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Endowments of Astan Quds Razawi

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Endowed Qur'ans from 327 AH/939 are the oldest examples of endowment to Astan Quds Razawi.

Endowments of Astan Quds Razawi refers to the collection of immovable and movable properties endowed to the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a).

Astan Quds Razawi is recognized as one of the major endowment institutions in the Muslim world, established and expanded over centuries by the faithful and devotees of the Eighth Imam of the Shi'a out of spiritual devotion.[1] Historically, the endowments of the Astan were reportedly extensive, although some have been lost over time. The donors (waqifs) to the Astan have hailed from diverse social strata, ranging from monarchs and statesmen to scholars and ordinary citizens.

Following the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the administration of these endowments has been overseen by the Endowments Management, a branch of the Deputy of Legal and Endowment Affairs of the Astan. Given the vastness and geographical dispersion of the properties, numerous institutions and organizations have reportedly been established to manage them, including the Malik Endowment Organization and the Yazd and Kerman Endowments Organization.

Evidence of the earliest endowments to Astan Quds dates back to the early fourth/tenth century. Historical sources record instances of endowments during the Ghaznavid, Seljuq, Ilkhanid, and Timurid periods. Certain endowments from the Safavid era are ranked among the largest and most productive in the institution's history. The Scroll of 'Alishah, compiled during the Afsharid period, remains a valid document for identifying the Astan's assets and serves as a primary source for compiling subsequent catalogues.

During the Qajar era, in addition to the compilation of another registry titled Scroll of 'Adud al-Mulk, endowments to the Astan expanded significantly during certain intervals. In the Pahlavi era, alongside the reclamation of some usurped properties, the largest endowment in the Astan's history was established by Husayn Malik (d. 1972), an Iranian merchant and philanthropist.

Status and Characteristics

The endowments of Astan Quds Razawi comprise the aggregate of movable and immovable assets dedicated to the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a).[2] Astan Quds Razawi is regarded as a significant endowment institution within the Muslim world, formed and developed over centuries through the spiritual motivations of believers and devotees of the Eighth Imam of the Shi'a.[3]

According to Aziz Allah 'Utaridi, a historian of Astan Quds Razawi, these endowments were historically vast, spanning regions such as Iran, Afghanistan, Khwarazm, Transoxiana, the Indian Subcontinent, and the Caucasus.[4] He notes that following the separation of some of these territories from Iranian sovereignty and the decline of Muslim rule in parts of the Subcontinent, these assets fell out of the Astan's control.[5]

The roster of donors to Astan Quds Razawi includes individuals from all social classes, from kings and statesmen to scholars and commoners.[6] Women also figure prominently in this list; for example, Anis al-Dawla (d. 1314/1896-7), a wife of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar, purchased one-third of the Goldsmiths' Bazaar in Mashhad and endowed it to the Astan.[7]

Endowments after the Islamic Revolution

Visit of the Custodian of Astan Quds to the Model Farm, one of the endowments of Astan Quds Razawi.

Reports indicate that under the Islamic Republic of Iran, in addition to efforts to revive the practice of utilizing endowment income in accordance with donors' intentions, numerous new properties have been dedicated to the Astan.[8] For instance, in a 2021 report, the CEO of Astan Quds Razawi Endowments in Tehran stated that thirty-five percent of the current endowments date to the post-Revolutionary period.[9]

According to a 2020 report, the administration of these assets is conducted by the Management of Endowment Affairs, a subdivision of the Deputy of Legal and Endowment Affairs.[10] This body comprises three departments: the Department of Review and Calculations of Endowment Deeds, the Department of Endowment Identification and Affairs, and the Department of Supervision over the Performance of Custodians and Administrators.[11] The primary responsibilities of this management include setting the endowment budget, rigorously supervising the expenditure of income, identifying and reviewing the ownership status of endowed lands, and rereading and rewriting endowment deeds.[12]

It is further reported that this department has classified the expenditure categories of Astan's endowment income into twenty-six chapters.[13] Moreover, due to the extent and dispersal of the properties, various institutions have been formed to ensure better administration. These include the Deputy of Real Estate and Lands, the Deputy of Technical and Civil Engineering of Endowments, the Malik Endowment Organization, the Tehran Province Endowments Organization, the Yazd and Kerman Endowments Organization, the South Khorasan Endowments and Agriculture Institute, the Semnan Agriculture and Endowments Institute, and the Chenaran Agriculture and Endowments Institute.[14]

Endowments of the Astan from the Beginning to the Safavids

According to Aziz Allah 'Utaridi, due to the destruction of documents caused by wars and other events, there is no reliable information regarding the precise start date of endowments to the Holy Shrine, the identities of the first donors, or the nature of the initial gifts.[15] However, extant endowed Qur'ans dating from 327/939 onwards serve as evidence that endowments to the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) have existed since at least the early fourth/tenth century.[16]

A Qur'an in the script of 'Ali Rida 'Abbasi, written by the order of Shah 'Abbas I for endowment to Astan Quds.

