A Review on Skin Trade between Irān and Russia during the Qājār Era (Based on Records of Irān's Foreign Ministry; 1828-1909)

In this article an attempt has been made to briefly analyze the status of skin trade between Iran and Russia during the Qajar Era up to the Constitutional Revolution. This research is based on archival records of Iran’s Foreign Ministry. The appropriate status of animal products in Iran, especially skin and wool, on the one hand and Russia’s need for Iranian skin on the other hand, drew Russia’s special attention. After the Treaty of Turkmenchay and its commercial supplement, the trade between Iran and Russia gradually expanded and skin trade was also affected. The most important skin-producing centers in Iran were Shiraz, Khorasan, Esfahan, Qazvin, and especially Hamadan. In all these regions and other centers, Russian merchants worked beside Iranian merchants. In the first half of the 19 th century almost 65% of Iran’s exported skin was exported to Russia. This amount increased to about 90% during Mozafareddin Shah’s kingdom because of the expansion of trade between Iran and Russia, until Iran’s government gradually gained the concession of skin trade, especially trade of lamb’s skin. However, the trade of lamb’s skin between Iran and Russia continued.