---

Modern governments, unlike traditional governments, have the exclusive instrument of violence through the bureaucracy and the rule of law. From a historical point of view, powerful political leadership performance in Iran has been one of the important factors in building modern government during first Pahlavi period. Numerous views have been put forward about the reasons for powerful and military leadership formation in the first Pahlavi era. Some of its contexts are related to the first Pahlavi individual behaviors and others refer to the socio-economic structures of the previous period. However, from political geography perspective; governance characteristics and modern state formation has emerged in a specific time-space context that has been less studied in Iran. In this article, relying on descriptive-analytical method has been attempted to study how to promote the powerful leadership position in the first Pahlavi era (1921 - 1940) in building a modern government in Iran as a result of natural and human components function. Findings show that natural and climatic conditions acted in such a way that it was not possible to form independent social classes at the time of first Pahlavi emergence and production forces; They were concentrated in the ownership of political power. Ethnic and linguistic diversity also enabled powerful political-military leaders to create a common identity between different ethnic groups.

---

Territory and territoriality are the philosophical foundation of politicalgeography. Territory as the spatial objective arising from the ownership's natural right and desire to survive has directed the human's territoriality behavior such that interpretation of human's action and behavior has been largely a function of his territoriality character. Many of the concepts and themes of political geography Are defined and operationalized consciously or unconsciously in connection with such features. Expansion of territory is not necessarily sequent of the political boundaries; rather it varies according to the scope of awareness, activism, decision-making and the role of humans and human groups. The data Collection was done by Library method. Theresearch results indicated that at least from 1970 onwards, with the globalization of technology and democracy, the mental and content aspects of human activism have gotten more importance in invisible dimensions but space making will represent more aspects of territory in the future.    

---

The history of Tabaristän, from the late Sassanid era through the middle Islamic age, underwent significant social and political changes the result of which were independence seeking movements leading to some semi-independent local governments. Each of these governments claimed political and social governance over a particular region. Castles, as important and influential military bases, were means at the disposal of the commanders and governors to maintain their sociopolitical power. Among the known castles in the mountains of Mazandaran province, Pouläd Castle in Nour, the capital of Nour County, is one of the symbols of territorial defense. It is located on a tall mount off the city of Baladeh in Nour County. Being built on an elevated location and overlooking the important surrounding regions and strategic ways has made Pouläd Castle one of the important centers in the sociopolitical changes. The present study follows a field work method as well as a library research method to investigate the defense structure of Pouläd castle and its geopolitical and geostrategic role in the power distribution pattern over the region of Rouyän in Tabaristän during the Islamic middle ages. The results show that the builders had tried their best to enhance the stability of the castle by building several layers of walls, utilizing the slope of the mountain, building several defense towers, and using rocky and impervious points as natural forts. Architectural analysis shows that Pouläd Castle, with both its military and political functions, has had a prominent role in the political changes of western Tabaristän.