Tahmasb II's reign was one of the most precarious in Safavid history. He was installed as shah in 1729 largely as a puppet, first under the influence of Nader Qoli Beg — the Afsharid general who had driven the Afghans out of Iran — and the relationship between the two men deteriorated as Nader's military ambitions grew unchecked. By 1732, Nader forced Tahmasb to abdicate after the shah lost territory to the Ottomans in an unauthorized campaign, replacing him with his own infant son Abbas III.
Esfāhān remained the nominal Safavid capital through this period, and the mint continued operating under increasingly unstable conditions. Coins struck here in Tahmasb II's name date to some of the last years in which any Safavid ruler held even nominal authority.
Tahmasb II's reign was one of the most precarious in Safavid history. He was installed as shah in 1729 largely as a puppet, first under the influence of Nader Qoli Beg — the Afsharid general who had driven the Afghans out of Iran — and the relationship between the two men deteriorated as Nader's military ambitions grew unchecked. By 1732, Nader forced Tahmasb to abdicate after the shah lost territory to the Ottomans in an unauthorized campaign, replacing him with his own infant son Abbas III.
Esfāhān remained the nominal Safavid capital through this period, and the mint continued operating under increasingly unstable conditions. Coins struck here in Tahmasb II's name date to some of the last years in which any Safavid ruler held even nominal authority.