The last great asian conqueror, the second Alexander, the persian Napoleon. All names for a son of a shepard born on the fringes of civilization.
Born Nadir Qoli Beg in 1688 a.d. in the area known as Khurasan, he was the son of an Afshar Turk ( a turcoman tribe ). The Afshar's were vassels of the Safavid Persians. As a child Nadir was taken slave by the Uzbek Turks but escaped into the mountains. He joined the local bandits band and within a few years was it's leader.
In the early years of the 18th century Afghanistan was free of its normal status of vassel to the Safavid Persians and Muhgul India. The warlike tribes fought among themselves and in 1719 a.d. one of the losers in the continuous infightning Mahmud Ghilzui and his followers poured into Persia. The current Shah, Husayn was a weak ruler and soon the Afghans controlled most of the country. Nadir allied with the invaders, accepting payment to keep the Uzbeks busy. In 1722 a.d. after the Afghans defaulted on their payments, Nadir joined Husayn's son Tahmpas II in defying the invaders. He took the name Tahmpas kuli khan--Tahmpas's slave. He brought 5000 well trained men with him. The reorganized royal army won a series of small victories at Mehmondust, Sardara-ye-khar, and Zaragar. The new disciplined and confident army won a climatic victory at Damgham in 1729 a.d. and forced the invaders completely out of Persia by 1730 a.d.
In 1730 a.d. war with the Ottoman Turks broke out as the Persians attempted to regain lands lost in the chaos of the last decade. Nadir quickly had the Turkish armies on the defensive when he was forced to return to Khorasan to put down a revolt. While he was gone Shah Tahmpas II proceded on his own. He suffered a huge defeat and was forced to sign a treaty giving up additional territories of Georgia, Armenia and Shiran. Nadir was furious at all his handy work being undone and deposed Tahmpas II and placed Tahmpas's infant son Abbas on the throne with himself as regent.
In 1735 a.d. Nadir marched north to the caspian sea and threatened war with the Russian sucessors of Peter the great, who's influence was creeping into Georgia and Azerbaijan. The Russians backed down and withdrew. The next year Nadir renewed the war with the Ottoman Turks. His newly built navy captured Barhraim and Oman while he swept the Turks out of Azerbaijan. The Turks soon sued for peace. After these campaigns Nadir dropped any thought of beening the power behind the throne and deposed Abbas and claim the throne as Nadir Shah of the Afshad dynasty.
In 1738 a.d. Afghan raids got a Persian response, with Nadir overrunning Kabuk and Kandahar. With a well trained army and all his enemies cowed, Nadir eyed nearbye Muhgul India. Frequent civil wars and bitter infighting had deeply weakened the empire. Nadir used the excuse of an insult by Muhgul emperor Muhmammud Shah to the Persian ambassador to invade. He quickly overran the Punjab and forced the Khyher pass, defeating the local army at Ravi river. The Muhgul army was slow to respond, finally marching north meeting Nadir at Karanal where it was crushed and the emperor captured. The Muhgul minister Nizan-ul-Mulke negotiated a withdraw for the price of 20 million rupee's till a rival of Nizan's spoke of the wealth of Delhi being 10 fold of what was being offered. Nadir marched to Delhi and occupied it while a new higher figure was agreed on. When a rumor of Nadir's death spread, riots broke out in Delhi and Persian troops were attacked. When Nadir saw several of his men stripped and mulilated in the streets, he cut his army loose on the city. For 1 day they killed any Indian seen and plundered for 56 more days. It is estimated that between 30,000-100,000 people were killed during that time. He stripped the city and empire clean;
600 million rupee's of jewelry
10 million rupee's of gold
6 million rupee's of gold coins
10's of thousands of slaves girls
the Peacock throne
Koh-i-noor diamond
every skilled tradesmen and craftsmen
and made them cede all land west of the indus river.
The plunder allowed him to cancel all taxes in Persia for 3 years. Now secure on his throne he finally had Tahmpas II and Abbas put to death.
Nadir marched northward in 1740 a.d. to the lands of the Uzbeks and in a lightning campaign captured Bukhara and Khiva. At this time Persia strenched from the Indus to the Caucasus mountains, from Iraq to the Red sea, larger than it had been sense the Sassand empire. In 1743 a.d. Nadir again forced war on the Ottoman's but was not able to gain a victory due to a series of revolts back home. By now revolts were common in Persia after 25 years of continuous warfare had drained the country of all her young men and wealth. Nadir put down each revolt more cruelly than the one before. He began to see enemies everywhere. In 1741 a.d. he had his son blinded after he was rumored to be involved in an assassination attempt. He later executed 50 noble witnesses to the act saying the should of offered themselves to save his son.
In 1745 a.d. he renewed the Ottoman war once again, finally securing a great victory at Yerevan. Ottoman Turk, Afhgan, Muhgul India, Russia and steppe Turks were all cowed before Persian might, but internally Persia was in turmoil. Revolts still rocked the land. In 1747 a.d. Nadir began marching yet again to Khorasan to put down rebels, this time slaughtering everyone on the way there and piling the heads in huge towering heaps. Finally the captain of his guard and several of his generals could take no more and the great conquror was killed by his own men.
Nadir Shah is considered the savior of Persia. He found a country surrounded by external enemies goobling up chunks of her lands and left it externally safe but destroyed from within. He was a warrior, general, conqueror but also brutal, greedy and cruel. He was a fighting man, not a ruler. War was his life, when informed there were no wars in paradise ( heaven ) he replied " how can there be any delights ?" His endless warfare undid any gains he made for his country, had he ended after the Muhgul invasion with his enemies on the defensive and the wealth of India to rebuild Persia with, Persia could of entered a golden era. But Nadir cared nothing for that and squandered the wealth and his countrymen to the god of war till it over took him too.
