The Era of Nadir Shah

1705-1725 Afgar tribal raids against Uzbegs tribes. The Uzbegs killed Nadir’s father, enslaved his mother and himself until he escaped. As a result Nadir harbored great animosity against the tribe. So many of his early campaigns as a Afshar soldier and sub-chief involved raids against the Uzbegs.

1719 Kandahar, Afganistan. Ghilzai Afgans revolt and defeat local Persian garrisons.

1719, Herat Afganistan. Abdali Afgans revolt against Persian garrisons. Persians (30,000) including artillery and vassal cavalry attack Afgans (15,000) holding Heart. It is a bitter battle until Persian artillery targets Persian allies by accident. The Persian coalition routs.

1719-1726. Afgans invasion and brief rule over Khurasan (Persia). Nadir fought Perisa’s Uzbeg allies until the Afgans discontinued paying his fees.

1722, March 7. Gulnabad. The Afgan invaders (20,000 foot and 100 1pdr swivel guns carried by camels) established prepared positions at Gulnabad near the Persian capital. The main Persian army under Rustum Khan (20,000 regulars and guard foot + 24 guns + 10,000 Persian cavalry + 20,000 Mercenary Arab cavalry) assaulted the position. Initial assaults led to the mercenaries defeating the Afgan flank cavalry and looting their camp. The other Persian wing also gained ground. The Afgan with the guns in the center inflicted heavy damage onto the flanks of the extended Persian and Arab formations. An Afgan counterattack captured the Persian guns that were turned against the Persian reserve. Persian formations now rout and the Afgans captured the Persian capital.

1726, Isfahan, Persia. Persian and Afgan forces (20,000 + 40 small camel mtd guns) under the Afgan ruler Ashraf. Attack and destroy an advance guard of Turks (2,000). After several days the main Turkish forces (50,000 + 70 guns) leave their entrenched camp and attack the nearby Afgan positions. The Turks are routed losing all of their guns and over 20,000 men killed or captured.

1727-1729 Persians under Nadir conduct a re-conquest of Khurasan from the Afgans.

1729, Damghan. Afgans (30,000) move to crush the rebellion of Tamasp (600) who was now supported by Nadir (5,000 Kurds) and Persian nobles (9,000). The forces engage along crossings of the Mehmandost River. The Afgans are defeated and retreat to Tehran.

1729, Murchakhar. Afgan forces (15,000) under Ashraf evacuate Tehran but stand to fight at a fortified position south of the city. Persian forces(20,000) under Nadir defeat the Afgans. The Afgans evacuate their Persian capital and withdraw toward Afganistan.

1730, Jan 17, Zarghan. Persians (25,000) under Nadir defeat Afgans (20,000) under Ashraf. Afgans disperse to their tribal lands. Persians had regained control of their homeland.

1730-1732 Persians under Nadir subdue rival clans in Khurasan.

1729-1732 Persian troops under Shah Tamasp II lose several battles to the Ottoman Turks along the western frontier losing Georgia and Armenia to the Turks.

1731, Hamadan I. Nadir defeats a Turkish army and sieges Yerevan in Armenia.

1731-32, Herat. Nadir lifts a siege at Yerevan and force marches to fight the Abdali Afgan tribes in Khurasan. The tribes are defeated and Herat is captured.

1732, Korijan. The Persian Shah Tahmasp attempts offensive operations at Yerevan but fails to capture the town. During his retreat, the Persians (20,000)are routed at Korijan by the Turks (30,000) .

1732-1735 Persian troops defeat Turks in the west and the Russians in the north.

1733 Baghdad (Iraq). Persians (42,000) under Nadir siege the Turkish provincial capital of Iraq. Nadir leaves a holding force (12,000) to continue the siege while he engages the relief force at Karkuk. After the Persian defeat at Karkuk, the Turks (~15,000) sortie from Baghdad and rout the detached besiegers.

1733, Karkuk (Iraq). Persians (30,000) under Nadir to intercept a Turkish relief force (60,000) which has been sent to Baghdad. A battle that lasts over eight hours before Turks rout the smaller Persian force. Persian cavalry was able to defeat the Turkish cavalry but the Persian infantry could not hold back the large numbers of Turkish foot.

