Russo-Persian War, 1804-13
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Russo-Persian War in 1804-13 was first of two wars fought between Persia and Imperial Russia
In 1779, following the death of Karim Khan, the Zand dynasty ruler of southern Persia, Agha Mohammad Khan (reigned 1779-97), a leader of the Turkmen Qajar tribe, set out to reunify Persia. By 1794 he had eliminated all his rivals, including Lotf Ali Khan, the last of the Zand dynasty, and had reasserted Iranian sovereignty over the former Iranian territories in Georgia and the Caucasus. In 1796 he was formally crowned as shah, or emperor. Agha Mohammad was assassinated in 1797 and was succeeded by his nephew, Fath Ali Shah (reigned 1797-1834). Fath Ali attempted to maintain Persias sovereignty over its new territories, but he was disastrously defeated by Russia in two wars.