State

Zand dynasty

Also known as Zand Empire, Zands, Zand

The Zand dynasty ruled much of Iran from about 1751 to 1794, founded by Karim Khan Zand, a chief of the Zand tribe of the Zagros. Karim Khan governed from Shiraz under the title of Vakil, bringing a period of relative peace after the collapse of the Afsharid Empire. After his death in 1779 the dynasty was weakened by succession disputes and was destroyed by the Qajars, who captured and killed Lotf Ali Khan in 1794.

Zand dynasty
Image: Aliasgharnadafi messi1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Afsharid EmpireImpact, DeclineZand EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, Decline, SummaryQajar IranSummary

Mentioned in 6 state histories

Lordship of Bandar RigKhanate of TabrizKhanate of UrmiaSheikhdom of BushehrKhanate of GilanQajar Iran

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Zand dynasty. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zand-dynasty
MLA
“Zand dynasty.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zand-dynasty. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Zand dynasty.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zand-dynasty.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Zand dynasty’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zand-dynasty (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