Immigration of Al-Asfoor Dynasty from Bahrain to Bushehr and its Impact on the Political and Social-Cultural Changes in Bushehr in Qajar Period

Al-Asfoor or Usfurids were one of the prominent Shi’i dynasties that initially lived in Bahrain. However, they are said to have immigrated to Bushehr at the invitation of Fath-Alishah Qajar because of the instability and insecurity of that region. The existence of several distinguished scholars and clergymen among the members of this dynasty resulted in the provision of numerous supreme scientific and religious services in Bushehr. Through using library resources, following a descriptive-analytic method, and conducting field studies, the authors have examined the effects of the immigration of Al-Asfoor Dynasty to Bushehr on the political structure and social-cultural texture of this city. The findings of this study indicate that the members of this dynasty played an influential role in the social and cultural changes in Bushehr during the Qajar period and consolidated the position of Shi’ites there.