7. The Fall of Amir Kabir

09/28/20 • 29 min

In 1848, the great Iranian statesman Amir Kabir stood ready to transform Iran's fortunes through a program of political and administrative reform. Four years later, he found himself out of power and waiting for his own execution.

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6. The Bábi Uprisings

Between 1848 and 1850, a new religious movement - 'Bábism' - emerged in Iran. Followers of a Shirazi merchant known as the 'Báb' (the Arabic word for 'gate') believed in the imminent arrival of the Mahdi and a new revelation for mankind. Relations between the Bábis and the Iranian state and religious establishment quickly deteriorated, leading to bloodshed and armed conflict.

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8. The Road to Herat

In 1852, with the death of Amir Kabir, power in Iran fell into the hands of the Shah and his new vizier, Mirza Agha Khan Nuri. The change in leadership precipitated a change in foreign policy - one which would conclude in a war between Iran and the British empire.