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The Role of Oil in the Presence of European Orientalists in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad (The Qajar and Pahlavi Historical Periods)

Document Type : pajoheshi

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Archaeology, University of Neyshabur. Neyshabur, Iran.

2 Master's degree in Iranology, History, Iranology Foundation and Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Full Professor, Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran.

10.30473/lhst.2026.75613.3012

Abstract

A B S T R A C T
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad is a region that historically served as a vital connective hub between northern (Isfahan) and southern (Persian Gulf) territories, as well as eastern (Fars) and western (Khuzestan) domains during ancient and Islamic eras. In the later Islamic centuries, political-administrative shifts—primarily driven by nomadic populations—led to its renaming as Kohgiluyeh from the Ilkhanate period onward. The discovery of oil and the imperative to secure trade routes abruptly elevated Kohgiluyeh’s strategic significance during the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties. This prompted the arrival of European political-military operatives under the guise of travelers, archaeologists, and explorers. This article’s central aim is to examine the objectives and motivations behind European Orientalists’s activities in Kohgiluyeh. Thus, the study addresses the following question: What were the primary goals and incentives for European travelers and Orientalists in the Kohgiluyeh region? Data was gathered through documentary research, archival records, interviews, and field studies. Findings reveal that European Orientalists predominantly operated under the pretext of studying geographical features and historical monuments, with a marked emphasis on archaeology. These endeavors, commissioned by their respective European powers, sought to map communication routes and extract sociopolitical intelligence—ultimately aiming to consolidate control over southwestern Iran, dominate oil fields, and safeguard trade corridors for the transport of goods and raw materials to and from the region.




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References
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Research Journal of Iran Local Histories
Volume 14, Issue 27 - Serial Number 27
October 2026
Pages 83-100
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