Architecture and Politics in the Qajar Era through Two Written Works of Momtahin al-Dawlah

Known as Momtahin al-Dowlah, Mirza Mahdi Khān Shaqāqi was an engineer and politician of the Qajar era. He has two written works titled Khātirāt-e-Momtahin (Memoirs of Momtahin) and Ma’āsir-i Mahdīeh (admirable works of Mahdī), one of which is his autobiography and the other is a well-known book in the field of foreign policy. His architectural activities and political position besides the contents of his two works provide a great opportunity to get a better understanding of the Qajar era. Although this study is restricted to Shaqāqi’s works and activities and may not be generalizable to the whole society during the Qajar period, it represents the era from a specific viewpoint. The study revolves around architecture and politics, which are two areas of human social life that are manifestations of consciousness and human will. They are interrelated, and studying them can better reveal the state of society. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the architecture and politics during the life of Momtahin al-Dowlah through his works to get a better understanding of Iranian society during that period. This review is based on the two written works of Mirza Mahdi Khān Shaqāqi. The research method is thematic analysis. The results show the characteristics and conditions of the society during that period; namely innovation and imitation, patriotism and loss of trust and social capital, imitation of the West and dissatisfaction with it, and favor and treason. These characteristics, as a whole, indicate an internal contradiction and conflict from the viewpoint of Momtahin al-Dowlah. The article is arranged in four parts. After the introduction, Momtahin al-Dowlah and his two written works are introduced. In the third part, which is the main part of the article, the content and themes of the two works are discussed and the characteristics that can be extracted from the architectural and political conditions are explained and finally summarized in the fourth part.