Zagros Archaeological Researches

Zagros Archaeological Researches

An Analysis of Epigraphic Art in the Qajar Era: A Case Study of the Inscription of Imamzadeh Mohammad-Baqer in Rudak, Tehran Province

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Archeology, University of Gonabad
Abstract
Inscriptions—particularly those created during the Islamic period—constitute primary sources of significant artistic, cultural, political, and social value. Located on the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains within the Tochal range, the village of Rudak hosts the shrine of Imamzadeh Mohammad-Baqer, whose wall bears a remarkable historical inscription. This study, conducted through a descriptive–analytical method based on both field observation and library research, aims to address three main questions: (1) to which historical period does the inscription belong? (2) what are its artistic and stylistic characteristics? and (3) who were involved in its construction and completion? Findings reveal that the inscription dates back to the Qajar era, specifically the reign of Fath-Ali Shah. Executed in Nasta‘liq script, the text conveys expressions of devotion and reverence toward Imamzadeh Mohammad-Baqer, in whose honor the inscription was installed. It also includes laudatory references to Fath-Ali Shah Qajar and mentions several individuals who contributed to its creation and completion. The technical features of the calligraphy are analyzed and compared with similar examples from the same period. Given that inscriptions often provide valuable insights into the historical context of architectural construction, the identity of builders and artists, and the sociocultural and political milieu of their time, the study of this particular example elucidates the artistic principles and aesthetic characteristics of Qajar epigraphy. Moreover, the chronogram indicating the date of execution has been identified and examined as part of the analysis.
Keywords

