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.
Autorentext
John R. Perry is professor of Persian at the University of Chicago. He has written extensively on the Persian language and Karim Khan Zand.
Zusammenfassung
A forward thinking and notably popular leader, Karim Khan Zand (1705-1779) was the founder of the Zand dynasty in Iran. In this insightful profile of a man before his time, esteemed academic John Perry shows how by opening up international trade, employing a fair fiscal system and showing respect for existing religious institutions, Karim Khan succeeded in creating a peaceful and prosperous state in a particularly turbulent epoch of history.
Inhalt
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