Qajar Fiscal Policies and Economic Crises on the Eve of the Constitutional Revolution

Abstract

This article analyzes the link between Qajar fiscal policies and the formation of the Constitutional Revolution in Iran. The financial policies of the Qajar government, based on unstable revenues, unjust taxation, institutional corruption, and dependence on foreign resources, led to economic crises that directly affected the livelihood of the people. The article first examines the financial structure of the Qajar state and its revenue sources. Then, through the analysis of economic crises and their consequences on various social classes, particularly merchants, clergy, and intellectuals, it demonstrates how financial pressures, corruption, and the inability to manage resources led to social dissatisfaction and eventually the Constitutional Revolution. This study argues that the Constitutional Revolution was not only a result of political protests but also a response to economic crises and the inefficiency of the Qajar financial system. Using historical and economic analysis methods, the article concludes that financial crises and widespread corruption acted as major factors in accelerating the Constitutional Revolution and shifted the discourse from economic demands to political calls for governmental reform and the establishment of legal and supervisory institutions.