Cultural diffusion Theory and the changing of mourning ceremonies during Qajar era with emphasis on the city of Mashhad

Abstract
During the Qajar historical period, the Qajar kings' efforts to justify and reaffirm their monarchy by supporting religious activities led to identifying religious rituals and mourning ceremonies as one of the most powerful social bases in popular culture. It should be noted that rituals and mourning ceremonies in this period, like other cultural practices, were influenced by modern thought. In fact, during the Qajar period, rituals and mourning ceremonies, which were a reflection of religious beliefs and popular culture, continued to evolve. These developments are remarkable in the way rituals and mourning ceremonies were held in the religious city of Mashhad. Along with the changes that took place in the formulation of these ceremonies, the various theoretical perspectives and discourses on these ceremonies enabled the socio-political situation to grow and reproduce. The present study uses the descriptive-analytical method and relies on cultural diffusion theory to study the evolution of ritual and mourning ceremonies in Mashhad during the Qajar period