EXAMINING THE ROLE OF JURISPRUDENTIAL DEBATES IN RELATIONS BETWEEN ETCHMIADZIN AND THE QAJAR GOVERNMENT (BASED ON THE PERSIAN ORDERS OF MATENADARAN)

Jurisprudential debates have played an important role in the relations between the Etchmiadzin Church and the Qajar government. These debates have served as a means of legitimizing the government and regulating social and political interactions between the two parties. On the one hand, Islamic jurisprudence helped the Qajar government to strengthen its influence over the Armenians by using religious principles. On the other hand, jurisprudential and religious differences between Shia and Armenian Christianity have caused tensions in relations and created challenges in cultural and social interactions. This research examines the mutual effects of these debates on the relations between Etchmiadzin and the Qajar government and analyzes the role of jurisprudence in the formation of religious and political identities in this historical period. This research aims to examine the role of jurisprudential debates in the relations between Etchmiadzin and the Qajar government with an analytical perspective. Therefore, it seeks to answer the following questions: 1- What was the role of Islamic jurisprudence in regulating the relations between the Etchmiadzin Church and the Qajar government? 2- How could jurisprudential debates help strengthen or weaken the political and social relations between Etchmiadzin and the Qajar government? The research findings indicate that jurisprudential and religious debates acted as a legitimizing tool for the Qajar government and helped strengthen their relations with the Etchmiadzin Church. Jurisprudential and religious disputes between the Shiites and Armenians have caused tensions and challenges in the relations between Etchmiadzin and the Qajar government, which have affected social and political interactions.