تبريز نخستين كانون ترقي خواهي و نوجويي در ايران عصر قاجار

Tabriz, The First Center of Modernization and Progress in Iran (First Half of the 19th Century)

چكيده در نيمه اول قرن نوزدهم ميلادي تبريز با توجه به موقعيت جغرافيايي و امتيازات سياسي ـ اقتصادي خود كانون ترقي خواهي و نوجويي ايران به حساب مي آمد. جنگ هاي ايران و روسيه و مديريت بحران حاصل از آن به دست رجال دارالسلطنه تبريز، استقرار سفراي دولت هاي اروپايي در اين شهر، نزديكي به تمدن اروپايي و همجواري با روسيه و عثماني، تبريز را به دروازه ورود علوم و فنون و آثار و محصولات اروپايي تبديل كرد و از سوي ديگر جمعيت فراوان و منابع عظيم اقتصاد متكي بر كشاورزي و دامداري در كنار نيروي كار ارزان و مزيت استقرار بر سر راه هاي زميني اروپا به ايران كه شامل مسيرهاي تبريز ـ طرابوزان و تبريز ـ تفليس مي شد، اين شهر را كانون ثقل تحولات سياسي ـ اقتصادي كشور ساخت. در همين زمان بانيان دارالسلطنه تبريز به دنبال يافتن علل پيشرفت مغرب زمين و انحطاط و عقب ماندگي كشور خود برآمدند. اعزام نخستين دانشجويان ايراني به اروپا و تاسيس اولين كارخانه هاي صنعتي در آذربايجان و آوردن دستگاه هاي چاپ، ترجمه و نشر كتاب هاي جديد، تاسيس نخستين نمونه هاي مدارس اروپايي در اين شهر را مي توان به عنوان نمادهايي از تبديل تبريز به كانون ترقي خواهي و نوجويي ايران قلمداد كرد.

Abstract During the first half of the 19 the century Tabriz, in lieu of the geographical location, and economic / political privileges of the city, was considered as the center for Iran’s progress and modernization. The Iran-Russia wars and the resulting knowledge of disaster management by Tabriz Dar-e-Saltaneh (house of government) on one hand, and the placement of emissaries of European nations in this city, and the closer interaction of the city with the European culture and the neighboring Russia and Ottoman Empire on the other hand, had transformed Tabriz in to an entrance gate for modern science and technology and all kinds of European goods and products. Furthermore, the large human population and cheap labor force, the vast economical resources that were based on agriculture and livestock, and being located along the main land pathways between Iran and Europe, namely Tabriz-Trabzon and Tabriz-Tbilisi had made this city the center of gravity for Iran’s development. At the same time, the founders of Dar-e-Saltaneh were questioning the reasons for advancement of western world, and the causes behind cessation of their own nation. Sending Iranian students to European schools, construction of first foreign factories in Azerbaijan, importing the first printing machines, translation and publication of new books, and establishing a new educational system based on European schools in this city can be considered as representative of Dar-e-Saltaneh’s attempts for modernization and progress.