khanate · Mesopotamia and Iran

Khanate of Maragheh

1747 CE – 1800 CE (approx.) · capital Maragheh

A local khanate of the Muqaddam tribe around Maragheh, the old Ilkhanid capital, in the decades between the Afsharids and the Qajars.

Origins

After Nader Shah's death in 1747, the town of Maragheh, south of Tabriz, and its fertile district came under the hereditary control of khans of the Muqaddam tribe. Maragheh had been the first capital of the Ilkhanate and site of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi's observatory.

Rule and society

The Muqaddam khans ruled a small agricultural region of orchards and vineyards near Lake Urmia, maintaining their own troops and paying tribute to the dominant power of the moment, including Karim Khan of the Zand Empire. Ahmad Khan Muqaddam is the best-known ruler. They were in frequent conflict with the khans of Tabriz and Urmia.

Decline and legacy

Agha Mohammad Khan's Qajar Iran subdued the Azerbaijani khanates in the 1790s, and around 1800 Maragheh was absorbed, its Muqaddam khans continuing as governors under the Qajars.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (2)

  • Khanate of Maragheh was a vassal of Zand Empire1763 CE – 1779 CE
  • Khanate of Maragheh was conquered by Qajar Iran1800 CE

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