Iranian Jews in Business and Trade 1941-1979

Abstract

During the era of Mohammad Reza Shah (1941_1979), the Jews of Iran played a better and more extensive role in economic and commercial activities. The policy pursued bye the Shah for the modernization and Westernization of the country opened new doors for Jewish capitalists in the industrial and commercial sectors. Consequently, a number of Jewish merchants were able to play a major and influential role in the import and export of goods and to control domestic and foreign markets in specific fields. The Jews of Iran who were in major cities such as Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, and Hamadan, had an important role in commercial development and capital revitalization; moreover, their relation with Jewish markets and communities outside the country facilitated the growth of smuggling, especially on the borders with Iraq, through certain specialized networks and relation with the Jews of Iraq, such as the trade of precious goods, currencies, gold and silver .All of this was intensely suspected in government reports. Overall during this historical phase, the Iranian Jews became one of the active and influential communities in economic fields in general, commercial businesses, in particular, played a major and prominent role in the development of Iran’s economy.

Trade activities are the heart of any country's economy and the main movement of exchange of goods and services. Trade also plays an important role in building the country's economy. Traders are a strong and influential social sector in any country. Due to the importance of trade and trade within the country and society, this topic is divided into official and open trade and smuggling.