The Characteristics and Functions of Women’s Endowments in Sari and Barforoush (Babol) in the Qajar Period

Endowments of the Qajar period are among the most important resources that demonstrates the social, economic, cultural and religious conditions of Iran of the time. Female endowments are particularly important among the different classes and groups of Iranian society that have endowed. Investigating the content of women's endowments is important since they display both quantity and quality of endowments among women. They also demonstrate women’s participation in social activities of the period. The purpose of the research is to study the contents of the endowments of the women in Sari and Barforoush during the Qajar period, to distinguish their characteristics and functions as well as the social status of the women.

Method and Research Design: 

Endowments and some historical library resources were studied and analyzed in a descriptive and analytical way.

The result show that there are few differences between women and men’s endowments in Sari and Barforoush in the Qajar period considering their characteristics and functions. The endowments had religious and social functions and were considered for the following purposes mourning, charitable deeds, seminary students' expenses, publishing religious books, public services, and supporting the life expenses of the children of the person who endows. Endowments were mostly piece of land, a house, a shop, a garden, a bath or a caravanserai. The women were among the rich and noblemen, merchants, and landowners. The women’s social status depended on their father or husband except the ones that themselves were a midwife or tragedian (Ta’ziye khan). Their father or husband were mostly coppersmith, doctor, surgeon, butcher, judge, merchant, tailor, muezzin, Muslim clergyman, and grocer.