Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 PhD candidate in History, Scinece and Research Barnch, Islamic Azad Universiy, Tehran, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of History and Archaeology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of History and Archaeology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
The livelihood and occupation of the villagers in Langarud and Lahijan, located in eastern Gilan, have long been rooted in sericulture. This study, by reviewing the background of silk production and trade in these two regions and based on nine historical documents obtained from petitions submitted to the National Consultative Assembly (Majles), examines the problems faced by rural silk farmers of Langarud and Lahijan during the first decade of Reza Shah Pahlavi’s reign. Given the long-standing tradition of silk production and commerce in these areas, the article seeks to answer the question of what economic hardships the silk farmers encountered during this period and what outcomes their petitions and appeals ultimately produced. Employing the historical research method and following a documentary–library approach within a descriptive–analytical framework, the study reveals that the silk farmers of Lahijan and Langarud suffered heavy financial losses—and consequently fell into poverty—due to the sale of spoiled silkworm eggs by the Frenchman Monsieur de Bourdeux, the Filaturi Company, and Moʿin-ol-Tojjar of Bushehr. In response, they submitted petitions to the National Consultative Assembly, lodging complaints and requesting both tax exemption and the establishment of an agricultural school to facilitate the proper development of silk production and trade. The outcome of these demands was the establishment of the General Directorate of Sericulture in 1935 (1314 SH), which, under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior, began operating with the aim of producing and distributing silkworm eggs and purchasing cocoons.
Keywords
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