Файл:Coat of arms of Anjoman-e Okhovat.jpgCoat of arms of the Anjoman-e Okhovat. Shahrokh Raei notes: "The coat of arms consists of two dervish axes (tabarzīn), which intersect and form a multiplication sign, a begging bowl (kashkūl) and a rosary (tasbīḥ)". The letter ṣād at the top refers to the founder of the order Safa'alishah (i.e., Ali Khan-e Qajar, also known as Zahir-ol-Dowleh). The year 1317 (1899) written between the two axes refers to the foundation year of the Anjoman-e Okhovat.
The founder and first leader of the Safi'alishahi lineage was Mirza Hasan Esfahani, also known as Safi'alishah (died 5 May 1899).Шаблон:Sfn Safi'alishah's charisma and social activities enabled him to attract a large number of followers, including members of the upper classes such as many government officials and the elite from the capital city Tehran.Шаблон:Sfn Intellectually, the society was based on the philosophical doctrine of the 10th-century Brethren of Purity.Шаблон:Sfn Safi'alishah was succeeded, in accordance with his own wish, by Ali Khan-e Qajar, also known as Zahir-ol-Dowleh or Safa'alishah (died 1924), a member of the royal Qajar dynasty and minister at court.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Shortly after Safi'alishah's death, Zahir-ol-Dowleh announced the official establishment of the society on 21 December 1899, which gained the recognition of the ruling King of Iran Mozaffar al-Din Shah Qajar (Шаблон:Reign1896–1907).Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Following Zahir-ol-Dowleh's death in 1924, leadership of the society passed, successively, to Mirza Seyyed Mohammad Entezam ol-Saltaneh (Binish Alishah; died 1932); Esmail Marzban (Amin ol-Molk; died 1960); Farajollah Aqivli (died 1974); and Abdollah Entezam (died 1983).Шаблон:Sfn Not much is known about the activities of the Anjoman following the Islamic Revolution of 1979.Шаблон:Sfn Some sessions were held at the Zahir ol-Dowleh lodge until 2007. In recent decades, lodges of the Anjoman are known to have been converted into public institutions.Шаблон:Sfn
The Anjoman society was modeled after Masonic lodges.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It promoted intellectualism and reformism according to the third edition of the Encyclopedia of Islam as it "strove to promote cultural and social development through extensive multifaceted activities, to establish social equality, and to reduce the gap between social classes".Шаблон:Sfn A point of focus was to emphasize cultural and artistic activities.Шаблон:Sfn Many of its members held high political offices, and most prominent musicians at the time were members of the society as well.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Although the society was allegedly "apolitical", a large amount of "its cultural activities had anti-despotic and reformist undertones that supported the constitutionalists' demands".Шаблон:Sfn In the last years of Qajar rule, by 1923-4, the society had Шаблон:Circa registered and initiated members.Шаблон:Sfn Many of its members held high political offices.Шаблон:Sfn
Publications
The society published numerous periodicals, including the Majmue-ye akhlaq ("Ethical miscellany"), the Okhovat-e Shiraz, the Okhovat, and the daily Kukab-e gharb ("The western star").Шаблон:Sfn
