Kingdom of Lar

Origins

The rulers of Lar, often called the Miladi dynasty, claimed descent from Gurgin son of Milad, a hero of the Shahnameh. They are attested from the 12th century in Laristan, the arid region of southern Fars between Shiraz and the Gulf, with their capital at Lar.

Rule and society

Lar prospered from its position on the caravan route between Shiraz and the port of Hormuz, through which Indian, Arabian and Persian goods passed. The kingdom was famous for the larin, a strip of silver wire bent into a hook and stamped, which became a common currency in the Gulf, India and the Maldives in the 16th century. Its rulers accepted the overlordship of the Ilkhanate, the Timurid Empire and the Safavid Empire while keeping local autonomy. The population remained largely Sunni.

Decline and legacy

In 1601 to 1602 the Safavid general Allahverdi Khan conquered Lar for Shah Abbas I and deposed its last ruler, Ibrahim Khan, and Laristan became a Safavid province.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.