The Use of Artillery System in the Qajar Dynasty

Cannons were strategic weapons and the most important tool for supporting cavalry and infantry forces coming into use from the middle of the Safavid dynasty to the end of the Qajar era. The use of cannons during the Qajar rule played an important role in the success or failure of the Qajar army. In the present study, with the use of and reference to the main library resources, travel literature and documents, and using a descriptive-analytical method, the artillery of the Qajar era was discussed. The main purpose of the study was to answer the question that how important was the artillery in the Qajar ruling system? By examining the resources, this hypothesis was suggested that Qajar agents sought to create a modern system of artillery and modern infantry similar to those of European armies, but there were major barriers to artillery formation, and such efforts failed in the socio-political culture of Iran. The research findings indicate that in the social structure of Iran, the heads and tribal cavalry enjoyed special importance and prevented the formation of infantry and artillery battery as rivals of the cavalry. Therefore, throughout the Qajar era and in the foreign wars, the cavalry, both in terms of number and structure of the system, was more important than artillery and infantry. Such a construction was one of the main reasons for the Qajar army's failure to confront Russia and English armies.