Abol Fath Khan

Abol Fath Khan Zand ( listen ^{? / I} ; * approx. 1755 ; † August 22, 1779 ) was the third Shah of the Zand dynasty , who ruled the Persian Empire from March 6 to August 22, 1779.

When Karim Khan died in 1779, his half-brother Zaki Khan declared Karim Khan's second son - also his son-in-law -, Mohammad Ali Khan , to be the new ruler. But he soon appointed Mohammad Ali Khan's older brother Abol Fath as co-gentleman. In contrast to his father, Abol Fath was lazy and weak and did not have the sharpness and courage of his father, but he trusted his powerful uncle Zaki Khan, whose corruption and political arrogance were known to everyone. Thus, after more than 20 years, the advice of Zaki Khan led to anarchy in the empire.

After the death of Karim Khan, Aga Mohammed Khan , who was held hostage at court to prevent unrest between the Zand and Qajars from northern Persia, fled and reached Mazandaran . There he gradually took over command of his tribe in Astrabad and declared himself independent from the Zand Shahs. Subsequently, Zaki Khan sent an army under his nephew Ali Murad Khan against the Qajars.

Meanwhile, on June 19, 1779, Abol Fath became the sole ruler of the Persian Empire when Mohammad Ali Khan suddenly died. Soon the commander of his army, Ali Murad Khan, rebelled against him and occupied Isfahan . On the other hand, Zaki Khan levied heavy taxes on landowners and executed anyone who refused to pay. Subsequently, the people of Isfahan rebelled and killed Zaki Khan. On August 22, 1779, Sadiq Khan , a brother of Karim Khan, attacked the city of Shiraz and killed Abol Fath Khan after tearing his eyes out. Then he declared himself the Shah of Persia.

Web links

• The rulers in Iran Overview (English)
• Iranologie - History of Iran, Part XIII: Afshar and Zand Dynasties ( Memento from May 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English)