Studying the Concept of Titles in the Relationship between Armenians and the Qajar Government in Documents (Case Study of 96 Documents of the Persian Decrees of the Matenadaran of the Qajar Period)
Abstract
This study investigates the function and significance of titles within the official documents of the Qajar era, focusing on Persian decrees (farmāns) addressed to the Armenian community. Through an analysis of 96 documents from the Matenadaran collection, this research demonstrates that titles transcended ceremonial honorifics to become instrumental in establishing power relations and political legitimacy. In the dynamic between the Qajar state and its Armenian subjects, titles served as markers of socio-political inclusion, precisely defining the status of Armenian religious and social leaders within the imperial hierarchy. A close examination of the lexicon and combination of these titles reveals a symbolic language through which the state simultaneously reinforced minority loyalty and delineated the boundaries of its authority. Conversely, the Armenian elite’s acceptance and deployment of these titles represented a strategic form of cultural adaptation and negotiation with central power. This study concludes that titles in Qajar documents were carriers of complex political and social messages, functioning as a vital communicative mechanism for managing state-minority relations. The diversity and evolution of titulature in these decrees reflect the broader political, social, and cultural developments of the Qajar period.
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Introduction
Among historical sources, archival documents possess a superior degree of authenticity and reliability. Official decrees, orders, and letters are tethered to specific, real moments and events, maintaining a direct and organic link between the document and its author. Unlike narrative texts, they are generally free from subsequent alteration, revision, or reinterpretation, granting them inherent credibility and authority [1]. For the political, social, and economic history of Armenia in the medieval and early modern periods, the Persian documents of the Matenadaran manuscript archive in Yerevan constitute an invaluable resource, covering events from the 15th to the 19th centuries.
These Persian documents originated in the churches and religious centers of Eastern Armenia, where they were preserved before being consolidated first in the manuscript repository of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral and later transferred to the Mesrop Mashtots Matenadaran [2]. The collection is categorised into three principal groups: 1) royal decrees and orders from kings, khans, local emirs, and Muslim religious leaders; 2) court minutes from Iranian officials concerning property sales, endowments (waqf), and leases; and 3) documents related to inheritance disputes, inter-village conflicts, and customary rights. The latter two groups are particularly crucial for studying land tenure and economic history, with some documents detailing irrigation rights and social structures [3].
The royal decrees, the focus of this study, are of paramount importance for examining feudal relations and social stratification. Most survive as originals or authenticated copies. The oldest document dates to 1449 CE, issued by Sultan Jahanshah Qara Qoyunlu, while the most recent is from 1848 CE. Seventeenth-century decrees are especially numerous, many pertaining to the reconfirmation of religious institutions' rights by new sovereigns. These texts vividly record oppressive taxation, violence, and the tax system in Eastern Armenia prior to the Russian annexation of the Caucasus, providing critical terminology for understanding contemporary socio-administrative issues [3].
This research employs a historical-analytical method to examine 96 Persian decrees from the Qajar period within the Matenadaran. It seeks to answer: What role did titles (alqāb) play in establishing the social and political status of individuals within Qajar decrees? What patterns of similarity and difference exist in titulature across various decrees? By analysing titles as a primary lens, this study moves beyond a purely linguistic or ceremonial reading to argue that they were a fundamental technology of Qajar statecraft—a mechanism for integrating the Armenian elite, articulating hierarchy, and projecting imperial legitimacy.
Conclusion
This analysis of 96 Qajar decrees from the Matenadaran demonstrates that titles (alqāb) were far more than ceremonial tools; they were sophisticated political and social mechanisms for regulating power. In the context of state-minority relations, they performed a dual function: integration and control. The bestowal of Persianate titles upon Armenian elites formally integrated them into the Qajar hierarchy, granting recognised status and often concrete privileges. This created a vested interest in maintaining loyalty to the state.
Conversely, these titles were conditional markers, perpetually reminding the recipients that their authority and position were contingent upon and subordinate to the Qajar sovereign. The titles acted as a symbolic language of domination, delineating the boundaries of tolerated autonomy. The protective function of a decree was often activated precisely through the invocation of the recipient’s official title, turning it into a shield against lower-level encroachment by other state agents or local powers.
The evolution and variation in titulature reflect the shifting political and economic strategies of the Qajar state towards its Armenian subjects across the long nineteenth century. Therefore, the study of titles provides a crucial index for understanding the dynamics of imperial legitimacy, minority management, and the intricate interplay between language and power in Qajar Iran. The Matenadaran decrees reveal that titulature served as a essential bridge—a bridge that facilitated Armenian participation within the imperial system while simultaneously reinforcing the structure of Qajar authority that framed it.
References
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