Encyclopedia compiling in the Qajar period

In this article, the historical course of encyclopedia compiling in the Qajar period has been studied. The Qajar era, which is considered to be a period of familiarity and continuous communication of Iranians with the Western world, brought different gifts, including encyclopedia compiling for Iranians who had entered various fields of industries and sciences through translation. Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, who was familiar with the teachings and the bodies of knowledge of his time, suggested the compiling of Nasserite Scientists' Encyclopedia to a group of scientists of his time and his knowledgeable ministers "Etemad al-Saltanah" and “Etezad al-Saltaneh” pursued it. The Nasserite Anthology, Kerasat Al-Ma’a, Matrah Al-Anzar fi Tarajem-e Attebba Al-A’sar wa Falasefa Al-Amsar, and Mer’at Al-Boldan-e Naseri are some of the representative works that indicate the flourishing era of encyclopedia compiling in the Nasserite time. The Qajar period can be considered as the period of change from the old encyclopedic methods to the new era; In the encyclopedias of this period, the use of more resources as well as the progress of the alphabetic arrangement method can be seen. Although most of the encyclopedias of this era are historical, geographical, anthropological, and sometimes general, the Qajar era has provided new paths in encyclopedia compiling on Iranian culture.