Revival of Safavid style of official records production by the successors of Nadir-Shah Afshar (1747-1796)

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor, Department Of History, University of Tehran, Tehran, I. R. Iran

Abstract

Purpose: Nadir-Shah banned official decrees to follow Safavid style. However, his successors revived the style. This paper discusses the reasons for that revival.
 
Method and Research Design: Archival records and library materials were examined to collect data.
 
Findings and Conclusion: Nadir-Shah faced with the memory of Safavids legitimacy throughout his reign. He took certain measures to wipe it away, including eliminating administrative traditions. In spite of that, his successors tried to revive Safavid tradition in order to gain the support of the public in their policies. One aspect of that was the revival of Safavid’s court traditions in preparing official decrees. The decrees issued by them contain elements and models of Safavids such as headers and design, the wording on seals, the tradition of Neshan, and paying respect to Safavid kings.

Keywords

Main Subjects


 
English Translation of References
Documents
Sāzmān-e Asnād va Ketābxāne-ye Melli-ye Irān (Sākmā) (National Library and Archives Organization of Iran): 296/1039; 997/336.[Persian]
Ketābxāne-ye Markazi va Markaz-e Asnād-e Dānešgāh-e Tehrān (The Central Library and Documentation Center of Tehran University): 9177.[Persian]
Manuscripts
Korrāsat-ol-Ma’ee” (Al-Ma’ee’s notebook). Afzal Al-Molk GholamHossein Khan Adib Shirazi assuming the pseudonym of Al-Ma’ee. Ketābxāne, Muze va Markaz-e Asnād-e Majles-e Šorā-ye Eslāmi (Kemām) (Library, Museum and Document Center of Iran Parliament), vol. 1, retrieval number 9450.[Persian]
Books
Arunova, Marianna Rubenovna; & Ashrafian, KlaraZarmairovna. (1356/1977). “Dowlat-e NāderŠāh-e Afšār” (Government of Nader Shah Afshar) (1st ed.). translated by Hamid Amin. Tehran: Šabgir.[Persian]
Astarabadi, Mirza Mohammad Khan. (1366/1987). “Dorrat-on-Nādera” (Mirza Mahdi Khan-iIstrabadi: Durra-yi Nadir-Shah) (1st. ed.). Edited by Jaafar Shahidi. Tehran: Entešārāt-e ‘ElmivaFarhangi (ElmiFarhangi Publishing Co.).[Persian]
Astarabadi, Mirza Mohammad Khan. (1341/1962). “Jahāngošā-ye Nāderi” (Jahangusha-iNaderi) (1st ed.). Edited by AbdollahAnvar. Tehran: Anjoman-e Āsār-e Melli (Society for the Protection of National Monuments). [Persian]
