Nasser Al-Din Shah after Amir Kabir

Mirza Agha Khan Noori, one of the head conspirators in death of AMir Kabir was elected as the new prime minister. His rule was the start of decline of whatever Amir did. The manufacturers lost the support to produce more quality products, Vaccination was forgotten, and in short, all of Amir's legacies was lost. Probably the only thing remaining was Dar ol Fonoon, which continued to produce the educated. Headed by Ali Naghi Mirza, a very worthy person, Dar ol Fonoon became Iran's greatest educational centre.

Nasser Al-Din Shah reigned for fifty years. During his reign, he changed numerous prime ministers, even dissoved the position of prime minister and creatd a royal council. He never found another Amir Kabir, although some worthy people like Mirza Hossein Sepahsalar or Mirza Ali Amin ol Dowle came along. His last prime minister was Mirza Ali Asghar Amin ol Soltan, who holds the record for prime ministership, 22 years all in all, and during the reign of three kings. Nasser Al-Din Shah's reign was also the start of a lot of things, some of them mentioned below.

In the technological terms, Telegraph and telephone were brought to Iran by Mokhber Al-Slataneh Hedayat, and the first ministry of communication was also created by him. A small and limited train system was also brought from Belgium, and it rpoved to be an entertainment system rather than a rail road. Electric light was also first brought to Iran during the long reign of Nasser Al-Din Shah, although for a long time, it only worked in the royal palace.

Reign of Nasser Al-Din Shah also brought a new thing to Iran, official visits! Shah visited European countries three times, went to the Apris exposition, met with Queen Victoria and KAisar Wilhelm I. He also went to Russia, Nehterlands, and Austria. His greatest souvenir from these trips was bringing a new wave of European liberal thought to Iran, and also facilitating the way for Iranian students to go to European universities. He also made alot of treaties with foreign powers that gave way to imperilism of the late 19th century. With these treaties, Irans police went under the French and Italian way, Austrians and Germans controled the military trainings, and English and Russians captured the countries economy. Not wanting to stay out of business, Belgians took the countries import and export ministery under their power.

From all of these treaties, one stands out, the Reuter Treaty. Made with Baron Reuter, a Jewish-English lord, this treaty gave the rights to all of countries tobaco use to the Reuter Company. Iranians felt that this treaty puts them and on of their esential consumer products under the control of a foreign power. Islamic clergy, headed by Mirza-ye Shirazi, banned the tobaco use in Iran. Even the wives of the king refused to use tobaco. This caused a general unrest, and of course a bad profit for Lord Reuter. The treaty was canceled with Iran paying a fine. This accident, although not over a very important matter, showed the people that they can achieve waht they want with unity, something that came handy a little while later.

In general, reign of Nasser Al-Din Shah was an era of transition from the old times to the modern world. Political, economical, and cultural changes prepered the country for a major social and poilitical overturn. During his reign, several opposition groups were created, some of them supported by foreign powers, like Baha'is, and some of them domesticly initiated, like the followers of Seyed Jamal Al Din.

Finally, in 1891, year of Nasser Al-Din Shah's half a century reign, came the end. The whole country was prepering for the celebrations. Shah left the palace for Shah Abdol Azim, tomb of a religious leader and a famous piligramage site. When he finished his prayers, he went toward the door of his late wife's tomb, close to the Shah Abdol Azim. Suddenly, he was shot three times by one of the followers of Seeyed Jamal Al Din, a famous opposition leader, acting from Turkey. The assasin turned himself in, He was called Mirza Reza. Not wanting the public to know that the king is dead, Prime Minister Ali Asghar Khan planned a play to fool the poeple. He moved the body to the palace secretly, and did not announce the death of the king. He then sent a messenger to Tabriz to let the heir to the throne lnow about his father's death. The king is dead, long live the king!!!