Two Prominent Political Personalities of Iran during the Qajarid Era

Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz

Qa’em Maqaam Farahani
On December 4, 1835 AD, the Iranian author and political figure of the Qajarid era, Mirza Abu’l-Qasem Qa’em Maqaam Farahani, was killed, for carrying out political and administrative reforms that the colonialists and their local agents deemed against their interests. He served as regent to the young Mohammad Shah Qajar, and later as Grand Vizier.
But less than a year after, through the intrigues of John Campbell, the British representative in Iran, Farahani was arrested and subsequently murdered. He was kept for five or six days in a room in the basement of Negarestan without any food so that he would die when his strength diminishes.
Eventually, the executioner, Safar Ismael Khan Qarajeh Daghi entered the basement and thrusting a handkerchief in his mouth, suffocated him. Farahani was highly skilled in many sciences of the day in addition to literary techniques and established a new style in Persian prose. Among the books written by him is a Diwan of Persian poetry and the “Mansha’atâ€‌ in prose.

Mirza Taqi Khan Amir Kabir
On 20th of the Islamic month of Moharram in 1268 AH, the highly efficient Prime Minister of Iran, Mirza Taqi Khan Amir Kabir, was dismissed from his post by Naser od-Din Shah Qajar, following court intrigues by local agents of foreign powers, on loss of their illegal interests, because of his political and administrative reforms.
Rising from the lower rungs of the society through hard work, honesty, and voracious appetite for knowledge and new techniques, his achievements include the vaccination of Iranians against smallpox, economic development of the fertile Khuzestan Province, foundation in Tehran of the Dar ol-Fonun Academy which taught medicine, surgery, pharmacology, natural history, mathematics, geology, and natural science to train the civilian and military staff, cancellation of the one-sided treaties with the Russians and the British, promotion of education, launching of a newspaper, and above all the timely crackdown on the seditious Babi-Bahai plot against Islam and the country, resulting in the execution of the heretic Mohammad Ali Bab. In the end, Amir Kabir was martyred in Kashan and with him died the prospects of an independent Iran led by meritocracy.
On January 7, 1852 AD, the highly efficient Iranian Prime Minister, Mirza Taqi Khan Amir Kabir, was killed on the orders of the Qajarid king, Nasser od-Din Shah, shortly after being dismissed from his post, following court intrigues by local agents of foreign powers, on loss of their illegal interests, because of his political and administrative reforms. Rising from the lower rungs of the society through hard work, honesty, and voracious appetite for knowledge and new techniques, his achievements include the vaccination of Iranians against smallpox, economic development of the fertile Khuzestan Province, foundation in Tehran of the Dar ol-Fonoun Academy which taught medicine, surgery, pharmacology, natural history, mathematics, geology, and natural science to train the civilian and military staff, cancellation of the one-sided treaties with the Russians and the British, promotion of education, launching of a newspaper, and above all the timely crackdown on the seditious Babi-Bahai plot against Islam and the country, resulting in the execution of the heretic Mohammad Ali Bab. In the end, Amir Kabir was martyred in Kashan and with him died the prospects of an independent Iran led by meritocracy. He was killed in the "hammam" (bathhouse) of the famous garden-pavilion of Feen in the city of Kashan, where he was exiled.

The famous Dar al-Fonoun in Tehran
On 5th of the Islamic month of Rabi al-Awwal in 1268 AH, the famous Dar al-Fonoun, was set up in Tehran by the enlightened Qajarid Prime Minister Mirza Mohammad Taqi Khan Amir-e Kabir, as a specialized modern academic centre for teaching a wide variety of subjects. In addition to military training and horsemanship, it taught engineering skills, medicine, surgery, arts, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, etc. Many of its graduates rose to high governmental posts and distinguished themselves in several fields. The foundation of this institute was a milestone in the history of Iran’s educational system.