The first HMS Shah was a nineteenth-century unarmoured iron hulled, wooden sheathed frigate of Britain's Royal Navy designed by Sir Edward Reed.

The following table gives the build details and purchase cost of the Shah and the other two iron frigates: Inconstant and Raleigh.

In 1876, she was deployed as flagship of the Royal Navy's Pacific Station under Admiral de Horsey, relieving HMS Repulse.

On 29 May 1877, in company with the corvette HMS Amethyst, she fought an action near Ilo, Peru, the Battle of Pacocha.

She then formed part of a Royal Naval contingent that assisted in the Anglo-Zulu War, before she completed her voyage to Britain.

On 24 October 1879 some of her crew were paid off at Portsmouth and Shah was placed in the fourth division of the Steam Reserve, then joined the North America and West Indies Station at the Royal Naval Dockyard on Ireland Island, Bermuda, to provide accommodation.