An Analysis of the Economic Factors in the Continuation and Evolution of Khorasan Rituals and Mourning Ceremonies with an Emphasis on the City of Mashhad in the Qajar Era

In the history of Islamic Iran, the Qajar era is one of the periods that has left a profound impact on the religious and cultural values of Iran. Rituals in the Qajar period were generally based on religious-political ideas. It was significantly continued and evolved in this era of Iranian history. It is very important to study and recognize the process of continuity and change of rituals and mourning ceremonies in Khorasan province in the Qajar era, as a fundamental issue. This study examines some economic factors affecting the process of continuity and evolution of the rituals. It also investigates the status of ceremonies in one of the most prominent periods of Shiite history, namely Qajar in Khorasan region, with an emphasis on the city of Mashhad and the economic reasons for its developments using descriptive and explanatory methods. The findings of this study indicate that economic factors have been involved in the continuation and change of ceremonies, but endowment factors and economic actors have played greater impacts.