Justice Box (sanduq-i adalat); the Continuity of Tradition or the Facilitator of Modernity

  The establishment of the so-called Justice Box (Persian =sanduq-i adalat) by Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar (1831 –1896) is discussed as an ingenious device in line with the Iranian tradition of a benevolent tyrant. The king’s concern for justice in the absence of a justice system led him revive the classic image of a just king for himself. The initiative meant that he personally was supposed to be in direct contact with his subjects and oversee the process of addressing disputes brought to the court.
Method and Research Design: Data for this study is gathered mainly from archival records reporting the establishment and performance of the Justice Box.
Findings and The king’s emphasis was to earn the symbolic image of a just king, thus enhancing his legitimacy. A secular court hence paved the way for later demand for a secular justice system that turned to be the main driving force of the 1906 Constitutional Revolution in Iran