Karim Khan Zand was an exceptional Persian ruler of the eighteenth century. Formerly an obscure Tribal chieftain, he came to power in the chaotic interregnum following the death of Nader Shah Afshar, a man celebrated for expelling the Afghan invaders from Iran but notorious for his subsequent tyranny. This comprehensive biography examines Karim Khan's time as leader and illustrates the evolution of Iran's unique identity among the emerging nations of western Asia. Arguing that Karim Khan's rule was the pivot in an era stretching from the 1500s, when the Safavid dynasty founded a kingdom with Imami Shi'ism as its official religion, to the revolt against the monarchy in 1979, this invaluable study provides a fascinating examination of the history of both Iran and one of its greatest leaders.

List of Illustrations Preface 1 IRAN AND THE WORLD IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY Iran and its People The Safavid Dynasty Nader Shah Afshar First-Person Testimony: Sheikh Hazin 2 THE RETURN OF THE ZANDS The Lurs Go Home Safavid Pretenders Enter the Qajars Pretenders Lost and Found 3 THE CONQUEST OF THE NORTH, 1759-1763 Exploits of Mohammad Khan and Sheykh-Ali Khan Zand First-Person Testimony: Le Sieur Simon Neutralization of the Qajars Azerbaijan: The Defeat of Azad and Fath-Ali Khan 4 CONSOLIDATION OF THE CENTER, 1763-1766 Retribution and purges Reconquest of the south: the revolt of Zaki Khan Zand Lar, Yazd, and Kerman: the two Taqis Curbing the Qajars, 1759-1777 5 THE PERSIAN GULF AND KHUZISTAN Kharg Island: The Dutch and Mir Mahanna Perspicacious Semi-Fiction: The "Rostam of Histories" The Banu Ka'b War with the Pashalik of Baghdad, 1774-1779 6 KARIM KHAN'S DEATH AND SUCCESSION, 1779-1795 Reigns of Zaki, Sadeq, Ali-Morad, and Ja'far Khan Zand (1779-1789) Lotf-Ali Khan Zand (1789-1994) First-Person Testimony: Mr Jones and Lotf-Ali Khan's diamonds The Qajar Conquest 7 PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT AND FOREIGN RELATIONS Western approaches The Caspian Rim and Azerbaijan Georgia and Transaraxia: into the Russian Orbit Ottoman Turkey and India The Dutch and French East India Companies The British East India Company 8 KARIM KHAN'S CHARACTER AND ACHIEVEMENTS The people's deputy Religious policies Rebuilding the economy Rebuilding Shiraz Leisure and the arts The legend and the legacy Bibliography Index