Gilan and the Gilanies in the view of the European’s travelogues in the Qajar period

Some of the Europeans, who came to Iran in the Qajar period with different aims, passed Gilan lands and wrote valuable information on the people of the regions in their travelogues. They introduced Gilan as a green and fruitful land but of bad weather and believed the Gilanies were religious people with special beliefs and ceremonies that the clergymen were influential among people and also had the responsibility of educating their children. The authors of travelogues also have spoken about the entertainments of Gilani women and men. War between cows was one of the entertainments which according to the Europeans were not common in any part of Iran. The Europeans remember the Gilani people with goodness and believe them to be industrious, hard-working and tolerant. In the paper it is attempted to survey the culture of Gilan people in the Qajar from the view of the European travelogous.