Relation between Political and Religious Institution in the Zand Dynasty: Limited Exchange

Zand reign (1747-1795) particularly during Karim Khan’s rule regards as the period of constancy and quietness after Safavid era, which brought a style of statesmanship due to the condition of that time. The most important characteristic of this style was the difference in the relation between political and religious institutions beside Safavid and Afsharid periods. It seems that the structural failure of these two institutions has affected the cause of their formation of limited exchange.In traditional style, king or sultan was the head of political and religious institutions. But in the Zand reign, king was not in his commonplace situation. Though in that period, the theoretical basis of government did not change, the exchange between political and religious institution was limited. This survey explains reasons and conditions that influence this exchange.