Muṭāli̒āt-i tārīkh-i farhangī(Cultural History Studies)

Decree on the Endowment and Distribution of Shares of Water from the Farhadabad Qanat in Shiraz

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Mohammad Sadegh Mirzaabolghasemi

Associate Professor, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/chs.2025.494959.1048
Abstract
Farhad Mirza Mo'tamed al-Dowleh, during his governorship over Fars (1293–1298 AH), paid special attention to the development and prosperity of Shiraz. Among his efforts was the dredging and restoration of the Karim Khani qanats, during which a new qanat was established and named "Farhadabad.". Farhad Mirza endowed a portion of this qanat's water and distributed another portion among the nobles in Fars. Little is known about the Farhadabad qanat in Shiraz, with only a few local sources briefly mentioning it. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the historical dimensions, endowment conditions, and distribution of water shares from the Farhadabad qanat based on the decree issued by Farhad Mirza Mo'tamed al-Dowleh on this matter. This article adopts a historical research method with a descriptive-analytical approach, relying on archival documents and first-hand historical sources. The findings indicate that the Farhadabad qanat was located near the Jowshak spring in the Qasr-e Qomsheh plain. It was discovered in early Sha'ban 1295 AH during Farhad Mirza Mo'tamed al-Dowleh's inspection of the Karim Khani qanats, but its utilization took about a year to start. The water volume of the Farhadabad qanat was approximately one to one-and-a-half sang[1]. The water flowed toward Shiraz via the *Nahr-e A'zam* (Great Canal) and into the main distribution point (*Maqsam-e A'la*) along two river bends (*Band-e Rudkhaneh* and Moqarrab), where it was used. The water from the Farhadabad qanat was divided into fourteen shares: four shares were endowed to the Khan School in Shiraz and its adjacent reservoir, while the remaining ten shares were allocated to ten influential scholars and dignitaries of Fars, with one share per person. It is likely that before his departure from the governorship of Fars (Rabī' al-Thānī 1298 AH), Farhad Mirza modified the endowment terms, redirecting part of the qanat's shares in favor of the Takyeh (mausoleum) of *Esmat al-Saltaneh*, the wife of his son Abdolali Mirza, located in the Hafeziyeh complex. He dedicated the charitable rewards (thawab) of the Farhadabad qanat to the souls of his parents and the parents of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar. However, the benefits of this endowment primarily favored a select few nobles of Shiraz.
 
[1] A traditional unit of water measurement

Keywords

Decree
Farhadabad Qanat
Farhad Mirza Mo'tamed al-Dowleh
Shiraz
Qajar Period
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sākmā
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Muṭāli̒āt-i tārīkh-i farhangī(Cultural History Studies)
Volume 16, Issue 61
Autumn 2024
Autumn 2024
Pages 127-149

  • Receive Date 20 December 2024
  • Revise Date 27 February 2025
  • Accept Date 17 April 2025
  • Publish Date 21 November 2024

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