Analyzing the four swords of Fath Ali Shah Qajar period (1212-1250 AH) with the representation of Shia themes: prayers and poems

The sword is considered as a symbol of strength and courage, and clinging to the sword of Imam Ali Zulfiqar is considered a symbol of clinging to his power. In the Qajar period, the name of that Imam was mentioned directly and indirectly with Shia writings, including Prayers, poems, epithets, and two Shahadas of his name. In this research, in a case study, four swords are discussed, in which Shia writings are used specifically and clearly to decorate, and the matter of continuing to reflect Sharia in art is emphasized. The purpose of this article is a case study of Shiite writing on four swords of the Qajar period and the study of its decorations and the relationship with Shiite calligraphy, which shows the continuity of this directly and indirectly. The main question of this research is how is the decoration method based on Shiite themes in the configuration of the four Qajar swords under discussion? The research method of this research is qualitative and of a descriptive-analytical type and based on the principles and rules used in the study of the decoration of Qajar swords with Shiite content with an emphasis on the poems and prayers. The results of this research show that art and politics during the period of Fath Ali Shah Qajar (1212-1250) have an unbreakable bond with each other and the Qajar kings, especially Fath Ali Shah (1250-1212) tried to introduce themselves as followers of Shiism and in this way, they used the tools of art. The use of Ali's name and Shiite themes such as poems and prayers, clinging to power and the sword of that Imam symbolically refer to power and fighting; Mentioning the name and titles of that Imam can be seen directly and indirectly despite the limitation in the writing space of the sword blade, which shows the importance of this matter.