In rethinking the Qajar period (1781-1925), Nasser ed-Din Shah's reign (1848-1896) could be seen as a pivotal point in the study of social history in modern Iran. Furthermore, the turn of the twentieth century saw fundamental changes to Persia’s traditional political and cultural patterns, which were interrelated with some profound socio-economic transformations affecting every aspect of life at all levels. In studying Qajar Persia, it seems that social history is the least developed of current historical research trends.
Bringing together historians from Iran, Europe and the North America, this conference aimed at identifying new methodological devices, discussing critical views and exploring fresh sources of historical information for the study of social history in modern Iran. Drawing on the existing literature and critiques in the field, the conference critically focused on the following themes:
- Methodological and conceptual underpinnings as well as historical perspectives as an area of enquiry in constructing a social history of Qajar Persia
- Examination and interpretation of newly-found primary sources such as diaries, letters, photos, manuscripts and original documents
- Interpreting and understanding the context in which primary sources were generated
- Identifying conflicting evidence and locating factual and interpretive information that can help researchers of Qajar Persia resolve or eliminate existing differences
The conference was organized by Leiden University, International Qajar Studies Association, and International Institute of Social history (IISH) in Amsterdam.
Programme
Touraj Atabaki, Revisiting Social Historiography of Qajar Persia.
Nayer Glenn-Mostofi, Mostofi’s ‘Story of My Life’
Abbas Amanat, Social Positioning and Every Day Life in Qajar Persia; the Sources
Hans Timmermans, Review of the Notes of Lieutenant-Colonel H. Picot on Royalty and Notables in Qajar Persia
Nahid Nosrat-Mozaffari, What do we know about the lives of Qajar women?
Ferydoun Barjesteh, Short Report: DNA-evidence versus the Paper Trail. Groundbreaking News on the Origins of the Qajars
Ali Gheissari, A Physician of Body Politic in late Qajar Iran: Hajj Mohtasham os-Saltaneh on ‘Causes of Our Misery and its Cure.’
Reza Sheikh, Photography as a tool for Social Positioning
Houchang Chehabi, Qajar Titles and their Abolition in 1925
Stephanie Cronin, Nationalism and the Invention of the ‘Tribal Problem’ in Late Qajar Persia
Manoutchehr M. Eskandari-Qajar, The Message of the Negarestan Mural of Fath Ali Shah and His Sons: Snapshot of Court Protocol or Determinant of Dynastic Succession