Comparative Study of the Art of Iconography in the Court of Dolatshah, the Ruler of Kermanshah, and the Works Created during the Fath Ali Shah Qajar’s Period (1203-1327)

Mohammad Ali Dolatshah, the ruler of Kermanshah, is the eldest son of Fath Ali Shah Qajar. During his reign in Kermanshah, he left valuable services. In his court, art is as active as in the court of Tehran, and works of art such as lithography, painting, etc. can be seen. The subjects of these official and court works are influenced by Tehran. Research question: 1-What are the works of art left from the court of Dolatshah and what are their characteristics? 2-What is the similarity and connection with similar works of art in this period of Fath Ali Shah? Research method: In this research, it is descriptive-analytical and using library resources and the study of samples of lithographs, paintings and painted signs and the method of analyzing the works is based on visual principles and rules used in the art of iconography of Fath Ali Shah. Results: This study shows that the works of art left over from the era of Dolatshah were influenced by the formal art and court iconography of this period and were used as a historical document to record and to show his power. In all his pictures, he is seen with the posture of Fath Ali Shah and emphasizes his legitimacy to ascend the throne.
In terms of the aim of this study, considering the importance of recognizing Mirza Mohammad Ali Dolatshah and his court in the field of works of art and that in many Persian sources the name Fath Ali Shah has been used incorrectly due to its resemblance to Fath Ali Shah Qajar, it was necessary to introduce Mirza Mohammad Ali Dolatshah. After the death of Mohammad Ali Dolatshah, his son Mohammad Hossein Mirza Heshmat al-Dawlah became the ruler of Kermanshah. The grant of various governments to Mohammad Ali Dolatshah by the Shah was for the purpose of removing the enmity of Mohammad Ali Dolatshah with Abbas Mirza to some extent. However, this dispute continued and the two princes in their dominions, namely Tabriz and Kermanshah, took constructive measures in the field of civil engineering and military power to face each other if necessary. In this regard, Dolatshah, in competition with Abbas Mirza, trained his forces by the Westerners, and also his court was a place of travel for Russian and British forces, and probably a statue of a painting has been prepared for this purpose, like the court of Tehran.
Dolatshah, like his father, was aware of the value of art and used it to introduce himself politically and to show his power. He carefully and repeatedly applied the rules of the Tehran School of Iconography to his court in his works of art. In matching Dolatshah's face with Fath Ali Shah, these cases can be seen in the works of painting (iconography), statues and reliefs. These pictorial rules are in the form of exaggeration on the face and limbs, abstracts, abundant decorations, use of jewelry in the crown, clothes and accessories of Shah Qajar, which can be seen in all the arts related to Fath Ali Shah in various dimensions and sizes. In a comparative study of the statues of Fath Ali Shah and Dolatshah, it seems that Dolatshah has used the same path of imitation of the face and laws of Fath Ali Shah's court iconography in repeating his image. This statue of Mohammad Ali Dolatshah, which was painted with the awe and image of Fath Ali Shah, is one of the cases that show that the court was in contact with foreigners due to his importance. Due to the war between the Ottomans and Russia, he was known as an important and brave person in the Qajar court. His face, majesty, appearance and crown were influenced by the Qajar court's paintings of Fath Ali Shah. He tended to emphasize this similarity. Works of art during the Qajar period are associated with symbols of power and politics, and the main commissioners of art during this period were kings and princes. One of the most important princes during the Qajar period was Prince Mohammad Ali Dolatshah in Kermanshah. In all of  statues and lithographs of him, the laws of iconography have been very prominent in terms of form, execution and influence of the art of Fath Ali Shah's court on Dolatshah's court, and it seems to have been purposeful and for political reasons. Like Fath Ali Shah, Mohammad Ali Dolatshah was aware of the political value of the image and used its power to introduce himself as a worthy person in the Qajar court and objected to his non-election as Crown Prince and expressed this objection with images. The resemblance of his face to that of Fath Ali Shah, which has been repeatedly exaggerated, is also a reason for this claim. Tehran is important during the Qajar period and shows the support for art in his court and the political use of the image. The high similarity of the image of Dolatshah and Fath Ali Shah, the repetition of the rules of Fath Ali Shah's court iconography in Dolatshah's images, the use of various materials in the Tehran court such as paintings, jewelry statues and huge lithographs can be in line with this goal.