Femmes, waqf et droit de propriété en Iran à l'époque safavide

Abstract

In Safavid society in Iran (16th-18th centuries), women played a role, albeit to a lesser degree than men, through the institution of waqf. Using this instrument of waqf, women left traces in society which indicate their rights with respect to property as well as the role which they played in the cultural, religious, and charitable sectors at that time. Women in the Safavid capital, Isfahan, invested in society according to their means by exercising their rights with regard to their property by consecrating a part of their assets towards financing charitable works of general interest via the creation of waqf. This article studies certain aspects regarding the rights of property belonging to women during the Safavid period by analyzing primary documents from that era, with particular attention focused on waqf foundation charters which are preserved today in the archives of Isfahan.