One of the world's longest-lasting monarchies, the Iranian monarchy went through many transformations over the centuries, from the days of Persia to the creation of what is now modern day Iran.

The hereditary ruler of the Iranian monarchy was the Shah, who according to royal order of precedence, was equal in status to an Emperor. For most of its existence the Iranian monarchy had been an absolute monarchy, although there were attempts to reform it into a constitutional monarchy in the early twentieth century and following World War II.

The modern Iranian monarchy was established in 1502 after the Safavid Dynasty came to power under Shah Ismail I, and ended the so-called "fourth era" of political fragmentation. The monarchy was abolished in 1979 when a revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini forced Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (one of two people who held the title Shah of Iran, and the one most often referred to as such) into exile, and established an Islamic Republic in its place. For monarchs before 1501, see List of kings of Persia.

Iranian monarchs since 1501

Safavid dynasty

• Ismail I (1501-1524)
• Tahmasp I (1524-1576)
• Ismail II (1576-1578)
• Mohammed Khodabanda (1578-1588)
• Abbas I (1588-1629)
• Safi (1629-1642)
• Abbas II (1642-1666)
• Suleiman (1666-1694)
• Husayn (1694-1722)
• Tahmasp II (1722-1732)
• Abbas III (1732-1736)

Afsharid dynasty

• Nadir Shah (1736-1747)
• Adil (1747-1748)
• Shahrokh (1748-1749)

Zand dynasty

• Karim Khan (1750-1779)
• Sadiq (1779-1782)
• Ali Murad (1782-1785)
• Jafar (1785-1789)
• Lotf Ali (1789-1794)

Qajar dynasty

• Agha Mohammad Khan (1796-1797)
• Fath Ali Shah (1797-1834)
• Mohammad Shah (1834-1848)
• Nasser-al-Din Shah (1848-1896)
• Mozaffareddin Shah (1896-1907)
• Mohammad Ali Shah (1907-1909)
• Ahmad Shah (1909-1925)

Pahlavi dynasty

• Reza Pahlavi (1925-1941)
• Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1941-1979)

External links

• The Qajar Dynasty