The Relations of Hedayatullah Khan Foumani (Gilani) with the Central Government (1170-1200 A.H./ 1757-1786)

Due to its geographical location, Gilan, since the arrival of Islam until the Safavid era, was always under the rule of local families and was not usually under the direct control of the central government. Only in the Safavid period, Shah Abbas I (d. 996-1038 AH/ 1588-1629 AD) put an end to the reign of local governments through the expansion of the influence and domination of the central government over Gilan. Since then, Gilan’s affairs were governed by agents and rulers appointed by the central government. During the reign of Karim Khan Zand (d. 1163-1193 AH/ 1750-1779 AD), Hedayatullah Khan was appointed as the governor of the province, but due to various reasons and factors, his relationship with the central government changed. Through a descriptive-analytical method, this paper seeks to answer the question of why and how Hedayatullah Khan’s relationship with the central government changed. The findings of this study show that Hedayatullah Khan’s relations with the central government were influenced by factors such as the weakness of the central government, the military empowerment of the ruler of Gilan, and the establishment of political and economic relations with the neighboring governments. The ruler of Gilan, by resorting to political, military and economic measures and suppressing the local readers, sought to maintain his power and that of his subordinates against the central government and other political claimants.