Kish during the rule of various dynasties

Kish during the rule of various dynasties

The island of Kish, during the reigns of these dynasties — which coincided with the comings and goings of Western merchants, ambassadors and envoys of European courts to Iran — more or less regained its former prosperity. But this was also the era of the emergence of the pernicious phenomenon of colonialism and the expansion of the influence of colonial powers over other lands. The boom in trade, its importance, its maritime position and Kish’s location at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, as an economic base and an important strategic point like other islands, made it a constant focus of attention and temptation for Europeans and colonial aggressors. Unfortunately, the weakness of central governments, the presence of selfish, money‑grasping and tyrannical local rulers of these islands, made it very easy for European aggressors — who possessed strong and cohesive naval forces — to seize islands in the Persian Gulf, including the island of Kish.
Kish endured a very difficult period of upheaval, occupation, domination and liberation from foreigners. During the reigns of Shah Abbas of the Safavids, Nader Shah, and Karim Khan Zand, it was freed from foreign domination at times. During Shah Abbas’s reign, the occupying Portuguese suffered a severe defeat at the hands of the famous Iranian commander Imam Qoli Khan and his prudence, and were expelled from some of Iran’s islands such as Qeshm.