An Examination of Clothing among the People of Velayat-e Khamseh during the Qajar Era (Based on the Social Stratification Theory of Davis and Moore)

Babaei, Neda; Ahmadvand, Fatemeh; Gasemzadeh, Eftekhar

doi:10.30465/scs.2025.52559.3039

An Examination of Clothing among the People of Velayat-e Khamseh during the Qajar Era (Based on the Social Stratification Theory of Davis and Moore)

Articles in Press

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Authors

Neda Babaei ¹

Fatemeh Ahmadvand ²

Eftekhar Gasemzadeh ¹

¹ Graduate Master, Department of History of Culture and Civilization of Islamic Nations, Faculty of Islamic Sciences and Research Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.

² Assistant Professor, Department of History of Culture and Civilization of Islamic Nations, Faculty of Islamic Sciences and Research Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran

10.30465/scs.2025.52559.3039

Abstract

Using Davis and Moore's stratification theory and Tyumen's critical approach, this study examines the social structure and role of the clothing of the people of Velayat Khamsa during the Qajar period as a cultural text. Data were extracted from the analysis of library resources, travelogues, and historical documents using a descriptive-analytical method. The results show that the luxurious clothing of rulers and clerics acted as "differential rewards" and symbols of the "functional importance" of upper-class groups, while the simple clothing of the lower classes indicated limited access to resources. At the same time, adaptation to the cold climate of the region and the impact of trade routes on the diversity of fabrics among the wealthy highlighted the ecological and economic dimensions of clothing. In the end, Velayat Khamsa clothing was not only a reflection of hierarchy and occupational affiliations, but also a tool for reproducing power, group identity, and cultural beliefs.

Keywords

Clothing

Qajar Era

Velayat-e Khamseh

Social Stratification Theory

Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore

Subjects