SAEDNEWS: Naser al-Din Shah Was Assassinated in 1896; Funeral Images Surface on Social Media
According to Saed News, citing Young Journalists Club, Naser al-Din Mirza, son of Mohammad Shah Qajar, was born in Tir 1210 (June–July 1831) and ascended the throne after his father’s death in 1227 (1848).
On 12 Ordibehesht 1275 (May 1, 1896), Naser al-Din Shah was assassinated by Mirza Reza Kermani. Various motives have been suggested for the killing: some attribute the murder to Seyed Jamal al-Din Asadabadi, others see it as a conspiracy by the British and Ottoman governments, and some believe the then-Prime Minister, Ali Asghar Khan Amin al-Soltan, played a role.
After the assassination, Amin al-Soltan worked to prevent news of the event from spreading, aiming to keep Tehran calm. It is said that upon learning of the attack, he arranged for the Shah’s body to be secretly moved from the palace courtyard into the royal carriage. During the return to Golestan Palace, he reportedly sat beside the lifeless body of the Shah and moved it in such a way that it appeared the Shah was waving to the public.
Despite these efforts, the Shah did not survive long after being brought to the palace, and attempts by physicians to save him were unsuccessful. Reportedly, his last words were, “If I survive, I will rule over you differently.” Following his death, it was decided to wait until the next day for Mozaffar al-Din Shah to arrive in the capital. The Shah’s body was then buried at the Imamzadeh Abdol-Azim shrine after the funeral procession.
Photographers such as Aghareza Akkasbashi, Abdullah Qajar, and Antoine Sourgine captured images of the funeral and burial ceremonies, highlighting their historical significance.