Bayat, Nasrollah. (1383/2004). “Gozide-ee az monša’āt-e Mirzā Mohammad Mahdi Xān-e Astarābādi monši-ol-mamālek-e NāderŠāh-e Afšār” (Selected excerpts from the writings of Mirza Mohammad Mehdi Khan  Astarabadi Monshi al-Mamalek of Nader Shah Afshar) (1st ed.). Tehran: Markaz-e Asnād va Xadamāt-e Pažuheši.[Persian]
Bazen, Padre. (1340/1961). “Nāme-hā-ye tabib-e NāderŠāh” (Letters of Nader Shah’s physician) (1st ed.). Translated by Ali Asghar Hariri. Tehran: Anjoman-e Āsār-e Melli (Society for the Protection of National Monuments). [Persian]
Falsafi, Nasrollah. (1342/1963). “Čandmaqāle-ye tārixi va adabi” (Historical and literary articles) (1st ed.). Tehran: Entešārāt-e Dānešgāh-e Tehrān(University of Tehran Press) (UTP). [Persian]
GhaemMaghami, Jahangir. (1394/2015). “Moqaddame-ee bar šenāxt-e asnād-e tārixi” (Recognition of historical documents) (2nd ed.). Tehran: Anjoman’e Āsār va Mafāxer-e Farhangi (Society for the Appreciation of Cultural Works and Dignitaries). [Persian]
Ghazvini, Abolhasan Ibn Ebrahim. (1367/1988). “Favāyed-os-Safaviah: Tārix-e salātin va omarā-ye Safavi  pas az soqut-e dowlat-e Safavieh” (History of Safavid sultans and rulers after the fall of the Safavid state) (1st ed.). Edited by Maryam Mir Ahmadi. Tehran: Mo’assese-ye Motāle’āt va Tahqiqāt-e Farhangi.[Persian]
Ghoddousi, Mohammad Hossein. (1339/1960). “Nāder-nāme” (Nader Nameh) (1st ed.). [n. p.]:Anjoman’eĀsār-e Melli-ye Xorāsān.[Persian]
Golestaneh, Abolhasan Ibn Mohammad Amin. (1356/1977). “Mojmal-ot-tavārix” (The Collection of histories and tales) (1st ed.). Edited by Mohammad Taghi Modarres. Tehran: Entešārāt-e Dānešgāh-e Tehrān(University of Tehran Press) (UTP). [Persian]
Hadis-e NāderŠāhi” (The history of Nader Shah) (1st ed.). (1356/1977). Edited by Reza Shaa’bani. Tehran: Dānešgāh-e Melli-ye Irān (National University of Iran).[Persian]
Hanway, Jonas. (1393/2014). “Zendegi-ye NāderŠāh” (The history of Nadir Shah) (5th ed.). Translated by Esma’eel Dowlatshahi. Tehran: Šerkat-e Entešārāt-e ‘Elmi va Farhangi (ElmiFarhangi Publishing Co.). [Persian]
Hazin Lahiji, Sheikh Mohammad Ali. (1375/1996). “Tārix va safar-nāme-ye Hazin” (The life of sheikh Mohammed Ali Hazin) (1st ed.). Edited by Ali Davani. Tehran: Makaz-e Asnād-e Enqelāb-e Eslāmi (Islamic Revolution Document Center).[Persian]
KarimzadehTabrizi, Mohammad Ali. (1385/2006). “Mohr-hā, toqrā-hā va farmān-hā-ye pādešāhān-e Irān” (seals, tughras and decrees of Persian kings) (1st ed.). London: Self-published.[Persian]
Kostikyan, k. p. (2008). Persian documents of Matenadaran: Decrees. Volume IV (1734-1797). Yerevan: NAIRI.
 