Born Nadir Qoli Beg in 1688 a.d. in the area known as Khurasan, he was the son of an Afshar Turk ( a turcoman tribe ). The Afshar's were vassels of the Safavid Persians. As a child Nadir was taken slave by the Uzbek Turks but escaped into the mountains. He joined the local bandits band and within a few years was it's leader.
In the early years of the 18th century Afghanistan was free of its normal status of vassel to the Safavid Persians and Muhgul India. The warlike tribes fought among themselves and in 1719 a.d. one of the losers in the continuous infightning Mahmud Ghilzui and his followers poured into Persia. The current Shah, Husayn was a weak ruler and soon the Afghans controlled most of the country. Nadir allied with the invaders, accepting payment to keep the Uzbeks busy. In 1722 a.d. after the Afghans defaulted on their payments, Nadir joined Husayn's son Tahmpas II in defying the invaders. He took the name Tahmpas kuli khan--Tahmpas's slave. He brought 5000 well trained men with him. The reorganized royal army won a series of small victories at Mehmondust, Sardara-ye-khar, and Zaragar. The new disciplined and confident army won a climatic victory at Damgham in 1729 a.d. and forced the invaders completely out of Persia by 1730 a.d.
In 1730 a.d. war with the Ottoman Turks broke out as the Persians attempted to regain lands lost in the chaos of the last decade. Nadir quickly had the Turkish armies on the defensive when he was forced to return to Khorasan to put down a revolt. While he was gone Shah Tahmpas II proceded on his own. He suffered a huge defeat and was forced to sign a treaty giving up additional territories of Georgia, Armenia and Shiran. Nadir was furious at all his handy work being undone and deposed Tahmpas II and placed Tahmpas's infant son Abbas on the throne with himself as regent.
In 1735 a.d. Nadir marched north to the caspian sea and threatened war with the Russian sucessors of Peter the great, who's influence was creeping into Georgia and Azerbaijan. The Russians backed down and withdrew. The next year Nadir renewed the war with the Ottoman Turks. His newly built navy captured Barhraim and Oman while he swept the Turks out of Azerbaijan. The Turks soon sued for peace. After these campaigns Nadir dropped any thought of beening the power behind the throne and deposed Abbas and claim the throne as Nadir Shah of the Afshad dynasty.
In 1738 a.d. Afghan raids got a Persian response, with Nadir overrunning Kabuk and Kandahar. With a well trained army and all his enemies cowed, Nadir eyed nearbye Muhgul India. Frequent civil wars and bitter infighting had deeply weakened the empire. Nadir used the excuse of an insult by Muhgul emperor Muhmammud Shah to the Persian ambassador to invade. He quickly overran the Punjab and forced the Khyher pass, defeating the local army at Ravi river. The Muhgul army was slow to respond, finally marching north meeting Nadir at Karanal where it was crushed and the emperor captured. The Muhgul minister Nizan-ul-Mulke negotiated a withdraw for the price of 20 million rupee's till a rival of Nizan's spoke of the wealth of Delhi being 10 fold of what was being offered. Nadir marched to Delhi and occupied it while a new higher figure was agreed on. When a rumor of Nadir's death spread, riots broke out in Delhi and Persian troops were attacked. When Nadir saw several of his men stripped and mulilated in the streets, he cut his army loose on the city. For 1 day they killed any Indian seen and plundered for 56 more days. It is estimated that between 30,000-100,000 people were killed during that time. He stripped the city and empire clean;
600 million rupee's of jewelry
10 million rupee's of gold
6 million rupee's of gold coins
10's of thousands of slaves girls
the Peacock throne
Koh-i-noor diamond
every skilled tradesmen and craftsmen
and made them cede all land west of the indus river.
The plunder allowed him to cancel all taxes in Persia for 3 years. Now secure on his throne he finally had Tahmpas II and Abbas put to death.
Nadir marched northward in 1740 a.d. to the lands of the Uzbeks and in a lightning campaign captured Bukhara and Khiva. At this time Persia strenched from the Indus to the Caucasus mountains, from Iraq to the Red sea, larger than it had been sense the Sassand empire. In 1743 a.d. Nadir again forced war on the Ottoman's but was not able to gain a victory due to a series of revolts back home. By now revolts were common in Persia after 25 years of continuous warfare had drained the country of all her young men and wealth. Nadir put down each revolt more cruelly than the one before. He began to see enemies everywhere. In 1741 a.d. he had his son blinded after he was rumored to be involved in an assassination attempt. He later executed 50 noble witnesses to the act saying the should of offered themselves to save his son.
In 1745 a.d. he renewed the Ottoman war once again, finally securing a great victory at Yerevan. Ottoman Turk, Afhgan, Muhgul India, Russia and steppe Turks were all cowed before Persian might, but internally Persia was in turmoil. Revolts still rocked the land. In 1747 a.d. Nadir began marching yet again to Khorasan to put down rebels, this time slaughtering everyone on the way there and piling the heads in huge towering heaps. Finally the captain of his guard and several of his generals could take no more and the great conquror was killed by his own men.
Nadir Shah is considered the savior of Persia. He found a country surrounded by external enemies goobling up chunks of her lands and left it externally safe but destroyed from within. He was a warrior, general, conqueror but also brutal, greedy and cruel. He was a fighting man, not a ruler. War was his life, when informed there were no wars in paradise ( heaven ) he replied " how can there be any delights ?" His endless warfare undid any gains he made for his country, had he ended after the Muhgul invasion with his enemies on the defensive and the wealth of India to rebuild Persia with, Persia could of entered a golden era. But Nadir cared nothing for that and squandered the wealth and his countrymen to the god of war till it over took him too.
