Nader shah

the Afsharid dynasty was a short-lived Turkish dynasty established in Iran. The founder of the dynasty, Nadir Shah, belonged to the Afshar tribe of the Oghuz Turks. In the 18th century, the Safavid dynasty's dominance in Iran had significantly weakened, and rebellions had erupted across the state. The final blow to the Safavids came from the Afghan Ghilzai tribe. In 1722, the Ghilzai tribe invaded Isfahan. In the same year, Ottoman forces occupied Tabriz, Georgia, Dagestan, Ardabil, and Persian Iraq, while the Russians entered Baku and Derbent. During this period, the Safavid Shah Tahmasp II sought help from Nadir. Nadir Shah entered the service of Tahmasp II and became known as Tahmasp Quli Khan. In 1729, Nadir defeated the Abdali Afghans in Herat and later that year defeated the Ghilzai ruler Ashraf. Following these victories, Nadir entered Isfahan, expelled the Afghans from Iran, and reinstated Tahmasp II to the throne. In 1730, Nadir marched against the Ottomans, entering Persian Iraq, Tabriz, and Urmia. However, due to a rebellion in Herat in 1731, Nadir was forced to campaign there. During his absence, Tahmasp attempted a campaign against the Ottomans but failed. Upon Nadir's return, he deposed Tahmasp and replaced him with his son Abbas III. Nadir then launched a campaign against the Ottomans, and in 1733, besieged Baghdad but was defeated by Ottoman forces under Topal Osman Pasha in the Battle of Ducum, forcing him to retreat. Nevertheless, Nadir won the Battle of Leylan against the Ottomans and subsequently cleared the Caucasus of Russians and Ottomans. In 1735, he won the Battle of Arpachay against the Ottomans. Following these successes, Nadir convened a council at the Mughan plain, where he proclaimed himself Shah and established the Afsharid dynasty. In 1739, Nadir Shah conquered India, defeated the Mughal army at the Battle of Karnal, and plundered Delhi. Nadir Shah returned to Iran with vast treasures. In 1740, Nadir Shah annexed the khanates in Turkestan. In 1743, Nadir Shah entered another war with the Ottomans but failed to achieve significant results. In 1746, Nadir Shah made peace with the Ottomans. In 1747, some of his commanders poisoned him. Nadir Shah was a Ja'fari Shia but wanted reconciliation between Sunnis and Shias; hence, he banned the Shia call to prayer and prohibited cursing the first three caliphs, which disturbed the Shia clergy. Although Nadir Shah was an excellent commander, he was not skilled in governance. To finance his campaigns, he imposed heavy taxes in Iran. Nadir Shah was also very ruthless; he had his sons' eyes gouged out. After Nadir Shah's death, Iran fragmented, and the Afsharid dynasty was ultimately overthrown by the Qajars in 1803.