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Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia

(1831-1896), Reigned 1848-96

Sitter in 13 portraits
Al-Din ascended to the Sun Throne in 1848 upon the death of his father, Mohammad Shah Qajar. In 1873, he was the first Iranian king to visited Europe. On the visit he became the first Persian King to be appointed a Knight of the Order of the Garter by Queen Victoria. He returned for subsequent royal visits in 1878 and in 1889. Although the Shah had a desire for a modern Iran, his style of governance was dictatorial which won little support from his people. Most reforms took place under the Prime Minister Amir Kabir who he later executed. He reigned for nearly 50 years from 1848-96 when he was assassinated by Mirza Reza Kermani, a fervent follower of the political activist Jamal al-Din al-Afghani who believed that the Shah's concessions to foreign powers, including the British Empire, could threaten the Middle East by making it vulnerable to being conquered by European imperialism in the same way that India was. The Shah, shortly before death, is reported to have said 'I will rule you differently if I survive'. He is buried at the shrine of Shah-Abdol-Azim, near Tehran where he was offering prayer when the assassination took place.

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Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia, by Makzamoff, after  Unknown artist - NPG Ax28414

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia

by Makzamoff, after Unknown artist
albumen carte-de-visite, 1860s-1870s
NPG Ax28414

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia, by London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company - NPG Ax46180

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia

by London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company
albumen cabinet card, 1870s
NPG Ax46180

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia, by Nadar (Gaspard Félix Tournachon) - NPG x74350

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia

by Nadar (Gaspard Félix Tournachon)
albumen carte-de-visite, 1880
NPG x74350

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia, by Herbert Rose Barraud, published by  Eglington & Co - NPG Ax5463

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia

by Herbert Rose Barraud, published by Eglington & Co
carbon print, 15 July 1889
NPG Ax5463

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia, by Walery, published by  Sampson Low & Co - NPG Ax38298

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia

by Walery, published by Sampson Low & Co
carbon print, published August 1889
NPG Ax38298

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia, by Walery, published by  Sampson Low & Co - NPG x9162

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia

by Walery, published by Sampson Low & Co
carbon print, published August 1889
NPG x9162

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia, by Herbert Rose Barraud, published by  Eglington & Co - NPG x74351

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia

by Herbert Rose Barraud, published by Eglington & Co
carbon print, published 1889
NPG x74351

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia ('Sovereigns, No. 11.'), by Sir Leslie Ward - NPG D43595

Nasser al-Din, Shah of Persia ('Sovereigns, No. 11.')

by Sir Leslie Ward
chromolithograph, published in Vanity Fair 5 July 1873
NPG D43595

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