The Only Child of Nasser al-Din Shah Who Witnessed The Islamic Revolution + Photo

According to the news and analysis site Saadnews, quoting Asr Iran, "Perhaps no Iranian king has been written and spoken about as much as Nasser al-Din Shah Qajari. And because many books have been published about the last king of Iran due to the revolution, this statement can be more definitive: no other king's life is as narratable with such a variety of stories as Nasser al-Din Shah's. One of the reasons is the large number of his wives (including four legal wives and concubines) and consequently his 37 children.

The fact that films and TV series continue to be made about him, and news and information about him are of public interest, proves this point.

On one hand, he is the last classical king, as the separation of powers and legislation in the modern sense happened after his reign. On the other hand, he is the first in line with the modern world because many modern phenomena entered Iran during his reign, often through his personal initiative.

The fact that he both issued the death sentence for his progressive prime minister and later became a victim of assassination, earning the title 'Martyr King,' is something only Nasser al-Din Shah could reconcile. Of course, other characteristics, including his literary and artistic talent, set him apart.

Interestingly, one of his children not only witnessed the 1979 Islamic Revolution but also lived six years after the fall of the monarchy, which brings Nasser al-Din Shah into our time!

The 'Mamalek Mahrouse' channel, which specializes in studying the Qajar period, published this news. Dr. Reza Kasravi, a Qajar period researcher who had also referenced this in his notes about the series 'Jiran,' confirmed this as well. Previously, in detail, the book 'The Daughters of Nasser al-Din Shah' by Fatemeh Qazihha also covered this subject. However, the fact that one of his children lived six years after the revolution might be new information.

So, what is the story?

In the Behesht Zahra Cemetery in Tehran, Plot 18, Row 16, Number 25, lies a woman who passed away on the 8th of Ordibehesht 1363 in the Persian calendar.

Her biography is listed in the organization’s system as follows:

(The title Amir Aslani refers to her husband: Gholamhossein Amir Aslani, known as Ehtesham al-Molk, who gave birth to six children.)

Thus, it is evident that Khadijeh Naseri was six years old when her father, Nasser al-Din Shah Qajari, was assassinated, and since she passed away in 1363, she lived six years after the revolution.

The 'Mamalek Mahrouse' channel, books, and other historical sources refer to her as 'Khadijeh Khanom Azal-ol-Saltaneh,' the 34th child of Nasser al-Din Shah. She lived during the reign of six kings: her father, Nasser al-Din Shah, her brother, Mozaffar al-Din Shah, Mohammad Ali Shah, Ahmad Shah, and after the Qajar dynasty, Reza Shah and finally Mohammad Reza Shah.

One of the reasons Iranians are alienated from their history, even contemporary history, is the mention of events using three different calendars—Hijri, Solar Hijri, and Gregorian. In the last two years of the Pahlavi period, even the imperial history was included. However, a single calendar, specifically the Solar Hijri (Persian) calendar, makes calculations easier. This is why, in this case, we easily learned how many years before her father's assassination she was born and how many years after the fall of the monarchy she lived, all without needing to convert dates.

Had there been communication technologies like today, one could imagine the stories she might have shared, and perhaps even Mr. Hassan Fathi would have given her a role in the later episodes of the series, especially since she was born six years before her father's assassination. However, since the series is titled 'Jiran,' and he passed away before Khadijeh Khanom (who later became Azal-ol-Saltaneh) was born, unless the director wants to show the king's sorrow after Jiran's death in the subsequent years, it could be imagined that a six- or seven-year-old child named Khadijeh might have been portrayed, just like Jiran’s real name.

She was born six years before her father’s assassination, lived during six kings' reigns, gave birth to six children, and lived six years after the Islamic Revolution."