Abstract:

Iran has been an unique importance due to her geo-strategical position. She laid on the important East-West transit trade routing in transferring commercial goods from Asia to Europe. In commercial transport road , the Trabzon-ErzurumTebriz route, as well as that of Baghdad-Basra, was the major regular route, sometimes most popular route. Iran’s commercial network greatly contributed to her economic importance. The country was immensely influenced by her neighbouring situation with India in the XIXth century and the beginning of XXth century and also by the Anglo-Russian rivalry in the region. Nevertheless, the commercial and economic potential of Iran drew the attention of the great powers at that time. Almost immediately after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the change of commercial focus of Britain in the region and also the disadvantageous positions of the Ottoman State and Russia against their competition with the British power in the Iranian trade route, the southern part of Iran started to engage in trade relations more intensely. Therefore, the Ottoman State had to take extraordinary precautions to improve the commercial conditions with Iran. This article aims to evaluate such precautions taken by the Ottoman State at that time in the light of new data and archival documents

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