Khāṭirāt-i Iḥtishām al-Salṭanah

Maḥmūd ‘Alāmīr, better known as Eḥteshām al-Salṭanah, from the Qājār Dulū family, was born in 1279 Hijrī Qamarī in Tihrān. His father, Muḥammad Raḥīm Khān ‘Alāʼ al-Dawlah, served as the governor of Āzarbāyjān during the reign of Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, and his mother, Sulṭān Khānum, was a paternal granddaughter of Fatḥ ‘Alī Shāh Qājār. After the formation of the first session of the Majlis-i Millī (National Assembly), he became its second speaker.

This book is a collection of Eḥteshām al-Salṭanah’s memoirs from various stages of his political, cultural, and social life, along with accounts of some key figures of the Mashrūṭah era. The author, while drawing on Eḥteshām al-Salṭanah’s own memoirs, has conducted a comparative study with other sources and documents.

The book contains his recollections from across his socio-political life. Written in a narrative style, the author describes his family circumstances, positions, responsibilities, and political activities; in many instances, this description is followed by explanation and analysis—meaning that, after recounting an event, the author then proceeds to analyse it. In the first chapter, the author introduces Eḥteshām al-Salṭanah’s family background and private life. Chapters two to six, respectively, address his courtly and political roles during the reigns of Nāṣir al-Dīn Shāh, Muẓaffar al-Dīn Shāh, Muḥammad ‘Alī Shāh, Aḥmad Shāh, and Riḍā Shāh.