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Nader Shah

1688 CE – 1747 CE

Retrace Nader Shah's life across the map — 31 events in chronological order, from a cinematic flythrough to a full timeline.

Life journey

1. Campaigns of Nader Shah1720 CE
   The campaigns of Nader Shah, or the Naderian Wars, were a series of conflicts fought in the early to mid-eighteenth century throughout Central Eurasia primarily by the Iranian conqueror Nader Shah. His campaigns originated from the overthrow of the Iranian Safavid dynasty by the Hotaki Afghans. In the ensuing collapse and fragmentation of the empire after the capture of the Iranian capital of Isfahan by the Afghans, a claimant to the Safavid throne, Tahmasp II, accepted Nader into his service. After having subdued north-west Iran as well as neutralising the Abdali Afghans to the east and turning Tahmasp II into a vassal, Nader marched against the Hotaki Afghans in occupation of the rest of the country. In a series of incredible victories the Afghans were decimated and Tahmasp II returned to the throne as a restored Safavid monarch.
2. Khorasan Campaign1726 CE
   The Khorasan campaign of Nader Shah by Safavid loyalist forces against separatists in Khorasan was Nader Shah's first major military campaign which he waged on behalf of the new Safavid pretender to the throne, Tahmasp II. It would propel him into the centre of the political landscape of war-torn early eighteenth-century Persia.
3. Battle of Sangan1727 CE
   The Battle of Sangan, was an engagement involving the Loyalist forces of Tahmasp II of Safavid Iran led by Nader and the Abdali Afghan tribes in and further beyond southern Khorasan in the autumn of 1727. This armed struggle was one of the initial battles between the resurgent Safavid cause and that of the Afghans. The engagement technically ended in a Safavid victory.
4. Battle of Murche-Khort1729 CE
   The Battle of Murche-Khort was the last decisive engagement of Nader's campaign to restore Tahmasp II to the Iranian throne. Ashraf Hotak had failed to arrest Nader's advance onto Isfahan at Khwar pass where his ambush was discovered, surrounded and ambushed itself. The battle was fought in an uncharacteristic manner by the Afghans who to some extent sought to replicate their foes tactical systems which had so badly devastated their armies up to this point. Victory opened a clear road south towards Isfahan and the return of Safavid rule for a few brief years before Nader himself would overthrow it In 1736 and appointed himself as Shah, establishing the Afsharid dynasty.
5. Battle of Herat1729 CE
   The Battle of Herat was fought between the military forces from the Abdali Afghans and the army of the Safavid Iran on July 1729
6. Battle of Zarghan1729 CE
   The Battle of Zarghan was the last battle of Ashraf Hotak's career as a statesman. Having been repeatedly bludgeoned by Nader's army through the Battles of Mehmandoost and Murche-Khort, Ashraf had withdrawn from Isfahan and escaped south to Shiraz to rebuild his army in an ultimately futile attempt to reverse his fortunes. Although he found some local support amongst a few tribes, he was decisively beaten, for the last time, after which he disappeared from Persia as well as the historical records, with no consensus being reached concerning the manner of his demise.
7. Battle of Damghan1729 CE
   The Battle of Damghan or Battle of Mehmandoost was fought on 29 September to 5 October 1729, near the city of Damghan. It resulted in an overwhelming victory for Nader and the Safavid cause he had taken up. Although it by itself did not end Ashraf's rule in Iran, it was a significant triumph which led to further successes in the following engagements of the campaign to restore Tahmasp II to the throne. The battle was followed by another one in Murcheh-Khort, a village near Isfahan. Nader's forces were victorious in both battles, which led him to remove the Ghilzai Afghan dynasty from their short stay on the Persian throne. The Hotakis were forced back to their territory in what is now southern Afghanistan.
8. Herat Campaign1729 CE
   The Herat campaign of 1729 consisted of a series of intermittent and fluid engagements culminating in the finale of Nader's military operations against the Abdali Pashtuns. Nader having recently concluded a successful campaign against his own monarch and prince, the badly humiliated Tahmasp II, set out from Mashhad on 4 May 1729, making sure that the Shah also accompanied him on this journey where he could be kept under close supervision.
