An analysis of the commercial bills of the Qajar eraDocumentary and Historical study

commercial bills was the most important and most used financial instrument in the economic relations of the Qajar era. According to historical evidence, during this time period, a large part of Iran's internal and external transactions was carried out using it. On the other hand, this document was not the only commercial operation, but the Qajar government used it for things like tax settlements, payment of debts and the purchase of goods from Outside the country. Despite the establishment of royal and Mortagage banks, as well as Western-style currency money, the use of bill in economic relations continued significantly until the end of the Qajar period. But what kind of document is it and how can a researcher identify it from a wide range of commercial documents? What factors made the bills turn into the most important financial instrument in Qajar trading? This research tries to answer these questions through a descriptive-analytical method and reviewing library resources and over 200 bills. The findings of this study indicate that the bills are of a specially structured nature that distinguishes them from other documents. Contentally, this document provides valuable information to the economic history researchers on the mechanism of the payment system among traders and individuals. On the other hand, lack of security in the roads, lack of coins, easy transportation, unpredictability of money, and lack of trust in banks were the main reasons for its widespread use in the Qajar era.