Documents of Sardar

The early reign of the Qajar dynasty, particularly the period of the Iran-Russia wars, despite its significant importance in Iranian and world history, remains insufficiently recognized. Examining the various aspects of this era can be highly beneficial in explaining and clarifying Iran’s relations with global powers and its internal conditions. It must be acknowledged that much work remains in identifying the sources and documents of this period, and until the necessary scholarly conditions for researching this era are met, we continue to proceed in a dark, unclear, and doubtful environment. Beyond governmental and international documents and sources, the importance of family archives is also evident to researchers and plays a significant role in enriching knowledge. The documents and records of the Poursardar family, now accessible to researchers and enthusiasts, hold considerable value from historical, economic, and social perspectives. Gratitude is owed to the noble family of Engineer Homayoun Poursardar for preserving, donating, and permitting the publication of these records and the library to the Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia, thus renewing their family’s longstanding commitment to serving the homeland. The high efforts of Mr. Enayatollah Majidi, head of the center’s library, and Ms. Golnar Karimi in preparing and publishing these documents with utmost precision and integrity deserve great appreciation. Consequently, it is hopeful that the publication of these documents will not only attract history, economic, and commercial enthusiasts to this important part of Iranian history but also encourage other families to preserve and publish their family archives.