The Knowlegeable Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad Kouhestani Family

Some knowlegeable familied have lived over histories in Mazandaran and other parts of Iran. The knowlegeable Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad Kouhestani family is one of the families that lived in the villages surrounding Behshahr from the Safavid period until now. This study aimed to to introduce the socio-cultural and political status of Ayatollah Kouhestani family over the last few centuries in the region. Using library resources, this descriptive study tried to describe the circumstances of five generations of the family. Exloring the remained documents and historical sources showed that the members of Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad Kouhestani family, because of their social status in Behshahr, had been appointed as judges of some villeges and towns of Behshahr such as Rostamkala, Kouhestan, and Asiyab Sar, and had important jobs like being the the manager of seminaries and Imam of Friday Prayer. Because of their high social status and their popularity, the Islamic Republic of Iran to apointed too the knowegables of this family as the managers of the seminaries and Imams of Friday Prayer after the Revolution. Of the family some well-known judges, jurists, scholars, and guardians appeared and produced some works. They have been active in holding scientific meetings and religious congregations, supporting the scholars of seminaries, and training students of religious sciences.