Searching for Legitimacy of the Political Powers in İran after Safavid Period

Abstract

During the 70 years after the collapse of the Safavid state, four different tribes established states on Iran’s borders, but only one of them (Qajar) continued to rule for more than a century. In this research, the instability of the first three states established in Iran in the given period, the success of the Qajars, who founded the fourth state, in state-building and the efforts of all these states to legitimize their sovereignty are discussed. The article will examine the founding stages of these four states using primary and secondary sources and discuss the similarities and differences in this process. This study suggests that these first three states valued the Safavid heritage, however failed to provide their legitimacy. On the other hand, it is seen that the Qajar state, which reigned longer than the previous three states, considered the principles of religious identity, paternity, geographical integrity, and military power which are the essential sources of legitimacy of the Safavid state.