Journal of Diplomatics Studies and Research

The challenges and problems of the Iranian leather industry during the Pahlavi era (Based on unpublished documents from 1304 to 1323)

https://doi.org/10.22034/dpr.2026.584539.1019
Volume 1, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
October 2026
Pages 61-90
Journal of Diplomatics Studies and Research

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

mitra khodayari shahsavari 1
rohollah bahrami 2
talat dehpahlavan 3
pourya esmaeili 3

1 Master's student in the history of Islamic Iran, Razi University

2 Associate Professor, Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Razi University

3 Assistant Professor, Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Razi University

Abstract
The leather industry was one of the new industries that emerged in the Pahlavi era in accordance with the government's economic policies. Of course, there were leather production workshops during the Qajar era. However, during this period, efforts were made to meet the needs of the market by establishing factories in areas that had favorable conditions for production. In the meantime, manufacturers who had been active in the leather sector since the late Qajar era were taken into consideration. However, from the very beginning, due to the approaches of the Pahlavi government in the production and import of leather, they faced many problems. Therefore, the question that arises is why the Pahlavi government, despite supporting the establishment of new factories and the decision to industrialize Iran, failed to provide the necessary support to the owners of the leather industry? The hypothesis put forward is that the widespread import of leather, due to the contracts the government had with foreign countries and the influence of merchants who imported leather into the country, caused domestic producers to face new problems. This article, with a descriptive and analytical approach based on unpublished documents, aims to analyze various aspects of the issue by carefully studying these documents. The findings show that the Pahlavi government's policy in the leather sector was somewhat planned and not precise, because the government officials intended to make the market for this product self-sufficient in a short period of time; but ultimately, the power of influential leather importers and mismanagement challenged the production and distribution capabilities of domestic manufacturers and had negative consequences for their products.

Keywords

Leather industry
Pahlavi government
Manufacturers
Leather merchants
Leather documents
Iran
Subjects
References
A) Documents:
National Archives and Library of Iran (NALI)
- Telegram from the Ministry of Post, Telegraph, and Telephone, No. 228, 30/03/1312.
- Telegram from the Ministry of National Economy, No. 8726, 06/04/1312.
- Letter from the General Department of Commerce, No. 8724, 06/04/1312.
- Letter from Hamedan Leather Company to the Hamedan Governorate, No. 1754, 05/06/1323.
- Letter from Mokhzeni Brothers Partnership Company (Tehran) to the Prime Minister, No. 481, 22/10/1322.
- Letter from the Head of the Prime Minister's Office to Mr. Hassan Asgari, No. 15188, 11/09/1323.
- Letter from the General Inspection Department (Ministry of Industry and Mines), No. 3703, 14/07/1317.
- Letter from the Department of National Industries and Statistics (Ministry of Industry and Mines), No. 2536, 16/07/1317.
- Letter from the Department of National Industries and Statistics (Ministry of Industry and Mines), No. 3377, 14/07/1317.
- Letter from the General Inspection Department (Ministry of Industry and Mines), No. 348, 03/02/1317.
- Letter from the Department of National Industries and Statistics (Ministry of Industry and Mines), No. 4795, 21/10/1317.
- Letter from Tehran Leather Joint-Stock Company to the Prime Minister, No. 154, 18/12/1315. - Letter from Tehran Leather Manufacturing Joint-Stock Company to the Ministry of Finance (Economic Division – General Department of Foreign Transactions), No. 142, 21/02/1320 [May 12, 1941].
- Letter from the Ministry of Finance (Economic Division – General Department of Foreign Transactions) to Tehran Leather Manufacturing Joint-Stock Company, No. 192/36, 24/02/1320 [May 15, 1941].
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d) Article:
- Parsa, Nakisa (2008), "Hamadan Leather: From Culture to Industry," *Farhang-e Mardom* (Folk Culture) Quarterly, No. 26, pp. 86–101.
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e) Website:
- Amir Reza Bavdar, "The Rise and Fall of Khosravi Leather in Tabriz," *Iran Textile and Machine-Made Carpet Industry* Specialized Magazine Website, March 26, 2024, https://kohanjournal.com
- Moradian Monfared, Ali Mohammad, January 5, 2024, "Ardeshir Yeganegi" (Entry), Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia, https://www.cgie.org.ir 
 
  • Receive Date 01 June 2026
  • Revise Date 20 August 2026
  • Accept Date 09 September 2026

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