SAEDNEWS: A Rare and Fascinating Portrait of Ahmad Shah Qajar Among His Classmates in 1910
According to the History and Culture Service of Saed News, Ahmad Shah Qajar was the seventh and final king of Iran’s Qajar dynasty. He was born in 1896 in Tabriz and ascended the throne at the age of 13 following the deposition of his father, Mohammad Ali Shah. Ahmad Shah’s reign coincided with a period of tremendous upheaval in Iran. During and after World War I, he faced numerous internal and external challenges. His weak personality and indecisiveness left him vulnerable to manipulation by foreign powers and domestic factions.
One of the most significant events of his reign was the 1920 coup led by Reza Khan. Initially, Ahmad Shah supported Reza Khan, but over time, Reza Khan’s influence over him and state affairs grew. Ultimately, in 1925, the National Consultative Assembly dissolved the Qajar monarchy and appointed Reza Khan as the new Shah of Iran. Following his deposition, Ahmad Shah was exiled to Europe and died in Paris in 1929.
Ahmad Shah’s lack of political experience and personal weakness, combined with the complex historical circumstances of his time, limited his ability to impact Iran’s course of history. His reign marked a transitional period from the Qajar era to the Pahlavi dynasty, witnessing profound transformations in Iran’s political, social, and economic structures.
Although Ahmad Shah was the last ruler of the Qajar dynasty, his personality and reign remain subjects of debate among historians and scholars. Some view him as a symbol of the dynasty’s decline, while others emphasize the historical forces that shaped his character and decisions. In any case, as the final monarch of a dynasty that had ruled Iran for over two centuries, Ahmad Shah occupies a unique place in the nation’s history.
