Arak during the World War I: Social and Economic Consequences

Soltanabad (present name: Arak), located in the heart of mid-western of Iran is which in the past called Eragh-e Ajam (=Iraq of Persia). Soon after the beginning of WWI Soltanabad became a cross-road of foreign forces.  This article reports the impact of the presence of these forces in the region and its consequences for Soltanabad.

Archival documents and library resources were consulted to collect data for analysis.

Presence of foreign forces disrupted normal life of the region.  The demand for local agricultural products, insecurity of roads, and drought led to food shortage and sharp rise in prices, resulted in with wide-spread famine. Also, cities like Tehran, Qom and Isfahan which imported agricultural products from the region also came under pressure.