Career
Both were still children, and were pawns in the game of power. As another brother of Karim Khan, Sadiq Khan Zand, had left Shiraz, then the capital, and was gathering an army in Kerman ostensibly in support of Abol Fath Khan, Zaki Khan even had Abol Fath imprisoned. To add to the political trouble, right after the death of Karim Khan, the Qajar prince Agha Muhammad Khan, who had until then been a hostage in Shiraz, in order to prevent an outbreak of war between the Qajars, who still dominated the North of the country, and the Zands, escaped promptly and reached his stronghold of Mazandaran.
Subsequently, he took command of his tribe in Astarabad, and declared independence from the Zand Shah.
Soon however, it appeared that Ali Murad Khan had rebelled against him and captured Isfahan. On the other hand, Zaki Khan had levied high taxes on the landlords and put to death and tortured anyone who had resisted.
Subsequently his own army rebelled and killed Zaki Khan as he was marching on Isfahan, on June 6, 1779. Upon reception of the news of Zaki Khan"s demise, on June 19, 1779, he had Abol Fath proclaimed sole official ruler of Persia.
Sadiq held the real power, while Abol Fath, according to most accounts, was satisfied with a life of pleasures, and did not take any part in the administration of the Empire.
This situation did not however suit Sadiq Khan for lougitude Only two months after Abol Fath"s installation, on August 22, 1779, Sadiq Khan had him deposed and was proclaimed Shah instead. Abol Fath was blinded, either on Sadiq Khan"s orders, or two years later when Shiraz fell to Ali Murad Khan.
He died in 1787, aged 32.