This house belongs today to Mehrabān Poulādī, the grandson of Arbāb Mehrabān Poulād. Mehrabān Poulādī is the vice president of the Council of Iranian Mobeds. His Grandfather, Arbāb Mehrabān Poulād was an influential Zoroastrian merchant from a priest family. He founded the Mazdyasnā trading company and various commercial institutes across Iran. He had wide international commercial relations, for example, in India and England. Arbāb Mehrabān Poulād was also involved in community affairs and played a crucial role in both the Zoroastrian and non-Zoroastrian community during the Qajar period. He had accumulated and archived his own documents as well as the documents of his father and grandfather over the course of his lifetime. A commercial letter dated 1894 gives the name of his father, Mollā Poulād Tīrandāz, who was also a merchant and lived in the Ḫolf-e Ḫān-ʽali quarter, the Priests’ Quarter. The death of Arbāb Mehrabān Poulād was very mysterious, and according to his relatives, was most probably due to murder. The historical, economic, and legal documents in his collection are from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The earliest dated historical documents in this collection are from Nāser al-Dīn Šāh’s time (16 July 1831 – 1 May 1896). The latest documents are dated 1939, which is the date of the death of Arbāb Mehrabān Poulād. The historical documents include communications in the form of letters between Arbāb Mehrabān Poulād and official institutions, and administrative circulars. Most of the documents are bookkeeping record books, legal contracts dealing with sales, leases, settlement of disputes, letters, and official actions. They provide us with relevant information about the structure and work flow of various institutions and organizations during the Qajar and Pahlavi periods in Iran. Among the letters of this collection we find a letter partly written in Zoroastrian Dari. This text seems to be the only written evidence of Zoroastrian Dari known to us until today.
Custodial history: This collection belongs today to Mehrabān Poulādī, the grandson of Arbāb Mehrabān Poulād. Mehrabān Poulādī is the vice president of the Council of Iranian Mobeds. His Grandfather, Arbāb Mehrabān Poulād was an influential Zoroastrian merchant from a priest family.
Extent and format of original material: Collection level 2, 15 File.
Owner(s) of original material: Mehraban Pouladi.
Custodial history: This collection of documents belongs to Arbab Mehraban Poulad, who had accumulated and archived his own documents as well as the documents of his father and grandfather over the course of his lifetime. His grandson Mehraban Pouladi is the owner of this collection.
Arrangement: The depositor of this collection, Saloumeh Gholami is responsible for the arrangement. The material has been ordered by topic.
