Documentary Analysis of the Effects of Agrarian Changes on Property Conflicts and Legal Disputes (The case study of Mahidasht Region)

Property conflicts and legal disputes over land ownership constitute one of the most complex issues in the field of agriculture. Adopting a qualitative approach, the present study reviews the literature and field research findings on property conflicts and legal disputes following the Land Reform of 1962 in Mahidasht over the past 60 years. Document analysis and field research evidence from the documents over the period 1885 to 1962 show that landlord system was transformed into the current peasant system as a result of the agrarian reform in 1962 that served as the first transformation in land ownership structure. This subsequently led to conflicts and disputes over fragmented farmlands, and dispersion of even and uneven agricultural lands of different degrees of , fertility. In the meantime, the peasant system failed to meet the farmer’s household needs. In other words, the social changes due to the land reform led to economic changes and the consequent changes in the cultural life of the farmers. The documents in Mahidasht revealed that most of the property ownership documents had been issued during the years 1966-71 and that many of these were conclusive and official. Interviews with 25 local elder farmers further revealed that property conflicts and disputes had arisen after the land reform of 1962 and the subsequent sharing out of the inherited lands. The most important measure found to reduce property conflicts is to register land rights and to implement the Cadastral system.