Reflection of Socio-Cultural Situation of Khorasan in the works of Caucasian intellectuals

Khorasan of Constitutional Era was one of the states that its social and cultural situation and news of its developments was reflected in different volumes of Molla Nasreddin magazine in a variety of forms such as articles, editorials, news and caricature. One of the most important parts of Molla Nasreddin magazine which contains worthy data for the study of social and cultural history of Khorasan in the constitutional period, is an itinerary with the name of “Kharmagas)Horsefly)-Beyk Itinerary” which had been published in ten volumes of Molla Nasreddin magazine. The present paper examines how cultural and social status of Khorasan is reflected in this itinerary. The purpose of this paper is to review data of Kharmagas-Beyk Itinerary on the socio-cultural status of Khorasan in constitutional period. The author of the itinerary is Jalil Mohammad Gholizdeh )1866- 1932 AD), director and editor of “Molla Nasreddin” magazine and Abdorrahim-Beyk )1906-1931 AD) is a co-author of Molla Nasreddin magazine. The results show that this itinerary provides valuable information on how to travel to Mashhad from the Caucasus and its difficulties )the state of roads, issue of ID cards, border guards and customs officers), physical appearance of Ghoochan and Mashhad cities, the problem of water in these cities, economic institutions and service institutions of Mashhad city )market, telegraph and bathhouses), health status of Mashhad )health of water, bathhouses and public health), social groups )the introduction of trades, jobs and professions of Mashhad market as well as social obtrusive groups), the foreign residents in the city of Mashhad and associations and institutions, religious schools, students of theology and their education and religious and sometimes superstitious beliefs of people about some social and cultural phenomena. On the other hand it must be pointed out that the authors’ approach, is critical.