Lettre de Muzaffar al-Din Shah (r. 1896-1907)... Lot n° 226

Dated 20 Sha'ban 1322 / October 3, 1904. Gouache, ink, gold, on thick paper, mounted as an album page, inscribed with 11 lines of script "shekasteh nasta'liq". The illuminated letter presents congratulations from the Shah of Iran to the Emperor of Russia on the birth of the Crown Prince, Tsarevich Alexey, and grants the order of the royal portrait (Temsal-e Homayun) for the prince, all to be delivered through Arfa' al-Dawla, ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and special envoy to the Russian court. Page size: 47 x 32 cm During the 19th century, the Qajars were caught between two strongly expansionist states: the English, who were seeking to expand into India, and the Russians, who were threatening the Caucasus. Mozaffar al-din Shah paid an official visit to the Russian Emperor in the year following this letter. A letter from Muzaffar al-Din Shah to the Emperor of Russian, congratulating him on the birth of Crown Prince Tsarevich Alexey and sending the Order of the Royal portrait (Temsal-e Homayun) for the prince, all of which is to be delivered through Arfa ' al-Dawla, ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and special envoy to the Russian court, dated AH 20 Sha'ban 1322 / October 3, 1904 AD. During the 19th century, the Qajars were caught between two highly expansionist states, the English, who were seeking to expand into India, and the Russians, who were threatening the Caucasus. Mozaffar al-din Shah paid an official visit to the Russian Emperor in the year following this letter.