Said Murad Khan Zand

Representation of Sayed Murad Chan in his courtyard

Said Murad Khan Zand , also Sayed Morad Chan-e Zand Hazara († May 10, 1789 ), was the seventh - and penultimate - ruler of the Persian Empire from the dynasty of the Zand princes . He succeeded Jafar Khan Zand (1785–1789), but only ruled from January 23, 1789 to May 10, 1789, when he was overthrown and killed by his successor, Lotf Ali Khan Zand (1789–1794).

origin

Said Murad Khan Zand came from the dynasty of the Zand princes , who ruled most of the Persian Empire from 1750 to 1794 after the death of Nadir Shah Afshar , but renounced the formal designation as Shah or "King of kings". The family is derived from the chiefs of the Zand tribe , who live in northwestern Iran and are regarded as part of the southern Kurdish tribe of the Lak , who settle in the provinces of Luristan , Ilam and Hamadan in Iran .

His father was Khuda Murad Khan-e Zand Hazara, governor of the Kerman province from 1760 to 1761. He was a brother of Ali Murad Khan-e Zand , who ruled the Persian Empire from 1782 to 1785 as the fifth ruler of his house.

His grandfather was Allah Murad Qaytus Khan-e Zand Hazara, who was married to Mahdi-'Alia Zand, a daughter of Budak Khan-e Zand from his marriage to Begum Agha Zand. The latter was a daughter of Muhammad Khan-e Zand "Bikala" and the Ne, a sister of Karim Khan Zand (1750-1779) - the founder of the dynasty - and daughter of Mohammad Inaq Khan-e Zand.

Life

youth

Said Murad Khan-e Zand grew up mainly in Shiraz, the capital of Persia at the time of the Zand princes, but also lived - due to the changing functions of his father - in other cities in Persia, such as the city of Kerman , where his father was governor the province of the same name resided.

His life was shaped by difficult circumstances and a double rivalry: After the death of the founder of the dynasty, Karim Khan Zand († 1779), a constant struggle for succession and power prevailed within the family, due to a lack of succession Rule of the Zand princes no less than 8 rulers of the dynasty succeeded one another. Outwardly, the dynasty was in a constant battle against the tribe of the Turkmen Qajars under the leadership of Aga Mohammed Khan Qajar , the chief of the sub-tribe of the Qoyunlu - who started from his heartland around Astarabad (today Gorgan and the province of Golestan on the Caspian Sea ) , the north ( Azerbaijan ) and the east of the empire ( Mazandaran ) - controlled. His father, Mohammad Hasan Khan, had already tried to take power in the Persian Empire , but was defeated and killed on the orders of Karim Khan Zand in 1759.

Said Murad Khan received a private education in his father's household and was sent by him to the court of his ruling relatives in Shiraz - the capital of the central southern Fars province of Persia - which served as the capital of the Zand dynasty. There he received a professional education and began a career in the army and in administration. He was particularly encouraged by his uncle, Ali Murad Khan , who ruled the Persian Empire from March 15, 1781 to February 11, 1785.

Support of his uncle Ali Murad Khan

Said Murad Khan was already supporting his uncle Ali Murad Khan at the time when it was still a question of securing the crown of the Persian Empire by overthrowing and driving out his cousin, "Shah" Sadiq Khan (Zand), who had ruled since 1779 (August 22, 1779 - March 14, 1781).

Not least with the support of Said Murad Khan, Ali Murad Khan succeeded in bringing under his control the important city of Isfahan , which had become the world-famous capital of the Persian Empire under the rule of the Safavids . Their admiring description as "Nesfe Jahan" ("half the world") has survived to this day.

Meidān-e Emām in Isfahan

After the conquest of Isfahan, the current capital of the empire, Shiraz , was to be conquered, where his cousin “Shah” Sadiq Khan (Zand) (1779–1781) resided. Ali Murad Khan thought this would not be a particularly difficult task due to his popularity, so only sent part of his army to Fars Province under the orders of his nephews, Said Murad Khan and Muhammad Zahir Khan . As soon as Shah Sadiq Khan learned of the approach of this army, he ordered his son, Hasan Khan Zand, to oppose this attack with the available troops and to destroy the enemy army. On the pasture of Qasr-i Zard in the area of ​​Chahar Danga, a battle broke out, in which the numerically much smaller army of Ali Murad Khan was defeated. However, Said Murad Khan and Muhammad Zahir Khan managed to withdraw to Isfahan with the rest of their troops.

