The study of the economic history and trade of the hinterland regions of the
Persian Gulf constitutes an essential part of understanding the overall structure of
Iran’s economy during the Safavid to Zand periods. Among these regions,
Larestan stood out as one of the main hubs of commercial exchange in the south,
playing a significant role in connecting the ports of the Persian Gulf with the
inland centers of Iran. Despite this importance, the decline of Larestan’s
commercial position in the late Safavid era and thereafter has rarely been studied
in an independent and systematic manner .
This research, adopting a descriptive-analytical approach and relying on historical
sources and travelogues, explores the causes and factors behind the decline of
Larestan’s trade from the late Safavid period to the rise of the Zand dynasty. The
main question is: why, despite the expansion of Safavid power and the
government’s efforts to suppress insecurity in the south and the Persian Gulf, did
Larestan’s trade—as a major commercial hub of the south and the main supporter
of Bandar Abbas—fall into decline in the late Safavid era? Furthermore, why did
Larestan’s commercial prosperity fail to revive after the expulsion of the Afghans,
who had been a source of political disruption, during the reign of Nader Shah
Afshar?
Findings indicate that a combination of internal and external factors contributed to
this process. These include the dissolution of the local Miladian government, the
Afghan invasion and local unrest during the Afsharid era, the interventions of
regional powers such as the Imams of Muscat and the Baluchi tribes, and,
ultimately, the ineffective policies of Larestan’s local rulers during the post Safavid turmoil in political and economic spheres. These intertwined factors
brought about a gradual process of decline that ultimately reduced Larestan’s
authority in the commercial arena of southern Iran.