ABSTRACT
The eighteenth century was not a happy period for Persia. After the fall of the degenerate Safawid regime, no man or group succeeded in restoring real stability over the whole country for many decades. Nadir Shah did indeed restore political unity and even, for the last time to date, extended Persia's borders. But unity under Nadir was probably in some respects as undesirable as anarchy. Much of the country enjoyed a time of reasonably benevolent government at the hands of Karim Khan Zand, but not until the accession of Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar, towards the end of the century, were both unity and stability, of a sort, recovered. This did not mean that the period was entirely sterile: in particular, there were important developments within ShiiIslam in Persia which were to have their effect down to the present day.
