The Strategy of Abbas Mirza Nāyeb-al-Saltana for Streamlining the Qajar Army in Wars

The confrontation of the Qajar army with the extensive invasions of Russia and the threat of the country from a foreign power at the beginning of the 19th (13th AH) century, brought the necessity of changing the traditional structure of the army and its fighting tactics to the minds of some distinguished men of that era, especially Abbas Mirza Nāyeb-al-Saltana (1789-1833) who was the commander of the troops on the battlefield. The military strategy of the Crown Prince was mainly focused on making the military power of the army more efficient by modernizing the organization, equipment and tactics of warfare, using the European system, and taking advantage of the guidance and training offered by foreign instructors. In the present descriptive-analytical study, by posing the question of the necessity of adopting such a strategy, an attempt is made to explain and analyze the military strategy of Abbas-Mirza in the form of the reform program of the new system through examining the situation of the traditional forces of the early Qajar period. The findings of the research show that the adoption of the army reform program has been influenced by the objective reality of the fighting with a regular and well-equipped army, a necessity and a conscious strategy for streamlining and organizing of a similar army, to confront and overcome the aggressor opponent and to neutralize the movements and internal conflicts of rebellions and rioters, which has overall led to the consolidation of power and the sovereignty of Qajar dynasty.