Reflection of Convergence of Religion and Government in the Art of Fath-Ali Shah's Era

In the study of art and architecture of the early Qajar era, especially the period of Fath-Ali Sha, one can find different factors that influence creating artistic and architectural monuments. Among these factors, Fath-Ali Shah’s policies in religion have performed an important role. Based on Zol-Qarneyn’s historical narratives, one of the most important sources of Qajar’s first era written by Fazlolah Khavari, this study is going to examine the effect of the convergence of religion and government in historical events of art during Fath-Ali Shah’s reign. Due to the author’s specific office at court as a scribe, his expertise is in writing biography and detailed descriptions. The results indicate that building, maintenance, and decoration of these architectural structures, especially religious ones (like mosques and religious schools), and Shah’s particular attention to the shrines of Imams have been affected by religious-governmental exchanges. This study is a descriptive-analytical one based on historical sources.