These three volumes are a translation from Persian into English of a major work of the social, cultural, economic, administrative, political, and diplomatic history of Iran during the Qajar period. The Persian edition was first published in 1945. A revised edition, prepared by the author before his death, was published posthumously in 1965. Scholars in the field of Iranian studies consider this work to be essential for students of the Qajar period. In addition to covering major events during this era, the work contains a wealth of information on the author's contemporaries, vanishing social customs, religious rituals, everyday life, the interrelationship between secular and religious authorities, and Iran's place in regional an international affairs.