Measures Taken by Qajars to Establish Social Peace and Security in Cities

Establishment of social peace and security by political systems brings aboutserenity and peace of mind, satisfaction, security and wellbeing for the public, and continuation of political power for the rulers. Depending on circumstances and their capabilities, rulers have always tried to prevent anti-security challenges and ensure the security in their domains through different measures. Qajar dynasty was no exception either. Qajar governments, during their reign, encountered factors which disrupted their security and order and challenged their status. Their reactions to crises consisted of measures taken to reduce unrest and disorder. Despite their tight security measures; however, they failed to establish a durable peace and order for different reasons including the vastness of their territory, the nature of their political structure, presence of internal crises, and complexity of conditions resulting from the presence of foreign powers.Based on historical and itinerary sources, and in a descriptive –analytical manner, the present historical study focuses on some factors which had a role in social unrests during the reign of Nasser-al-din Shah from beginning to the end, and the measures taken by Qajars to establish peace and order. Findings show that the security measures taken by Qajars were mostly based on sending troops to suppress riots, employment of traditional security forces, and imposition of violent punishmentson human agents of the unrest. Given lack of foundations for durable security and inappropriateness of taken actions, social unrest was a recurrent phenomenon during the reign of Qajars.