Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Ph.D. in Iranian Islamic History, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Iranian Studies Foundation, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This research, aiming to investigate the types and uses of endowments (waqf) established by dignitaries in Mazandaran Province during the Qajar era, analyzes the content of related documents. The primary focus is on qualitative content analysis to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the number, type, aims, and intentions of the endowers.This study identified the donating dignitaries in Mazandaran Province as including 4 Brigadier Generals (Sartip), 3 Sardars, 3 Khans, 2 Beyglarbegis, 1 Kalantar (Chief), and 1 Mostofi (Accountant). The endowments established by these dignitaries were highly diverse, encompassing land, caravanserais, shops, pastures, gardens, aqueducts (qanat), coffee houses,fortresses,and mansions. This diversity demonstrates the endowers’ use of various assets for waqf purposes. The designated uses for these endowments were also varied, including holding mourning ceremonies, providing living expenses for the endower's descendants, assisting the poor, Sayyids (descendants of the Prophet), and the needy, and performing charitable and public welfare activities. This breadth of uses reflects the endowers' attention to various dimensions of societal needs, as well as their religious beliefs. In terms of the time frame, the distribution of endowments established by these dignitaries is as follows: 36% belong to the Naseri era, 50% to the Mozaffaredin Shah era, and 14% to the Ahmad Shah era.
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