HISTORY OF WATER DISTRIBUTION IN THE ZAYANDEHROOD RIVER AND SHEIKH BAHAIEE'S SCROLL

The Zayandehrood River of Isfahan originating from Zardkooh Bakhtiari Mountain to Gavkhooni Lagoon with an approximate distance of 400km is a vital vessel to Chahar Mahal-o-Bakhtiari region and Isfahan province. Naturally, severe seasonal tolerance of this river has been a great dispute in the social tensions of the region before building Zayandehrood Dam and water transfer tunnels. During its long history, the river has granted water rights to inhabitants near it; systematizing, balancing, monitoring, and distribution of water have been inevitable and inseparable parts of the regional policies. Several factors have naturally existed in water distribution disorders of this region the most important of which are as follows: water shortage especially for the agriculture sector with regard to Isfahan's dry climate, coincidence of the river's low-water season with users peak time of requirement, the access possibility for upstream inhabitants and lack of such possibility for downstream inhabitants with regard to lack of the possibility to continuously monitor and control the utilization networks, the interference of big landlords, and the influence of tyrannical rulers of the time. What is understood by studying the history of water distribution in this area is that using the river water would have led to numerous disputes and quarrels and that specific order would have been enacted by headmen of the riverside villages during historical periods; this order was subject to muddle with seasonal water fluctuations as well as the rulers' instability. The scroll attributed to Sheikh Bahaiee is one of the best historical written documents on water distribution management drawn up and edited 400 years ago; it has noticeable cultural aspects and hereditary capitals in particular. This is the only written document to which water distribution generals have been referred in this paper. Its first page is exactly presented here due to the writing eloquence and the vocabulary used. "In The Name of He Who is The Most High.