| Abstrakt: |
Prostitution has always been considered a reprehensible phenomenon in Iranian society. According to historical information, this social phenomenon grew and spread in Isfahan (the capital) during the reign of Shah Abbas I (1038-996 AH/1578-1629 AD). This article aims to investigate the conditions and reasons for the prevalence of prostitution in this period and its handling by Shah Abbas, with a descriptive-analytical method based on interpretive historical sociology and archival data collection. According to our findings, in this period, prostitution gradually lost its social impropriety. Furthermore, three factors caused the spread of prostitution: “development of urban society and demographic-cultural diversity in Isfahan”, “increasing wealth among courtiers”, and “forced migration of Caucasian women to Isfahan”. Instead of imposing a legal ban on prostitution, Shah Abbas pursued a policy of taxing prostitutes -as a perverted subculture- and spending the proceeds on fire and fireworks. Although these actions were not consonant with the religious background of Iranian and Islamic law, Shah Abbas was able to pursue it through his undisputed political, religious, and social power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
