Isfahan's Economical and Social Position in Mongol's Era

Isfahan, as a prosperous district having a strategic position at the bank of Zayandehrood River, has a special position in the history of Iran. During the Islamic era, Isfahan was noticeably prosperous because of this it attracted the attention of different tribes and races and conquerors who brought prosperity to the city in return. However, political and religious struggles and the social hypocrisy governing the city in the sixth H.Sh. Century reduced its prosperity. This little prosperity was terminated by the looting of the Mongols continuing towards the start of the Safavid Dynasty. This paper attempts at investigating the social-economic backgrounds of the conquer of Isfahan by the Mongols, based on clarifying the conditions of the time in Isfahan and raising the question about the effect of the looting of the Mongols on the social and economic life of the city, to identify the consequences of this conquer. Results of the study show that looting of the Mongols brought about a break down in the social life and a recession in the economic life of urban as well as rural life of Isfahan, bringing about changes in the structure of the city.