Forced settlement of nomads during Reza Shah Pahlavi reign (1925-1941): Economic consequences based on archival records

Reza Shah’s reign (1925-1941) was turning point in the modern history of Iran. After the consolidation of his power، he launched a policy of cracking down and forced re-ettlement of nomads to prevent future revolts. The policy included disarming، forced relocation and imposing a uniform dress. This paper looks into the economic consequences of the policy in Fars province in southeast Iran where the Ghashghaei tribe was dominant. Methodology / Approach: Evidence from primary sources held in the Iranian National Archives makes the basis for analysis. The forced settlement policy was not successful because the agents implementing it were not familiar with the nomads’ culture and morale. Despite the abolition of tribal livestock taxes by the National Legislative Assembly (the Majles)، military officers continued to levy the tax on settled people. As a result، widespread discontent led to a general uprising.