Abbas III was a son of Shah Tahmasp II of the Safavid dynasty. After the deposition of his father by Nadir Shah Afsar in 1732 the eight month old Abbas was appointed nominal ruler of Persia (Iran). Nadir Khan, who was the real ruler of the country assumed the positions of deputy of state and viceroy. Like his father, Abbas III was deposed on March 1736, when Nadir Khan had himself crowned as Nadir Shah, officially terminating the Safavid dynasty. Abbas and his father were murdered at Sabzavar in 1740 on the orders of Nadir's son Reza-qoli Mirza, who was persuaded to take this action to prevent a possible pro-Safavid coup induced by rumors of Nadir's death in India.
