The shi’ite holy places of ottoman Iraq (‘Atabat-e ‘Aliat) had a prominent relevancy to Qajar’s religious policy as well as its foreign one. Fath Alī Shāh, the second shah of Qajar dynasty, attentive to the importance of this factor, consciously pursued an observant policy to satisfy his influential supporters among shi’ite Ulema. But some different factors make the problem a rather political one. The heavy traffic of Iranian pilgrims to Iraq, their residing there, either permanent or provisional and Ottoman Pashas’ unwarranted treatment with them, beside some other catastrophic accidents in the holy places such as Vahābīte assaults, were the main causes that compelled the Qajar state to think of it as a serious problem. Hence, the Qajar state as the single shi’ite power of that time felt responsible not only toward Iranian migrants but also toward the holy places of shi’ite people. It made the Qājār state to devise some occasional martial reactions. But unfortunately these provisional devises, despite some passing successes, didn’t lead to a solid and persistent policy which would be capable of solving this political/religious problem in an efficient way. The present paper, pursuing an analytical approach, aims to examine the role of these holy places in Qajar’s religious as well as foreign policy. Central to this study is Fath Alī Shāh’s response to the problem and its various consequences.
ghadimi gheidari A.
Fath Alī Shāh and the Problem of Shī’īte Holy Places in Ottoman Iraq:
8ka Study in Qajar’s Religious orientations and Foreign Policy
. مطالعات تاریخ اسلام 2010; 2 (5) :89-106 URL: http://journal.pte.ac.ir/article-1-135-fa.html
قدیمی قیداری عباس. فتحعلی شاه قاجار و عتبات عالیات
ورقی از جهتگیریهای مذهبی و سیاست خارجی دولت قاجار
. فصلنامه مطالعات تاریخ اسلام. 1389; 2 (5) :89-106