Early Modernization Of Qajar Iran During The Nineteenth Century

As the beginning of modern Iranian history,Qajar Dynasty plays a significant role in Iran's transition from feudalism and nomadism to modern society.Under the rule of the Qajars,due to its weak and corrupt governance,nineteenth-century Iran,on one hand,suffered the brutal invasions of western powers such as Russia and Britain,while on the other hand,enlightened statesmen such as Abbas Mirza,Amir Kabir and Hajji Mirza Husayn Khan initiated a series of modernizing reforms to save the coutry from falling into complete dacay.Though all these modernization programs failed to achieve the goals prescribed by their originators,such as being as militarily strong as the western powers,they at least served to prevent Iran from being fully colonized.Though their military modernization efforts didn't bring about an Iranian army as strong as to defeat the western power,they at least injected into Iran a strong shot in the arm so that it can in some way withstand the fierce military invasion and economic and political penetration.What's more,it is because of these modernizing efforts from above that Iranian society became gradually enlightened and better prepared to engage in the modern civilization originating from Europe.And this,as a result,leads the Iranian people toward revolutionary self-consciousness.Therefore,though these modernization reforms from above didn't successfully achieve their goals in strengthening Iranian army or political centralization,they did,as an unexpected side effect,serve as an indispensable stage for Iranian society to march toward midernization.This dissertation explores to investigate the modernization efforts from above by Qajar dynasty from the perspectives of politics,economy and society etc.,with an emphasis on the factors that lead to their failures.A comprehensive use of modernization theories and theory of civilizational communication is adopted to help better analyze the challenges Qajars faced both from outside and from within,and the measures Qajar rulers and political elite adopted to meet these challenges.This dissertation also analyzed the social transformation of Iran during the nineteenth-century and its impact on Iran's modernization during the twentieth-century from the perspective of sociology.The dissertation consists of seven major parts,with the first and last parts being introduction and conclusion to provide information on background,research methodology,characteristics,and major conclusion drawn by this study.Chapter one to chapter fiveserve as the dissertation's body part,which analyzed the origins and major reforms of early Iranian modernization.In addition to these,a detailed analysis of tobacco protest is included in the body part to investigate the social changes induced by those reforms from above.Chapter one mainly discusses the origins of early Iranian modernization,with its focus on Iran's geography and its social and historical impacts,establishment of Qajar dynasty and its tribalism influences on political system and practice,social structures of early nineteenth-century,two Russo-Persian Wars and its impact on Iranian politics and society,and the active response of enlightened Abbas Mirza.Due to his 48-year-long reign and strong passion for modernization,Nasir al-Din Shah plays a vital role in Iran's process of early modernization.Therefore,in order to pave the way for better understanding the coherency between Amir Kabir's and Hajji Mirza Husayn's modernization reforms,the last part of chapter one offered a general introduction to Nasir al-Din Shah and his modernization efforts.Chapter two discusses in detail the modernization reforms conducted by Amir Kabir from 1848 to 1851,which originally aimed to merely strengthen Qajar's military power,while resulted in a series of political,educational,technological,economic,and social progress as a happy side-effect,which prove to be the beginning of a wide-range modernization in Iranian history.Dar al-Dunun is highlighted in this chapter due to its significance in bringing about a wide-range social modernization.However capable and determined Amir Kabir was,he was unable to balance all the interest needs of different classes in Qajar Iran,which will only lead to the failure of his reforms and his personal tragedy.Chapter three discusses the modernization reforms of another important Qajar statesman Hajji Mirza Husayn Khan from the perspectives of judicial,economic,military,political reforms and social innovation.Though the power dismissal and death of Hajji Mirza Husayn Khan was followed by immediate abolition of his most reform measures,their influences didn't cease to cultivate Iranian people's revolutionary awareness,with human rights,equality,political consultation,reasonable taxation,and a series of other social innovations ingrained into most Iranians' mind.These not only offered ordinary Iranians with a better scale to measure the governance of Qajar rulers,but also taught them to fulfill their needs through revolution once peaceful negotiations no longer work.Chapter four therefore explores the impact reforms from above had on theenlightenment of Iranian society by a thorough analysis of tobacco protest.Due to the fact that ulama played a key leading role in this movement,a thorough investigation of their gradual power extension in secular politics is provided for us to better understand ulama's role in constitutional revolution.Chapter five discusses Amin al-Dawla's reforms at the turn of the century,which was destined to be a great disappointment due to Qajar dynasty's incorrigible economic crisis and political decentralization.Though the reform proves to be an disappointment in saving Qajar dynasty from collapsing,it also fully demonstrated the impossibility of saving the corrupt feudal Qajar system by mere reforms from above.Only by a subversive revolution can Iran be saved as a nation,which was justifiably proved by the constitutional revolution in early twentieth-century,from which Iran as a nation rises from the ashes of Qajar dynasty and comes to its nirvana.Although a mere glance at Iran's messy modernization during the nineteenth-century might perplex you,where governmental efforts seem to contradict against religious and civilian struggles for more rights and equality,a thorough investigation helps us to discover the coherency lies behind them.When Iran was challenged by western powers,some enlightened ruling elites,with an aim to prolong their ruling,initiated early modernization,with its major focus on the low-level modern technology.With the development of technological modernization,the whole society begin to see a clearer picture of real modern civilization,which contains a lot more than mere technological modernization.Driven by their eagerness to know more about modern civilization,Iranian students were sent to study in Europe,modern secular educational institutions and modern factories were established,and western political and intellectual classics and even life styles were introduced.They not only serve as effective ways for Iranians to better learn about modern civilization,but also function as guidance to enlighten the people.Enlightened public posed higher political demands,which can either be fulfilled by enlightened rulers who were willing to give up some of their power and privileges or be suppressed by rulers who continue to treat the people as nothing.If the former,their ruling might be extended to some extent.But if the latter,a revolution then becomes inexorable.Now we are safe to conclude that it is just because of the modernization reforms conducted by enlightened political elites in Qajar dynasty that common Iranians are awakened to realize the rottenness of Qajar dynasty.This realization in return induces the people to overthrow the rotten dynasty through a violent revolution.But the political elitesshouldn't feel sad about this outcome they have brought about through their modernization efforts since though the rotten dynasty they endeavored to save didn't stop even a second in its march toward collapse,Iran as their fatherland rises again from ashes toward their nirvana: a highly enlightened population is much better prepared to embrace real full-range modernization,which awaits its verification in the modernization reforms of Pahlavi dynasty.