Cultural heritage of the Jews of Kashan

A letter from the King of Iran regarding a dispute among the Jews of Iran

From: His Majesty the King, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, the Sultan, Son of the Sultan

To: The Chief-Amir, the Exalted, the Loyal Servant of the Eternal State, Ali Khan, the Biglar Beigi and Governor of Kashan, who has been honored and blessed to be the servant of the King

We have been informed that the matter of slaughtering sheep and overseeing the religious affairs of the Jewish community of Kashan, which has been entrusted to Mulla Murad and his ancestors, as attested by the documents and writings that are available, is now being contested by a certain Hakim Harun, a Jew, who is interfering and obstructing his work. Considering that the welfare of the general populace has always been the cherished concern of the rulers of the protected realms of Iran, therefore, we command that loyal servant to visit his majesty, after which he shall immediately issue a blessed decree, indicating the authority to proceed. No one shall interfere in the matter of the slaughtering of sheep and other religious affairs that have been entrusted to Mulla Murad since time immemorial to this day. Mulla Murad shall continue to carry out his duties as he has done in the past, so that he may be free to pray for the long-lasting prosperity of our government.

Issued in the year 1276 of the Hijri calendar, in the month of Jumada al-Awwal [November 1859], in the city of Qara.

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