Customer Reviews

The Administrative and Social History of the Qajar Period (3 Volume Set)

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I have so many wonderful comments about this book that they would not fit on this page. This was a gripping, interesting story full of detail and flowing words. The historical content is melded with the story line so well that you don't realize that you are learning about history at the same time. I was so intrigued by the beautiful translation by the author's daughter, who is also a Texan Persian who is highly educated and has attended school in Edinborough and LSU (what a range). Never a dull moment and a MUST READ!

This masterpiece deserves much exposure and credit. Translated by the daughter of the author, the words flow off of the page to form a beautiful story. Not only does it include historical facts about Iran, but it demonstrates to the reader what daily life was like in the time period. I am so thankful that this book is available to English readers. A must for any library!

An immense effort by Nayer Mostofi Glen who has done an excellent job translating her father's memoirs from Persian to English. Mr. Abdollah Mostofi came from a long line of royal "Mostofis" (chief accountant/tax collectors) of the Qajar dynasty. His family served in this capacity from the era of Agha Mohammad Khan - the founder of the Qajar dynasty - until the twentieth century when Abdollah Mostofi inherited his family trait. This incredible man lived and served his country from Nasser e-Din Shah's era through Reza Shah Pahlavi's reign (five kings and two dynasties).

Let me first and foremost clarify that all that Mr. Mostofi wrote was from his memory. If you have an eye for bibliographies, you will not find it in these books (a set of 3 books). But, rest assured that what this book lacks in academic structure, it makes up for in the real picture of life it gives you of Persia at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Abdollah Mostofi was able to recall with astounding detail people's attitudes, children's folk songs which poked fun at the Shahs, street names, cultural mannerisms, the personality of the Kings, and the drastic changes that the twentieth century brought about in Iran.

My only criticism is that the title of the book should not have been literally translated from its Persian text. This book is a memoir; it is not a true history book - at least not in the academic context/meaning of the word. It is not an administrative history of the Qajar period, it is the life of a high ranking administrator (Mostofi, Judge, Ambassador, ...). But in all fairness, Abdollah Mostofi's life, his explanations of why major historical events during his life occurred, and how it impacted the people of Persia from the Shah down to the peasants, makes his work invaluable. Mostofi takes you through a past that most Iranians can't even relate to anymore. This is a great book of life, a life that will now live forever within the pages of Abdollah Mostofi's memoirs and the minds of all who read it.