Analysis Of The Role Of Iranian Bazaar In Constitutional Revolution

The Constitutional Revolution is considered the most important social change in Iran at the beginning of the 20 th century and one of the most important events in Iran’s contemporary history,but specialized,analytical studies of the influential classes and forces in the constitutional movement are scarce in China.The ulama class,the bazaaris class,and the intellectual class were the most effective forces in the Iranian constitutional revolution.Discussing the bazaaris class as one of the three influential groups during the Constitutional Revolution can be considered an important topic in the study of Iranian history.This dissertation uses historical research and documentary analysis to study in depth the role of the Iranian bazaar in the constitutional movement.In this paper,the bazaar is both a traditional Islamic marketplace and a network of social relations living in this space.This network of communal relations encompasses all the social actors who live and work in the physical environment of the bazaar.They interacted in the physical space of the bazaar,formed group identities,established links with external forces,and became a unique social force in Iranian history.The bazaaris class was one of the three traditional power classes in Iranian society,and they played a role in social movements according to their socioeconomic status.As the proximity and dependence of the bazaar and the mosque in the structure of the Islamic city established strong ties,which were further strengthened through inlaws,the Bazaar class formed a bazaar-mosque alliance in a long-term interaction with the most influential class in Iranian society,the ulama class.When a series of events in the second half of the 19 th century undermined the economic interests of the bazaar,they entered the political sphere and played a major role in it.During the reign of the Qajar,the British and Russian control of Iranian politics and economy,along with the weakness of the autocratic government and the corruption of the bureaucracy,devastated the traditional Iranian economy and reduced the Iranian Bazaar class to one of the most affected social classes.This has exacerbated the conflict between the bazaar and the government.In addition,bazaar merchants engaged in import and export trade were more vulnerable to the impact of western modernization.The introduction of western modern technology and the spread of liberal thought sowed the seeds of constitutionalism in bazaaris’ s heart.In essence,the invasion of Western capital and the corruption and incompetence of the Qajar government damaged the traditional economic structure of Iran and the political and economic interests of the traditional classes.When they were exposed to the western constitutional thought,the bazaaris class consciously became one of the most active social groups in the constitutional process.During the constitutional revolution,the Iranian bazaar played an active part in economic,ideological,and political aspects.The bazaar chose the traditional ways of protesting the government-closing the bazaars and bastneshini.The economic assistance of the bazaar class to the protesting masses played a decisive role in the victory of the constitutional revolution.The Bazaar ideologically depended on the ulama class and through mass rallies,agitational speeches,bastneshini,and newspaper commentaries were able to mobilize different classes of the masses to a greater extent,forming a broad unity and ensuring the breadth and depth of the revolution.In addition,in a sense,they introduced constitutional ideas to Iran as much as the intellectuals did.They propagated western democracy through the creation or funding of newspapers and magazines.The bazaar,as a place played an important role in transmitting information,intelligence,new ideas,and political slogans.They actively contributed to the replacement of authoritarian power by law and representative government,with the power of government exercised under legal supervision.They actively participated in the establishment of the constitutional system,a legitimate modern institution,and played a very effective role in the first parliament through their participation in elections and parliamentary participation in political affairs.