پژوهش های تاریخی (Dec 2019)
Investigating and Analyzing the Performance of Sugar Factories in Mazandaran Province (1267-1332 AH/ 1850-1914 AD)1
Abstract
Abstract With the increase in sugar consumption in Iran since the second half of the 13th century AH/ 19th century AD, the Qajar authorities attempted to establish industrial factories to meet the needs of the people on the one hand and the process of gradual industrialization of various sectors as well as the dependence of such products on European governments on the other hand. To this end, two sugar factories in the cities of Sari and Barforoush were established to supply people with consumable sugar. This research with a descriptive-analytical approach and the library method aims to answer the question: ‘What has been the performance of sugar factories in the two cities of Sari and Barforoush, as well as the course of trade changes during the Qajar rulers?’ It tests the hypothesis: ‘The performance of Mazandaran factories in the production of refined sugar has been relatively successful’. Research findings showed that although in many cases the Qajar government was forced to import sugar to meet the needs of the people, but at times, especially during Amir Kabir’s presidency, with the production of sugar in Mazandaran’s new industrial factories not only did the import of this product experience a sharp decline for the first time, these factories were also able to meet some of the consumption needs of the people and may even have been able to export their products. 2. Introduction The expansion of trade and development of comprehensive relations with the West during the Qajar period, especially after the Iran-Russia War (1218-1228 AH/ 1803-1813 AD), brought about fundamental changes in the social and economic structure of the country. It was after this time that the traditional way of governing the society was advanced by some rulers, merchants, bureaucrats, and European corporations and governments toward industrialization and modernization. Since the mid-13th century AH/ 19th AD, several new factories in the economic and military fields were established at the same time as the reign of Nasser al-Din Shah and the presidency of Amir Kabir. These factories were set up to reduce the country’s dependence on imports and the production of products in accordance with the needs of the people and the government because, with the increase of the country’s population and the modernization of the society, people’s needs for food and clothing underwent major changes. Sugar and glucosewere among the products that increased among Iranian families. For the first time, Amir Kabir set up a sugar refinery in the two cities of Sari and Barfaroush. The importance of this product doubled in the years leading up to the Constitutional Revolution, so much so that the rise in the price of sugar led to civil protests in Iran. Following the victory of the Constitutional Revolution (1285 AH/ 1906 AD), one of the goals of the constitutionalists became the country’s liberation from importing edible products such as sugar and glucose,and then the development of the sugar industry in order to promote the food industry and help to strengthen domestic production. The purpose of this article is to investigate and evaluate the quality and performance of sugar refineries in the Qajar era in Mazandaran region. 3. Materials & Methods This study attempts to address the issue with a descriptive-analytical approach and using documentary data, newspapers and primary sources. 4. Discussion of Results & Conclusions During the Qajar period, Iranian society faced the European Industrial Revolution and the increasing progress of their societies. That is why the goal of the rulers, bureaucrats, and merchants of this period was to achieve the powerful industries of their time. One of the most important industries in this period was the sugar industry. The importance of sugar in the social and political life of the people of this period is important. Welcoming guests and political figures using sweets and candies, using sugar products to donate kings, statesmen, villagers, and the general public for diplomatic personalities, and using these products for medical purposes are among the important roles of sugar in the Iranian society during the Qajar era. Given the importance of this product in people’s lives and the increasing consumption of sugar among them, the Qajar government officials and merchants were forced to import sugar from Europe at the beginning of the path. At the beginning of its activity, Sari and Barforoush sugar factories, with the support of government officials such as Amir Kabir, succeeded in producing high-quality white sugar and were able to make progress in the sugar industry. The relatively favorable performance and efficiency of these two factories provided part of the sugar needed in the northern regions of Iran. In addition to Mazandaran, the cities of Astarabad, Guilan and in some parts of Tehran also benefited from refined sugar of these factories. Also, according to some documents, government officials and businessmen may have succeeded in exporting sugar in an important move. According to some sources, the sugar from Iran was exported to Russia and Afghanistan at times during the Qajar period. In spite of Iran’s access to refined sugar, the government continued to import sugar from Europe in order to supply the sugar needed by other cities. On the one hand, this was due to the lack of government’s financial support for the establishment of new sugar factories in other Iranian cities, and on the other, the import of sugar from Europe. Certainly, it was not possible to fully meet the needs of the Iranian people by producing sugar only in two factories in Mazandaran. In addition, the financial support of the Qajar government officials from Mazandaran factories was not done on a regular basis, and this was enough to ensure that the desired efficiency of these factories was not confirmed in all periods. What has been linked to the performance of these two factories in the production of refined and white sugar that was produced for the first time in the Qajar period and reduced imports at the same time.
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