Document Type : .

Authors

• Safyeh Hallaj ¹
• Abolfazl Morshedi ²

¹ M.A in Anthropology, Yazd university, Yazd , Iran

² Assistant professor of Sociology , Yazd university, Yazd, Iran

Abstract

Since textiles are very old in Yazd, this industry is tied not only to the "economy" but also to the "identity" of this city. Therefore, the transformation of the traditional textile industry into a modern textile industry affected the economic and social life of almost all the inhabitants of this city. and All social groups had a role in this process according to their "interpretation" of their advantages and disadvantages and their interests and values. The main question of this research is who were the initial and main "carriers / founders" of the development of the modern textile industry of Yazd (between 1931 and 1963) and on the basis of what "material and ideal interests" did so? And basically, what has been the role of the government and various economic, political and social groups in the development this modern industry. This research is part of historical sociology and is taken from the approach of "social construction of technology" and the research method used is qualitative and descriptive-analytical. The findings of the study indicate that although the Pahlavi government and merchants were the primary and main "carriers / founders" of the modern textile industry in Yazd. But how this industry develops and stabilizes in Yazd is the result of the interaction or conflict of all social groups related to this industry, including politically influential individuals and families, traditional textiles (sharbafan) and industrial workers, clerics and Zoroastrians, and the interaction of their "material and ideal interests"

Keywords

• Yazd textile industry
• Yazdi merchants
• traditional textiles (sharbafan)
• industrial workers
• clerics
• Zoroastrians

Extended Abstract

 Yazd Industrial Modernity in the Pahlavi Era

Since textiles are very old in Yazd, this industry is tied not only to the "economy" but also to the "identity" of this city. Therefore, the transformation of the traditional textile industry into a modern textile industry affected the economic and social life of almost all the inhabitants of this city. and All social groups had a role in this process according to their "interpretation" of their advantages and disadvantages and their interests and values. The main question of this research is who were the initial and main "carriers / founders" of the development of the modern textile industry of Yazd (between 1931 and 1963) and on the basis of what "material and ideal interests" did so? And basically, what has been the role of the government and various economic, political and social groups in the development this modern industry. This research is part of historical sociology and is taken from the approach of "social construction of technology" and the research method used is qualitative and descriptive-analytical.

In the approach of "social constructionism of technology", a technology or an industry is not only considered as machinery and technical and specialized processes, but as a "socio-technical group" in which technical and economic dimensions are intertwined with Social and political dimensions.

The findings of the research indicate that although the Pahlavi government is considered the main driver and supporter of the beginning of the widespread industrialization of Iran, but because of the strong commercial tradition in Yazd, it was not the government but these big Yazdi businessmen (of course, with the persuasion and even coercion of the government)  who started the industrialization process of Yazd.

But in the conditions of "top-down" developmental model and in the conditions where development was impossible without effective communication with the Shah court and even the Shah himself, a part of Yazdi businessmen also took the path of expanding communication with the central power. So that we are gradually witnessing the formation of a political and economic network based on family relations and dependent on the Shah court in Yazd, which practically took over both the "Political Field" and the "Economic and Industry Field" of the province, and this situation continued at least two or three decades later.Also, the government's lack of attention to small and medium industries and handicrafts caused the growing marginalization of the retail economy in Iran, including Yazdi small weavers and Sharbafs.

In this situation, part of this stratum became simple workers in large factories and part of them, centered on one of the prominent and experienced weavers, Gholam Santi, tried to industrialize textile products based on the cooperative model and relying on "micro-capital" of  small weavers and Sharbafs.

Simultaneously, with the expansion of industrial production in Yazd textile, the industrial working environments of Yazd became one of the active centers of labor movements and protests. Although these movements and protests gradually improved the working conditions in industrial environments and led to the amendment of some laws and the formation of some unions and cooperatives (which, of course, were not very effective), but could not reduce the general conditions governing the textile "socio-technical group" of the province and the dominance of capitalism based on the political and economic network.Among other social groups involved in the development of the textile industry in Iran was the clergy of Iran, including the clergy of Yazd. Although the clergy had a fundamental problem with "modernization" in the eyes of Reza Shah and the Pahlavi government, but because they saw the growth of industry as a way to preserve and strengthen the "independence" and "identity" of the Shiite country of Iran, they agreed with "Industrial modernization" And even by inviting people to use domestic textiles, they indirectly played a significant role in the development of modern textile industries in the country and Yazd.Zoroastrians of Yazd also played a prominent role in the development of trade in Yazd during the "constitutional period", due to their intermediary role in the relationship between Yazd and the Persians of India and India, but in the Pahlavi era and even though the policies of the Pahlavi government were more suitable, due to the transfer of the center of gravity of Iran's commercial and industrial relations from the East (India) to the West (European countries), Zoroastrians lost their relative advantage, i.e. the connection with the Persians of India, and therefore in the industrial process Yazd did not play a prominent role.In general, it can be said that all the social groups of the city, from businessmen, individuals and families with political influence, weavers, clerics, Zoroastrians and industrial workers according to their "interpretation" of the advantages and disadvantages of industrialization and "material and  ideal interests " themselves were accompanied by this development and the direction of the development of the modern textile "socio-technical group" in Yazd towards a large but assembled and dependent and non-innovative industry is the result of the industrial policies of the Pahlavi government and the material and ideal interpretations and interests of these groups.