Zand Dynasty
A dynasty (1751–1794) centred on Shiraz, founded by Karim Khan Zand; a period of relative peace, reconstruction, and just rule after the turmoil following Nader Shah.
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- Period
- c. 1751–1794 CE
- Founder
- Karim Khan Zand
- Capital
- Shiraz
- Title
- Vakil al-Ra'aya (Advocate of the People)
Detail
The Zand dynasty was founded by Karim Khan Zand, leader of the Lur Zand tribe, amid the chaos following Nader Shah's death, and ruled much of Iran from about 1751 to 1779. Karim Khan is remembered as one of the few benevolent, people-minded rulers in Iranian history; rather than the title "Shah," he styled himself Vakil al-Ra'aya ("Regent/Advocate of the People"), reflecting his humility and concern for public welfare. He made Shiraz his capital and adorned it with fine monuments such as the Karim Khan Citadel, the Vakil Mosque, the Vakil Bazaar, and the Vakil Bath. His reign was an era of relative peace, prosperity in trade and agriculture, and security, and he avoided destructive wars. After his death in 1779, succession struggles among the Zand survivors weakened the dynasty, and Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar ultimately extinguished it in 1794 by defeating and killing Lotf Ali Khan Zand, its last ruler.
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Sources
- Encyclopædia Iranica, "Zand Dynasty"
- John R. Perry, Karim Khan Zand: A History of Iran, 1747–1779
- The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol. 7