Vintage Article about Persian Shah in 1909 French Magazine

Persian Shah

Periodical

Le Monde Illustré Persian Revolution issue, 1909, documents the decisive phase of the Persian Constitutional Revolution in which constitutionalist forces regained control of Tehran, Mohammad Ali Shah was deposed, and his young son Ahmad Mirza was proclaimed shah. The illustrated French coverage provides a contemporary European visual record of the political transformation that restored the constitutional order and the Majlis after Mohammad Ali Shah’s effort to suppress parliamentary government. Ahmad Mirza was declared shah on July 16, 1909, the same day his father was deposed after constitutionalist forces seized Tehran. The issue therefore supports research into the Constitutional Revolution, Qajar dynastic politics, European representations of Iran, and the international circulation of news about constitutional government in the Middle East.

Le Monde Illustré. France, 1909. Complete 16 page illustrated magazine, approximately 29 by 38.5 cm. The principal report concerns “Shah of Persia Ahmed Mirza” and the “Revolution of Persia,” with photographs and illustrations including the young prince Ahmad Mirza and Mohammad Ali Shah wearing an elaborate royal crown. Additional engravings, photographs, and articles appear throughout the issue. The Persian Constitutional Revolution had established a representative Majlis in 1906, but Mohammad Ali Shah opposed the constitutional order and in 1908 moved against parliament; constitutionalist forces subsequently retook Tehran in 1909 and restored constitutional government. The juxtaposition of the youthful successor with the deposed monarch gives the issue particular documentary force, visually presenting French readers with the dynastic transition accompanying the restoration of parliamentary authority.

The 1909 settlement did not simply divide authority evenly between shah and parliament, but reestablished the constitutional framework after a period of monarchical reaction and armed conflict. Ahmad Shah’s accession placed a minor on the throne under a regency while constitutionalists attempted to revive the Majlis and preserve limitations on royal power. As contemporary illustrated journalism, the magazine is especially useful for examining how the Persian Constitutional Revolution was interpreted and pictured for a European readership at the moment of Mohammad Ali Shah’s defeat and Ahmad Mirza’s elevation. Complete; in very good condition. A substantial illustrated record of the 1909 constitutionalist victory and Qajar succession, combining political reporting with contemporary visual representations of the principal royal figures.

Item #14421

Price: $95.00