The article examines a hitherto unstudied document containing the earliest decree of Nādir Shāh (1736–47) and the petition of Muḥammad Ṣafī Ṣafavī, mutavallī of the pious endowments of Ardabil. The first part of the paper provides the transliteration and translation of this document, and the second part offers a short historical outline of the respective period and commentaries on the content and diplomatics. Through the lens of the document, the article aims to address the set of circumstances and prevalent issues in the administration of the vaqf during these historically turbulent years. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of diplomatics, unique insight can be gained into the distinctive features of Nādir’s early documents.
