Zand Dynasty

The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly known as Zand Iran, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Zand dynasty. It initially ruled southern and central Iran in the 18th century, later expanding to include much of the rest of contemporary Iran (except for the province of Sistan and Baluchestan and the region of Khorasan excluding Sabzevar) as well as parts of Iraq. The lands of present-day Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia were controlled by khanates which were de jure part of the Zand realm, but the region was de facto autonomous. The island of Bahrain was also held for the Zands by the autonomous Al-Mazkur sheikhdom of Bushehr. The reign of its founder and most important ruler, Karim Khan.