Abol-Fath Khan Zand
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Abol-Fath Khan Zand ( ''Abol-Fatḥ Khān Zand''; 1755/17561787) was the third ''
Shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...
'' of the
Zand dynasty The Zand dynasty () was an Iranian dynasty, founded by Karim Khan Zand (1751–1779) that initially ruled southern and central Iran in the 18th century. It later expanded to include much of the rest of contemporary Iran (except for the provi ...
, ruling from March 6, 1779, until August 22, 1779.


Biography

After the death of
Karim Khan Mohammad Karim Khan Zand (; ) was the founder of the Zand dynasty, ruling all of Iran (Persia) except for Khorasan from 1751 to 1779. He also ruled over some of the Caucasian lands and occupied Basra for some years. While Karim was ruler, Ir ...
in 1779, two factions emerged, one supporting Abol-Fath, one his younger brother Mohammad Ali Khan Zand. Both were still children, and were pawns in the game of power. Karim Khan's brother
Zaki Khan Zaki Khan Zand (died June 6, 1779) was an Iranian military commander and contender for the throne. A member of the Zand dynasty of Iran, Zaki Khan, though he never became the ruler of Iran, managed to exert power over the country during the three ...
managed to proclaim Mohammad Ali Khan, his own son-in-law, as shah of the Zand dynasty but soon after, he also made Abol-Fath joint ruler of Iran. Both Mohammad Ali and Abol-Fath only held nominal power during their reigns, as their uncle was the effective master of the government. As another brother of Karim Khan, Sadeq Khan Zand, had left
Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...
, then the capital, and was gathering an army in
Kerman Kerman (; ) is a city in the Central District (Kerman County), Central District of Kerman County, Kerman province, Kerman province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. History Kerman was founded as a def ...
ostensibly in support of Abol-Fath Khan, Zaki Khan even had Abol-Fath imprisoned. To add to the political trouble, right after the death of Karim Khan, the
Qajar The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic origin,Cyrus Ghani. ''Iran an ...
prince
Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar (; 14 March 1742 – 17 June 1797), also known by his regnal name of Agha Mohammad Shah (), was the founder of the Qajar dynasty of Iran, ruling from 1789 to 1797 as Shah. Originally a chieftain of the Quwanlu branch of t ...
, who had until then been a hostage in Shiraz, in order to prevent an outbreak of war between the Qajars, who still dominated the North of the country, and the Zands, escaped promptly and reached his stronghold of
Mazandaran Mazandaran Province (; ) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Sari, Iran, Sari. Located along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and in the adjacent Central Alborz mountain range and Hyrcanian forests, it is border ...
. Subsequently, he took command of his tribe in
Astarabad Gorgan (; ) is a city in the Central District of Gorgan County, Golestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It lies approximately to the northeast of the national capital Tehran, and some a ...
, and declared independence from the Zand Shah. To counter that move, Zaki Khan dispatched the Iranian army under the command of his nephew, Ali-Morad Khan Zand against the Qajar lord. Soon however, it appeared that Ali-Morad Khan had rebelled against him and captured
Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
. On the other hand, Zaki Khan had levied high taxes on the landlords and put to death and tortured anyone who had resisted. Subsequently, his own army rebelled and killed Zaki Khan as he was marching on Isfahan, on June 6, 1779. Meanwhile, Abol-Fath's other uncle Sadeq Khan had by then returned to Shiraz from Kerman with an army. Upon reception of the news of Zaki Khan's demise, on June 19, 1779, he had Abol-Fath proclaimed sole official ruler of Iran. Sadeq held the real power, while Abol-Fath, according to most accounts, was satisfied with a life of pleasures, and did not take any part in the administration of the Empire. This situation did not however suit Sadeq Khan for long. Only two months after Abol-Fath's installation, on August 22, 1779, Sadeq Khan had him deposed and was proclaimed Shah instead. Abol-Fath was blinded, either on Sadeq Khan's orders, or two years later when Shiraz fell to Ali-Morad Khan. He died in 1787, aged 32.


Sources

* *
Encyclopedia Iranica, "Abu’l-Fath Khan Zand"
* ''Iranology'' - History of Iran, Part XIII: Afshar and Zand Dynastie

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Abol-Fath Zand monarchs 1750s births 1787 deaths