A Discussion About the Aormation Process of Dolat-Abad Qanat in Yazd Based on the Written Documents and Archeological Data

Mohammad Taghi Khan Bafghi was the ruler of Yazd at the time of Zand dynasty, where He built the garden of Dolat Abad for his family inside the city of Yazd. For making the garden more prosper, he dug an underground qanat in the name of garden and endowed it to the fourteen innocent persons in Shia Islam. According to the remained deed of endowment, Dolatabad subterranean water was originated from the city of Mehriz which was located in thirty-five kilometers of southwest of Yazd. Most scholars such as Professor Iraj Afshar, believed the oldness of the underground qanat dated back to two hundred years ago and its length is totally 70 km. Several groundwater streams in the city of Mehriz had been interconnected and after irrigating this city flowed to the city of Yazd by an underground corridor from 35km distance away. This groundwater was used by people in Abshahi and Khorramshah sectors in the city of Yazd and finally was irrigating Dolatabad garden. The main question is if Dolatabad qanat was built totally by Mohammad Taqi Khan or he had changed the name only and direction of Qanat after repairing and restoring the previous Qanats? After doing some researches on the written heritage of the Qanats such as local historical books of the city, archeological investigations and direct observations it is clear that the time of building of Qanats came back to the period of Shah Shuja Mozaffari (Al-e Mozaffar) government. It is seemed that first there was a Qanat in Baghdadabad village which is the name of a section of the city of Mehriz today. Seyed Roknadin bought half of the shares of it and endowed it for Rokniah School. At this time with the order of Shah Yahya Mozafari, Bagher Abad Qanat was added to the other Qanat, Baghdad Abad in the city of Mehriz and it was sent to Fath Abad village (Deh nou) and then Naeem Abad village (Abshahi) for drinking and irrigating lands. This Qanat which was called Abshahi after irrigating Naeem Abad section, moving a mill with the name of Tabuk then the rest of the water was flowing to Ezabad garden. At that time there were willow trees from Abshahi district to Ezabad garden. This stream was the reason of greenery of this area. In 860 A.H, a flood came to the city that ruined this stream and the trees. Although the direction of Abshahi Qanat from Mehriz to Abshahi district got remained healthy. After the years and at the time of Mohammad Taghi Khan reign, two Qanats is dug with the names of Taghi Abad and Dolat Abad. These two Qanats were using for the needs of Dolat Abad residential garden that actually was the central place of his government. Digging Qanat was expensive therefore he used his power and took Abshahi canal to bring water to Yazd. Mohammad Taghi Khan for preventing problem claiming of locals distributed the share of water of Baghdad Abad district from the origin and bestowed one fourth of the Water of Dolat Abad garden to Dolat Shahi district. Actually, third forth of water of Dolat Abad garden was going underground at the point of Tabuk mills and was coming on the surface around Dolat Abad Garden. Therefore, Mohammad Taghi Khan besides repairing qanat of Abshahi by adding the length of it used the water of qanat for prosperity of Dolat Abad garden and was the reason of change in its name. Also, two fridges in the names of Khorramshah and Dolatabad existed in the city of Yazd; they were being filled from the water of Dolatabad Qanat. Both of them has been destroyed about thirty years ago. Another point is that this Qanat after irrigating the garden was circulating a grinder of a mill then was continue to Jannat Abad garden and its length undoubtedly had been more than 70 km.