Dear colleagues,
The Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo (Tobunken) will host a lecture by Dr. Susan Asili (Visiting Fellow, Tobunken) on “From Home to Notary: Women’s Economic Life in the Late Qajar Period” on March 8 (Wed). Those who are interested in participating in the event are cordially invited to register in advance by March 6 (details below).

Lecture Title:From Home to Notary: Women’s Economic Life in the Late Qajar Period

Speaker:Susan Asili (Visiting Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo)

Date and Time:March 8 (Wed), 2023, at 16:30–17:45

Venue:Online via Zoom, with a limited capacity for in-person participation by invitation.

Lecture Abstract:
Haj Mirza Yahya Imam Juma Khoei was a member of parliament. He had a religious notary public and a valid notary office, where most of the transactions, contracts and marriages of prestigious and big families of Tehran were done. He prepared transaction documents and wrote affidavits and other common documents in his notary office, and then recorded their summaries in special notebooks. These notebooks are called Shar’iyat book.
In the studied collection, a large number of women have somehow been involved in various contracts. This research deals with the characteristics of contracts related to women and the social classes of women mentioned in these books.
At the end of the Qajar period, due to social changes, women were able to enjoy social benefits such as ownership and enjoying the income from it.

How to Participate:Please fill in the form at https://forms.gle/48M3R9b76KsjSYh96 March 4, at 24:00 JST. Explanation about how the seminar will be held and how one can request an invitation for in-person participation is given in the form.

Contact Person: Kazuo Morimoto (morikazu[at]ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp)