressed as ''

Imperial Highness Imperial Highness is a form of address used for members of an imperial family. It denotes ''imperial'' – as opposed to ''royal'' – status to show that the holder in question is descended from an emperor rather than a king (compare His ...

'', while male-line grandchildren were entitled to the lower style of ''

Highness Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style used to address (in second person) or refer to (in third person) certain members of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty. It is typically used with a possessive adjec ...

''; all of them bore the title of '' Shahzadeh'' or ''Shahzadeh Khanoum''.

Qajar dynasty since 1925

; Heads of the Qajar Imperial Family The headship of the Imperial Family is inherited by the eldest male descendant of Mohammad Ali Shah. * Sultan Ahmad Shah Qajar (1925–1930) * Fereydoun Mirza (1930–1975) * Sultan Hamid Mirza (1975–1988) * Sultan Mahmoud Mirza (1988) * Sultan Ali Mirza Qajar (1988–2011) * Sultan Mohammad Ali Mirza (2011–present) ; Heirs Presumptive of the Qajar dynasty The Heir Presumptive is the Qajar heir to the Persian throne. * Sultan Ahmad Shah Qajar (1925–1930) * Mohammad Hassan Mirza (1930–1943) * Fereydoun Mirza (1943–1975) * Sultan Hamid Mirza (1975–1988) * Mohammad Hassan Mirza II (1988–) ''Extended Family'' *Qajar descendants of Jwamer Agha, Princesses of Qajar, great-great or great-great-great grandchildren of Naseruddin Shah Qajar.

Notable members

; Politics * Princess Turan Amirsoleimani, she was the third wife of

, with whom she had one son Gholam Reza Pahlavi * Prince Abdol-Hossein Farmanfarma,

prime minister of Iran The prime minister of Iran was a political post that had existed in Iran (Persia) during much of the 20th century. It began in 1906 during the Qajar dynasty and into the start of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1923 and into the 1979 Iranian Revolution ...

Mohammad Mosaddegh Mohammad Mosaddegh (, ; 16 June 1882 – 5 March 1967) was an Iranian politician, author, and lawyer who served as the 30th Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953, elected by the 1950 Iranian legislative election, 16th Majlis. He was a membe ...

, prime minister of Iran and nephew of Prince Abdol Hossein Mirza Farmanfarma. * Prince Firouz Nosrat-ed-Dowleh III, son of Prince Abdol-Hossein Farmanfarma, foreign minister of Iran * Hossein Khan Sardar, last ruler of the

Erivan Khanate The Erivan Khanate (), also known as , was a Khanates of the Caucasus, khanate (i.e., province) that was established in Afsharid dynasty, Afsharid Iran in the 18th century. It covered an area of roughly 19,500 km2, and corresponded to most o ...

administrative division * Prince Majd ed-Dowleh Amirsoleimani, one of Iran's most influential politicians of his time. He was a key court figure throughout the reigns of several Qajar Shahs, including Nasser al-Din Shah, Mozaffar ad-Din Shah, Mohammad Ali Shah, and Ahmad Shah. *

Amir Abbas Hoveyda Amir-Abbas Hoveyda (; 18 February 1919 – 7 April 1979) was an Iranian economist and politician who served as Prime Minister of Iran from 27 January 1965 to 7 August 1977. He was the longest serving prime minister in Iran's history. He also ...

, Iranian economist and politician,

from 1965 to 1977, a Qajar descendant on his maternal side * Ali Amini,

* Prince Iraj Eskandari, Iranian communist politician * Princess Maryam Farman Farmaian, Iranian communist politician, founder of the women's section of the Tudeh Party of Iran * Ardeshir Zahedi, Iranian diplomat, Qajar descendant on his maternal side. * Prince Sabbar Farmanfarmaian, health minister in Mosaddeq cabinet * Abdol-Hossein Sardari, Consul General at the Iranian Embassy in Paris 1940–1945; helped and saved the lives of Jews in danger of deportation by issuing them with Iranian passports. A Qajar Qoyunlu and through his mother a grandson of Princess Malekzadeh Khanoum Ezzat od-Doleh, the sister of Nasser ed-Din Shah. *

Aga Khan III Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah (2 November 187711 July 1957), known as Aga Khan III, was the 48th Imamate in Nizari doctrine, imam of the Nizari Isma'ili, Ism'aili branch of Shia Islam. He was one of the founders and the first permanent president of ...

, President of the

League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...

from 1937 to 1938, one of the founders and the first president of the

All-India Muslim League The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was a political party founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India with the goal of securing Muslims, Muslim interests in South Asia. Although initially espousing a united India with interfaith unity, the Muslim L ...

and the 48th

Imam Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...

of the Nizari

Ismaili Ismailism () is a branch of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor ( imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept ...

Muslims. ; Military File:Aleksander Petrovich Reza Qoli Mirza Qajar in Russian military uniform.png, Aleksander Petrovich Reza Qoli Mirza (1869-1941) File:Feyzulla Mirza Qovanlu-Qajar.JPG, Feyzullah Mirza Qajar (1872-1920) File:Amanullah Mirza Jahanbani.png, Amanullah Mirza Jahanbani (1869-1912) File:General Nader Jahanbani.png, Nader Jahanbani (1928-1979) * Prince Amanullah Mirza Qajar, Imperial Russian, Azerbaijani, and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

ian military commander * Prince Feyzulla Mirza Qajar, Imperial Russian and Azerbaijani (ADR) military commander * Prince Ali Qulu Mirza Qajar, Imperial Russian military commander, having the rank of Lieutenant Colonel * Prince Aleksander Reza Qoli Mirza Qajar, Imperial Russian military leader, commander of Yekaterinburg (1918) * Prince Amanullah Jahanbani, senior Iranian general * Nader Jahanbani, general and vice-deputy chief of the Imperial Iranian Air Force * Brig. General Changiz Voshmgir, deputy commander-in-chief of the Ground Forces of the Imperial Iranian Army, son of Hassan Khan Shoja Saltaneh & Bashir-ol-Moluk ; Social work * Princess Sattareh Farmanfarmaian, Iranian social work pioneer ; Business * Princess Fakhr-ol-dowleh Religion *

Aga Khan IV Prince Karim al-Husseini (13 December 1936 – 4 February 2025), known as the Aga Khan IV, was the 49th Imamah, imam of Imamate in Nizari doctrine, Nizari Isma'ilism from 1957 until his death in 2025. He inherited the Imamate in Nizari doctrine ...

, the 49th

Nizari Ismailism Nizari Isma'ilism () are the largest segment of the Ismailis, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasise independent reasoning or '' ijtihad''; pluralism—the acceptance of racial, ethnic, ...

, a denomination of

Isma'ilism Ismailism () is a branch of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (Imamate in Nizari doctrine, imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the ...

within

Shia Islam Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

. ; Women's rights *Princess Taj-al-Saltaneh Qajar, daughter of Naser-din-Shah, co-founder of the first Iranian women's rights movement Anjoman Naswan, author of a memoir, painter * Princess Mohtaram Eskandari, intellectual and pioneering figures in Iranian women's movement. * Iran Teymourtash (''Légion d'honneur''), journalist, editor and publisher of the newspaper ''Rastakhiz'', founder of an association for helping destitute women. Daughter of court minister Abdolhossein Teymourtash and through both her maternal grandparents a Qajar.L. A. Ferydoun Barjesteh van Waalwijk van Doorn (Khosrovani) (ed.), "Qajar Studies". ''Journal of the International Qaja Studies Association'', vol. X–XI, Rotterdam, Gronsveld, Santa Barbara and Tehran 2011, p. 220. ; Literature Princess Taj-al-Saltaneh Qajar, daughter of Naser-din-Shah, First Iranian woman to write a memoir, co-founder of the first Iranian women's rights movement Anjoman Naswan, author of a memoir, painter * Prince Iraj, Iranian poet and translator *

Sadegh Hedayat Sadegh Hedayat (, ; 17 February 1903 – 9 April 1951) was an Iranian peoples, Iranian writer, translator, satirist, and poet. Best known for his novel ''The Blind Owl'', he was one of the earliest Iranian writers to adopt literary modernism in ...

, a Qajar descendant through the female line * Anvar Khamei, the Iranian economist, politician, and sociologist. ; Entertainment * Sepand Amirsoleimani, Iranian actor. * Kamand Amirsoleimani, Iranian actress. * Gholam-Hossein Banan, Iranian musician and singer, Qajar descendant on his maternal side.

Family tree

Mothers of Qajar Shahs

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Gvosdev, Nikolas K.: ''Imperial policies and perspectives towards Georgia: 1760–1819'', Macmillan, Basingstoke 2000, * Lang, David M.: ''The last years of the Georgian Monarchy: 1658–1832'', Columbia University Press, New York 1957 * * * * *

External links

The Qajar (Kadjar) Pages

The International Qajar Studies Association

Dar ol-Qajar

Qajar Family Website

Women's Worlds in Qajar Iran Digital Archive by Harvard University

Qajar Documentation Fund Collection
at the

International Institute of Social History International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

{{Authority control 1780s establishments in Iran 1785 establishments in Asia 1925 disestablishments in Iran * Middle Eastern dynasties Shia dynasties