Saed News: Stay with us as we continue with the intriguing biography of Mozaffar al-Din Shah Qajar.
According to the history section of Saed News, Mozaffar al-Din Mirza, after being selected as the crown prince, was sent to Iran's second capital, Tabriz, according to the customs of the Qajar dynasty that began during the reign of Fath Ali Shah. He stayed in this city for nearly 40 years until, after the assassination of Naser al-Din Shah in 1896, he ascended to the throne at the age of 44. It took 40 days from the assassination of Naser al-Din Shah to Mozaffar al-Din Shah's coronation, during which time Mirza Ali Asgar Khan Atabak—Amin al-Sultan—the last prime minister of Naser al-Din Shah, held the reins of the country.
In the first year of his reign, Mozaffar al-Din Shah dismissed Amin al-Sultan from the prime minister's position and appointed his former servant, Mirza Ali Khan Amin al-Dawlah, in his place. However, Amin al-Dawlah, who had modernist and pro-Western views, faced opposition from the clergy from the very beginning of his tenure and resigned after six months. After Amin al-Dawlah, Mozaffar al-Din Shah appointed Mohsen Khan Meshir al-Dawlah as prime minister, but his term lasted no more than three months, and Mozaffar al-Din Shah once again appointed Amin al-Sultan.
Like his father, Naser al-Din Shah, Mozaffar al-Din Shah was eager to travel to Europe, and like him, he did not consider the difficulties of financing such trips. On 23 Farvardin 1899, he began his first costly trip to European countries. The king, having completed his fourth year on the throne, was eager to travel to "Farangestan" (Europe), but with an empty treasury, he could not afford the journey until on 9 Bahman 1897, Amin al-Sultan, who had been appointed for the second time with the promise of financing the king’s travel expenses, signed an agreement to borrow 23.5 million rubles from Russia, using Iran's customs revenues—the main source of the treasury's income—as collateral. With this loan, preparations for Mozaffar al-Din Shah's trip to France were made, and the royal entourage, led by Amin al-Sultan, departed for Europe on 23 Farvardin 1899.
Mozaffar al-Din Shah’s first trip to Europe lasted seven months, during which he visited Russia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, France, and, on the way back, the Ottoman Empire. Mozaffar al-Din Shah had planned to visit England as well, but due to the death of Queen Victoria and the mourning at the English court, this trip was canceled. A significant event during this trip was an assassination attempt on Mozaffar al-Din Shah in Paris, but the assailant was unsuccessful, and the king remained unharmed. This trip to Europe, largely funded by the Russian loan, yielded no significant political or economic results for Iran. Upon returning, Mozaffar al-Din Shah granted the oil concession of southern Iran to a British businessman named William Knox Darcy under very favorable terms, aiming to create a new source of revenue for funding the court and future trips to Europe.
Two years later, Mozaffar al-Din Shah desired another costly trip to Europe. After receiving a new loan of 10 million rubles from Russia and granting new concessions in northern Iran to the Russians, he set off for Europe. His second trip to Europe, which began on 22 Farvardin 1903, lasted six months, during which he visited Austria, Germany, Belgium, France, England, and Italy. The final destination of Mozaffar al-Din Shah in this trip was England.
During the second trip, public dissatisfaction in Iran grew, and upon his return, Mozaffar al-Din Shah was forced to dismiss Amin al-Sultan and appoint a committee of five ministers to manage the country's affairs. The key figure in this committee was Ain al-Dawlah, Mozaffar al-Din Shah’s son-in-law, who was appointed to the position of prime minister a year later, tasked with securing funds for the king’s third trip to Europe. The Russians and the British were no longer willing to extend further loans to Iran, so Ain al-Dawlah, to secure the trip's funds, appointed a Belgian named M. Noyz, who had recently been hired to manage Iran's customs, with special powers to increase customs revenues. The pressure on merchants to raise duties further increased public discontent, and when Mozaffar al-Din Shah began his third trip to Europe in Khordad 1284 (June 1905), the stage was set for a public uprising in Iran. This third trip, which began on 16 Khordad 1284 (June 1905), lasted four months and was carried out after receiving a loan of 290,000 pounds from the British Royal Bank.
A year after completing his third trip, on 13 Mordad 1285 (August 1906), while ill, Mozaffar al-Din Shah signed the Constitutional decree, which included provisions for the formation of a parliament. On 14 Mehr 1285 (October 1906), the first session of the National Consultative Assembly was opened in the presence of the Shah. Mozaffar al-Din Shah signed Iran's first constitution, which had been drafted during the first parliamentary term, on 8 Dey 1285 (December 1906), and died 10 days later, on 18 Dey 1285 (December 1906).
Mozaffar al-Din Shah is considered one of Iran's inept kings. During his reign, Iran’s economy reached complete bankruptcy, and many of the country's natural resources, roads, and mines were ceded to foreigners. The king’s lavish spending and unwarranted generosity drained the country’s treasury. Taking heavy loans with harsh terms from Russia or European countries and granting numerous economic concessions to them continued throughout Mozaffar al-Din Shah's 10-year reign. Inflation, scarcity of bread and supplies, the confiscation of people's properties by the king’s relatives, and the oppression of the people by the governments he appointed led to widespread discontent.
The Shah was ill for most of his reign, and the country’s affairs were mainly managed by his prime ministers—Amin al-Sultan, Amin al-Dawlah, and Ain al-Dawlah.
Mozaffar al-Din Shah, like his father Naser al-Din Shah, wrote travel diaries. His first wife, Umm al-Khagan, was the daughter of Mirza Taghi Khan Amir Kabir, and Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar was the result of this marriage. At the time of Mozaffar al-Din Shah's death, he left behind 18 daughters and 6 sons.
Following his death, according to his will, Mozaffar al-Din Shah was buried in Karbala. His tomb is located inside the vault of the scholars or the kings’ vault and is covered with mosaic tiles.
Let me know if you would like further analysis or details on his reign or the constitutional revolution that followed.
