Tahqiqāt-e Târix-e Eqtesâdi (Economic History Studies of Iran)

Studying the effects of war on the functioning of Iranian bureaucracy in the 12th century AH: A case Study of the Divan of Istifa and Fiscal Administration

Articles in Press

Document Type : .

Authors

Abdolghafar Saberi 1
Maqsood Ali Sadeghi Gandmani 2
Seyyed Hashem Aghajari 2

1 Tarbiat Modares University of Tehran

2 Department of History, Faculty of Literature, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

10.30465/ehs.2026.52857.2064
Abstract
The twelfth century AH was among the most turbulent phases in Iranian history, marked by wars, recurrent governmental collapse, and the disintegration of power structures. The Divan of Istifa, one of the central pillars of the fiscal system and the main institution responsible for supervising state revenues, endured the most severe consequences of conflict compared to other bureaucratic bodies. Employing a historical-analytical approach and drawing on primary sources, this study investigates the relationship between warfare, administrative breakdown, and the gradual militarization of the bureaucracy, asking how war reshaped the structure and functioning of Iranian institutions, especially the Divan of Istifa. The findings show that warfare precipitated the collapse of the Safavid financial system and weakened the Divan’s supervisory authority over provincial administrations. Regular taxation was replaced by coercive mechanisms rooted in military dominance. As conflicts expanded, military figures infiltrated administrative and fiscal domains, redirecting financial resources toward the army and transforming the Divan of Istifa from an auditing body into an instrument for financing military expenditures. War also affected the status of Mustofis by undermining their security, altering their responsibilities, and converting them into political and diplomatic intermediaries during this prolonged and destabilizing century of conflict in Iran.

Keywords

Bureaucracy؛ Divan of Istifa
؛ War؛ Afghans؛ Afshariya؛ Zandiya

Subjects

Tahqiqāt-e Târix-e Eqtesâdi (Economic History Studies of Iran)

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 01 February 2026

  • Receive Date 15 September 2025
  • Revise Date 27 November 2025
  • Accept Date 01 February 2026

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