4 8 ), ▁the ▁prime ▁minister ▁of ▁the ▁third ▁king ▁of ▁the ▁Q aj ar ▁dynast y , ▁encourag ed ▁and ▁supported ▁q an at ▁construction ▁throughout ▁the ▁country ▁. ▁Ja ub ert ▁de ▁Pass a ▁who ▁survey ed ▁the ▁situation ▁of ▁ir rig ation ▁in ▁Iran ▁reported ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁H amed an , ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁Is fah an ▁and ▁ 1 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁Te h ran ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 8 4 0 . ▁Then ▁he ▁claims ▁that ▁in ▁these ▁cities ▁life ▁is ▁inde bt ed ▁to ▁the ▁q an ats ▁which ▁are ▁being ▁constructed ▁in ▁a ▁simple ▁but ▁powerful ▁manner . ▁In ▁a ▁nut shell , ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁Q aj ar ▁that ▁last ed ▁about ▁ 1 . 5 ▁centuries ▁witness ed ▁considerable ▁endeav ors ▁to ▁rev ive ▁and ▁build ▁new ▁q an ats . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁P ah la vi ▁period , ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁q an at ▁construction ▁and ▁maintenance ▁continued . ▁A ▁council ▁that ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁q an ats ▁was ▁set ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁government . ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁q an ats ▁belonged ▁to ▁land l ords . ▁In ▁fact , ▁fe ud al ism ▁was ▁the ▁prev ail ing ▁system ▁in ▁the ▁rural ▁regions . ▁The ▁pe as ants ▁were ▁not ▁entitled ▁to ▁the ▁lands ▁they ▁worked ▁on , ▁but ▁were ▁considered ▁only ▁as ▁the ▁users ▁of ▁the