The Iranian historian and litterateur Abu l-Fadl Bayhaqi (d. 374/984-5) records that during the Ghaznavid era, Suri b. Mu'taz—the head of the Divan of Khurasan and governor of Nishapur under Mas'ud Ghaznavi—purchased a valuable village and endowed it for the prosperity of the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a).[17] Bayhaqi also mentions a Ghaznavid civil servant named Abu l-Hasan Iraqi (d. 429/1037-8), who restored the qanat of Mashhad for the Holy Shrine, built a caravansarai, and endowed a village to support both the qanat and the caravansarai as a Private endowment.[18]

According to Nasir al-Din Munshi Kirmani, a historian of the seventh/thirteenth and eighth/fourteenth centuries, Abu Tahir Qumi (d. 516/1122-3), the minister of Sanjar Seljuqi, endowed a village during the Seljuq period to fund the lighting of the Holy Shrine.[19] Some sources state that during the Ilkhanid period, Ghazan Khan, the seventh Ilkhan of Iran, endowed three regions—Farhadjird, Farhadan, and Mukhalifsaray—to Astan Quds Razawi.[20] It is said that of these three, only the village of Farhadgird remains; it is currently counted among the most significant endowments of Astan Quds Razawi.[21]

During the Timurid period, the empire's special attention to Mashhad and the Holy Shrine fostered a flourishing of endowments.[22] Notable among these are the endowments of water, the dam, and the mills of the village of Turuq, the Gulistan dam, and the water of the Gulasb (Gilas) spring.[23] The endowments of Goharshad (d. 861/1457), wife of Shahrukh Timurid (r. 807/1405 – 850/1447), are listed among the most famous and extensive,[24] comprising properties in Mashhad, Tus, and Jam.[25]

Endowments of the Astan in the Safavid Era

The establishment of Shi'ism as the official state religion during the Safavid period was a key factor in the development of endowments to Astan Quds Razawi.[26] The endowments of Khwaja 'Atiq Munshi, an early caretaker of Astan Quds under Shah Isma'il Safavi, are considered some of the largest, most productive, and finest assets of the Astan.[27] The properties of Kuna-bist and the Model Farm are included in these endowments.[28]

Some researchers note that after a decline in the Astan's endowments caused by Uzbek attacks, many properties were endowed during the stability of Shah Tahmasp I's reign.[29] According to certain sources,[30] two caretakers were appointed for the Astan during this period: a Traditional Caretaker (Mutawalli-yi Sunnati) to administer the endowments of the Safavid kings, and a Wajibi Caretaker (Mutawalli-yi Wajibi) to manage the remaining endowments.[31]

Based on Dastur al-muluk-i Mirza Rafi'a, an administrative text from the late Safavid period, during years when the Astan's endowments were functioning normally, the total income from properties in the suburbs of Mashhad, Shirvan, Herat, Isfahan, Qazvin, Savojbolagh, Tehran, Semnan, Nishapur, Sabzevar, Joveyn, Astarabad, Quchan, Damghan, and Kerman amounted to approximately fourteen thousand Kharwar of goods and three thousand Tomans[32] in cash.[33] Beyond these regions, endowments existed in cities such as Torbat-e Jam, Kalat, Kashmar, Gonabad, Khaf, Bakharz, Badghis, Farah, Karaj, Fenderesk, and Shahroud.[34]

Endowed assets during the Safavid era primarily consisted of real estate and properties such as farms, qanats, gardens, land, springs, caravanserais, khans, timchehs, shops, houses, and villages.[35] The income from private endowments was designated for specific purposes, including lighting the Holy Shrine, assisting needy pilgrims, paying servants' salaries, holding Rawda-khwani, and covering expenses for the Guest House and Dar al-Shifa (Hospital).[36]

Endowments of the Astan in the Afsharid Era

Scroll of 'Alishah from the Afsharid period.

