Religious legitimacy in the Qajar era, its components and consequences in the era of Naser al-Din Shah

Subject Areas : Journal of History (Tarikh)

freydoun jaafari ¹ (PhD student of Iranian History of the Islamic Period, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran)
reza shabanisamghabadi ² (professor in history,shahid beheshti university, tehran.iran)
Gholamhossein Zargarinejad ³ (Professor of history, Tehran University,tehran,iran)

Received: 2020-07-16 Accepted : 2020-09-07 Published : 2020-11-21

Keywords: Qajar Era, Legitimacy, Religious Legitimacy, Nasser era,

Abstract :

Studying the developments of the Qajar period and the rule of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar indicates the interaction, conflict and tension between the government institution and the religious scholars. The reason for this problem should be found in the concern of religious legitimacy of the Qajar kings, the importance of the existence of a political system in order to ensure the security of the society, and the association of the Qajar kings with the religious culture that dominates the Iranian society. This research aims to answer this question with a descriptive and analytical method, relying on archival documents and library data. The hypothesis that is proposed in this direction indicates that one of the main levers of the legitimacy of the government in Iran during the Islamic period was the accompaniment of the political structure with the religious ideas ruling the society and its support. The Qajar kings tried to show their compatibility with the cultural environment by adopting micro and macro policies and cover the lacks in the numerous sources of religious legitimacy with their attention to this aspect of legitimacy. Examining Naseruddin Shah's approach to religion and religious scholars shows that he has not only moved with the cultural environment of the society to gain religious legitimacy, but at times he has also taken extremes in this way, which itself has consequences in the political environment. and had a social community. His religious policy varied from measures such as granting titles and government jobs to holding religious shows.