From private concession to state bureaucracy: the political economy of Tehran’s electrical grid (1904–1950)

The introduction of modern technologies into transitional societies has consistently generated profound institutional, ecological, and political challenges. In Iran, electrical energy—as the paramount symbol of urban modernity—played a pivotal role in reshaping socio-political relations and driving spatial transformations during the late Qajar and Pahlavi eras. Drawing on archival records and statistical data, this study examines the restructuring of Tehran's electrical grid from a private concession to centralized state control between 1904 and 1950. The findings indicate that early private management faced severe structural impediments: ecological friction with traditional agriculture over qanat water rights, coupled with legal and diplomatic disputes involving foreign technicians, underscored the fragility of private provision for critical urban infrastructure. Consequently, the rise of the modern state dismantled this concession to render urban space legible and consolidate sovereign authority, ultimately transforming Tehran’s electrical network into a state-controlled public good.