| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| Karim Khan |
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(kär m´ khän) (KEY) , d. 1779, ruler of Persia (1750–79), founder of the Zand dynasty. He emerged victorious from a contest for power and ruled under the title Vakil [representative]. His rule was one of tranquility, and he made Shiraz, his capital, beautiful with buildings including the Mosque of Vakil and the Bazaar of Vakil. He allowed a few northern ethnic groups to remain virtually independent. One of them was the Qajars; from them was to come Aga Muhammad Khan, who overthrew (1794) Lutf Ali Khan, the last ruler of the Zand dynasty. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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