9. Afsharid conquests in the Persian Gulf and Oman1730 CE
   The Afsharid conquests in the Persian Gulf and Oman refers to a series of military campaigns undertaken by the Afsharid Iranian Empire against the Omani Empire. It led to the Afsharid of territories on both sides of the Persian Gulf.
10. Ottoman–Persian War of 1730–17351730 CE
    The Ottoman–Persian War of 1730–1735 was a conflict between the forces of Safavid Iran and those of the Ottoman Empire from 1730 to 1735. After Ottoman support had failed to keep the Ghilzai Afghan invaders on the Iranian throne, the Ottoman possessions in western Iran, which were granted to them by the Hotak dynasty, came under risk of re-incorporation into the newly resurgent Iranian Empire. The talented Safavid general, Nader, gave the Ottomans an ultimatum to withdraw, which the Ottomans chose to ignore. A series of campaigns followed, with each side gaining the upper hand in a succession of tumultuous events that spanned half a decade. Finally, the Iranian victory at Yeghevard made the Ottomans sue for peace and recognize Iranian territorial integrity and Iranian hegemony over the Caucasus.
11. Western Persia campaign of 17301730 CE
    Nader's Western Iran campaign of 1730 was his first against perhaps his most formidable of adversaries, namely the Ottomans, where he proved triumphant in conquest. The great successes of his expedition, however, were rendered null when Shah Tahmasp II decided to take personal command of the theatre in Nader's absence, forcing a furious Nader to return and rectify the situation after forcing Tahmasp's abdication in favour of his infant son Abbas III.
12. Nader's Mesopotamian Campaign1732 CE
    The Mesopotamian Campaign of 1732–1733 was a military conflict during the eventful Ottoman–Persian War (1730–1735). As a direct result of Tahmasp II's blunders in his ill fated invasion of the Ottoman Caucasus all of Nader's previous gains in the theatre were lost and a humiliating treaty had been signed giving away hegemony over the Caucasus to Istanbul. This settlement gave Nader the authority to force Tahmasp's abdication and resume the war against the Turks by launching an invasion of Ottoman Iraq.
13. Herat Campaign of 17311732 CE
    The Herat Campaign of 1730–1732 took place when Nader Shah who had already successfully driven the Ottomans from western Iran and southern Azerbaijan had to cut his campaign short to deal with the revolt of the Abdalis of Herat who were provoked into bearing arms against their Persian overlords by Hussein Hotaki of Qandahar. The conflict resulted in the re-establishment of Persian rule over Herat.
14. Battle of Kirkuk (1733)1733 CE
    The Battle of Kirkuk, also known as the Battle of Agh-Darband or Battle of Leylan, was the last battle in Nader Shah's Mesopotamian campaign where he avenged his earlier defeat at the hands of the Ottoman general Topal Osman Pasha, in which Nader achieved suitable revenge after defeating and killing him at the battle of Kirkuk. The battle was another in the chain of seemingly unpredictable triumphs and tragedies for both sides as the war swung wildly from the favour of one side to the other. Although the battle ended in a crushing victory for the Persians, they had to be withdrawn from the area due to a growing rebellion in the south of Persia led by Mohammad Khan Baluch. This rebellion in effect robbed Nader of the strategic benefits of his great victory which would have included the capture of Baghdad, if he had the chance to resume his campaign.
15. Battle of Samarra1733 CE
    The Battle of Samarra was the key engagement between the two great generals Nader Shah and Topal Osman Pasha, which led to the siege of Baghdad being lifted, keeping Ottoman Iraq under Istanbul's control. The armed contest between the two colossi was very hard fought, with a total of roughly 50,000 men becoming casualties by the end of the fighting that left the Persians decimated and the Ottoman victors badly shaken. Other than its importance in deciding the fate of Baghdad, the battle is also significant as Nader's only battlefield defeat although he would avenge this defeat at the hands of Topal Pasha at the Battle of Kirkuk, where Topal was killed.
