- 23 - Karim Khan Zand. However, as soon as he arrived to Shiraz, he dethronedAbul-Fatħ bin Karim Khan Zand, and instated Abul-Fatħ’s brother and his own son-inlaw, Mohammad Ali Khan, King of Persia. The Zand princes of Shiraz were outraged. They attacked the residence of the newly appointed king, Mohammad Ali Khan, and killed two of his sons. Zaki Khan ordered the gates of Shiraz to be shut for three or four days, and a search for the Zand princes who killed the two sons of King Mohammad Ali Khan ensued. The murderers were soon found. Zaki Khan slaughtered five of the Zand princes for their crime. Nasser Ali Khan, the former Army Chief against the Ottoman, was also slayed for his role in the conspiracy. Zaki Khan lent his support to Mohammad Ali Khan as King of Persia, and matters in Shiraz settled allowing things to go back to normal with the roads to Shiraz opening again. On 12th March 1779, Sadiq Khan learnt what Zaki Khan had done in Shiraz of the removing the king, instating a new one and killing those Zand princes. He consequently surrendered Basra to Sheikh Darwish
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