 The dynasty was founded by Karim Khan Zand, chief of the Zand tribe, which is a tribe of Laks, a branch of Lurs who may have been originally Kurdish.Nader Shah moved the Zand tribe from their home in Lakestan to the eastern steppes of Khorasan.After Nader's death, the Zand tribe, under the guidance of Karim Khan, went back to their original land.