National Iranian American Museum

In May 1896, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, ruler of Persia for nearly fifty years, was assassinated at the shrine of Shah Abdol-Azim near Tehran. News of the assassination quickly spread across international telegraph networks and appeared in newspapers throughout Europe and the United States. This article illustrates how events in Persia were reported to American readers in the late nineteenth century and reflects early American public awareness of the country.

At the time, Persia was ruled by the Qajar dynasty, and the Shah’s death led to the accession of his son Muzaffar al-Din Shah.