Zand dynasty

The Zand dynasty was an Iranian dynasty founded by Karim Khan Zand, a chieftain of the Zand branch of the Laks, who emerged from the chaos following the assassination of Nader Shah in 1747. Karim Khan took Isfahan in 1750 and made Shiraz his capital in 1751, ruling as the vakil, or regent, of the absentee Safavid prince Ismail III rather than claiming the royal title himself. For nearly three decades he restored order in central and southern Iran, rebuilt Shiraz with new bazaars, mosques, gardens and the Vakil Mosque and citadel, and encouraged trade and agriculture. His rule was remembered for relative justice and low taxation. After his death in 1779 his successors fought among themselves, and the dynasty's last ruler, Lotf Ali Khan, was defeated and killed by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar in 1794. The Qajars then reunified Iran and moved the capital to Tehran. Zand architecture, with its delicate tilework and painted interiors, forms a distinctive episode between the Safavid and Qajar styles, and Karim Khan remains a popular figure in Iranian memory.