The Effect of Natural Geographical Factors on Government's Construction Policies: The Case of Hydraulic System in Khuzistan during the First Islamic Centuries

Despite being a semi-arid region in the Middle East, Khuzistan holds an outstanding geographical position in the Iranian plateau. The flow of important rivers in this region had long attracted the attention of governments to this region from ancient periods until the Islamic era. This particular attention led to major construction policies in the region aimed at controlling the stream of the rivers, effectively changing their routes, and establishing and maintaining enormous hydraulic constructions. These policies, directed by royal funding and governmental control, were very useful for the reconstructive development of Khuzistan. The most prominent example was manifested in the development of its agricultural economy. Through studying the geographical grounds of this phenomenon and the process of constructing hydraulic constructions, the present study will examine and also compare the enormous hydraulic policies during Sassanid and Islamic periods.