ABSTRACT
At the initial point of the land reform, the rural population of Iran constituted approximately 67 percent of the total population. Land reform may diminish the political power of the landlords, or transform them into members of the modern merchant or capitalist classes with new bases of power; by contrast, agricultural reform may enhance it. The stated reasons for the Islamic Republican Regime land reform bill were to bring about Islamic justice, to increase output, and to free the nation from foreign dependence on food supplies. The lack of reliable data prohibits a conclusive statement concerning the efficiency and equity characteristics of the land reform program under the Islamic Republic. The transformation of an economy based on agriculture to one based primarily on industry and service sectors requires a complex metamorphosis in the technology of production, in the composition of demand, in physical and human capital structure, in social and political institutions, and in attitudes.
