تعارض منافع در بانك شاهي و آثار آن بر اقتصاد ايران

Conflict of Interest in the Imperial Bank and Its Effects on the Iranian Economy

ﺑﺎﻧﮏ ﺷﺎﻫﯽ/ ﺷﺎﻫﻨﺸﺎﻫﯽ ﻣﻬﻢﺗﺮﯾﻦ ﻧﻬﺎد ﻣﺎﻟﯽ ﺧﺎرﺟﯽ در اﯾﺮان ﻋﺼﺮ ﻗﺎﺟﺎر ﺑﻮد ﮐﻪ ﺑﺎ اﻋﻄﺎي اﻣﺘﯿﺎز ﺗﻮﺳﻂ ﻧﺎﺻﺮاﻟﺪﯾﻦ ﺷﺎه در ﺳﺎل 1306ق/1889م ﺗﺄﺳﯿﺲ ﺷﺪ. اﯾﻦ ﺑﺎﻧﮏ در 60 ﺳﺎل ﻓﻌﺎﻟﯿﺖ ﺧﻮد در اﯾﺮان ﻫﻤﻮاره ﺑﻪﻃﻮر ﺟﺪي ﺑﺎ ﻣﺴﺌﻠﻪ ﺗﻌﺎرض ﻣﻨﺎﻓﻊ روﺑﻪرو ﺑﻮد. ﺑﺮرﺳﯽ ﺳﯿﺎﺳﺖﻫﺎي ﺑﺎﻧﮏ در ﻣﻮاﺟﻬﻪ ﺑﺎ اﯾﻦ ﻣﻨﺎﻓﻊ ﻣﺘﻀﺎد ﺑﻪ ﻣﻨﻈﻮر درك دﻗﯿﻖﺗﺮ ﺑﺨﺶ ﻣﻬﻤﯽ از ﺗﺎرﯾﺦ ﻣﺎﻟﯽ ﻋﺼﺮ ﻗﺎﺟﺎر ﻣﻮﺿﻮع اﺻﻠﯽ اﯾﻦ ﻣﻘﺎﻟﻪ اﺳﺖ. اﯾﻦ ﻣﻘﺎﻟﻪ در ﭘﯽ ﭘﺎﺳﺦ ﺑﻪ اﯾﻦ ﭘﺮﺳﺶ اﺳﺖ ﮐﻪ آﯾﺎ ﺑﺎﻧﮏ ﺷﺎﻫﯽ ﺗﻮاﻧﺴﺖ وﻇﺎﯾﻒ ﻣﺘﻌﺪد ﺧﻮد را ﺑﻪﻧﺤﻮ ﮐﺎرآﻣﺪي اﻧﺠﺎم دﻫﺪ؟ ﻣﻘﺎﻟﻪ ﻧﺘﯿﺠﻪﮔﯿﺮي ﻣﯽﮐﻨﺪ ﮐﻪ ﺑﺎﻧﮏ ﻧﻪ ﺳﻮدآوري ﻗﺎﺑﻞ ﺗﻮﺟﻬﯽ ﺑﺮاي ﺳﻬﺎمداراﻧﺶ داﺷﺖ و ﻧﻪ وﻇﺎﯾﻒ ﺑﺎﻧﮏ دوﻟﺘﯽ را ﺑﻪ ﻧﺤﻮ ﺷﺎﯾﺴﺘﻪاي اﻧﺠﺎم داد؛ ﺣﺘﯽ ﻧﺘﻮاﻧﺴﺖ اﻫﺪاف اﺳﺘﻌﻤﺎري دوﻟﺖ ﺑﺮﯾﺘﺎﻧﯿﺎ را ﻧﯿﺰ ﻣﺤﻘﻖ ﺳﺎزد.

The Imperial Bank of Persia was the most important foreign financial institution in Qajar era of Iran, which was established in 1306 AH (1889) by granting concession by Naser al-Din Shah and was active in Iran for a total of 60 years (total time of concession), so that it can be named as one of the best examples of foreign direct investment during the colonial era in Iran. However the bank was facing serious conflict of interest issues, as it was the most important commercial bank in Iran, it had the exclusive right to print banknotes, the Iranian government was one of its most important customers, it had to answer to its non-Iranian shareholders, and the British authorities had certain political expectations from it. The main subject of this paper is to study the bank's policies facing these conflict of interests in order to better understand an important part of the financial history of the Qajar era, and the attempts has been made to do the research in historical way and by using descriptive-analytical method and with reference to the available sources and references. This study seeks to answer the question of whether the bank was able to perform its various tasks efficiently. The paper concludes that the bank was neither significantly profitable for its shareholders, nor did perform its' functions as a state-owned bank properly, and nor did its' duties in realizing the British government's colonial goals