The Zand Dynasty, founded by Karim Khan Zand, brought relative stability and prosperity to southern and central Iran after the chaos of the Afsharid collapse, ruling as 'representative of the people' rather than claiming the royal title.
Extinguished by the Qajar dynasty in 1794 CE: after a prolonged siege of Kerman, the last Zand ruler Lotf Ali Khan was betrayed and captured, then transported to Tehran where Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar had him blinded, tortured, and executed, ending the dynasty.
Covers the Zand interlude as a period of Persian cultural recovery between the Afsharid and Qajar eras.
The definitive study of the Zand dynasty's founder, who ruled as vakil ('the People's Deputy') and brought stability to southern Iran after the Afsharid collapse.