Volume 4, Issue 11 (2-2027)
JORS 2027, 4(11): 0-0 |
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hojati N, Momtahen M, Omranipour A. The Economic and Commercial Life of Najafabad from the Safavid to the Qajar Period. JORS 2027; 4 (11) : 6
URL: http://jors-sj.com/article-1-121-en.html
URL: http://jors-sj.com/article-1-121-en.html
1- Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Art, Kashan University, Iran
2- Department of Architecture, School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran
2- Department of Architecture, School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (289 Views)
Najafabad is one of the planned towns established during the Safavid period in connection with the economic and security policies of Isfahan. It gradually developed into a major center of production and exchange within the hinterland of the Safavid capital. This study seeks to identify the principal components of Najafabad’s economic structure and to examine its interaction with the economic system of Isfahan from the Safavid to the Qajar period. Employing a historical-analytical approach, the research draws upon documentary evidence from library sources, travel accounts, historical chronicles, and local records.
The findings indicate that although Najafabad’s economy was primarily based on horticulture and animal husbandry, it was in fact shaped by a dynamic interplay between agricultural production, processing industries, urban crafts, and market-oriented exchange. Water infrastructure, particularly the qanat system, played a crucial role in expanding agricultural production and sustaining local livelihoods. In addition, processing industries—especially oil presses and watermills—added value to raw agricultural products and facilitated the integration of the local economy into regional exchange networks. The study further demonstrates that Najafabad’s economy evolved through sustained interaction with Isfahan. This relationship reflected both the town’s functional dependence on the regional center and its significant contribution to the provision of goods and the circulation of economic activity across the region. Overall, from the Safavid through the Qajar period, Najafabad developed not merely as an agricultural settlement but as an urban center with a diversified economy founded on the interconnected processes of production, processing, and exchange, thereby consolidating its position within the regional economic system.
The findings indicate that although Najafabad’s economy was primarily based on horticulture and animal husbandry, it was in fact shaped by a dynamic interplay between agricultural production, processing industries, urban crafts, and market-oriented exchange. Water infrastructure, particularly the qanat system, played a crucial role in expanding agricultural production and sustaining local livelihoods. In addition, processing industries—especially oil presses and watermills—added value to raw agricultural products and facilitated the integration of the local economy into regional exchange networks. The study further demonstrates that Najafabad’s economy evolved through sustained interaction with Isfahan. This relationship reflected both the town’s functional dependence on the regional center and its significant contribution to the provision of goods and the circulation of economic activity across the region. Overall, from the Safavid through the Qajar period, Najafabad developed not merely as an agricultural settlement but as an urban center with a diversified economy founded on the interconnected processes of production, processing, and exchange, thereby consolidating its position within the regional economic system.
Article number: 6
Editorial: Case Study |
Subject:
General
Received: 2026/05/11 | Accepted: 2026/07/26 | Published: 2026/08/23
Received: 2026/05/11 | Accepted: 2026/07/26 | Published: 2026/08/23
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