Recognition of an Original Source for Studying the Social History of Iran

This study attempts to investigate "the comprehensive manuscript of Oroumieh and Khalkhal", describe its total content and express the historical importance of such documents in social, economic and cultural studies in Iran.Methodology/Approach: This descriptive-analytic study tries, in some parts, to explain some aspects of the economic and social history of Iran in the Oroumieh region in the first half of the twelfth century AH (corresponding to the first third of the 18th century AD). The researchers studying Iran history face the problem of the shortage of original historical documents in analyzing and explaining the social, economic and cultural status of the country in the Twelfth Century (18th Century AD).Due to this problem, it is vital to make an increased effort to search for, discover and recognize other official historical sources. One of the authoritative and official sources through which valuable first-hand data can be obtained about the social-economic history of this era are the reports and documents that the officials of the Ottoman Empire have provided about their occupied territories.Collections of manuscripts called "Ottoman manuscripts " are important documents which identified the amount of resident's income and taxes they should have paid through recording the exact lists of people's names, their employment status, types and the amount of their products, ethnic-religious diversity in one region and geographic - administrative divisions of the occupied territories. "Daftare Tahrire Lavaye Khalkhal va Oroumieh va Sanjaghe Salmas" is a unique sample of these documents which is held with edition number 910 the Archives of the Ottoman Prime Minister in Istanbul. The findings of this research confirmed the research hypothesis. It was revealed that social, economic, and cultural information in such documents are so important for the researchers that their recognition and use is indispensable for their studies on the social history of Iran. It is, therefore, suggested that these sources be introduced to Iranian research community and be published and distributed for the public after critical reviews