khanate · Mesopotamia and Iran

Khanate of Gilan

1762 CE – 1786 CE (approx.) · capital Rasht

A short-lived khanate on the Caspian coast whose ruler Hedayat-Allah Khan built up Rasht before falling to Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar.

Origins

Hedayat-Allah Khan, of a notable family from Fuman, became governor of Gilan under Karim Khan of the Zand Empire around 1762 and soon ruled the province as an autonomous khanate with its centre at Rasht.

Rule and society

Gilan was rich from silk, rice and Caspian trade with Russia, and Hedayat-Allah Khan developed Rasht as a commercial town. He was caught between the Zands, the rising Qajar leader Agha Mohammad Khan and Russia, whose navy and merchants were active on the Caspian; he invited Russian help and briefly lost and regained his province.

Decline and legacy

In 1786 Agha Mohammad Khan invaded Gilan. Hedayat-Allah Khan fled and was killed, and Gilan became part of the emerging Qajar Iran.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (1)

  • Khanate of Gilan was a vassal of Zand Empire1763 CE – 1779 CE

More states of Mesopotamia and Iran →

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