The Prospect of Carpet Business and the Operation of Business Companies in Sultan Abad, Iraq(Arak) (1906-1941 AD)

Sultan Abad, Iraq, is the old name of the city of Arak, which was built at the time of Fathali Shah Qajar in (1231 AH ) by his warlord Yusuf Khan Gurji. The philosophy behind the building of the city was the creation of a military center and the construction of a garrison for the security of the region. As time went by, business and economic activity flourished in the area. Relying on various documents related to that period, this descriptive-analytical research investigates the economic and commercial conditions of this region, especially handmade carpet industry and trade. The purpose of this research is to explain how exports and complaints from foreign merchants and foreign companies in Sultan Abad to the relevant ministries and the National Assembly had an effect on the foreign trade of this province, namely carpets. The findings of this research show that the attention of the central government and foreign companies along with the participation of local merchants made Arak one of the main centers of carpet production in the mentioned period. On the other hand, the First World War, followed by political, economic and logistical destabilization, slowed the development of Iraq.