Reeve's Management in Iranian Villages: An Anthropological and Historical Analysis

This article aims to describe the historical role of Reeves in Iranian villages from an anthropological perspective. The term Reeve in Persian refers to a person who is wise and talented and manages the social affairs of the village. Reeves have been elected by villagers for a long time in Iran, dating back to the pre-Islamic era. However, Reeve's management has declined and vanished completely since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, due to political and social changes that undermined their authority and legitimacy.

Methods and Data: 

The method of this paper is descriptive-analytical. It uses historical evidence as well as documentary and library sources to examine the role of Reeves in Iranian villages.

The findings reveal the position and importance of Reeve in the social structure of rural management in Iran. It also analyzes the sources of their managerial power and how changed over time. The findings show how the Reeve system declined and was eventually eliminated due to factors such as land reform, modernization, and revolution.

Reeve's role was intertwined with the social context of rural society in Iranian villages. He was a respected and influential figure who managed the social affairs of the village. However, his power were challenged by the land reform program in Iran during the Pahlavi regime. Reeve was removed from the administration of the village, and his role was taken over by the village association and revolutionary organizations such as Education Corps, Health Corps and Agricultural Development Corps. These organizations aimed to modernize and develop the rural areas and promote the ideology of the Islamic Revolution. Thus, in 1976 the term Reeve was erased from village literature, and a village guard (Dehban) was appointed instead.

Key Message: Iranian rural society had given Reeves a considerable authority throughout history. However, their authority varied from one period to another. This paper argues that an anthropological and historical approach to these social realities can shed light on the past history of Iranian society and help to better understand the contemporary social changes.