A recent viral meme portrays a nineteenth-century Persian princess, Princess Fatemeh Khanum, with facial hair alongside the claim that thirteen men killed themselves over their unrequited love for her but debate exists about the rumor being real or fake.
Recent viral meme of the ‘ Princess Qajar’ created a buzz on the internet as many people did not get convinced by the claim of the meme that Persian princess, Princess Fatemeh Khanum, with an apparent mustache got considered an ideal beauty in her time, and thirteen young men killed themselves because of her rejection.
People commented on the meme that the photo was not of the princess but was of a male actor portraying the role of princess and even mentioned that these were men dressed as women as, within 19th-century Perisa, women were not allowed to act. However, neither of these claims is correct. People did not get convinced that the beauty standard of today is much more different from that century.
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Princess Fatemeh Khanum Persia, Real Or Fake?
After the viral meme of the Persian princess, many people are curious to know more about it. According to history, not only one but two Persian princesses defined the standards and expectations set for women of their time and place. That implies the Persian princess’ photo on the internet is real, but another related claim is false.
Princess Fatemeh Khanum ‘Esmat al-Dowleh’ and her half-sister, Princess Zahra Khanom Tadj es-Saltaneh, were considered the most beautiful women in Persia in their time of youth.
There was a period in Persian history when Princess Fatemeh Khanum, also known as Esmat’s appearance, got considered beautiful, mainly her mustache, which is the only part of the meme that holds the truth.
Harvard University Professor said that many Perian-language sources from the nineteenth century confirmed that Qajar women sported a thin mustache, or a soft down, as a sign of beauty, and women of that time followed that standard.
The meme also addressed the thirteen suicidal lovers, which is fake. As the princess got married when she was around nine or ten years old, and even when she was living among the women of her father’s harem, she could not have an opportunity to meet any man, not her relative, and reject their love proposal.
Princess Fatemeh Khanum Persia Wiki and Story
The Persian Princess Fatemeh Khanum’s full name was Princess Fatemeh Khanum ‘Esmat al-Dowleh,’ a daughter of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar (1831-1896), King of Persia from 18428 to 1896. She got regarded as the most beautiful woman of the nineteenth century.
King Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar trusted his second daughter, Princess Fatemeh Khanum, and he gave her the responsibility of serving the host for female foreign guests to the court. Going against the tradition, he allowed her to learn to play piano and became a photographer with a private studio in her home.
The princess is the most photographed woman of her time. Numerous pictures are available in the archives and the internet. She got considered a feminist of that time, as she was the first-ever Persian woman to take off her hijab and walked down the court.
Princess Fatemeh Khanum was a pioneer of women’s rights in Iran. Princess was a member of an underground women’s rights group in Iran named Anjoman Horriyyat Nsevan, meaning Women’s Freedom Association, which worked for Iranian women’s rights in Persia back in 1910.
Explore Fatemeh Khanum Age Husband And Family Background
Princess Fatemeh Khanum ‘Esmat al-Dowleh’ was born in 1886 and died on January 25, 1936, at 40. However, there are various predictions related to her birth and death by the intellectuals.
The princess was the second daughter of the King of Persia, Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar, and Taj al-Dowleh. The king ruled Persia from 1848 until he was assassinated in 1896 and was the third-longest reigning monarch. He was the first Persian sovereign who formally visited Europe, and he was interested in literature and photography.
Princess Fatemeh Khanum was married to Amir Hussein Khan Shoja-Al Aaltaneh and had four children- two sons and two daughters. Unfortunately, their marriage ended in divorce, probably unheard of at that time, especially in conservative Persia.
She was a painter, writer, activist, and intellectual lady who is known to have hosted numerous literary salons at her own residence.
