ABSTRACT

Tehran lies on the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains at an altitude of 1,158 meters above sea level. The old capital city of this region, Rey, is located south of Tehran and includes several historical sites such as the shrine of Shah ‘Abd al-‘Aziz and Chashme-e ‘Ali. After becoming the Qajar capital, Tehran’s population increased rapidly during the nineteenth century. Since Tehran was the capital for the Qajar shahs, the royal family and bureaucrats also lived in Tehran, distinguishing it from other cities in Iran. The Qajar shahs appointed a governor and a vazir for Tehran. The vazirs of Tehran supervised mainly financial matters but sometimes administered the local government in place of the governor. People could present their petitions to the central divankhane as well as to the governor or vazir of Tehran. A major duty of the kalantar, who European sources described as mayor of the city, was to maintain public order.