A Survey on Sistan the Land Reform during the era of Pahlavi І (1921-1941)

Abstract

In sistan, “land” has always been the main factor in several historic events and developments so that during centuries, it has led to the creation of an old, consistent, ongoing land management system which is in accordance with the environmental, social and economic conditions. The process continued until the kingdom of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar. At the beginning of his kingdom, lands of Sistan were declared government properties and were given to commanders and tribal chiefs as rental lands. By this vicissitude, other kinds of ownership in the area were over. This procedure was ongoing up to 1931; in this year, the government ordered to make changes and transferred the lands as rental stock to the whole residents of Sistan. This rental method was being performed for about five years, from 1932 to 1938. In this year, the council of ministers passed the law of selling lands. But, what they did could not finish territorial problems and disputes arising from that. Such prowling was simultaneous with government efforts to reduce the power of landowner commandants. Ownership changes in sistan, during the era of Pahlavi I, can be divided into three phases: rental, managerial and private. In the present article, the role of land and its developments during the period of Pahlavi I are addressed, based on historic reports and documents as well as a descriptive-analytical method.