The problem of Quarantines in Iran during Naseroldin Shah's era (1847-1986)

By the end of nineteenth century some countries that had had trade relations with Iran established a quarantine organization in the southern ports. This was due to the spreading of cholera and pestilence; especially in those regions as well as to a significant number of casualties. Later, this organization was adapted as a tool of colonial influence in order to pressurize the Iranian government.On the one hand, the fact that the quarantines were placed in critical frontiers caused a lot of problems for both the governments and people scattering quarrels in frontier quarantines and excessive letters between Iran and Ottoman. However, on the other, religious beliefs and desires to visit holy and sacred places in Iraq caused people to not to admit to these quarantines. As a result sometimes contumacy of its accomplishment caused great loss off population, like that of the 1891 events that brought about many casualties. Of course in addition to people’s religious beliefs and low cultural educations, there were other difficulties like that of officials and governmental misuse of people during the quarantine. This article aims to examine the major effects of quarantines both within the Iranian borders and its outside relations.