Kalhor Tribe and Ruling Powers from Safavid Period to the End of Mohammad Shah Qajar Rule

Kalhor tribe is one of the prominent tribes in western Iran, which has been living in the foothills of the Zagros since ancient times and like other tribes, has played a role in the political and military history of Iran. This study aims to clarify the position of the Kalhor tribe in political and military events in the west of the country by describing and analyzing first-hand source data, local history, and authoritative research texts. It seeks to answer these questions: What were the relations of the Kalhor tribe with the rulers of Iran from the Safavid period to the end of the reign of Mohammad Shah Qajar? And what role did this tribe play in the relations between Iran and the Ottoman Empire? The findings of the study indicate that the Kalhor tribe had less influence and power in the court of the Safavid kings than the Zanganeh tribe did. The continuous revolts of the Kalhor tribe, especially in the first half of the rule of this dynasty until the reign of Shah Abbas I, led to ignoring the Kalhor leaders by the ruling power. During the Afshari period, due to Nader Shah’s conflicts with the Ottomans and the need for the cooperation of the western tribes, there was a relative improvement in the relations of the Kalhor tribe with the government. In the days of Zandieh dynasty, the elders of the Kalhor tribe played their historical role alongside the central power by helping Karim Khan Zand to achieve the monarchy and establishing family ties with him. The Kalhor tribe played an effective role in the battles of Iran and the Ottoman Empire during the Qajar period and the rule of Mohammad Ali Mirza Dolatshah over Kermanshah until the end of the reign of Mohammad Shah Qajar.