A Reflection on the Talismans of Qajar era and the Principal role of women in their formation and expansion

Abstract

In the Qajar era, the tendency to superstition and various religious objects, including talismans and amulets, was very widespread, but historical documents show that women in Iranian society had a greater tendency than men to use talismans. In many cases, superstitions and their related objects and instruments were considered feminine actions and behaviors, and the tendency to superstitions was considered to be fundamentally institutionalized in female nature. This attitude has its background, roots, and further consequences. The present article seeks to examine the roots and consequences of this attitude, and while examining the social conditions and life of women in the Qajar era, their activities suggest that this attitude is especially prevalent in the field of production and use of talismans. This research will look into the cultural and belief roots of talismans, as well as the causes of their popularity during the Qajar era. This research has theoretically analyzed historical findings from the perspective of social studies and its method has been the analysis of visual samples and historical documents. Evidence from this study shows that the tendency to superstition has been a common phenomenon in traditional society, and all members of society have benefited to some extent according to their social and cultural conditions. But historical documents prove that gender differences and the tendencies of women towards these beliefs in the Qajar era.

Keywords

• "qajar era"
• "women"
• "talismans"
• "superstitions"
• "social conditions"