Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar

Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar

 

Born 1742; died 1797. Iranian shah from 1796; founder of the Qajar dynasty. He led the struggle of the Qajar feudal lords against the Zands which ended in the victory of the Qajars in 1794. Agha Muhammad Khan proclaimed Tehran the capital in 1796. He was known for his extreme severity and cruelty in dealing with his enemies and with the rebellious popular masses. In 1795 he carried out a destructive invasion of Azerbaijan and Georgia and sacked Tbilisi. He was killed by his own courtiers during his second campaign in the Transcaucasian region in 1797.