Order of the Lion and the Sun
Iranian award (1808–1925)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Imperial Order of the Lion and the Sun (Persian: نشان سلطنتی شیر و خورشید) was instituted by Fat’h Ali Shah of the Qajar dynasty in 1808 to honour foreign officials (later extended to Iranians) who had rendered distinguished services to Iran. In 1925, under the Pahlavi dynasty the Order continued as the Order of Homayoun with new insignia, though based on the Lion and Sun motif. This motif was used for centuries by the rulers of Iran, being formally adopted under Mohammad Shah.
TypeDynastic Order
Royal houseHouse of Pahlavi
SovereignCrown Prince Reza of Iran
GradesKnight/Dame Grand Cordon, Knight/Dame Grand Officer, Knight/Dame Commander, Knight/Dame Officer, Knight/Dame, Companion
| Order of the Lion and the Sun | |
|---|---|
 Officer's Medal of the Order | |
Awarded by  Head of the Iranian Imperial Family | |
| Type | Dynastic Order |
| Royal house | House of Pahlavi |
| Sovereign | Crown Prince Reza of Iran |
| Grades | Knight/Dame Grand Cordon, Knight/Dame Grand Officer, Knight/Dame Commander, Knight/Dame Officer, Knight/Dame, Companion |
| Former grades | Knight Grand Cross with Collar |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Order of Aqdas |
| Next (lower) | Order of the Crown Order of the Pleiades |
._Medal.gif){kind=small} Ribbon of the Order | |
The order is abbreviated as KLS, for Knight of Lion and Sun.[1]
The order was senior to the Order of the Crown. It was issued in five grades:
Grand Cross
Grand Officer
Commander
Officer
Knight.
In literature
- Anton Chekhov has a short story titled The Lion And The Sun. The story is about a mayor who had "long been desirous of receiving the Persian order of The Lion and the Sun".[2]
Notable recipients
| Name | Year | Rank | Reason awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napoleon III of France | 1856[3] | Grand Cross | |
| Leopold I of Belgium | 1859[4] | Grand Cross | |
| Victor Emmanuel III of Italy | 1902[5] | First Class | |
| Milan I of Serbia[6] | |||
| Friedrich von Beck-Rzikowsky | First Class in Diamonds[7] | Austrian field marshal, chief of the general staff of the Imperial and Royal Army of Austria-Hungary (1881–1906) | |
| Dr. Franz Nadler | 1900 | Commander Cross | Mayor of Mariánské Lázně |
| William Summerill Vanneman | 1896 | Second and Third Class | Service to Shah and provision health care to population |
| Brigadier General Frank Schaffer Besson Jr. | 1944 | Second Class | Service to Shah of Iran and provision of health care to population as Director of the Third Military Railway Service in Iran from 1944 to 1945. The Shah personally presented him with the medal.[8] |
