Ali Rasoli

Parts of the northern shores of the Persian Gulf witnessed the presence of religious minorities during the Qajar and Pahlavi periods. Considering the special position of the Persian Gulf, especially in the field of trade and maritime communication, the issue of its impact on the social and economic status of religious minorities becomes important. The current research aims to investigate the social and economic situation of religious minorities in the Persian Gulf during the Qajar period, and asks what effect did the geographical location and situation of the Persian Gulf have on the situation of religious minorities in this region? The primary assumption is that coastal communities often have more tolerant behavior towards minorities compared to communities far from the coast. The research method is descriptive and analytical based on library sources and documents. The results of this study show that during the Qajar period, the religious minorities living on the shores of the Persian Gulf, in an environment affected by the presence and movement of foreign merchants and the tolerance of local communities, faced fewer problems in their social and economic life, compared to the interior areas. With the change in the country's political and social environment during the first Pahlavi era, especially the reforms aimed at improving the status of religious minorities, religious minorities migrated from the coasts to the interior of the country. At the same time, following the propaganda of the Jewish Agency, part of the Jewish minority of this region immigrated to occupied Palestine.