The Court of the Qajars

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

The most common way of finding a new leader in modern countries is to hold an election.

The citizens of the country get to choose a leader. For much of history, though, that was not the case. Monarchy, or rule by a king or queen, was a very common form of government. The role of leader would pass from parent to child, then from that person to his or her child, and so on. The role of leader would get passed down through a family. In many places, the rule of a powerful family over a long period of time is called a dynasty.

The nation of Iran has had many dynasties throughout its history. In this lesson, you are going to learn about just one of those dynasties, the Qajar Dynasty. Before getting ahead of ourselves, let’s check out the map of the important places in this story of the Qajar Dynasty. Take a look at the map below and find the following information:

• Where is Azerbaijan?
• Where is Iran?
• Where is Tehran?
• Which of those is a country? Which is a city?
• What countries border the modern country of Iran?

Share the map with your parent or teacher and point to the places you found, then discuss these questions together:

• What do you know about the country of Iran or the countries that surround it?
• What do you think it was like to visit a royal court in centuries past?
• What kinds of people do you think the king or queen would need to help them in their day-to-day rule?

Different languages have their own word for “king.” In the Persian language of Iran, that word is "Shah."

In the Got It? section, learn about the court of the Qajar Shahs and the beautiful palace from which they ruled.