The Impact of Shiite Jurisprudence on the Status of Women in the Qajar Family System (From the beginning to Constitutionalism 1210-1324 AH/ 1796-1906 AD)

The present study identifies how Imami jurisprudence affects the status of women in the family system from the beginning of the Qajar period to the constitutional period, and the results can help to understand aspects of the realities of life of women in Qajar Iran. In this study, with a historical approach and descriptive-analytical method and using library data, the process of establishment of Imami jurisprudential thought in Iran, the status of Qajar women in the family system, the family status of women in Shiite jurisprudential discourse, and the relationship between Imami jurisprudence and the status of Qajar women in the family system are investigated. In the field of family system, the Islamic society of Iran followed the rules of Imami jurisprudence as the dominant social thought, and customs were not able to oppose religious principles. In fact, the ijtihad-specific rulings of women were cited by the jurists with reference to verses and narrations. Women had a lower status in the Qajar family system than men. Imami jurisprudence, which assigned only the role of wife and mother to women in society, considered God as the source of drawing its rulings and its purpose was to ensure the well-being of the family and society and the administration of justice. the society and government were considered illegitimate in the case of not accepting these laws. Following the rules of jurisprudence in some ways had beneficial results in the relations of family members, but on the other hand in many cases the jurisprudential thought failed to achieve some goals attributed to its rules. Due to the failure of Imami jurisprudence as a dominant social idea in achieving its goals on the one hand and the inferior position of women in the Qajar family system on the other hand, this idea was effective in lowering the family status of women in the Qajar period.