Hunting by Qajar aristocracy and its environmental consequences

This article investigates hunting and its place in the life of the Shah and Qajar aristocracy in terms of its environmental consequences. During the Qajar period, following military modernization and the development of hunting tools and equipment, the public attitude toward the environment changed. A ramification of this alteration manifested in hunting, which was a long-established pastime of the Iranian courtiers and royal families. This research is based on the review of information in the written sources of that era, which was conducted using a descriptive-analytical approach. At the same time, efforts are made to represent animal species and their hunting range. The findings reveal that the Qajar aristocracy, including the king, princes, lower-tier officials in the ruling structure and even the women of Harem played a major role in hunting different species of animals at that time. The strong ties of the Qajar aristocracy with hunting, disregard for the environment and absence of a legal monitoring mechanism contributed to the expansion of hunting, neglectful treatment of nature and the extinction and decline of some animal species. In addition, another group of non-Iranian hunters, including tourists, diplomats, or military advisers, also enjoyed the privileges bestowed on them by kings or princes. This reckless hunting had devastating consequences for the environment and wildlife of Iran, the dimensions of which are explored in the present study.