In Search of Manorial Residential Farms of Qajar Dynasty in Niasar

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Abstract

The present study focuses on the historical residential farms which are substantially different from non-residential and working farms. In past, Kashan (also called Qasan) has had numerous farms and villages such as Niasar, whose name has been mentioned in historical documents as one of the farmlands of Qasan. The present study could manage to identify 27 residential farms on the basis of these documents. The studies on the identified farms were carried out through attitude assessment, physical studies and document studies and six criteria were laid out in order to provide a meticulous, authentic and oriented research. Regarding the said criteria, historical manorial residential farms such as SoorAbad, Bala Abbas Abad, baroonaq, Khoncheh, Atabaki, Khatoon and Langan were picked out. All the seven studied farms are located in the vicinity and within the boundaries of Niasar which there are similarities and differences among them. A more thorough and comprehensible research is required to address the questions concerning the date of appearance of these farms as well as the extent of their effect upon various affairs during various centuries; However, responding to questions such as the manner of distinguishing manorial residential farms from other farms and residential buildings of Niasar are among the issues which have been challenged in this paper. The results of the present study indicate that these farms are distinguishable and discernible and had been created in all around the country according to the demands of the rulers and peasants in order to address the economic and security issues of the country. Moreover, the creation, preservation and destruction of these farms had been subject to social, economic, cultural, security, environmental and climatic issues. All of the above-mentioned issues are as a small chapter of a larger study which requires further investigation and interpretation of the historical, legal and judicial documents along with field study and attitude assessment.

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