Religious and Social Approach to Endowment(with Emphasis on Julfa Endowments)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explain the status of waqf (religious endowments) in Jolfa during the reign of Reza Shah. The research methodology is descriptive-analytical and relies on library-based studies. Given the Armenian population and their significant role in endowing properties and assets, along with the rich cultural history of the region, this study holds special importance. Waqf can take various forms, including land, buildings, or money, often intended for helping the needy or establishing educational and religious institutions. The presence of Armenian and Christian religious minorities and historical monuments further contributes to the city's significance. In regard to Armenian endowments, especially Armenian women played a significant role. The presence of shrines (imamzadehs) and sacred tombs indicates the charitable actions of benefactors and donors who made substantial contributions to assist the underprivileged. There are approximately 452 different types of waqf in Jolfa County, of which 65 endowed properties—roughly ten percent—are officially documented. These endowments include agricultural water resources, farmland, qanats, wells, gardens, villages, and commercial and residential buildings, with the main motivation of the donors being care for orphans and the poor. About twenty shrines, sacred tombs, and imamzadehs are located in this county. From the period of Reza Shah onward, women also played an active role in religious endowments. Some of the waqf documents currently held in the Jolfa Endowments Office belong to charitable and philanthropic women. The oldest women’s endowments belong to Hajieh Khanom Shahi and Mrs. Simzar Aliaei Gargari, who dedicated part of their property to the villages of Qarah Bolagh and Upper Gargar (ibid). In Jolfa County, Siah Rud, and affiliated villages, women's endowments primarily date back to the Reza Shah era. The highest number of waqf deeds from this period are related to the mourning ceremonies (ta’ziyeh) of Seyyed al-Shohada (Imam Hussein, peace be upon him).