UrbanismTransformation inArak during QajarEra

Document Type : ..

Authors

Abstract

During Fath-Ali Shah Qajardynasty, a city called Sultan Abad was established by Yusef Khan Gorgi in Ajam of Iraq. Given its strategic, military, and economic significance, the city began to flourish and turned into one of the significant cities. Sultan Abad was established in the course of time when there was political and military rivalry between the royal dynasties and families claiming the throne (Zand and Qajar); with the aim of maintaining security of the capital and extending central power and domination to regions under the influence of tribes and nomads of Iraq. Nonetheless, the factor which led to the expansion and prosperity of the city was the attention of the central government and foreign companies to this city which turned it to one of the economic centers of the region. The present study through reviewing main sources and references—particularly travel-writing manuscripts—seeks to clarify the role of Qajar Kings’ policies in the growth and improvement of urbanism in Arak, the reasons why foreign companies paid attention to it, and the subsequent outcomes.

Keywords