Religion and State in Iran 1785-1906: The Role of the Ulama in the Qajar Period

Religion and State in Iran, 1785–1906 offers the first sustained study of the political role of the ulama during the Qajar dynasty, a period that culminated in the Constitutional Revolution of 1906. Hamid Algar traces the emergence of the ulama as the central counterweight to the monarchy, showing how their authority grew in response to foreign encroachment, economic concessions, and the efforts of successive shahs to consolidate power. Through detailed analysis of key episodes—from the mur...