PRINCESS QAJAR

by Nayeba Nawab

Image from Brewminate

“Beautiful Persian Princess that caused thirteen men to take their own lives after she rejected them.”

Sounds like the opening line of a dramatic period piece- or the perfect viral meme.

The above headline, often paired with Sepia-toned photographs of a certain Persian princess sporting a soft moustache and confidently attributed to a unanimous “Princess Qajar”, has made several rounds on the internet. This Qajar era princess is presented as both irresistible and conventional, making her an object of much deliberation among historians and critics alike.

The Woman in the picture, however, is more than just the tragic fate of lovelorn men, nor is she limited to being a poor caricature of modern “junk history” meme culture. Tadj Al Salteneh, the famous daughter of Naser al-Din Shah, one of the longest reigning monarchs of Iran, was a renowned feminist, women’s rights activist, and the first woman in Iran to write a memoir. Her views, as described in the book, were progressive and ahead of her time. She offers criticism of the Shah Monarchy, the Qajar era society, as well as pulls back the curtains on royal life with striking honesty.

She was married at age 13 to Sardar Hassan Shoja Al Saltaneh, an aristocrat and son of the defence minister. They had four children, and she later divorced him on account of infidelity, making her one of the first women of the royal family to get a divorce.

In her memoir, titled “Crowning Anguish”, she not only includes the pain from her husband’s extramarital affairs but also elaborates on her opinions regarding the tenacious society of Qajar-era Persia. Whether it be offering insight into her upbringing by “Bond servants” which eventually shaped her opinion on anti slavery, or her criticism of the monarchy, which she blamed for most of Iran’s then problems, including poverty, lack of education for the masses and women’s rights; Her voice was a lone female voice advocating for change and democracy.

She detailed the damages from arranged marriages. She makes a pointed argument against forcing women to wear hijab as damaging to family life and overall Iranian society. She describes her understanding of the successful plot and assassination of her father, the Shah, in 1896.

A Writer, an intellectual, a painter and an activist, she was fluent in Arabic and French and could play the violin. She was a founding member of the “Anjoman Horriyat Nsevan”, Iran’s underground women’s rights group, Women’s Freedom Association, working for equal rights for women circa 1910.

Her memoirs were published under the title “Crowning Anguish: Memoirs of a Persian Princess from the Harem to Modernity” (1884–1914) (1996), edited with a preface by Abbas Amanat and translated by Anna Vanzan and Amin Neshati. Her handwritten memoir remained unpublished for 60 years after her death and is currently in the archives of Iran’s National Library.

As Persia edged toward change during the Persian Constitutional Revolution, Taj al-Saltaneh leaned into reformist ideas.

Dr Scheiwiller highlights a key passage from Taj’s published memoirs: “When the day comes that I see my sex emancipated and my country on the path to progress, I will sacrifice myself on the battlefield of liberty, and freely shed my blood under the feet of my freedom-loving cohorts seeking their rights.”

Zahra Kahnum Taj Al-Saltaneh was leagues beyond just a parody of ancient beauty standards or a sensational case of rejected lovers; the real Princess Qajar challenged the very idea of defining women by appearance. She critiqued shallow standards, questioned societal norms, and used her voice to push for dignity, intellect, and freedom.

SOURCES:

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Najm_al-Saltaneh https://share.google/xLzdn1qZgH7PZPS8S
• Afsaneh Najmanadi, Department of History; Women with Mustaches and Men without Beards: Gender and Sexual Anxieties of Iranian Modernity (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005), https://share.google/DbE3TfzJrOwAWcR8Q
• Carl Seaver. “Princess Qajar of Persia: The True Story Behind the Meme” https://www.historydefined.net/princess-qajar/
• Kaleena Fraga. “The Real Story Behind ‘Princess Qajar’ And Her Viral Meme” (published January 22, 2026) https://allthatsinteresting.com/princess-qajar
• Victoria Martinez. ““Princess Qajar” and the Problem with Junk History Memes — A Bit of History”(December 12, 2017) https://share.google/zxm5MwbvnKxdjvtH1