The Economic Situation of Quhestan in the Early Islamic Centuries

Quhestan was one of the most important states of Iran in the early Islamic centuries, which its name was associated with Khorasan. Although it was part of Khorasan in the political and administrative structure, it was mentioned in various geographic sources as an independent geographic and state unit. Quhestan has been considered for a long time due to its position of orientation, geographic texture, proper economy, being at a distance of caliphate, and the presence of various political, ethnic and religious groups. In close proximity to Quhestan, the three major provinces of Khorasan, Sistan and Kerman turned the region into an unmatched transit route. This research attempts to answer the following question: what was the economic situation in Quhestan region in the early Islamic centuries and what was the role of its geographical and climatic position in economic developments of Quhestan? The findings of this research show that positive historical changes (stability of the state, the establishment of security and the application of fair tax systems), and negative historical changes (burn wars, insecurity, instability of governments, unjust taxes, natural disasters such as famine, floods and contagious diseases) had led to the expansion of trade exchanges or the economic downturn in the region during the early Islamic centuries. The method of this research is descriptive-analytical and based on library resources.