Princess Qajar (Real Name: ‘ Zahra Khanom Tadj es-Saltaneh‘, born in 1883 – died 25 January 1936) was a Persian Princess, Writer, Photographer, Activist, and Poet from the Qajar dynasty, Tehran, Persia. She is well known for being the most beautiful woman of the 19th century for whom 13 people committed suicide when she rejected them.
Apart from her beauty, Qajar is also known for her poems, writing, and her work as a feminist which we will discuss further in this article.
Princess Qajar Biography, Wikipedia (Birth Date & Early Life)
Zahra Khanom Tadj es-Saltaneh was born as a woman somewhere around 1883 to her father, King Naser al-din Shah, and mother Queen Turanese-Saltanesh in Tehran, Persia. Zahra was 53 years old when she met her demise on 25 January 1936. Since her date of birth is not in records it is hard to determine what her zodiac was.
From what is written in history books we found out that Qajar had a total of 12 siblings, the details of which are not that relevant. She was a feminist ruler who followed the Islamic religion and belonged to the highest caste in the region.
Princess Qajar’s Royal Family (Father Name & Mother Name)
Zahra was the daughter of King Naser al-din Shah, who was the Shah of Qajar, Iran from 1848 until his assassination in 1896. He was the third longest-reigning monarch in Iran. King Naser al-din Shah was the first Persian ruler to formally visit Europe.
Qajar’s mother the Iranian Queen Turan es-Saltaneh was one of the 85 wives of King Naser. Princess Qajar’s brother followed the footsteps of their father and became the ruler of Persia, succeeding King Naser after his assassination. As mentioned Zahra had 12 siblings.
Mozaffar Qajar was the son who succeeded King Naser, Mozaffar became the fifth shah and reigned from 1896 till 1907. Mozaffar was also a conservative ruler like his father as a result of which Princess Qajar was critical of his rule as we will discuss further in the article. Mozaffar is also credited for creating the Persian Constitution of 1906.
Princess Qajar’s Siblings (Brothers & Sisters Name)
| Brothers | Sisters |
| Prince Soltan Mahmoud Mirza. | Princess Afsar od-Dowleh. |
| Prince Soltan Moin ed-Din Mirza. | Princess Fakhr ol-Moluk. |
| Prince Soltan Massoud Mirza Zell os-Soltan. | Princess Esmat od-Dowleh. |
| Prince Mohammad-Qassem Mirza. | Princess Zi’a os-Saltaneh. |
| Prince Soltan Hossein Mirza Jalal od-Dowleh. | Princess Fakhr od-Dowleh. |
| Prince Mozaffar ed-Din Mirza (successor). | Princess Forugh od-Dowleh. |
| Prince Kamran Mirza Nayeb os-Saltaneh. | Princess Eftekhar os-Saltaneh. |
| Prince Nosrat ed-Din Mirza Salar os-Saltaneh. | Princess Farah os-Saltaneh. |
| Prince Mohammad-Reza Mirza Rokn os-Saltaneh. | Princess Tadj os-Saltaneh (self). |
| Prince Hossein-Ali Mirza Yamin od-Dowleh. | Princess Ezz os-Saltaneh. |
| Prince Ahmad Mirza Azd os-Saltaneh. | Princess Sharafsaltaneh. |
Princess Qajar Wiki / BIO
| Full Name | Zahra Khanom Tadj es-Saltaneh. |
| Nickname | Princess Qajar. |
| Age (at the time of Death) | 53 years old. |
| Profession | Princess. Painter. Writer. |
| Date of Birth | 1883. |
| Date of Death | 25 January 1936. |
| Place of Birth | Tehran, Persia. |
| Education | Bachelors in English. |
| External Links | Wikipedia: Zahra Khanom Tadj es-Saltaneh. |
| Net Worth as of 1936 (approx.) | 300,000 USD. |
| Nationality | Persian. |
| Religion | Islam. |
Princess Qajar’s Height, Weight & Physical Appearance
| Height (approx.) | In feet and inches: 5’ 6”. In meters: 1.68 m. In centimeters: 168 cm. |
| Weight (approx.) | In kilograms: 60 kg. In pounds: 132 lbs. |
| Hair Color | Dark brown. |
| Hair Length | Medium long. |
| Eye Color | Dark brown. |
| Distinctive Features | Mustache. |
| Tattoos | None. |
Princess Qajar Husband Name, Marriage & Personal Life
Amir Hussein Khan Shoja’-al Saltaneh was the husband of Princess Qajar. The two got married when Qajar was only 12 years old and had 4 children, two daughters, and two sons. Zahra is also known for being one of the first women to give divorce to her husband.
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Princess Qajar’s Son, Daughter & Children
It is said that Princes Qajar was so beautiful that 13 people committed suicide over her rejection, hard to believe this in this day and age but at that time having a mustache was considered beautiful in Persian society.
After her divorce, the Persian poet Aref Qazvini became the love interest of Princess Qajar, he even composed the poem Ey Taj for her, also known as “The Glimpse of Taj Mahal”.
Princess Qajar’s Achievements, Society Work & Lifestyle
Zahra was a princess of one of the richest kingdoms in the history of Persia and was alive during the Golden Period of Persia. Qajar was one of the first Islamic women to ditch the hijab culture and adorning Western clothing in the court of her father and brother.
Feminism
Qajar established the Anjoman Horriyyat Nsecan also known as The Society of Women’s Freedom which is an underground organization still operating in this day and age from 1910. Zahra used to host literary salons each week in her house to educate women about empowerment.
Intellectual and Literary Work
The memoir-style writing which was popular in the late and mid-1900s was already ventured by Zahra. She was a well-known scholar, painter, intellectual, and photographer. Her artistic ventures were supported by her father who built a studio for her. Breaking all prejudices, Princess Zahra learned how to play piano and photography.
Her memoir Taj-al-Saltaneh which was completed by 1924 was published in 1983 in the book Publication of Iran’s History. Later in 1996, her memoirs were collected and released in “Crowning Anguish: Memoirs of a Persian Princess from the Harem to Modernity 1884-1914” which was well received by Time magazine who called it a curious mix of reflective and reconstructive conflicts.
Princess Qajar’s Net worth / Income
From her valued properties to her inheritance, Zahra lived a lavish life as one would expect from a princess of such a prestigious family. She owned a lot of jewelry and stones and it is estimated that her net worth was approximately 300,000 dollars at the time of her death.
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7 Facts You Need to Know About Princess Qajar
- She is and was known as the Mustache Queen.
- After her death, the Mustache Queen was buried in the Zahir od-Dowieh Cemetery in Tajrish.
- Qajar loved to visit London, enjoy the modern ideas and empowerment of women.
- She was vocal about her love for Italian Cuisine.
- Qajar became a very popular meme as Princess Qajar on the internet.
- Her sister Fatemah is also famous in the internet meme culture.
- Respected by scholars for her memoirs that revealed day to day life of people from that era.
Final Summary on Princess Qajar’s Biodata
Princess Qajar was a very interesting woman, people often look at her and scoff because of her physical appearance and judge her, what they don’t realize is that the Princess was way ahead of her time and did things that even modern Islamic women find hard to do. Breaking herself free from the shackles of conservative society.”
Opposing her father and brother, founding organizations for independent women, and even promoting art, education, and freedom for women. She was indeed a remarkable woman who will be an inspiration for generations to come.”
And if our modern society will continue to look at a person and judge their beauty for their looks and jawline instead of realizing their value, worth and inner beauty, I am afraid that we will never move forward from our conservative thinking no matter how “modern” we get.”