Mar’ashiSafavi, Mirza Mohammad Khalil. (1362/1983). “Majma’-ot-tavārix: Dar tārix-e enqerāz-e Safavieh va vaqāye’-e ba’dtāsāl-e 1207 hejri-ye qamari” (The collection of histories: On the history of Safavid demise and the subsequent events up to 1829 AD) (1st ed.). Edited by Abbas Eghbal. Tehran: Ketāb-xāne-ye Sanāyi, Ketāb-xāne-ye Tahuri.[Persian]
Marvi, Mohammad Kazem. (1364/1985). “’Ālam-ārā-ye Nāderi” (Nadir Afshar,Shah of Iran) (vol. 1, 2 & 3). Edited by Mohammad Amin Riahi. Tehran: Zovvār.[Persian]
ModarresiTabatabaei, Hossein. (1361/1982). “Bargi az tārix-e Qazvin” (A chapter from the history of Qazvin) (1st ed.). Qom: Ketābxāne-ye Āyatollāh Mar’aši (Ayatollah Mar'ashiNajafi Library). [Persian]
Navayi, Abdolhossein. (1368/1989). “NāderŠāh va bāzmāndegānaš hamrāh bā name-hā-ye saltanati va asnād-e siāsi va edāri” (Nader Shah and his descendants along with royal letters and political and administrative documents) (1st ed.). Tehran: Zarrin.[Persian]
Otter, Jean. (1363/1984). “Safar-nāmeh” (Voyage en Turquie et en Perse, avec une relation des expeditions de TahmasKouli -khan) [Travel to Turkey and Persia, with a report on the expeditions of TahmasKouli -khan]. Translated by Ali Eghbali. Tehran: Jāvidān.[Persian]
Perry, John R. (1368/1989). “Karim Xān-e Zand: Tārix-e Irānbein-e sāl-hā-ye 1747-1779” (Karim Khan Zand: A history of Iran1747-1779) (1st ed.). Translated by Ali Mohammad Saki. Tehran: Našr-e no.[Persian]
Rashtiani, Goudarz. (1394/2015). “Gozide-ye ahkām va farāmin-e šāhān-e Irān be hokkām-e Qafqāz” (Selected excerpts from the decrees and orders of the kings of Iran to the rulers of the Caucasus) (vol. 3) (1st ed.). Tehran: Vezārat-e Xārejeh, Edāre-ye Asnād va Tārix-e Diplomāsi (Ostādox) (Department of Diplomatic Documents and History of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).[Persian]
Razavi, Mirza Mohammad Bagher. (1352/1973). “Šajare-ye tayyebeh” (The genealogy ofthe family and ancestors of Mohammad Taghi ModarresRazavi) (1st ed.). Edited by Mohammad TaghiModarresRazavi. (n. p.).[Persian]
Saravi, Mohammad FathollahIbn Mohammad Taghi. (1371/1992). “Tārix-e Mohammadi: Ahsan-ot-tavārix” (Tarikh Mohammadi Ahsan Al-Tawarikh) (1st ed.). Edited by GholamrezaTabatabaei. Tehran: Amir Kabir.[Persian]
Shaa’bani, Reza. (1369/1990). “Tārix-e ejtemā’ee-ye Irāndarasr-e Afšārieh” (Social history of Iran in the Afshari era) (vol. 2) (2nd ed.). Tehran: Novin.[Persian]
Tavahhodi, Kalimollah. (1382/2003). “Nāder-e sāheb-qerān: NāderŠāh bar mabnā-ye asnād-e xatti” (Nader Shah based on manuscripts) (1st ed.). Tehran: Žiār.[Persian]
Articles
Avery, Peter. (1391/2012). “NāderŠāhvamirās-e Afšāri” (Nader Shah and Afshari Heritage). In “Tārix-e Kambrij, jeld-e 7, qesmat-e avval: Az NāderŠāh tā Zandieh” (The cambridge history of Iran) (pp. 5-106). Translated by Teymour Ghaderi. Tehran: Mahtāb.[Persian]
EdrisiArimi, Mehri. (1373, Fall/1994). “Fath Ali Xān-e Qājār az ŠāhSoltān Hossein tā NāderŠāh” (Fath Ali Khan Qajar from Shah Sultan Hussein to Nader Shah). Ganjine-ye Asnād, 10, pp. 22-27.[Persian]
Farzanehpour, Gholamreza. (1339/1960). “Fehrest-e asnād va farāmin va mokātebāt-e tārixi-ye majmou’e-ye āqā-ye Hosein-e Šahšahāni …” (List of documents, orders and historical correspondences of Mr. Hossein Shahshahani). Našrie-ye Ketābxāne-ye Markazi-ye Dānešgāh-e Tehrāndarbāre-ye nosxe-hā-ye xatti(Journal of the Central Library of the University of Tehran on Manuscripts), 1, pp. 228-270.[Persian]
