tribal confederation · Mesopotamia and Iran

Bakhtiari confederation

1700 CE – 1934 CE (approx.)

A great confederation of Lur nomadic tribes in the Zagros whose khans grew rich from oil and helped win Iran's constitutional revolution.

Origins

The Bakhtiari are Lur tribes who migrate between winter pastures in Khuzestan and summer pastures in the high Zagros. By the 18th century they were organised into two main divisions, the Haft Lang and Chahar Lang, under khans who supplied troops to Safavid, Afsharid and Qajar rulers.

Rule and society

In 1867 Hossein Qoli Khan was recognised by the Qajar state as ilkhan, paramount chief, unifying the confederation; he was executed in 1882 on the order of Prince Zell-e Soltan. The khans negotiated with British companies over the Lynch road and, after oil was found at Masjed Soleyman in 1908, received a share in the oil companies working their lands. In 1909 Bakhtiari forces under Sardar As'ad II and Samsam al-Saltaneh marched on Tehran and restored the constitution.

Decline and legacy

Reza Shah's Pahlavi Iran disarmed the tribes, forced settlement and executed or imprisoned leading khans by 1934. The Bakhtiari remain a distinct people; Queen Soraya of Pahlavi Iran was of Bakhtiari descent.

Connections (3)

  • Bakhtiari confederation was a vassal of Zand Empire1754 CE – 1779 CE
  • Bakhtiari confederation was a vassal of Qajar Iran1789 CE – 1925 CE
  • Bakhtiari confederation was conquered by Pahlavi Iran1934 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bakhtiari confederation. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bakhtiari-confederation
MLA
“Bakhtiari confederation.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bakhtiari-confederation. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Bakhtiari confederation.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bakhtiari-confederation.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bakhtiari confederation’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bakhtiari-confederation (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