The Bajalan Tribe at the Height of the World War I

The Bajalan were appointed as the guardians of western roads and borders by the central government during the Qajar era. This function along with the tendency of the mentioned tribe and the acceptance of citizenship of the central government are the results of reviewing the documents and correspondence exchanged between the Majid Khan Salar al-Soltan (the leader of Bajalan tribe and the Iranian government) during the height of World War I. The study seeks to illustrate the effects of the World War I and the role of border change on the political and economic life of the Bajalans. The present research tries to study the political, social and economic situations of Bajalan during the First World War using a descriptive-analytical method and relying on existing documents. The results of the research showed that the political and economic losses incurred by the Bajalans in this period arose from their resistance against the Ottoman government's request to accept its citizenship. Adhering to the spirit of nationalism and Iranianism by Majid Khan Salar al-Soltan aimed at provoking the Iranian government to obtain support.