GhaemMaghami, Jahangir. (1348, Mehr& Ābān/1969, October & November). “Mohr-hā, toqrā-hā va towqi’-hā-ye pādešāhān-e Irān az Ilxānān tā pāyān-e Qājārieh” (Seals, tughras and signatures of the kings of Iran from the Ilkhans to the end of Qajar period). Barresi-hā-ye Tārixi, 4(5), number 22, pp. 17-68.
Karimian, Ali. (1376, Spring & Summer/1997). “Bāzxāni-ye čandfarmān-e NāderŠāh” (Rereading a number of Nader Shah's decrees). Ganjine-ye Asnād, 25 & 26, pp. 12-22.[Persian]
Keyvani, Mahdi. (1393/2014). “Irān dar asr-e Afšāriān” (Iran in the Afshari era). In Kazem Mousavi Bojnordi (Ed.), “Tārix-e jāme’-e Irān” (The comprehensive history of Iran) (vol. 11) (pp. 553-656). Tehran: Markaz-e Dayerat-ol-Ma’āref-e Bozorg-e Eslāmi (Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia).[Persian]
Mahboub, Elaheh; &Khosrobeigi, Houshang. (1394, Spring/2015). “Barresi-ye sāxtār-e sanadi va mohtavā-yi-ye farmān-hā-ye NāderŠāh-e Afšār va moqāyese-ye ān bā farmān-hā-ye ŠāhSoltānHosein-e Safavi” (Comparison between content and structures of Nader Shah Afshar decrees against the decrees of Shah Sultan Hussein Safavi). Ganjine-ye Asnād, 25(1), pp. 6-27.[Persian]
Mazaheri, Ali. (1331, Tir/1952, July). “Mohr-hā-ye pādešāhān-e Irān” (Seals of the kings of Iran). Yaqmā, 5(4), series number 49, pp. 162-166.[Persian]
Mousavi Dalini, Javad. (1398, Spring/2019). “Mazāmin va ša’ā’er-e mazhabi-ye manqur bar sekke-hā-ye dowre-ye Afšārieh” (Religious themes and motifs on the coins of Afsharid dynasty: 1148-1210 AH). Motāle’āt-e Tārix-e Eslām (A Quarterly Journal of Historical Studies of Islam), 40, pp. 149-172.[Persian]
Rabino, Hyacinth Louis. (1388, Spring/2009). “Mohr-hā-ye dowrān-e Safavi” (Seals in the Safavid era). Translated by Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Mar’ashi. Payām-e Bahārestān, 2(3), series number 83, pp. 887-894.[Persian]
Semsar, Mohammad Hasan. (1347, Ordibehešt/1968, May). “Farmān-nevisi dar dowre-ye Safavieh, qesmat-e dovvom” (Command writing in the Safavid period, part two). Barresi-hā-ye Tārixi, 3(1), pp. 59-84.[Persian]
SeyyedRazavi, Nasrin. (1389, Spring & Summer/2010). “Mohr-e šāhān-e Safavi: Šekl, naqšvamazmun” (Safavid imperial seals; A study on appearance, design and meaning). Motāle’āt-e Honar-e Eslāmi (Institute for Islamic Art), 12, pp. 129-141.[Persian]
Sheikh Al-Hokamaei, Emad Al-Din. (1390, Spring & Summer/2011). “Adab-e momtāz-nevisivaseir-e tahavvol-e āndarasnād-e dowre-ye eslāmi-ye Irān” (Literature on header writing and its developmental process in documents of the Iranian Islamic period). Pažuheš-hā-ye ‘Olum-e Tārixi (Historical Sciences Studies, Scientific-Research Journal of University of Tehran,), 3(1), pp. 83-110.[Persian]
Sultan Al-Ghorraei, Jaafar. (1335, Bahman/1957, February). “Farmāni az NāderŠāh” (An order from Nader Shah). Yaqmā, 9(11), series number 103, pp. 504-506.[Persian]
Taheri Shahab, Seyyed Mohammad. (1344, Mordād/1965, August). “Saj’-e mohr-e salātin va šāhzādegān va sodur-e Irān” (The seal designs of the sultans and princes and the exports of Iran). Vahid, 20, pp. 41-49.[Persian]