Silver in Iran’s Early Modern State-building
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53 A mann -i-shahi the measure used for silk was 5.8 kilograms there was the mann-i Tabriz which was half of it and weighed 2.9 Kilograms. A Kharvar was an ass load from the word khar meaning donkey and it weighed 100 tabrizi mann or 290 kilograms, or 600 lbs. 54 Khuzani Isfahani Afzal al Tavarikh . Volume 3, folios 405b-6a. Christ College ms. Dd. 5.6. The officials named are MIiza Isfahani and Aslan Beg viziers of Guilan, Husayn Beg vizier of Shirvan, Malik sharif kalantar and Sharif Beg vizier of Ganja and Qarabagh, Malik Safar kalantar and the hakims of tabriz and Ardabils. Cited by Rudi Matthee (2000)p.102. 55
56 Della Valle cited by Steinman (1986),p.94. 57 See Baghdiantz McCabe (1999) chapter seven for a detailed analysis. 58
59 Braudel, F. La Méditerranée et le monde mediterranéen à l'époque de Philippe II. Paris: Armand Colin,1949. Is still one of the best sources for this. 60 See futher the role played by the governors of Fars. 61 For the lesser known Armenian origin of Allah Verdi Khan usually just called a Georgian because he was born in Georgia, see, TM. p.17, also footnote 5. 62 . A farman , royal decree, was issued by Shah Safi in 1039/1630 renewing an older order issued by his grandfather Shâh ‘Abbâs I (r. 1588-1629). 63 Royal edict reproduced in annexe of Baghdiantz McCabe (1999). 64 TM (1980), p. 61. 65 Ibid., p. 130. 66 “ During the reign of former monarchs the whole of the profits from the vâjibî of the Mint [was as follows]: in the best years, when merchants brought from outside masses of qurûsh coins and when, at the time of particular prosperity (
) of Isfahan, 400 workers, all present, were daily employed in the Nine Departments of the Mint, and the fabrication of [plated] silver thread (
) and copper coins ( fulûskârî ?)was farmed out ( ijâra) for 500 to 600, or 700 tumâns the farm
holder, on behalf of all the farm [given to him by] the Divan used to send to the Treasury 1000 ashrafîs
[silver coins] and 100 dastaja kila [sic] [large ashrafî coins], which at the [given] rate were worth 250 tumâns approximately, and moreover used to pay 350 tumâns as salary to the M u‘ayyir , the
Darrâbî- bâshî
and other persons of the Private Household who were in possession of drafts ( arbâb-i avâlât ). Apart from the above mentioned sum, nothing else was sent to the Treasury. From ancient times until 35 now, one sixteenth of the sum entering the Private Household had been assigned to the Mu‘ayyir al- mamâlik
. 66 The above is excerpted fromthe Tadhkirat al-Mulûk regarding the mint. This particular selection, which is difficult to understand even in translation, concerns the
, or seignorage; that is, the royal prerogative to levy duties on the coining of money for the purpose of covering the expenses of minting and as a source of revenue. The mint seems to be the center of attention for the anonymous author of the Tadhkirat al-Mulûk ; so much so that V. Minorsky believes he might have been affiliated with it. It may be that he spent time describing it precisely because of its importance as a financial center that sustained the administration of the royal household. The mu‘ayyir al-mamâlik was not under the nâ ir-i buyûtât ; he reported directly to court. 67 Ibid., p. 130. 68 Chardin (1735), Volume II, p.314. 69 Bert Fragner, “Social and Economic Affairs,” in CHI 6, p.516 70 A load=2 bales = 36 mann-i shâhî ., =circa 196 kilograms. 71 L. Steinmann (1986), p. 94. 72 TM (1980), p. 85. 73 See “Gift Giving”Encyclopedia Iranica, Volume X, fascicule 6 :604-617. 74 Slaves of the Shah: New Elites of Safavid Iran by Sussan Babaie, Kathryn Babayan, Ina Baghdiantz McCabe, and Massumeh Farhad ( 2004), chapter 2. 75
76 Chardin, Volume II, p.358. 77 Chardin(1735) volume III, p. 357. 78
79
Jésuites (circa 1662),Estat de la Perse,1665, De Persia 1684, et la biographie et correspondancedu père Raphaël du Mans edité par Francis Richard. Société de l’histoire de l’Orient. Paris, 1995. Raphaël du Mans (1660), fol. 67: La Perse est comme un grand caravanserra qui n'a que deux portes, l'une du costé de la Turquie, par Ia quelle entre I'argent qui vient d'Occident, qui sont piastres, qui viennent du Nouveau Monde en Espagne, de la' en France par la Bretaigne, passant la France par Marseille, sortent pour entrer en Turquie, puis viennent icy, ou' l'on les faict refondre pour les mettre en abassis, qui est monnoye comme d'un teston ou quart d'escu. Aucuns portent leurs piastres ensuite jusques aux Indes, et là ces Noirs ne se fient pas à une pierre de touche, les cassent en deux. Si elles sont bonnes, les prennent. 80 For an analysis of these erroneous images see Dale (1994), pp.64-82. 81 Rudolph Matthee The Career of Mohammad be, Grand Vizier of Shah Abbas II (r.1642-1666) Iranian Studies, 24,(1991),p.20. 82
83 There is an important connection to the tailor’s guild and royal workshop for the Armenians that would deserve further exploration. In a shipwreck of the coast of Manilla, the tombstone of a Shahrimanian, one of the four most prominent families from Julfa was discovered. Some of the Sharimanians converted to Islam. On the tombstone are engraved the clear insignia of the guild of tailors. For a heterodox Armenian sect led by Tomik who was also in the guild see Ina Baghdiantz Mccabe (1996-97). 84 Matthee (1991) for this important career told many times. See Nasrollah Falsafi “Sargozasht-e Saru Taqi” Chand Maqaleh-ye tarikhi ve adabi (Tehran,1342 S./1963). Hellmut braun “Ein iranischer Gosswesir des 17 Jahrhundrets: Miza Muhammad-Taqi in W. Eilers, ed., Festgabe deutscher Iranisten zur 25000 Jahrfeier Irans (Stuttgart,1971). 85 It should be noted that the political itinerary of Mu ammad Beg, the Armenian Tabrizi, was the same as another famous Tabrizi, Sârû Taqî, who was of Azeri origin. He was castrated late, and was also
before he became grand vizier. 86 Roemer in CHI 6, pp. 189-35; see pp. 291-96. 87 For the names of these family members see Matthee (2000), pp30-31. 88 Roemer in CHI 6, pp. 189-35; see pp. 291-96. 89 Chardin says a cavalry man is paid four hundred livres on page 321 and four hundred francs on page 322 he uses francs and livres as equivlents and in an indiscrimate fashion as substitute one for the other.
36 To get a Tuman one has to divide by 4.5, would put the pay of a cavalry man well under ten Tumans, and that of the Infantry over five. Chardin himself is very approximate and imprecise for example he says a horse cost 60 Tumans or 250 livres, while if he were to apply his own accounting he would get 270. The French livre fluctuated widely, as much as 60% during Chardin’s lifetime, the Tuman wass not stable either so these conversions are not accurate. 90 Chardin (1735), pp.320-322. Download 290.61 Kb. Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: 
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