Zainab Pasha (Persian: زینب پاشا) was an Iranian woman who lived during the Qajar dynasty in late 19th century. She is most notable for her role in the Tobacco Protest, the beginning of the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, for leading a group of women in an uprising in the city of Tabriz by attacking wealthy merchants. This led to the closure of the Tabriz Market.

Zainab was born to a country style family in one of the old Tabriz villages named, Amuzin Al-Din. Her father, Sheikh Sulayman, was a poor peasant who, like other villagers, had a hard time subsisting during that era. Zainab was a strong and sturdy woman. Although at that time in Tabriz, most of the women clad their faces, Zainab did not.

Before the Persian Constitutional Revolution and during the autocracy, there was no security in Iran so government officials bought wheat during the summer at reduced prices and kept the wheat in warehouses. In the winter, government officials sold the wheat to the poor at high prices which created an artificial famine. During the reign of Nasir al-Din Shah c. 1834, the artificial famine reached its peak, and the poor people of the city had great difficulty. This harsh environment caused Zainab Pasha along with other women to revolt.

Zainab and her revolutionaries closed markets and attacked government headquarters. They also attacked and destroyed some expensive gourmet groceries and large bakeries.

For almost a century and for the first time in Iran's history, Zainab along with forty women of Tabriz that were against the oppressors, and in parallel with the sexual inequalities imposed by the feudal system and traditional views on women, started an armed struggle and fought bravely. One of the important factors of the Tabriz Women's Movement led by Zainab was the overwhelming tyranny of some princes and rulers of the Qajar period in Azerbaijan.

In the social and political arena of this period, there were also important problems such as the "Bread Crisis" and "Tobacco Score", which were also among the most important factors that led the Women's Movement of Tabriz. One of the biggest social and economic problems of the Qajar era was also bread shortage and the expensive price of bread. So, this led the women's uprising and dealing with this dilemma.

Zainab Pasha’s reputation was actually known after the Tobacco Protest. When Naser al-Din Shah Qajar gave the tobaccos to the British, the people of Azerbaijan wanted to prevent this cycle from proceeding forward. During those days, Hajji Mirza Javad, a well-known political cleric, sent his disciples to the market and invited the people to close their stores. The people obeyed his request and did what he had asked for. It didn’t pass too long as the government intimidated the people and defeated them. So this brought some dozen brave women under the leadership and command of Zainab Pasha to fight and get the market back to the people. These women were known to defeat and destroy any corruption that took place at that time in Iran, and nobody knew their identities.

Finally, because of the intense opposition of the people, Nasir al-Din Shah was forced to cancel the tobacco credits that was given to Britain. But the non-stop struggle of Zainab Pasha along with the other women continued. It was also said that Zainab along with her women combatants appeared in many streets and places encouraging the people especially the men to fight against oppression. She once said to the men that if you don’t dare and are afraid to fight the thieves and looters that are stealing your wealth and honor of your homeland, then take the women's veil and sit in the house. Don’t talk about men and bravery! Then she threw her scarf towards them, and disappeared from the sight of the amazed audience.