The Continuity of the Patrimonial Bureaucratic System of the Safavids in the Era of Aqa Mohammad Khan and Fath Ali Shah Qajar in Iran

The extensive and complex bureaucratic system established by the Safavid dynasty represents one of the most significant achievements of this government. Given that the Safavids reformed the bureaucratic system of Iran and laid the foundation for a new form, this institution continued to be utilized in subsequent governments following the Safavid era. This article employs a descriptive-analytical methodology to address the question of how the administrative and bureaucratic system of the Safavids persisted and transformed during the reigns of Aqa Mohammad Khan and Fath Ali Shah Qajar. The findings of this study indicate that the bureaucratic system of the Safavids experienced both continuity and transformation during the Qajar period. While its use was limited during Aqa Mohammad Khan's rule, the bureaucratic institution of the Safavids was extensively adapted and implemented during Fath Ali Shah's reign. In this period, considering Iran's interactions with Western civilization, reforms and transformations emerged within the bureaucratic system; however, due to the patrimonial characteristics of Iran's bureaucratic system, these reforms did not lead to significant changes. Consequently, the bureaucratic and administrative system of Iran continued to be managed and operated based on the functions derived from the Safavid bureaucratic model until the onset of the Constitutional Revolution.