Governor of Isfahan

After this setback, Ali Murad Khan decided to march with his entire army from Isfahan to the province of Fars in order to defeat the troops of his cousin Shah Sadiq Zand and overthrow him from the throne. To secure his current power base in Isfahan, he appointed his nephew Said Murad Khan in 1781 as governor of Isfahan.

Ali Murad Khan arrived at Shiraz on July 26, 1781 and began to besiege the city. Only after a siege that lasted almost eight months did dissatisfied tribal warriors open the city gate on March 3, 1782, whereby the city could be occupied by the troops of Ali Murad Khan. The Shah, Sadiq Zand, who had holed up in the citadel of Shiraz, had to surrender after three days. On the orders of Ali Murad Khan, Shah Sadiq Zand and his adult sons, with the exception of Jafar Khan Zand - who had allied himself with Ali Murad Khan - were killed on March 14, 1782. Quite a few of the younger sons, as well as Abul-Fath-Khan and Muhammad Ali Khan, two sons of Karim Khan Zand  - the founder of the dynasty - were blinded.

Governor of Shiraz

Ali Murad Khan Zand was proclaimed ruler of the Persian Empire on March 15, 1782. After he had consolidated his control over the capital Shiraz and the surrounding province of Fars , he let his nephew, Said Murad Khan, whom he had previously entrusted with the governorship of Isfahan, come to Shiraz and made him governor of the central province of Fars , the province of Lorestan , Kuh Giluya, as well as the ports and coastal areas on the Persian Gulf . Shah Ali Murad, who preferred Isfahan as his residence to Shiraz because of its spacious layout and beauty, set out from Shiraz for Isfahan on August 3, 1782, made his solemn entry there on August 16, 1782 and took up residence in the residence of Shah Abbas I. from the house of the Safavids built the royal palace "Ali Qapu" ("High Gate"). In the three following, quiet years of his reign he succeeded in acquiring the city of Rasht , the capital of the Persian province of Gilan on the Caspian Sea, as well as some districts in Azerbaijan for the empire.

As governor, Said Murad Khan took control of the traditional capital of the Zand princes, of the central province of Fars and of the economically important port cities on the Persian Gulf. He thus had a considerable power base, which gave him a good starting position for future power struggles.

It is uncertain whether Said Murad Khan found plenty of time during his three-year governorship to study the works of the city's great sons, whose sumptuous mausoleums in Shiraz far overshadow the tombs of the ruling rulers. Namely with the great poet and mystic Mosharraf od-Din Abdullah, better known as " Saadi " (1184-1282), whose works "Bustan" (orchard) and "Golestan" (rose garden) are still among the most popular poems in Iran today count the important foundations of Sufism . Saadi was, however , surpassed in importance by his student, Muḥammad Šams ad-Dīn called " Hafis " (* 1320, † 1398), the poet of the "Diwan", who is still considered to be the most profound and popular poet of Iran.

What is certain, however, is that he endeavored to expand and decorate the citadel in Shiraz built by the founder of the dynasty, Karim Khan Zand , as he was determined to take power himself after the death of his uncle, Shah Ali Murad .

Zand Citadel

Pretender for a few months

After the death of Shah Ali Murad Zand on February 11, 1785, Said Murad Khan gathered a large following, recruited tribal warriors from Fars province and riflemen from the city of Shiraz and placed them under the command of his brother, Vais Murad Khan Zand. He had his seizure of power as ruler of the Persian Empire announced everywhere, announced that he would move to Isfahan and ordered the various troop contingents to assemble on the meadow between the castle of Marvdast and Gulmiyan-Mayn for the planned conquest of rule throughout the Persian Empire .

However, Said Murad Khan was not the only one in his family to claim the line of succession: Jafar Khan Zand, the son of the ruler, Shah Sadiq Zand , who had been overthrown and killed by Ali Murad Khan , had - in order to survive - with Ali Murad Khan arranged and postponed his revenge, but was now determined not only to avenge his father, but now also to enforce his own claims to the throne, which had been withheld from him at the time.

As a result, there was a strange parallel action: In Isfahan, Jafar Khan Zand gathered his followers around him after the death of Shah Murad and was proclaimed ruler of the Persian Empire by them on February 18, 1785. However, the local population, whom Shah Murad Zand had valued and who were prepared to succeed Said Murad Khan, proved to be inaccessible to his ambitions, treated him as a usurper and finally drove Jafar Khan Zand out after several bloody clashes on April 5, 1785 out of town.

