Dār ul-Funun is the oldest Western-style institute of higher education in Iran, established by the royal vizier to Nasereddin Shah in 1851.

Mirza Taghi Khan-e Farahani, better known as Amir Kabir, was chief minister to Naser al-Din Shah Qajar for the first three years of his reign. He is widely considered to be "Iran's first reformer", a modernizer who was "unjustly struck down" as he attempted to bring "gradual reform" to Iran. Amir Kabir founded the first centre for higher education in Iran and the second Persian language newspaper in the country. He prohibited bribery, torture of defendants and prisoners, and structured Iranian tax and financial system. As the prime minister, he also ordered suppression of Babism and the execution of the founder of the movement, the Báb. In the last years of his life he was exiled to Fin Garden in Kashan and was murdered by command of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar on 10 January 1852.