Socio-Political Phenomenon of Changes in Citizenship in Guilan Province in Qajar Era
AbstractDuring the Qajar era, Iran's growing engagement with foreign nations led to Guilan being designated as a border territory, primarily due to its unique geographical conditions. The region's fertile soil and abundant water resources for agriculture attracted significant political and...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | fas |
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University of Isfahan
2024-03-01
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| Series: | پژوهش های تاریخی |
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| Online Access: | https://jhr.ui.ac.ir/article_28727_083c9d7947392af42b1a54fab8d44b9a.pdf |
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| Summary: | AbstractDuring the Qajar era, Iran's growing engagement with foreign nations led to Guilan being designated as a border territory, primarily due to its unique geographical conditions. The region's fertile soil and abundant water resources for agriculture attracted significant political and commercial interest from abroad. As Guilan's prominence increased in political, commercial, and social spheres during this time with multiple foreign consulates established in Rasht, the local population experienced a notable influx of foreign nationals. This foreign presence and support for their citizens' interests in Guilan led to various outcomes, including some residents accepting foreign citizenship. This socio-political issue prompted protests from a coalition of freedom advocates and open-minded locals in Guilan, leading the Qajar government to implement measures aimed at preventing the persistence of this phenomenon. This study employed a historical approach and a descriptive-analytical method to explore the adoption of foreign citizenship among Guilan's populace during the Qajar period from 1882 to 1921 AD (1300-1339 AH). It investigated the emergence of this phenomenon, elucidating both the efforts of foreign entities to recruit Guilan citizens and the Qajar government's measures to mitigate this societal trend. The research findings identified key factors contributing to residential migration, including the influx of foreign nationals to Guilan, extensive support from governments like Russia and the Ottomans for their citizens, inadequate support from the Qajar government for local residents, and the poor conduct of governors and local leaders.Keywords: Iran during the Qajar Era, Relations between Iran and Russia, Relations between Iran and the Ottoman Empire, Guilan during the Qajar Era, Change of Citizenship.IntroductionDuring the Qajar era, particularly from the Naserid period (1848-1896 AD), the land of Guilan gained considerable importance in Iran's foreign relations and for foreign governments. The construction of the Rasht-Tehran gravel road facilitated the movement of political and commercial representatives from foreign countries through the Caspian Sea and towards Tehran. Guilan's strategic geographical location and fertile land made it a gateway to Europe. This, in turn, led to a significant influx of foreign nationals into the province. The establishment of various foreign government consulates in Guilan, including those from Russia, England, France, and the Ottoman Empire, and the consuls' support for their citizens, strengthened the positions of these foreign nationals in the region. As the presence of foreign nationals in Guilan increased, an intriguing socio-political phenomenon emerged during the Qajar period - the change of nationality by a portion of Guilan's population. This was an unprecedented occurrence as some residents sought to place themselves under the protection of foreign governments by changing their citizenship, while maintaining their presence and residence in Iran and Guilan. This phenomenon created problems and difficulties for the society and residents of this part of Iran, warranting historical investigation and study of its various dimensions. The present study aimed to explain and interpret the various factors and reasons behind the emergence of this socio-political phenomenon, as well as its social consequences for the society of Guilan during the Qajar era, based on historical sources.Materials & MethodsThis research adopted a historical approach and employed a descriptive-analytical method to investigate the phenomenon of Guilan's residents accepting foreign citizenship during the Qajar period from 1882 to 1921 AD (1300-1334 AH). The study examined the efforts of foreign governments to increase their nationals among the people of Guilan, as well as the measures taken by the Qajar government to prevent this social phenomenon. Examining the reasons and factors behind the acceptance of foreign citizenship in Guilan Province and its consequences could shed light on an important aspect of the challenges faced by the Qajar government during this period of Iran's history. However, written documents had not paid much attention to the problems related to the phenomenon of citizenship change in Guilan during this time. Therefore, this study relied on historical documents from the Qajar period, as well as archival documents related to the issue of foreign citizenship, to investigate these issues and problems. The aim was to study the adoption of foreign citizenship as an emerging social phenomenon in Guilan during the Qajar era based on archival and primary source materials. This necessitated an examination of the actions of the Qajar government and the policies of foreign governments in Guilan Province.Research Findings:The findings of this research indicated that several factors contributed to the change of citizenship among the people of Guilan during the Qajar period:ajar rulers’ behaviors towards the people of Guilan, including imposing heavy taxes and supporting foreigners to purchase real estate in Guilan, despite the prohibition law, which led to disputes and conflicts between the rulers and the provincial authorities of Guilan over land acquisition.The inappropriate behaviors of landowners, who often leased their agricultural lands to foreigners to avoid heavy taxes, which caused problems for the Guilani citizens as the new foreign landowners acted according to their own regulations to maximize profits, disregarding the status of the local population.The all-round support provided by foreign governments to their citizens' illegal activities in Guilan, which strengthened the positions of foreign nationals and weakened the Iranian government's ability to support its own citizens, causing frustration among the local population.The significant presence of foreigners in Guilan, which led to tensions between domestic and foreign nationals over civil, financial, and commercial issues, ultimately resulting in the detriment of the Qajar government and Iranian citizens.The consequences of this phenomenon of citizenship change included the increasing number of foreign nationals in Guilan, stabilization of the positions of foreign countries in the region, and creation of divisions and conflicts among the people of Guilan.Discussion of Results & ConclusionThe findings of this documentary research indicated that during the Qajar era, the economic and political importance of Guilan province provided the basis for a large influx of foreign nationals to the region. Foreign consulates and representatives actively supported the positions of their citizens in Guilan, providing them with comprehensive assistance to obtain greater economic and political benefits. The support provided by foreign governments to their nationals, along with the collaboration of some Qajar rulers, officials, and agents of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in helping foreign citizens acquire property in Guilan, contributed significantly to this phenomenon. Additionally, the mistreatment of local residents and landowners by the rulers and authorities coupled with the lack of comprehensive support from the Qajar government towards its own subjects and nationals led some people of Guilan to change their citizenship and accept those of foreign countries, including Russia and the Ottoman Empire. While the Qajar government made efforts to prevent these problems, the encouragement and assistance provided by some rulers, scholars, and landowners ultimately led to the escalation of the phenomenon of citizenship change among the people of Guilan, demonstrating the complex interplay of political, economic, and social factors that shaped this emerging issue during the Qajar period. |
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| ISSN: | 2008-6253 2476-3306 |