A similar scenario emerged in Shiraz, where Said Murad Khan had himself proclaimed the new ruler. The news of the parallel proclamation of Jafar Khan Zand as ruler of Persia in Isfahan hit the citadel of Shiraz like a bomb, as this meant civil war and questioned the chances of Said Murad Khan to rule the Persian Empire over the long term . The news aroused enthusiasm among the population in Fars Province and Shiraz, however, as the majority disapproved of the killing of Shah Sadiq Zand and the ousting of his son Jafar Khan Zand, whom they saw as his rightful successor. There was therefore a popular uprising in favor of Jafar Khan Zand, with the aim of driving Said Murad Khan out of Shiraz. The troops that had gathered under the command of his brother, General Vais Murad Khan Zand, were increasingly disintegrated as the Musketeers from Fars Province went to their home villages. Vais Murad Zand therefore had to give up the plan to conquer Isfahan and withdraw with the loyal troops behind the walls of Shiraz. Other units under the command of Muhammad Hussain Khan took the camels of the camel artillery and the band of Vais Murad Zand and moved with them towards Isfahan to join the Jafar Khan Zand.

However, the double expulsion of the pretenders from their respective capital was not entirely symmetrical. News from Isfahan at the beginning of April that the short-term rule of Jafar Khan Zand had collapsed and that he was on the run led to the end of the uprising in Shiraz, where Said Murad Khan was able to consolidate his rule again.

However, after his flight from Isfahan, Jafar Khan Zand had by no means given up his plans to conquer the crown, but tried successfully to gather not only his followers, but also a larger army of tribal warriors who were ready to exercise his rights to the crown to defend and march to Shiraz.

He then marched to Shiraz and, on the way, met shortly before Izadhast the troops that had fallen from Said Murad Khan and were on their way from Shiraz to Isfahan. He united his troops with them and marched directly to Shiraz to disempower his rival. The well-fortified city of Shiraz was besieged, but it only lasted for a short time, as the population sided with Jafar Khan Zand. Said Murad Khan withdrew to the citadel, but eventually had to submit to the lack of support from the local population. On April 11, 1785, Jafar Khan Zand entered Shiraz with great pomp, again announced the takeover of rule and had all governors, tribal leaders and khans informed of this. He appointed Haji Ibrahim, a man he trusted, as the new governor of Fars Province. Although he withdrew all offices from his renegade cousin, Said Murad Khan, he refrained from punishment and later took him back to grace. Since he valued Shiraz less than Isfahan, he decided to return to Isfahan.

Fight against the Qajars

The greatest external threat to the rule of the Zand dynasty was the tribe of the Turkmen Qajars , who were under the leadership of the energetic but extremely cruel Aga Mohammed Khan , who ruled northeastern Persia. Not only did he have ambitions to rule all of Persia, but he also had an open account with the Zand, as his father had been killed by Karim Khan Zand, the founder of the dynasty, and he himself had been held hostage in Shiraz for sixteen years . Only after the death of this ruler was he able to escape from captivity in 1779. Since then he covered the country with raids and military campaigns.

Aga Muhammad Khan Kajar was on his way back from the conquest of Kashan when he learned of the escape of Jafar Khan Zand from Isfahan. He therefore decided to take the opportunity to conquer Isfahan. Thanks to the surprise, he was able to take the city without much resistance and settled there for three months. Then a Bakhtiar uprising prompted him to penetrate their territory to quell the revolt. In his absence he appointed Baqir Khan Huraskani as governor of Isfahan.

In the meantime, Shah Jafar Zand had the opportunity to consolidate his rule in Shiraz and in the south of the Persian Empire. The focus was therefore on the recovery of Isfahan. The news of the departure of the Aga Muhammad Khan from Isfahan was therefore the signal for Shah Jafar to march with his troops under Said Murad Khan to Isfahan. The city, which had suffered from the atrocities of the Aga Mohammed Khan, opened without much resistance. Accompanied by Said Murad Khan and his entourage, Shah Jafar was able to make his solemn entry into the city on August 21, 1785.

This success led some tribes to turn away from Aga Mohammed Khan Kajar and withdraw their troop contingents. As a result, he lost the opportunity to retake Isfahan and was forced to withdraw to Tehran .

