The Role of Akbar Mirza Saram-od-Doleh’s Waqfs in Funding Saramiyeh School and Its Challenges

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran

Abstract

In the Qajar period, amidst the proliferation of nascent modern educational models, endowments (waqf) assumed a pivotal role in ensuring the fiscal stability of pedagogical institutions. The Sarmiyeh School of Isfahan, founded through the initiatives of Akbar Mirza Sarim al-Dawla, epitomizes the dependency of modern educational establishments on endowed assets and demonstrates how the governance of such resources dictates the continuity of academic endeavors. This study underscores that endowments provided the essential financial bedrock for infrastructural expansion and the long-term provision of educational services.
purpose: Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of endowment and the historical evolution of waqf-based institutions, this research seeks to delineate the mechanisms through which the Sarmiyeh School was financed and to scrutinize the managerial, juridical, and economic impediments impacting endowment efficacy.
Method and Research Design: Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach, this study interrogates extant archival documents and bibliographic sources.

Findings: While endowments served as the primary pillar of the Sarmiyeh School's economic viability—subsidizing instructional, logistical, and developmental exigencies—their efficacy was progressively undermined by maladministration, macroeconomic volatility, state encroachment, and legal conflicts.

Conclusion: The realization of the substantive objectives of educational endowments necessitates transparent governance, rigorous oversight, and the institutionalization of sustainable frameworks for their optimal exploitation.

Keywords

Main Subjects


English translation of references
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