پژوهشنامه مطالعات اسنادی و آرشیوی
سال دوم شماره 1 (بهار و تابستان 1402)

Introducing Mostafā Qoli Khān Farrāshbāshi as one of the officials of Dār al-Saltaneh of Isfahan and introducing and analyzing the content of some documents and manuscripts related to him.The present study was conducted through historical analysis with a descriptive-analytical approach based on manuscript sources, archived documents, journals, and library sources.This article tries to answer the question: Who was Mostafā Qoli Khān Farrāshbāshi? What was his social status in Dār al-Saltaneh of Isfahan, and how are the documents and manuscripts about him? Mostafā Qoli Khān was from the Noor family of Mazandaran. He played a significant role in implementing the construction projects of Zell-e Soltān. Most of the documents obtained from the political life of Mostafā Qoli Khān are financial documents and booklets. Mostafā Qoli Khān Farrāshbāshi has served in Zell-e Soltān's court for more than two decades. He was responsible for establishing order and security in Isfahan and other provinces under the rule of Zell-e Soltān. Also, he was the executive contractor and manager of construction projects in Isfahan. In his performance record, he has the construction of the Nāseri Garrison and the renovation and restoration of the Fathiyeh Garrison, Chāhār Howz, and Mashakh Square in Naqsh-e Jahān Square, along with the repair and restoration of Chehel Sotun palace, RakibKhāneh, Kaj Mansion, Haft Dast palace, Mokhles Caravanserai, Chāhār Howz Caravanserai, Takiyeh Dowlat, Imāmzādeh Ahmad, as well as gravel pavement of Chāhār Baqh Street. Also, he repairs on Sio Seh Pol, Khāju, and Mārnān bridges. Like some of the officials of the Isfahan court, he was the deputy governor of the provinces of Khānsār, Kamareh, Abarquh, Semirom, Najafābād, Dehāqān, Barzrud, Mobārakeh of Lenjān, KermānShāhān, and Iraq. Also, he served as steward and tax officer of Julāheh and Barzrud villages, some of which documents and manuscripts have survived. The most critical manuscript obtained from Mostafā Qoli Khān is the manuscript of Ketābcheh Makhārej-e Bannāii Sarbāzkhāneh va Sāyer-e ʽemārāt, which was prepared in 1885-1886 AD. According to this version, Mostafā Qoli Khān has done dozens of civil works in Isfahan, along with the construction of the magnificent building of Naseri Barracks.

Titles are of the main yet under-researched issues in Qajar era. This study aimed to investigate the titles in Astan Quds Razavi and their relationship with seals in the organization in the Qajar era. Discussing such issues as the history of titles in Iran and Astan Quds Razavi in Qajar era, this study explored the relationship between titles and family seals, personal seals, and jobs and the reasons and ways the titles were produced. This study tried to fill the gap regarding the titles and their relationships with the seals and their functions in administrative parts. The results showed that following the formation and proliferation of some titles in the Qajar era, various titles began to be used in the administrative organizations of Astan Quds Razavi. The survived titles can be categorized into hereditary and non-hereditary under family, personal, and job titles. Titles are issued by the king, custodian and governor of Khorasan and their holders were bestowed, given the requested title, the occupational and financial prestige. Seemingly, there has been a direct relationship between the seal and the titles in Qajar era. Many of the title holders added the title to their seals as a criterion.

Mashhad as the capital of Khorasan province in Qajar period held a high status in terms of economic and commercial issues, so that the city can be considered a big port in the northeast of Iran for goods import and export. Considering the great commercial capacity of Mashhad, some American trading houses and companies that were active in importing American products and exporting goods from Iran, settled in Mashhad. Focusing on new discovered documents, this descriptive-analytical study sought to see what American trading houses entered in Mashhad trade market in the late Qajar dynasty and which goods they traded in Mashhad. Taking into account the lack of resources and taking a detailed approach, the findings showed that most important American trading houses and companies active in Mashhad were Shargh Carpet Company, Tavshanchian Carpet Company, Gharehgazian Company, and Singer Corporation. Examining the commercial status of Mashhad, the companies imported various kinds of fabrics, sewing accessories, sewing machines and other kinds of machines into Mashhad, and exported such goods as carpets, dried fruit, opium, animals’ guts, wool, cotton, and tragacanth to America. Most of the exports were raw materials.

