Ray, Iran in the context of "Naser al-Din Shah Qajar"

Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is also the capital of Tehran province and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District. With a population of around 9 million in the city, and 15 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and West Asia, the second largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo, and the 24th-most-populous metropolitan area in the world. Greater Tehran includes several municipalities, including but not limited to Karaj, Eslamshahr, Shahriar, Qods, Malard, Golestan, Pakdasht, Qarchak, Nasimshahr, Parand, Pardis, Andisheh and Fardis.

In classical antiquity, part of the territory of present-day Tehran was controlled by Rhages/Rey/Ray). Modern Ray was absorbed into the metropolitan area of Greater Tehran. Tehran was 1st chosen as the capital of Iran in 1786 by Agha Mohammad Khan of the Qajar dynasty, because of its proximity to Iran's territories in the Caucasus—which were contested in the Russo-Iranian Wars—and to avoid the vying factions of prior ruling Iranian dynasties; the capital of Iran had been moved several times throughout its long history, with Tehran becoming the 32nd. Under (1848-1896), Tehran witnessed Iran's first institute of higher learning, bank, railway line, and museum. Large-scale construction works began in the 1920s, and Tehran became a destination for mass migrations from all over Iran especially in the 20th century.

Greater Tehran Metropolitan Area is the urban agglomeration around Tehran that covers the central part of the Tehran Province and eastern part of the Alborz Province, that covers the contiguous cities of Tehran, Ray, Shemirānāt, and other areas.

As of 2012, Greater Tehran had a population of close to 14 million residents. The 2016 census had the population at 13.3 million in Tehran Province (only 200 thousands of them outside Tehran and the suburban counties) and 2.2 million in Karaj and Fardis combined. Therefore, it can be estimated that the population of the urban agglomeration was approximately 15 million people in 2016, and it is sinking at a rate of 25 cm per year due to the accelerated influx and overuse of natural resources.

The narrow-gauge railway Tehran – Rey, which started its operation in 1888, is Iran's first railway line. Initially planned as a horse-drawn railway, it was operated as the Decauville railway with steam locomotives. Railway operations were stopped in 1962. Today a metro line connects Tehran with Rey.

The Buyid dynasty or Buyid Empire was a Zaydi and later Twelver Shi'a dynasty of Daylamite origin. Founded by Imad al-Dawla, they mainly ruled over central and southern Iran, and Iraq from 934 to 1062. The Buyids, together with the rise of other Iranian dynasties in the region, represents a period in Iranian history sometimes referred to as the Iranian Intermezzo.

The Buyid dynasty was founded by Ali ibn Buya, who in 934 conquered Fars and made Shiraz his capital. He received the laqab or honorific title of Imad al-Dawla (lit. 'Fortifier of the State'). His younger brother, Hasan ibn Buya (r. 935–976) conquered parts of Jibal in the late 930s, and by 943 managed to capture Ray, which he made his capital. Hasan was given the laqab of Rukn al-Dawla (lit. 'Pillar of the State'). In 945, the youngest brother, Ahmad ibn Buya, conquered Iraq and made Baghdad his capital. He was given the laqab Mu'izz al-Dawla.

Asadabad (Persian: اسدآباد) is a city in the Central District of Asadabad County, Hamadan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.

Asadabad is 54 kilometers southwest of Hamadan, the provincial capital, on the historic route from Baghdad to Hamadan and then on to Ray and Tehran. The Kuh-e Alvand, the innermost part of the Zagros mountains, separates Asadabad and Hamadan.

Ray County (Persian: شهرستان ری) is in Tehran province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Ray.

Naseraddin Shah Qajar (Persian: ناصرالدین‌شاه قاجار, romanized: Nâser al-Din Shâh-e Qâjâr, pronounced [nɒːˌseɹ æl‿ˈdiːn ˌʃɒːh‿e qɒːˈd͡ʒɒːɹ]; 17 July 1832 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. Initially seeking to modernise Iran, his style of governance became more dictatorial over the course of his reign. His reign saw the Second Herat War (1856), the subsequent Anglo-Persian War (1857) and internal unrest, Tobacco Protest (1890-1891).

He allowed the establishment of newspapers in the country and made use of modern forms of technology such as telegraph, photography and also planned concessions for railways and irrigation works. Despite his modernising reforms on education, his tax reforms were abused by people in power, and the government was viewed as corrupt and unable to protect commoners from abuse by the upper classes which led to increasing anti-governmental sentiments. He was assassinated at Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine in Rey near Tehran. He was the first modern Iranian monarch who formally visited Europe and wrote of his travels in his memoirs.He was the son of Mohammad Shah Qajar and Malek Jahan Khanom and the third longest reigning monarch in Iranian history after Shapur II of the Sasanian dynasty and Tahmasp I of the Safavid dynasty. Naser al-Din Shah had sovereign power for close to 48 years.

Ali ibn Buya (Persian: علی بن بویه, Arabic: علي بن بویه), commonly known by his laqab (honorific epithet) Imad al-Dawla (عمادالدوله; c. 891/2 – December 949), was the founder of the Buyid amirate of Fars, ruling as its amir (ruler) from 934 to 949. Together with his two younger brothers, Rukn al-Dawla and Mu'izz al-Dawla, he established a triumvirate, centered on Ray, Shiraz and Baghdad.