“Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder”

“Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder”

"They say 'Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,' and in this case, beauty was indeed in the eyes of a whole nation. During the Qajar dynasty, which was the Iranian royalty from 1785 until 1925, beauty held a different and controversial meaning compared to what it holds today. Every culture has its own standards, and 19th-century Persia had its distinctive standards of appearance, with Princess Qajar, the daughter of the king of Persia, Naser al-Din Shah, being at the very top of it, representing and symbolizing beauty. Taj al-Saltaneh, one of the princesses of Qajar, was a trailblazer for women's rights and feminism in Iran. She was also a symbol of beauty and perfection during that time. Rumor has it that she was in such high demand that men were constantly turned down by her, and some even attempted to commit suicide over this heart-breaking rejection from the most beautiful woman of the empire. It was even said that she was a love interest of the famous Persian poet, Aref Qazvini, who wrote a poem about her.

Chubby women with thick features were considered attractive, especially those with facial hair such as a mustache and thick eyebrows. On the other hand, slim features were thought to be attractive for men. This particular perception of beauty made Taj al-Saltaneh a goddess and a symbol. Besides being a symbolic character with beautiful aesthetic features, this Qajar princess was also an intellectual and an outspoken figure. She was a feminist and a groundbreaker for women's rights in Persia. She was the memoirist of the Qajar Dynasty, a writer, a painter, an intellectual, and an activist. Most importantly, she was also the first woman in court to take off the hijab and wear Western clothes."

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