Exploring the Political Modernization Policies of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar: Consolidating Monarchy after Collapse

Abstract

This article analyzes the political modernization policies of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, the founder of the Qajar dynasty, in the aftermath of the Safavid collapse and the power crisis in Iran. Following the fall of the Safavids and the period of Nader Shah Afshar, Iran experienced a severe political, social, and economic crisis. Agha Mohammad Khan, through decisive policies including the suppression of local powers, centralization of authority, the reconstruction of Safavid bureaucracy, and the use of cultural and historical symbols to legitimize his rule, managed to restore political order and establish the Qajar monarchy as a central power. This paper examines the effectiveness of these policies both in the short and long term, evaluating their impact on the power structure in the Qajar era based on historical analysis. Additionally, a comparison of Agha Mohammad Khan’s modernization policies with other historical periods such as the Safavid, Nader Shah, and Zandi eras is presented to assess their successes and limitations. The findings of this article demonstrate that Agha Mohammad Khan's policies successfully stabilized the political order and centralized power in Iran in the short term, but in the long term, particularly after his death, the lack of institutional foundations led to challenges in maintaining the power structure. This analysis contributes to rethinking Agha Mohammad Khan's role as the founder of "modern state-building in post-Safavid Iran" and clarifies his influence on the political and social developments in the Qajar era.