Anjoman-e Okhovat

[1][2] Founded in Qajar Iran, in 1899, it was originally a continuation of the Safi'alishahi branch of Ni'matullāhī, an Iranian Shia Sufi order.

[1] 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.

[1][3][2] 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 (r. 1896–1907).

[1][2] Although the society was allegedly "apolitical", a large amount of "its cultural activities had anti-despotic and reformist undertones that supported the constitutionalists' demands".

[2] 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").

Coat 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.
Coat of arms of Anjoman-e Okhovat engraved on a gravestone in Shahreza , Isfahan province . Photo taken in 2009