The Impact of Jihad Fatwas Issued in Ottoman Empire During WW1 on Developments in Sistan and Ghaenat

With the outbreak of World War I, Sunni and Shiite Olema's issued fatwas to encourage Muslims to engage in the war against Russia and England. Muslims reacted differently, including in Sistan and Qayenat where the government and the religious leaders - considering the conditions of eastern Iran and the influence of the British in the region - adopted different policies toward such fatwas. Reactions to fatwas in Afghanistan had impact in the eastern part of Iran. Passage of German agent Nydermier's mission on the way to Afghanistan made it difficult for the conservative governor, Showkat ol-Molk II to observe impartiality, a stance that made the British angry. He sent an ambassador to Herat who was effective in stabilizing relations between Iran and Afghanistan. The reason for religious decrees in Iraq, the reaction of Qayenat and Sistan's Olema to issuing jihad Fatwas, the reaction of Shokat al-Molk II and the British consulate in Sistan and Qayenat are all discussed in this paper.