This awakened the ambition of Shah Jafar, who was now thinking of advancing north with his troops in order to conquer Kashan and Tehran. However, this was countered by the fact that the governor of Isfahan, Baqir Khan Huraskani, who was appointed by Aga Muhammad, refused to fall back to Shah Jafar and holed himself up with soldiers, ammunition and sufficient supplies in the difficult to capture fortress Tabarra near Isfahan and with it posed a constant threat that needed to be addressed.

Said Murad Khan was therefore charged with bringing Baqir Khan Huraskani to reason. He first tried to win him over through arguments and promises. When this did not help, he threatened him with a military expedition. Since all attempts to get him to apostate from Aga Muhammed Khan Kajar failed, Said Murad Khan was charged with the siege of the fortress and with the capture of Baqir Khan. The siege turned out to be more difficult than expected, however, as it was one of the strongest fortresses in the country, having been expanded and strengthened by the Afghans a few decades earlier. Despite being bombarded with guns and mortars, the fortress offered bitter resistance for four months and was only ready to surrender when it was certain that no relief was to be expected. Said Murad Khan accepted the surrender of the fortress on December 4, 1785 and granted the defenders free retreat. Baqir Khan Huraskani, however, was convicted of a traitor, beheaded and his property confiscated. This enabled Said Murad Khan to restore control of his dynasty over this important province.

In the following year, the next campaign took place, as revolts broke out under the leadership of Ismail Khan in the city of Borudscherd in western Iran (now in the province of Lorestan ) and in the province of Hamadan . While Vais Murad Khan, the brother of Said Murad Khan, stayed behind as military commander in Isfahan, Said Murad Khan set out on January 2, 1786, despite the winter cold, with Shah Jafar on the campaign to Hamedan, taking heavy artillery with them for the sieges. With the approach of the imperial army, Ismael Khan fled to Bidschar-e Garrus (today in the Iranian province of Kordestān ), where he managed to win over the Kurdish tribal association of Garrus and other regional tribal leaders for his cause and to gather an army. On the plain of Bahar ("spring"), two leagues away from Hamedan, the battle broke out and raged from morning until two o'clock in the morning. The troops of Shah Jafar Khan suffered a heavy defeat, he himself, Said Murad Khan and a contingent of soldiers survived, but had to make their way to Isfahan with the loss of artillery, luggage and almost the entire crew, where they did not make their way until March 13 Arrived in 1786.

Shah Jafar Zand prisoner

Before and after the lost battle, Said Murad Khan's behavior probably aroused the ruler's distrust and the impression that he was striving for the crown himself. As a result, he lost the trust of Shah Jafar Zand, who arrested him and his brothers and kin on May 18, 1787, had his property confiscated and locked him up together with the rebel, Haji Aliquli Khan, in the dungeon of the fortress of Shiraz. Not enough with that, he had him tortured to find out where he kept his fortune.

Removed from his offices and honors, expropriated and deprived of his freedom, Said Murad Khan did everything in his power to free himself and his family from captivity, to take revenge on his uncle and to take power in the country himself.

Killing of Shah Jafar Zand

His plan was to get some of his servants out of prison, then go into the royal apartments and kill the Shah. Through the mediation of his people, he made contact with a slave who was formerly in his possession, but now part of the Shah's household, and won her over to his plan. To be on the safe side, he had the slave give poison to the Shah. When this had an effect, the prisoners were released from prison on January 10, 1789 and - as planned - were led by the slave to the private apartments of Shah Jafar Zand. Although he was weakened by the poison, he was still able to defend himself and injured Shah Murad Khan, a brother of Said Murad Khan, with a sword blow. Ultimately, however, he was overwhelmed, killed, and beheaded. At sunrise his head was thrown into the courtyard of the castle to serve as a plaything for the children.

Ruler of the Persian Empire

On January 11, 1789 - one day after the overthrow of (Shah) Jafar Khan Zand - Said Murad Khan was proclaimed the new ruler of the Persian Empire and this message was sent to all governors, military leaders and tribal chiefs. The officers of Lotf Ali Khan , the son and heir of the slain Shah, were asked to capture him and bring him to Shiraz. All the greats in Shiraz and in the neighboring provinces who were his partisans faithfully obeyed him; others who were supporters of the overthrown ruler did so out of hypocrisy.