16. Siege of Baghdad (1733)1733 CE
    The siege of Baghdad in 1733 was a relatively short but intense siege of Baghdad in Ottoman Iraq by the Persian army under Nader Shah. The outcome was determined not at Baghdad but ultimately far to the north near Samara where a large relief force commanded by the Topal Pasha inflicted a decisive defeat on Nader's Persian army. The Persian besiegers were forced away.
17. Caucasus Campaign1734 CE
    The Caucasus Campaign of 1734–1735 was the last great campaign of the Ottoman–Persian War (1730–1735) which ended in a Persian victory allowing Nader to recast Persian hegemony over almost the entire Caucasus, region, reconquering it for the Safavid state.
18. Siege of Ganja1734 CE
    The siege of Ganja during the last phase of the Ottoman–Persian War (1730–1735) resulted in the surrender of the city by its Ottoman garrison after a brave defense was rendered futile by the destruction of the main Turkish army marching to its relief in the battle of Baghavard.
19. Battle of Yeghevārd1735 CE
    The Battle of Yeghevārd, also known as the Battle of Baghavard or Morad Tapeh or Arpachai or Echmiadzin, was the final major engagement of the Ottoman–Persian War of (1730–1735) where the principal Ottoman army in the Caucasus theatre under Koprulu Pasha's command was utterly destroyed by only the advance guard of Nader's army before the main Persian army could enter into the fray. The complete rout of Koprulu Pasha's forces led to a number of besieged Ottoman strongholds in the theatre surrendering as any hope of relief proved ephemeral in light of the crushing defeat at Yeghevārd. One of Nader's most impressive battlefield victories, in which he decimated a force four or five times the size of his own, it helped establish his reputation as a military genius and stands alongside many of his other great triumphs such as at Karnal, Mihmandoost or Kirkuk.
20. Nader's Central Asian Campaign1737 CE
    The Nader Shah's Central Asian campaign was a military conflict During the mid-eighteenth century the Afsharid empire of Nader Shah embarked upon the conquest and annexation of the Khanates of Bukhara and Khiva. The initial engagements were fought in the late 1730s by Nader Shah's son and viceroy Reza Qoli Mirza who gained a few notable victories in this theatre while Nader was still invading India to the south. Reza Qoli's invasions of Khiva angered Ilbars Khan, the leader of Khiva. When Ilbars threatened to make a counter-attack Nader ordered hostilities to cease despite his son's successes and later returned victoriously from Delhi to embark on a decisive campaign himself.
21. Siege of Kandahar1737 CE
    The siege of Kandahar began when Nader Shah's Afsharid army invaded southern Afghanistan to topple the last Hotaki stronghold of Loy Kandahar, which was held by Hussain Hotaki. It took place in the Old Kandahar area of the modern city of Kandahar in Afghanistan and lasted until March 24, 1738, when the Hotaki Afghans were defeated by the Persian army, namely the Afsharid empire.
22. Battle of Khyber Pass1738 CE
    The Battle of Khyber Pass was an engagement fought on 26 November 1738 between the Afsharid Iran of Nader Shah and the Mughal vassal state of Peshawar. The result of the battle was an overwhelming victory for the Iranians, opening up the path ahead to invade the crown-lands of the Mughal Empire of Muhammad Shah.
23. Battle of Karnal1739 CE
    The Battle of Karnal was a decisive victory for Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran, during his invasion of India. Nader's forces defeated the army of Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah within three hours, paving the way for the Iranian sack of Delhi. The engagement is considered the crowning jewel in Nader's military career as well as a tactical masterpiece. The battle took place near Karnal in Haryana, 110 kilometres (68 mi) north of Delhi, India. As a result of the overwhelming defeat of the Mughal Empire at Karnal, the already-declining Mughal dynasty was critically weakened to such an extent as to hasten its demise. According to Axworthy, it is also possible that without the ruinous effects of Nader's invasion of India, European colonial takeover of the Indian subcontinent would have come in a different form or perhaps not at all.