According to researchers, the fall of the Safavids threw the status of Astan Quds endowments into disarray, leading to the misappropriation of some properties; however, the situation was somewhat stabilized with the consent of Nader Shah Afshar (r. 1148/1736 – 1160/1747).[37] Sources state that upon establishing dominance over Mashhad in 1145/1732-3, Nader built a Saqqakhana (Saqqakhana of Isma'il Tala'i) for the Holy Shrine and endowed properties from the Deheshk farm of Tus, along with several houses and shops in Mashhad, for its administration.[38]

'Ali Mu'taman, a researcher of Astan Quds, notes that Nader issued a decree confiscating all endowments, including those of the Astan, as state property.[39] This action reportedly weakened the Astan financially and rendered it dependent on the state.[40] Nader's successor, 'Ali Shah Afshar (r. 1160/1747 – 1161/1748), reportedly strove to return and reorganize the Astan's endowments; additionally, he endowed one hundred of his own properties to the Dar al-Shifa of the Astan.[41]

To restore the Astan's endowment affairs to their pre-Nader status, 'Ali Shah compiled a registry known as Tumar-i 'Alishahi (Scroll of 'Alishah) in Ramadan 1160/1747.[42] This scroll reportedly contains the names of all endowed properties (raqabat) of the Astan, plus 'Ali Shah's one hundred personal endowments and the special endowments of the Goharshad Mosque and the Dar al-Shifa.[43] The scroll remains a valid document for identifying Astan's endowments and a key source for compiling subsequent catalogues.[44]

Endowments of the Astan in the Qajar Era

Scroll of 'Adud al-Mulk from the Qajar period.

Muhammad Ihtisham Kawiyaniyan, a researcher and agent of Astan Quds, states that following 'Ali Shah Afshar, during the interval between Nader's successors and the rise of the Qajars, the Astan's endowments suffered from confusion and looting due to the country's disordered state.[45] He reports that with the ascent of the Qajars and during the reign of Fath 'Ali Shah, Mirza Musa Khan Farahani—caretaker of the Astan from 1247/1831-2 to 1262/1846—endeavored to reclaim and reorganize the endowments based on the Scroll of 'Alishah.[46]

From this period onward, other Qajar caretakers aimed to preserve and organize the assets by compiling scrolls.[47] For instance, 'Abd al-Baqi Munajjim Bashi, the caretaker of the Astan, ordered a register of existing endowment deeds in 1268/1851-2.[48] Additionally, during the custodianship of Mir Muhammad Husayn 'Adud al-Mulk Qazvini, a scroll known as Tumar-i 'Adud al-Mulk (Scroll of 'Adud al-Mulk) was prepared by his order, listing the Astan's endowments by city up to the year 1273/1856-7.[49]

Some researchers, relying on Athar al-Radawiyya, an index of the Astan's endowments, conclude that endowments grew during the reign of Nasir al-Din Shah due to the relative security in Khorasan.[50] Indeed, a French guide from the end of this period reported the income of the Astan's endowments throughout Iran as sixty thousand Tomans in cash and ten thousand Kharwar of grain.[51]

According to 'Ataridi, administrative changes during the reign of Muzaffar al-Din Shah disrupted the management of endowments.[52] With the establishment of the constitution, the endowments were placed under the purview of the Ministry of Education and Endowments.[53] 'Ataridi further notes that in the late Qajar period, government instability allowed some of the Astan's properties to fall into the possession of third parties.[54]

Endowments of the Astan in the Pahlavi Era

During the First Pahlavi era, new regulations were reportedly implemented to improve the administration of the Astan's endowments.[55] Furthermore, many usurped properties were restored to the Astan through legal action, and new properties were purchased using endowment income to facilitate the expansion of the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a).[56]

According to 'Ataridi, during the Second Pahlavi era, properties acquired through exchange or purchase were formally endowed to the Astan via deed. Their income was allocated to the expenses of the Imam Reza (a) Hospital and cultural activities in the Museum and Library.[57] Mu'taman reports that in 1969, Baqir Pirniya, the Deputy Caretaker from 1967 to 1971, ordered the preparation of a new list of endowments.[58]

Records indicate that between 1937 and 1961, the largest endowment to Astan Quds was established by Husayn Malik (d. 1972), an Iranian merchant and donor. This was accomplished in seven stages through the endowment of a library, movable properties, and real estate.[59]