Lotf Ali Khan, the son and heir of the murdered man, who was at that time in the Mugan steppe in northwest Persia to pacify local tribes, learned on January 28th of the murder of his father and the assumption of power by Said Murad Khan. Fearing for his life, he fled to Bandar Abusahr with a few companions. As a result, his army disintegrated, and his property was looted while troops migrated to Shiraz to join the new ruler, Said Murad Khan.

In Bandar Abusahr, Lotf Ali Khan succeeded in winning the governor, Sheikh Nasir Khan Abumahiri, to his side. This enabled him to recruit troops from among the local Arab tribes. He received further support by sending requests for help to supporters of his father who were known to him and by gathering the soldiers in a tent camp outside of Abuzahr to move with them to Shiraz.

Shah Said Murad Zand then sent a large part of his troops under the orders of his brother, Shah Murad Khan, to Bandar Abusahr to put down this rebellion. These troops were on their way when a raiding party led by Lotf Ali Khan succeeded in capturing the sleeping commandant of the troops, Shah Murad Khan. In retaliation for his father's murder, Lotf Ali Khan had him executed. The now leaderless troops of Shah Said Murad Khan fled back to Shiraz or dispersed in all directions.

Fall and death

Lotf Ali Khan now advanced with his troops to Shiraz. On the way he took the city of Kazarun on May 6, 1789 after an uprising, reached the suburbs of Shiraz on the afternoon of May 7, 1789 and began to siege the city.

Shah Said Murad, who had retired to the citadel, could not withstand the onslaught for long and had to surrender after a brief siege on May 10, 1789. He was dethroned by Lotf Ali Khan and, along with his brothers and relatives, robbed of his sight. Despite this punishment, he and most of his family members were subsequently killed.

His reign had lasted just under three and a half months.

Lotf Ali Khan succeeded him - as the last of his house - to the throne (1789–1794), which after him fell to the house of the Qajars.

Marriage and offspring

Said Murad Khan-e Zand Hazara was married to a daughter of Mirza Zain al-Abidin and his wife, who was a daughter of Sayyid Murtaza Khalifa Sultani and thus descended in the female line from the prophet of Islam , Mohammed .

With her, he had five sons, whose further fate is unknown, as they were probably blinded and killed after their father fell, and a daughter:

• Aga Begum Zand

∞ Sultan Fath Ali Shah Kajar, "Shahanshah" (King of Kings) of Persia (1797–1834), (* September 5, 1772, † October 23, 1834 Isfahan) This was the second Shah from the Qajar dynasty, who the Zand princes had ultimately fought in vain.

literature

• The Tarih-i Zandiyya of Ali Rizs Schirazi, a source on the history of the Zand dynasty from the death of Karim Han Zand (1193/1779) to the defeat of Lutf'ali Han (1209/1794) ( Freiburg document server )
• John Malcolm: The History of Persia Volume II Part 1. 1815. (Reprint: Elibron Classics, Port Chester NY 2004, ISBN 1-4021-5134-9 )
• John R. Perry: Karim Khan Zand A History of Iran 1747-1779. Univ. of Chicago Press, 1979, ISBN 0-226-66098-2 , p. 299.

Web links

• Ali Rida Ibn-'Abd-al-Karim Sirazi. In: Encyclopædia Iranica.
• Genealogy (English)
• 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)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 'Ali Rida Ibn-'Abd-al-Karim Sirazi: The Tarih-i Zandiyya of Ali Rizs Shirazi, a source on the history of the Zand dynasty from the death of Karim Han Zand (1193/1779) to the defeat of Lutf'ali Han (1209/1794) , p. 25.
2. ↑ Genealogy (English)
3. ↑ 'Ali Rida Ibn-'Abd-al-Karim Sirazi: op.cit. P. 13.
4. ↑ ^{a b} 'Ali Rida Ibn-'Abd-al-Karim Sirazi: op.cit. P. 14.
5. ↑ 'Ali Rida Ibn-'Abd-al-Karim Sirazi: op.cit. P. 19.
6. ↑ 'Ali Rida Ibn-'Abd-al-Karim Sirazi: op.cit. P. 20.
7. ↑ 'Ali Rida Ibn-'Abd-al-Karim Sirazi: op.cit. P. 22.
8. ↑ John Malcolm: The History of Persia, Vol. II, Part 1. 1829 footnote, p. 106.
9. ^ Ali Riza Schirazi Tarih e Zandiya, p. 30.
10. ↑ 'Ali Rida Ibn-'Abd-al-Karim Sirazi: op.cit. P. 31.