The Dynasty of the Kajars, Tr. from the Ms. of ?Abd Al-Razz?? B. Najaf ?Ul? Presented to Sir H.J. Brydges by Sir H.J. Brydges and D. Shea. to Which Is Prefixed, a Succinct Account of the History of Persia, Previous to That Period

“The Dynasty Of The Kajars, Tr. From The Ms. Of ?abd Al-Razzâ? B. Najaf ?Ulî” by ?abd Al-Razzâ? B. Najaf ?Ulî. This translated Persian state manuscript offers a panoramic chronicle of Persia under the Qajar dynasty, detailing political power, court ceremony, and military campaigns along the Caucasus frontier in the early 19th century. It foregrounds the Prince Viceroy as the dynastic guardian, the Shah’s moral authority, and a rhetoric that blends religious legitimation with royal propaganda. The narrative tracks Russo-Persian clashes in Azarbaijan, Erivan, Karabagh, and surrounding border regions, describing fortifications, reforms under the so-called New System, and European-assisted modernization of infantry, cavalry, and logistics. It weaves diplomatic episodes with France, England, and the Ottoman world, presenting missions by Gardanne, Gardanne’s colleagues, Jaubert, and English envoys as critical pivots in a grand strategy against Russia. Key figures include Husain Khan Kajar, Aly Khan Kajar, Mirza Bazurg, Abbas Mirza, and a host of governors and tribal leaders; the text also portrays European instructors like L’Ami and engineers who shape frontier fortifications. The work is at once a propaganda history and a diplomatic atlas, emphasizing sovereignty, divine sanction, and the expansion of a centralized state through both battlefield victories and ceremonial ritual.