Notes

  1. Dālmānī, Safarnāma-yi az Khurāsān tā Bakhtiyārī, vol. 1, p. 73; ʿAṭāridī, Tārīkh-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, vol. 2, p. 554; Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 556.
  2. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 556.
  3. Dālmānī, Safarnāma-yi az Khurāsān tā Bakhtiyārī, vol. 1, p. 73; ʿAṭāridī, Tārīkh-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, vol. 2, p. 554; Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 556.
  4. ʿAṭāridī, Tārīkh-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, vol. 2, pp. 555-556.
  5. ʿAṭāridī, Tārīkh-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, vol. 2, pp. 555-556.
  6. ʿAṭāridī, "Manābiʿ-i mawqūfāt-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī", pp. 118-128.
  7. ʿAṭāridī, "Manābiʿ-i mawqūfāt-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī", p. 118.
  8. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 561.
  9. "Mudīr-i ʿāmil-i mawqūfāt-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī dar Tihrān: 35 darṣad-i mawqūfāt marbūṭ bi baʿd az inqilāb-i islāmī ast".
  10. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 561.
  11. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 561.
  12. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 561.
  13. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 561.
  14. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 561.
  15. ʿAṭāridī, Tārīkh-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, vol. 2, p. 554.
  16. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 556.
  17. Bayhaqī, Tārīkh-i Bayhaqī, vol. 1, p. 406.
  18. Bayhaqī, Tārīkh-i Bayhaqī, vol. 1, p. 542.
  19. Munshī Qumī, Nasāʾim al-asḥār, p. 60.
  20. Faṣīḥī Khāfī, Mujmal Faṣīḥī, vol. 2, p. 869.
  21. Muʾtaman, Rāhnamā, p. 562; Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 556.
  22. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 556.
  23. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 556.
  24. Anzābī-nizhād, Bīst waqf-nāma az Khurāsān, p. 11.
  25. Anzābī-nizhād, Bīst waqf-nāma az Khurāsān, p. 17.
  26. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", pp. 556-557.
  27. Anzābī-nizhād, Bīst waqf-nāma az Khurāsān, p. 39.
  28. Anzābī-nizhād, Bīst waqf-nāma az Khurāsān, p. 39.
  29. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 557.
  30. Iskandar Bayg Turkamān, Tārīkh-i ʿālam-ārā-yi ʿAbbāsī, vol. 1, p. 149.
  31. Ḥasanābādī & Yaḥyāyī, "Tawliyat", p. 312.
  32. Toman was Iran's currency of that time.
  33. Mīrzā Rafīʿā, Dastūr al-mulūk, p. 176.
  34. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 557.
  35. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 557.
  36. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 557.
  37. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 557.
  38. Fāḍil Basṭāmī, Firdaws al-tawārīkh, p. 94; Anzābī-nizhād, Bīst waqf-nāma az Khurāsān, pp. 214-215.
  39. Muʾtaman, Rāhnamā, p. 335.
  40. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 558.
  41. Muʾtaman, Rāhnamā, p. 335; Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 558.
  42. Naqdī, "Ṭūmār-i ʿAlīshāhī", p. 116.
  43. Naqdī, "Ṭūmār-i ʿAlīshāhī", p. 116.
  44. Naqdī, "Ṭūmār-i ʿAlīshāhī", p. 116.
  45. Iḥtishām Kāviyāniyān, Shams al-shumūs, pp. 105-106.
  46. Iḥtishām Kāviyāniyān, Shams al-shumūs, pp. 106-107.
  47. Naqdī, Tārīkh wa tashkīlāt-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, p. 461.
  48. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 559.
  49. ʿAṭāridī, Tārīkh-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, vol. 2, pp. 603-606.
  50. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 559.
  51. Dālmānī, Safarnāma-yi az Khurāsān tā Bakhtiyārī, vol. 1, pp. 72-73.
  52. ʿAṭāridī, Tārīkh-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, p. 698.
  53. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 560.
  54. ʿAṭāridī, Tārīkh-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, p. 698.
  55. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 560.
  56. Naqdī & Īzadī, "Mawqūfāt", p. 560.
  57. ʿAṭāridī, Tārīkh-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, vol. 2, pp. 614-617.
  58. Muʾtaman, Rāhnamā, p. 335, p. 344.
  59. ʿAṭāridī, Tārīkh-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī, vol. 2, p. 578; Murtaḍawī, "Mawqūfāt-i Malik, Sāzmān", pp. 562-563.

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