References
Abedinpour, Vahid, & Samaei, Masoumeh. (2010). “The Causes of the Transformation of Calligraphy and Its Relationship with Iranian Identity in the Timurid Period.” Journal of the History of Islam and Iran, No. 8, pp. 55–86. (in Persian)
Azhand, Yaqub. (2004). “Calligraphy in the Realm of the Herat School: The Early Period with an Emphasis on the Nastaʿliq Script.” Ketab-e Mah-e Honar, Nos. 69–70, pp. 24–36. (in Persian)
Bayhaqi, Abu al-Fazl Muhammad ibn Husayn. (1995). Tarikh-e Bayhaqi. Edited by Khalil Khatib Rahbar. Vol. 2 of 3 vols., 4th ed. Tehran: Mahtab Publications. (in Persian)
Behpour, Bavand. (2005). “Epigraphy in the Qajar Period (A Study of the Inscriptions of Eight Qajar Buildings in Shiraz and Isfahan).” Fine Arts Journal, No. 22, pp. 118–125. (in Persian)
Belilan Asl, et al. (2011). “An Investigation of the Geometrical Characteristics of Islamic Knot Patterns from the Perspective of Fractal Geometry.” Iranian-Islamic City Studies, No. 6, pp. 83–96. (in Persian)
Deihim, Giti. (2009). Linguistic Atlas of Qasran-e Dakhel. Tehran: Soroush Publications and Office for Cultural Research. (in Persian)
Fazaeli, Habibollah. (1971). Atlas of Scripts: A Study of Islamic Calligraphy. Isfahan: National Heritage Society of Isfahan. (in Persian)
Gholichkhani, Hamidreza. (2013). An Introduction to Iranian Calligraphy. Tehran: Farhang-e Moaser Publications. (in Persian)
Iranpour, Amin, & Shirazi, Ali Asghar. (2013). “The Relationship between Hand Dominance and Movement Principles in Nastaʿliq Calligraphy.” Negareh Quarterly, No. 28, pp. 15–26. (in Persian)
Kariman, Hossein. (1977). Qasran. Vols. 1–2. Tehran: National Heritage Society Publications. (in Persian)
Khosravi Bizhaem, Farhad. (2019). “Identification and Introduction of the Calligraphers of Nastaʿliq Inscriptions in Safavid Buildings of Iran.” Negareh Quarterly, No. 49, pp. 39–53. (in Persian)
Luft, J. P. (2001). “The Qajar Rock Reliefs”, Iranian Studies, Vol. 34, No. 1/4, Qajar Art and Society, PP 31- 49.
Mahjour, Firouz, & Alaei, Meysam. (2011). “A Study of the Inscriptions of the Shahid Motahhari Mosque-School (Sepahsalar).” Fine Arts: Visual Arts, No. 48, pp. 49–58. (in Persian)
Malek Shahmirzadi, Sadegh. (2014). The Sun Came as Evidence of the Sun: Essays in Praise and Appreciation of the Self. Self-published, n.p. (in Persian)
Mirdanesh, Mehdi. (1974). Report of the Ministry of Culture and Arts on the Tang-e Vashi Rock Relief. Tehran: National Center for Cultural Heritage Documents and Archives. (in Persian)
Moayer al-Mamalek, Dust Ali Khan. (1983). Notes on the Private Life of Naser al-Din Shah. 2nd ed. Tehran: Nashr-e Tarikh-e Iran. (in Persian)
Neyestani, Javad, & Alaei, Meysam. (2013). “A Study of the Inscriptions on the Cenotaph Chests of Selected Tombs in Lavasanat and Rudbar-e Qasran.” Islamic Art Studies, Vol. 9, No. 18, pp. 47–64. (in Persian)
O'Kane, Bernard. (2007). Timurid Architecture in Khorasan. Translated by Ali Akhshini. Mashhad: Islamic Research Foundation of Astan Quds Razavi. (in Persian)
Pazouki Toroudi, Nasser. (2002). Survey and Identification Report of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of Shemiranat Governorate. Tehran: Iranian Cultural Heritage Research Institute. (in Persian)
Pazouki Toroudi, Nasser. (2003). Historical Monuments of Shemiran: Historical Geography and Introduction to Archaeological Sites and Historical and Cultural Buildings. Tehran: Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization. (in Persian)
Qazi Ahmad Qomi. (2004). Golestan-e Honar. Edited by Ahmad Soheili Khansari, 2nd ed. Tehran: Manouchehri Publications. (in Persian)
Rakhshan, Manouchehr, Akvan, Mohammad, & Shokri, Mohammad. (2023). “An Analysis of the Motifs and Decorations of Qajar Inscriptions through Roland Barthes’ Semiotic Theory, with Emphasis on Sepahsalar Mosque and Masoudieh Mansion.” Islamic Art Studies, Vol. 20, No. 51, pp. 198–213. (in Persian)
Safavi, Hassan. (1985). Alexander in Iranian Literature and the Religious Character of Alexander. Tehran: Amir Kabir Publications. (in Persian)
Salehi Kakhki, Ahmad, Khosravi Bizhaem, Farhad, & Yazdani, Melika. (2016). “A Formal and Structural Study of Nastaʿliq Inscriptions in Qajar Mosques of Isfahan and Their Comparison with Safavid Examples.” Fine Arts: Visual Arts, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 65–76. (in Persian)
Shavakandi, Mahdieh, & Hashemi Zarjabad, Hassan. (2020). “An Analytical Study of the Content of the Inscriptions in Two Prominent Qajar Buildings in Shiraz (Nasir al-Mulk Mosque and Mushir al-Mulk Mosque).” Vol. 6, No. 16, pp. 88–106. (in Persian)
Shayestehfar, Mahnaz, & Azad, Mitra. (2004). “Inscriptions of the Buyid Period Buildings with an Emphasis on Religious Themes.” Islamic Art Studies, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 43–60. (in Persian)
Sheibani, Zarrin-Taj. (2005). “The Rock Relief of Kuh-e Vashi (The Continuity of the Iranian Painting Tradition).” Asar, Nos. 38–39, pp. 100–123. (in Persian)
Sotoudeh, Manouchehr. (1966). The Ismaili Castles of the Alborz Mountain Range. Tehran: University of Tehran Press. (in Persian)
Sotoudeh, Manouchehr. (1992). Historical Geography of Shemiran. Vol. 1. Tehran: Institute for Cultural Studies and Research. (in Persian)
Taqavi, Abed. (2014). “The Role of Qajar Rock Reliefs in the Reconstruction of Iranian National Identity.” National Studies Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 4 (No. 60), pp. 161–178. (in Persian)