This research tried to investigate the initiatives and activities of Rahim Khan Chalabianlou, one of the Khans and heads of tribes in Azerbaijan, in misleading the goals of the constitutional revolution and constitutionalists in Azerbaijan area. Moreover, the study delt with the important issue of the role of Russians in fueling the movements. The research hypothesis is that Russians influenced Rahim Khan’s initiatives and movements to mislead the constitutional revolution and to interference in Azerbaijan region. They sometimes overtly showed their cooperation and sometimes they covertly cooperated. Rahim Khan's initiatives like suppressing the revolution of people of Tabriz and making insecure the Azerbaijan region through attacking the telegraph office and cutting the telegraph wires, robbing the postal packages sent from Europe, attacking Ardabil, and conquering the city paved the way for Russia's interference in Iran’s affairs, especially the northern Iran that they assumed their influence area competing with the British government. The study used a descriptive-analytical method and focused on documents and library resources. The results showed that among the initiatives of Rahim Khan were leading Chalabianlou Tribe in attacking Tabriz in the constitutional period, killing Azerbaijani constitutionalists, and making insecure the trading routes of the region. Alongside the attacks, the tsar Russian government supported covertly Rahim Khan’s initiatives and activities.

Mashhad gained the interest of Merchants of other cities in Qajar period due to its geographical and economic status. Some of the merchants greatly impacted the investment in this city. Some of the merchants tended to holding lands and aqueducts despite their business as a merchant. Moreover, some of them invested in urban aqueducts. This research sought to explore the causes and challenges of Merchants in investing in the aqueducts of Mashhad, and also to see who invested, when and in what aqueducts they invested. The results showed that due to the economic value of water in Mashhad, merchants invested in urban aqueducts from the late Qajar period. Haj Abd al-Rahim Saraf, Mashhadi Abdollah Tajerbashi, Ali Darrodi, Haji Agha Nabavian, and Haji Mahmoud Herati were the most prominent investors who invested in such urban aqueducts as Golkhatmi, Ab-Mirza, Goharshad Mosque, Salsabil, Ab-Manba’, and Darwish Beig. Such issues as drought in Mashhad after 1946, the replacement of deep wells and the need for using clean water decreased the business of holding aqueducts and reduced investment in this field. So, most of the owners sold their shares to Astan Quds Razavi. Taking a descriptive-analytical method, this study relied on the documents of Astan Quds Razavi and Khorasan periodicals.

Barforoush city was a significant place for the settlement and activities of merchants in Qajar period due to the growth of domestic and foreign trade. The merchants usually were active both in trading and doing public-benefiting affairs. Among the merchants’ public-benefiting affairs was endowing properties and assets. It is assumed that examining the contents of their endowment deeds help understand about the types, uses, and features of the endowments of this group of society. It also helps understand more about the jobs, markets, caravanserais, houses, tekyehs, mosques, and neighborhoods of Barforoush in Qajar era. Using content analysis and focusing on the content of merchants’ endowment deeds of Barforoush, this study tried to see such issues as the amount, the use, the diversity, and the function of their endowments. The results showed that from among the merchants’ endowed properties, lands, shops, houses, and caravanserais were the most endowed ones. Regarding the use of the endowments, mourning ceremonies for the martyrdom of Imam Hussain were the most frequent usages followed by charitable and public-benefiting affairs, the daily affairs of students of religion schools. Endowing was more frequent in Naser al-Din Shah Kingdom and the following years.

