SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with agrarian change in eleven villages in Olya sub-district, western Iran, during the period 1962-1974, The thesis begins by setting out the principle hypotheses and discusses the selection of the study area. The physical featuros of Olya and the bearing they have on agriculture are then described. Chapter Three examines the land reform laws and the part they played in agrarian change. Chapter Four first describes the improvements made in the irrigation system and goes on to investigate the changes in land use and the cropping pattern made by the farm population since the eve of land reform. Social and economic changes are then systematically examined. Chapter Six discusses the institutions and services which may be included under the heading "supporting system" and their relevance for rural development. Finally, a series of ease studies of seven small-holders and one former landlord is presented as the "human evidence" upon which the arguments of this thesis have been based. The study reveals that the progress made by the farm population in Olya during the first decade of land reform is presently being jeopardised by the re-direction of government policy with regard to agricultural development since 1968; in particular, the likely location of a farm corporation in Olya has created much uncertainty which threatens the continued welfare of the rural population. An explanation of the methods by which I collected data in Olya during the period 1972-74 is given as an appendix. The last part of the thesis reviews the literature on agriculture in economic development in Iran and presents a bibliography.