Situated in a scenic valley surrounded by mountains, Lorestan lies approximately 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) east of the Iraqi border.

The Medes absorbed the indigenous inhabitants of the region, primarily the Kassites as well as the Gutians, by the time the area was conquered by the Persians in the 1st millennium BC.

Archaeologists characterized these techniques by the metallurgical analysis of different artifacts, We have characterized these practices by the compositional and metallurgical analysis of grave goods from several cemeteries in the region including six dating to different phases of the Bronze Age (Early Dynastic I to Ur ED III, circa 2900–2000 BC)—Kalleh Nisar, Bani Surmah, Chigha Sabz, Kamtarlan, Sardant, and Gulal-i Galbi—and four dating to different phases of the Iron Age (circa 1300 B.C.–600 B.C.

When Agha Mohammad Khan took over Iran by defeating the Zand dynasty, he instated non-local governor-generals, princes and other personalities who were never native to Lorestan.

[14] The Qajar dynasty would ultimately have a devastating impact on Lorestan including on its territorial integrity, economic decline, political instability, reduction of settled communities and increased pastoral nomadism.

When Rawlinson had visited the area in 1836, he contrarily noted: "After breakfast I rode into Khorramabad, a distance of 5 miles from the foot of the hills, through a richly cultivated district thronged with villages and garden".

In a statement to the tribesmen in Lorestan in 1924, the Shah stated that he equated nomadic pastoralism to savagery and the tribal way of life as an obstacle to modernization and progress.

No reliable sources exist on the capture of Lorestan and no mention of the atrocities against the local population nor the assistance of some tribes for the Shah.

[20] In December 1923, the small army of the Shah (around 2,500 men) advanced toward Khorramabad but its first column was fully wiped out by the Beirvanvand tribe and their arms and ammunition was looted.

The second column succeeded in breaking the siege on Khorramabad and was welcomed by the local population as the tribes were at their winter territories faraway from the city.

The Baharvand leaders worked hard to prevent any confrontation between the army and the tribes but General Ahmadi went ahead with executions resulting in bloodshed and a continuation of hostilities.

However, the leader of the Sagvands persuaded the General to not retreat as the army would be wiped out and noted that the tribes could not fight for a long time because of the shortage of ammunition and lack of provisions.

Reza Shah visited Lorestan in the summer of 1924 as he was planning on attacking Khuzestan and some tribes including the Sagvand would enter Dezful with the army without any incident.

[30][31] Laks live in the Delfan, Dowreh and Selseleh counties which are populated by various subtribes including the Chegini, Itivand, Kakavand, Nurali and Papi.

The population history and structural changes of Lorestan province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.

The terrain consists chiefly of mountains, with numerous ranges, part of the Zagros chain, running northwest to southeast.

The mountainous regions, such as Borujerd, Dorud, Azna, Nurabad, and Aleshtar, experience cold winters and moderate summers.

However, southern areas such as Pol-e-Dokhtar and Papi, are under the influence of the warm air currents of Khuzestan, and have hot summers and relatively moderate winters.