Abstract
Jews have historically been one of the scattered religious minorities in Iran. The history of the presence of Jews in Iran dates back to the Babylonian, Achaemenid and Median captivity. Throughout this long history, Jews have always been affected by the living conditions in Iran and, despite their small numbers, have been influential in the social, economic and religious life of the Iranian people. Meanwhile, one of the turning points in the history of Iranian Jews is the era of conquests and the rule of Muslim Arabs. With this in mind, this research attempts to examine the type of encounter between Iranian Jews and the conquering Muslims, as well as their socio-economic life during the era of conquests. According to the research findings, despite the existing mistrust between Muslim Arabs and Jews, there was no violent confrontation between the two groups, and Jews at this time in different regions chose a combination of compromise and isolation, depending on the conditions and location. The Jews, as the Ahl e Ketab, lived a comfortable life among Muslims during this period, and although they had some social and religious restrictions, they were provided with a much more favorable economic environment than in ancient times. In a way, they experienced a period of "commercial revolution" at this time.
Keywords: Jews, Age of Conquests, Iran, Ahl e Ketab, Trade.
 
Introduction
The Age of Conquests is considered one of the most important turning points in Iranian history. Although there is no consensus among researchers about the time and place of the Age of conquests, in general, as far as Iranian history is concerned, the period between 13 AH and about a century after that can be called the Age of Conquests in Iranian history. This era and its developments and consequences caused major changes in various political, social, economic and religious spheres of Iranian society. However, not all social and religious groups and strata living in the lands of historical Iran reacted equally to the conquests. One of the religious minorities scattered in Iran were the Jews. Of course, the history of the lives of the Jews of Iran is not separate from the history of the Jewish people in other parts of the world. The eventful and turbulent history of the Jewish people throughout the world has always been accompanied by migration and exile. This issue goes back more to the story of the exile of the Jews of Palestine to Babylon. The event of the exile of the Jews from Palestine to Babylon at the beginning of the 6th century BC was one of the turning points in the history of the followers of this Abrahamic religion. In fact, this exile created a new experience for the Jews that continued until the following centuries. It was during this exile that the Jews were scattered in different lands of historical Iran. Jewish migrations into the historical lands of Iran from the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates to beyond the Jaxartes and Oxus rivers led to the formation of urban and rural Jewish settlements, some of which later, during the Islamic period, took on the title of "Judea" and gradually acquired an Iranian identity.
 
Materials & Methods
Based on the nature and objectives of the present study, analytical and descriptive methods have been used. In this study, on the one hand, to collect data, we referred to the main texts and sources related to the subject, and on the other hand, to examine the related analyses, we referred to the published research of researchers. Finally, by simultaneously examining the existing data and analyses, we tried to reach the results of the study.
Discussion & Results
In light of what has been said, this research attempts to analyze the socio-economic life of the Iranian Jewish minority at this time, while simultaneously examining the confrontation between the conquering Arabs and their conquests. Therefore, the main question of the research is: How did the Jews of Iran react to the Muslim conquerors? And what was their socio-economic and religious life like during the conquests? The main hypothesis of the research is that during the era of conquests, the Jews adopted a combination of compromise and isolation, depending on the conditions and location, which was mainly focused on accepting the supremacy of the Muslim Arabs and cooperating and making peace with them. But more importantly, the beginning of the era of conquests and the subsequent geographical expansion of the Islamic world, although it brought social and religious restrictions for the Jews as the People of the Book, provided them with a much more favorable economic environment than in the ancient period. In such a way that they experienced a period of "commercial revolution" at this time.
 
Conclusion
The results of this article's research show that the events of the era of conquests in Iran not only did not have a negative impact on the economic and social life of Iranian Jews, but also provided a more favorable environment for them. As members of the Zemme, they were subject to restrictions in Islamic society, and paying the Jizya distinguished them from the body of Islamic society. But in return, the Islamic government was obliged to protect their lives and property and provide the basis for their economic activities. From this perspective, the Jews in the era of conquests, considering the conditions and geographical location, adopted a kind of compromise accompanied by isolation in the face of the conquering Arabs. The Arab conquerors also maintained greater control over Jewish communities by retaining Jewish religious leaders and elites in their previous positions. As long as these Jews were not involved in military or political matters, they had almost no restrictions on their economic activities. It was also found in a comparative approach that the Jews of Iran during the era of conquests and afterwards experienced a life of far greater comfort and security than their co-religionists in Europe. As long as they adhered to the terms of peace and Zemme treaties, the Arab conquerors usually also showed their adherence to them. Finally, a comparison of the dispersion of Jewish communities during the Sasanian period and the era of conquests, as well as the second and third centuries AH, clearly indicated the continuity of the social and economic life of these communities and even their growth and expansion. Jews continued to live in almost the same cities and regions as they had at the end of the Sasanian period during the Age of Conquests. Furthermore, the geographical expansion and integration of the Islamic Caliphate provided them with the crucial opportunity to engage in international trade with much greater ease.