English: A FIRMAN OF SHAH SULTAN HUSAYN (R. 1694-1722)

SAFAVID IRAN, DATED RABI' I AH 1125/MARCH-APRIL 1713-14 AD

Persian manuscript on cream paper, with 17ll. of flowing diwani contained within a gold-outlined panel, the date in the lower left corner, illuminated seal above, laid down on card between minor cream margins and gold and polychrome rules on wide red margins, mounted Text panel 15 ¾ x 6 ¼in. (39.8 x 15.8cm.); folio 18 ¾ x 10 1/8in. (47.5 x 25.6cm.)

This firman was issued by the Safavid Shah Sultan Husayn I (r. 1694-1722) and concerns the unauthorised taxation of the Armenian churches in New Julfa which were put in place by Shaykh Mu’min. The firman discusses the concerns regarding the migration of some of the Armenian priests out of Isfahan as a result of this act. It orders the taxation to be discounted as it was previously, and requests for the Armenian priests to return to Isfahan and continue living in New Julfa. The royal seal at the top of our firman also features on a number of other firmans issued by Sultan Husayn in relation to taxation and financial control of lands in Isfahan. These examples are in the archives of the National Library of Iran (ketabkhaneh Melli) and are digitised and available via the Philipps University of Marburg website (http://www.asnad.org/en/document/460/).