An Analysis of Economic and Cultural Challenges for the Establishment of Constitutionalism in Kashan

This paper will examine economic and religious challenges that existed in Kashan which must be dealt with in creation of a constitutional structure. Kashan economic context, in which the new system would be deployed, was the heir of unorganized economic situation of Iran in the Qajar era that made accepting the new system more difficult. In the Qajar era, Kashan was a static society with strict religious beliefs that did not accept constitution and modern system.Two letters essays of “Kalamā t-e Anjoman” and “Resā ley-e Ensā fiye” for reconciling Constitution with Islam to accept the new system. This study was done by using archival records, manuscript & original sources to answer this hypothesis that: “economic and cultural situation of Kashan had affected the acceptance of the constitution in the Qajar era”. The findings of this study have indicated that the deteriorating economic situation of Kashan in the Qajar era was a major challenge in the way of accepting the new system. Cultural situation of the city and its static structure were cultural challenges for establishing modern system. Writing essays by scholars of Kashan to prove compliance of the constitution with Islam is evaluated as a mean to help establishing the new system in Kashan. In this paper, the two aforementioned challenges and ways out of it are analyzed.