Mashhad is one of the historical cities of Iran, formed based on the existence of a holy place. Several written documents have described Mashhad, but so far, no study can be found that has described the boundaries and structure of its historical neighborhoods. Applying a descriptive-analytical method, this applied research explored a document from Golestan Palace as a case. It tried to answer the question: How was the morphology of Mashhad’s historical neighborhoods in the Qajar period, based on Colonel Julius Delmage’s map? The results showed that the administration system of Mashhad was based on six major neighborhoods. Every neighborhood, based on spatial features and residents, had different structures and different service pilgrimage spaces. All of these have been formed based on their accessibility to the central pilgrimage space of Mashhad and its gates. The formation of most caravanserais in the Paein Khiaban, Sarshour, and Noghan neighborhoods indicates more pilgrimages in them. Moreover, most of urban service spaces and guard places had been located in Sarab neighborhood, indicating that this neighborhood was the resident of the nobles. Eidgah neighborhood is considered the most religious neighborhood of Mashhad as it embraces more mosques and tekyehs, while the central part of the city and Sarab and Noghan neighborhoods are more famous for education.

Among the few endowment deeds of Astan Quds Razavi survived from the Timurid period is a copy of endowment deed belong to Khajeh Jalal al-Din Ahmad Estarabadi. According to the document that has been recorded in a literary-historical collection of the nine and early 10th century (AH), the holder endowed a Tekyeh and a Bath in Estarabad to the lightening of Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (as) and helping the poor Muslims. The results showed that the endower and the trustees was among the Shiite authorities and Sadats of Estarabad in the Timurid and early Safavid periods. Moreover, the results showed that Estarabad was one of the most significant Shiite centers in the period, and some prominent scholars of the region served in the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (as). The properties specified by the endowment have become part of the neighborhoods of Estarabad following the expansion of this city in later periods. Moreover, due to the expansion of the Holy Shrine and the increase of pilgrims, an increasing need of the Holy Shrine has been providing lighting and supporting pilgrims.

​Analyzing the crisis periods and writing their history have always been difficult and contaminated with some mistakes, since the events occur too quickly. Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar period is a good example for various reasons. Critical study of the documents, history books and notes of researchers about the period shows their failure in being clear in pinpointing the events. This study showed that the form and content of orders of Mohammad Ali Shah have not been analyzed properly.  Regarding the histories about Rokn al-Din’s ruling on Khorasan and his connection with Constitution movement in that province, most of the secondary histories and studies have undergone mistakes. So they had mistaken in recording how the events occurred in that period. The disrespectful invasion into Holy Shrine of Imam Reza in 1327 AH by Russian soldiers has been ignored by contemporary researchers. This study showed that the disrespectful violation has been done twice, that is, in 1327 AH and 1330 AH. Exploring and analyzing a new discovered document of the orders of Mohammad Ali Shah and examining primary resources about the time, this study tried to show the shortcomings and mistakes of historians about that era and to make clarifications about the exact time of the events through a descriptive-analytical method.

Mashhad as the capital of Afsharid dynasty and holding the holy shrine of Imam Reza, experienced many ups and downs over Afsharid period. All trustees of Astan Quds were of Sadat Razavi and Hosseini families, but their power and authority diminished over time, as the dominant power of the Afsharid dynasty was settled in Mashhad and the kings could control and interfere more easily with different matters of Astan Quds Razavi. Nader Shah and his successors usually made decisions for the trustees on the way of managing Astan Quds, on the way of its cooperation with other organizations and government agents, and on other significant issues. The trustees’ activities and power were limited and the number of employees was reduced in this period. Holding Shias’ specific religious and ritual ceremonies like those common in the Safavid era became more confined. The religious ceremonies of Muslims, especially Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Iranians’ national celebration (i.e., Eid Nowruz) were hold magnificently. Nader Shah specifically emphasized on building and developing religious places, maintained his relationship with Shia scholars and employed them in managing the administrative organization of the Holy Shrine and Jame’ Mosques. This study tried to explore Nader’s religious policies and behavior using the mentioned issues and the survived documents from the period.