Infectious Diseases and their Consequences on the Population Changes of Kermanshah Province in the Qajar Era, 1789-1925

One of the causes of premature deaths in different parts of the world and Iran during the Qajar era was the spread of infectious diseases in the 19th century. Meanwhile, in general, Iran did not have favorable health conditions. Kermanshah, as one of the main highways in the west of the country, the gateway to Mesopotamia and the most important pilgrimage route of Shiite Iran, has been one of the busiest travel, commercial and pilgrimage routes, and hence, was exposed to the spread of various infectious disease The purpose of this research is to investigate the prevalence of infectious diseases in Kermanshah during the Qajar era and its effects on the population change and death. The research method is historical and descriptive-analytical; documentary methods have been used to collect the information. The results and achievements of the research showed that the outbreak of infectious diseases, especially cholera, plague, and typhoid, occurred many times in Kermanshah and was one of the important factors in the significant decrease in the population of this state. The results of this research have shown that the ignorance, illiteracy, and superstition, the low level of medical knowledge, the inappropriate and insecure roads, the poor performance of the king and the local rulers in making appropriate decisions to prevent the spread of such diseases, had a significant impact on the extent of the casualties and the population decline.