History

The Most Sacred Order of the Lion and Sun was established by Nasser-ud-Din Shah in 1861. The Order is associated with the Order of the Lion and Sun and was created to honour European monarchs with a prestigious award following the decline in the reputation of the Order of the Lion and Sun, as well as to reward senior officials who were not eligible to receive the Decoration of the Imperial Portrait. The Most Sacred Order of the Lion and Sun was awarded in 3 Classes in recognition of meritorious actions of the highest importance and other services deserving of the highest praise of the sovereign. The Order was made obsolete following the dissolution of the Qajar dynasty in 1925.

The I Class (Nishan-i-Agdas), also known as the Most Sacred Class, was conferred in 2 Degrees upon Kings and prime ministers. The 1st Degree was bestowed upon the Shah and important foreign sovereigns, while the 2nd Degree was presented to senior princes of the imperial family, high ranking great ministers of state, and service governor generals of major provinces. Foreign heirs and great ministers of state may also be eligible for the award of the 2nd Degree of the I Class. Both Degrees of the I Class features a surmounting Kiani Crown set with diamonds and rubies. The 2nd Degree Decoration is smaller in size than the 1st Degree and features less elaborate and smaller stones.

Persian recipients of the I Class are authorized to use the formal title "Sardar-i-Agdas."

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