Investigation of Shipping in Qajar Periods and its Impact on Trade, Based on Content of the newspaper Kolkata Habl al-Matin

Transportation is always considered, in all times and in all places, an important factor affecting the trade. This factor and its related elements have had a specific importance when evaluating issues of business and the merchants in Qajar period. Undoubtedly, one of the most important and effective component in the backwardness of Iran's trade was the unsuitable situation of the transportation during Qajar period. The findings of this study have showed, according to the witnesses, there were few main roads in Iran not comparable with countries dealing them. The attack to the caravans by the tribes, lawbreakers and thefts were the very important concerns for businessmen. Sometimes the relative security had been made by the compassionate and worthy rulers but it was not sustainable. Communications equipment, such as post and telegraph was incompatible and the businessmen were in trouble in many cases. The competitive activities of some states such as Great Britain and Russia, in this regard especially the railway, should not be ignored. The aim of the present study is to explain the inhibiting factors of the transportation in the roads and their impacts on the trade during Qajar period using the descriptive/ analytic method based on the contents of the newspaper “Kolkata Habl al-Matin”.