Apresentação do Professor Dr. Dr. Majid Labbaf Khaneiki - ICQHS, investigador do International Center on Qanats and Historic Hydraulic Structures (ICQHS), Yazd, Irão, no âmbito da sessão de Apresentação Pública do Colóquio Internacional e Projeto em Rede, no dia 07 de Maio de 2012 na Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa

1. "Qanat Civilization"
by: Majid Labbaf Khaneiki , Ali Asghar Semsar Yazdi
International Center on Qanats and Historic Hydraulic
Structures

2. ?What is Qanat

3. Genesis of Qanat
Henry Goblot‘ Theory

4. Spring-Qanat Theory
In the wake of climate change, the
precipitation reduced and accordingly many
of the springs dried up or just trickled. In this
situation the immediate reaction of the people
might be to dig the same springs to track the
water, and after a while they ended up
building a long tunnel with some shaft wells
through which they could better haul the
.debris to the surface

5. Can We Deny Geographical Distribution of Qanat?
Iwao Kobori )I. Kobori, 1964( believes that the
qanat system, in all probability, developed in
ancient Persia some 2500 years ago and then
spread to Afghanistan and eventually along the
Silk road as far east as China, as well as by
Arabic cultures to the far west including Morocco
.and Spain
According to Goblot )H. Goblot, 1979(, qanats
originated in the northwest of present Iran, dating
back to 600-800 B.C. In 525 BC qanats were
introduced to the southern coast of the Persian
Gulf and then in 500 BC to Egypt, in 750 AD to
Spain, in 850 AD to Southern Algeria, in 1520 AD
to Mexico & Los Angeles, in 1540 AD to Pica in
.)Chile and in 1780 AD to Turfan )NW China

6. A Historical Evidence on Qanat Diffusion
According to Darius’s order, Silaks the naval commander of the
Persian army and Khenombir the royal architect managed to
construct a qanat in the oasis of Kharagha’ in Egypt.

7. Social Aspects of Qanat
Water Division System in Qanat

8. Position of Qanat in
“Water-Power” Arguments
Water and Oriental Despotism

9. Footprint of Water in Socio-Political Attitude

10. Ancient Egypt

11. Ancient Greece

12. ,In contrast to Wittfogel’s theory
Adams explains that in Mesopotamia large waterworks are developed
long after the state

13. A Hole in Wittfogel‘s Theory
The management of qanat in arid and semi arid
lands is as accurate and intricate as that of the big
rivers, but it has never led to what Wittfogel says
.about the relationship between water and power

14. Qanat irrigation did not give rise to a tyrant taking control
of water and accordingly agricultural production systems,
… because

15. Qanat civilization enjoyed some characteristics which signify a
civilization in sharp contrast to what Wittfogel portrays, A
civilization which did not accommodate any despotism in order
to draw on the resources of the other nations or individuals.
Qanat civilization was the civilization of peace, cooperation and
.friendly coexistence

16. Thank You
For Your
Attention