The Village Chief in Qājār Period

Iran, in the Qājār period, underwent many changes in political, social, and administrative fields. This research tries to study the changes in one of the urban positions, i.e. the position of a village chief (kadkhudā), by means of examining its historical background as well as its duties and functions, since kadkhudā as one of the social high ranking officials in Iran and a subdivision of the local and administrative establishments has had a significant presence in people’s social life up to the end of Qājār era. The rank of kadkhudā in this period has been defined in different fields, among which were the chiefs of urban, artisans, and village quarters. They had specific duties and functions in each of these three fields. Study of the sources and documents left behind from this period indicates the influence and impact that this position has had on people’s life, because the holder of this position had an important role in adjusting the relation between the people and the rule (ḥukūma) and, through playing his role, could be influential and helpful and sometimes even harmful, taking steps towards improvement of life or the other way around.