A comparative study of the impact of economic-religious policies of Al Boyeh and Selajgeh on the economy of Isfahan (a case study of exports)

Introduction In the Middle Ages, the importance and impact of political, religious, and economic developments dominated other aspects of Iranian society. In these circumstances, the local-regional economic approach is very useful in better and more accurate identification of the historical space of different regions in the period under discussion. According to this principle, in the Middle Ages, some regions were of interest to the centers of power due to their geographical-strategic location and natural talents. In the meantime, Isfahan, with such characteristics, was always in the turmoil of various events, and various aspects of the life of the people of this land, including the economic situation, underwent changes under the influence of the surrounding historical developments. Considering that, from the perspective of the researchers of the present study, the mentioned developments were closely related to the political governments of the time, it can be claimed that by examining the approaches and policies of the governments of the time, which claimed to be Muslim and some of their actions were influenced by the teachings of this religion, a better explanation can be given of the changes and developments that occurred in the economic sphere of this region. The role of government in the geographical area of ​​Isfahan is strengthened when the historical position and economic importance of this region doubled during the Buyid and Seljuk periods, which also served as the capital for a while. The question raised in this study is what was the impact of the economic-religious policies of the Buyid and Seljuk dynasties on the economy of Isfahan (a case study of exports) and what were the points of commonality and difference between the two periods? Materials & MethodsIn a descriptive-analytical method and based on library resources Discussion & Result According to geographers (in the early Buyid period), Isfahan was located on the communication and economic routes: “It is the gateway to Fars, the mountains, Khorasan, and Khuzestan” (Jihani, 1368: 141). “Isfahan is supposedly Pars, Khuzestan, Khorasan, and Khuzestan” (Istakhri, 1346: 164 and 165). Such natural conditions could have led to the movement of trade caravans and improved the economic situation of Isfahan. However, in the early period of the Buyid rule, the land of Isfahan was the scene of numerous political and military conflicts between this dynasty and various political rivals such as the Samanids in Khorasan (Ibn Athir, 1382, vol. 11: pp. 4867, 4894, and 4913, and also Moskvai, 1376, vol. 5: 480). On the other hand, Isfahan’s neighbors were also involved in political and military turmoil. For example, the Buyid attack on Kerman in 324 (ibid., vol. 11: 4878 and 4879) or the Buyid attack on Rey and the capture of this land in 329 AH (ibid., vol. 11: 4920 and 4921). On the other hand, destructive natural disasters also occurred in Isfahan during the early Buyid period. For example, in 323 and early 324 AH, a severe famine spread among the people of Isfahan. This became so severe that 200,000 people were killed in the two cities of Isfahan, Yehudiyeh and Shahrestan (Isfahani, 1346: 179). Such natural disasters could have caused famine and destroyed economic security. All these conditions together could have caused economic stagnation and a decrease in Isfahan's exports, however, according to evidence, the early Buyid rulers, who had some economic intuition, made economic decisions in such a situation that led to the economic growth of this land. The evidence for this is the reports of Isfahan, who wrote his book in the early Buyid period. According to his account, "silk societies and fine canvases arose from Isfahan. They carried around the country... the fruits of Sepahan were widely distributed" (Isfahan, 1346: 165). Another evidence for the economic growth of Isfahan is the expansion of some areas of this land and the prosperity of agriculture in them. Conclusion The findings of the research indicate that in the first period of the Buyid and Seljuk governments, despite political-military conflicts and the occurrence of destructive natural disasters in Isfahan, due to the economic intuition of the first rulers of these two dynasties, plans were implemented to improve the economic situation and exports of this land, which included strengthening the means of transportation or changing trade routes or reducing taxes. During the peak of their power, the Buyid sultans provided the necessary infrastructure for the prosperity of Isfahan's exports by implementing measures such as suppressing bandits and building reservoirs and warehouses. The result of implementing these measures was the export of various products produced in this land to distant places. During the period of political decline of the Buyid and Seljuk governments, the rulers of the Buyid dynasty continued to pay special attention to protecting the interests of various economic groups. During part of the Seljuk government, due to the actions of sultans such as Sultan Muhammad, the economic situation was somewhat prosperous and Isfahan's products were exported to other regions, but after the death of Sultan Muhammad, the occurrence of severe political-military conflicts and destructive natural disasters caused the decline of Isfahan's economic life and its export flow to be interrupted. During the political collapse, Isfahan and other parts of Iran were the scene of various political conflicts and suffered severe damage from these aspects. In these circumstances, the economic situation of this land was severely in crisis and its export flow to other regions was cut off.