The Afshars of Khamseh and the Qajar Government: A Model for the Central Government’s Interaction with the Local Ruling Families

Zanjan, formerly known as Khamseh, has been known as the main settlement of the Afshar tribe since the middle Ages in Iran. From the Safavid era onwards, especially since the Qajar era, Afshar tribesmen played an important role in the socio-political events of Iran. The emergence of ruling families and influential political-military figures among Afshar tribes of Khamseh indicates the high level of their influence on the power structure of Iran. How the Afshars of Khamseh, as one of the most influential local powers in terms of relations with the central government, interacted with the Qajar dynasty is an issue that we intend to address in this article. The geographical and strategic conditions of Khamseh, the local and deep-rooted influence of the Afshars of Khamseh, along with some other influential factors such as economic and military capabilities of this land, played an important role in shaping political relations between Afshars and the central government of Iran. In this study, while examining the historical roots of the Afshars’ influence in Khamseh, we try to explain the relationship between this local family and the central government and its effects on the political developments of the Qajar era.