24. Nader's Sindh Expedition1740 CE
    The Sindh expedition was one of Nader Shah's last campaigns during his war in northern India. After his victory over Muhammad Shah, the Mughal Emperor, Nader had compelled him to cede all the lands to the west of the Indus River. His return to this region from Delhi was honoured by all the governors of the newly annexed territories save for Khudayar Khan, ruler of Sindh, who was conspicuously absent despite being given a summons like the rest of the governors.
25. Capture of Samarkand by Nader Shah Afshar1740 CE
    The capture of Samarkand one of the political and economic centers of the region, during his Central Asian campaign. According to Nader Shah, who was an admirer of Amir Timur, Samarkand had a symbolic meaning. The capture occurred in 1740 and Nader Shah entered Samarkand almost unopposed. According to legend, Nader Shah brought the double doors of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque made of gold, silver, precious stones, jewelry and other precious metals, located in Samarkand, as well as a number of architects, artists, and scientists, to the center of the Afshar Empire.
26. Withdrawal through Andalal1741 CE
    The withdrawal of Andalal by the Persian army under Nader Shah took place after he broke off the siege of the last Lezgian fortress in order to return to Derbent for winter quarters. His withdrawal came under heavy raids by the Lezgians. However, there is no mention of any pitched battle around Andalal, or anywhere else during the withdrawal, in any of the primary or secondary material in the established historiography of Nader's Campaigns.
27. Nader's Dagestan campaign1741 CE
    Nader's Dagestan campaign, were the campaigns conducted by the Persian Empire under its Afsharid ruler Nader Shah between the years 1741 and 1743 in order to fully subjugate the Dagestan region in the North Caucasus Area. The conflict between the Persian Empire & the Lezgins and a myriad of other Caucasian tribes in the north was intermittently fought through the mid-1730s during Nader's first short expedition in the Caucasus until the last years of his reign and assassination in 1747 with minor skirmishes and raids. The incredibly difficult terrain of the northern Caucasus region made the task of subduing the Lezgins an extremely challenging one. Despite this Nader Shah gained numerous strongholds and fortresses from the Dagestanis and pushed them to the very verge of defeat. The Lezgins however held on in the northernmost reaches of Dagestan and continued to defy Persian domination.
28. Siege of Mosul1743 CE
    The siege of Mosul was the siege of the city of Mosul in Ottoman Iraq by Nader Shah's army during the Persian invasion of the Ottoman Empire in 1743.
29. Siege of Kars1744 CE
    The siege of Kars took place in 1744 during the Ottoman–Persian War of 1743–1746. Nader Shah, ruler of Afsharid Iran, laid siege to the city of Kars on 29 July 1744. The siege was unsuccessful and the Persians retreated on 9 October.
30. Battle of Mosul1745 CE
    The Battle of Kars was the last major engagement of the Ottoman–Iranian War. The battle resulted in the complete and utter destruction of the Ottoman army. It was also the last of the great military triumphs of Nader Shah. The battle was fought over a period of ten days in which the first day saw the Ottomans routed from the field, followed by a series of subsequent blockades and pursuits until the final destruction of the Ottoman army. The severity of the defeat, in conjunction with another defeat near Mosul, ended any hopes of Ottoman victory and forced them to enter into negotiations with a significantly weaker position than they would otherwise have occupied.
31. Battle of Kars1745 CE
    The Battle of Kars was the last major engagement of the Ottoman–Iranian War. The battle resulted in the complete and utter destruction of the Ottoman army. It was also the last of the great military triumphs of Nader Shah. The battle was fought over a period of ten days in which the first day saw the Ottomans routed from the field, followed by a series of subsequent blockades and pursuits until the final destruction of the Ottoman army. The severity of the defeat, in conjunction with another defeat near Mosul, ended any hopes of Ottoman victory and forced them to enter into negotiations with a significantly weaker position than they would otherwise have occupied.

Event data from Wikipedia/Wikidata (CC-BY-SA). Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected].