Qajar Iran Flashcards
1
Q
Background
A
- Nasir al-din Shah, shah from 1848-1896
- Mozaffer al-din Shah, shah from 1896-1907
- Abbas Mirza started the reforms following Russo-Persian war loss in 1813
2
Q
Military reform
A
- Abbas Mirza instituded defensive miltiary reform in 1813 implementing European techniques
- Cossack Brigade formed in 1879, led by russian officers
3
Q
-Education reforms
A
- The Nezam- etjiid (the new order) marked importance of european style education
- Dar al-Funun 1851
4
Q
Political reform
A
-Prime Minister Mirza Hussein Khan between 1871-73 formed a cabinet of ministers
5
Q
Infrastructure reforms/Foreign concessions
A
-Telegraphs built in Iran 1858-9
-1872 Reuter Concession, cancelled a year later
-1890 Tobacco concession
-1890 Imperial bank of Persia
-1901 D’Arcy concession
-Lynch & Co. concession on the Euphrates river
in 1888 and Bakhtiari road concession in late 1890s
-Monsieru Naus and Customs duties
6
Q
Foreign influence on economy
A
- 1890 Russia forced a ban on railway construction
- 1900 Atabak negotiates russian loan of 22.5million roubles
- 1901 further russian loan of 10million roubles
7
Q
Background of Iranian society
A
- 30 to 50% of population nomadic tribes: Bakhtiari and Qashqai big tribes
- Urban population only grew at an average rate of 1.64% between 1867 and 1900
- Population of Tehran grew from 85,000 in 1868 to 150,000 in 1910
8
Q
Historiography
A
- Keddie argues there was a governmental ‘power vacuum’ in Iranian politics and society
- Katouzian sees the Tobacco Revolt as dress rehearsal to Constitutional Rev
- Kasravi sees the period as one of ‘great awakening’
- Katouzian argues that was a revolution of law
- Issawi and Amirhamadi take marxist approach
- Abrahamian argues that it was a middle class revolution
- Kamran Matin argues it was a ‘revolution of backwardness’
9
Q
Economic Problems in Persia
A
- Only 20% of tax revenue reached government
- Price of wheat rose by 90% in 1905
- Devaluation of the Qiran as by 1871 Qiran was purely silver currency
- Price of bread risen 500% between 1847 and 1898
- price of wheat risen 600% between 1895 and 1905