1733 Leilan (Iraq) Nadir is able to rally the core of the Persian army (50,000) and moves to stop the Turkish advance. The depleted Turkish forces (30,000), due to having to replace various garrisons and departed vassal troops, under Osman Topal are defeated near Leilan. Again the Persian cavalry defeats the Turkish cavalry and routs the disordered infantry. The Turkish commander is killed.

1735, Baghavand. Persians (30,000) under Nadir defeat a superior Ottoman force (80,000). The Persians conducted a fighting withdrawal until they reached the plains of Baghavand and turned to face the Ottomans. The Ottomans were in ragged pursuit columns and were destroyed piecemeal by the now attacking Persians.

1736 Persians re-conquer southeastern Persia and expand into Southwestern Afganistan.

1736 Persian forces cross the Persian Gulf and invade Oman. They control it until 1744.

1738-1739 Persians conquer the eastern Afgan territories around Kandahar and Kabul.

1738-39, March, Kandahar. Persians (80,000 foot + 30,000 vassal cavalry) under Nadir siege the Afgan stronghold (30,000) at Kandahar. Nadir knew that his coalition force could not handle severe losses so he maintained a blockade rather than assaulting the walls. After a year, various strategies worked and the city surrendered. He enlisted 4,ooo of the Afgan defenders into a bodyguard formation for himself. A unique way to ensure that the best Afgan fighters would not be able to initiate further raids against Persia.

1738, Pakistan expeditions. Nadir, while using the large camp around the besieged city of Kandahar as a supply base, used his vassal cavalry to launch quick strikes against the towns in Balkh and Baluchistan. These then recognized Persian rule.

1738 June. Small Persian expeditions (20-30,000) attack various Afgan and Indian controlled towns in eastern Afganistan. Kabul and Ghazni among others are captured.

1738-40 Persian forces invade the Indus territories of the Indian Moghuls. He captured several cities including Delhi.

October 1738, Khyber Pass forts. The main Persian force (70,000) holds the western passes. Persian advance guards (30,000) secure the mountain passes by crossing at a minor pass and attacking the rear of the Mogul fortified camp (20,000) at the Eastern end of the main pass.

1739, Feb 13, Karnal India. Persian forces (100,000) under Nadir invades India. An Indian Moghul army (80,000) under Mohammed Shah. A battle began with both sided being entrenched. The Indians detached (`6,000) to attack a Kurd raiding force (5,000) at a nearby village. Both sides reinforced their deployed troops until both sides were totally engaged. The Indians were defeated with over 40,000 men killed or captured.

1739 Persian forces in northern Persia defend against Lesghian and Uzbeg raids

1740, Charjui. Persian forces (50,000) established a bridgehead over the Oxus River. The Uzbegs (30,000) after minor skirmishes elected to sign a peace treaty in which 8,000 Uzbegs joined the Persian army.

1740, Khiva. Uzbeg forces (30,000) attempt to capture and destroy the Persian supply bridge at Charjui. Persian troops (50,000 but in several separate commands) conduct force marches and confront the Uzbeg army. The Uzbegs are routed and flee to a fort of Jayuk but are captured there.

1741-42 Daghestan campaign. To prevent more raids by the Lesghian tribes, Nadir launches attacks against their forested homeland. The Persians (30,000) operated in small columns (5-10,000). The Lesghian lived in transportable villages and avoided most of the Persian columns. The Lesghians (15,000) launched several simutaneous attacks against isolated Persian columns and supply route garrisons. Many of the Persian outposts were destroyed and the Persian troops had to withdraw from the territory.

1743-1746 Persian troops attack Ottoman cities along the western border.

1743 Nadir builds a Persian fleet and invades the Arabian state of Oman.

1745, Kars Turks (40,000 foot + 100,000 cav) attack the Persian positions (80,000) near Kars. Both sides sallied from fortified camps and conducted numerous small battles over four days. Many of the Turkish vassal cavalry lost morale and deserted. At this point the Turkish main troops also revolted and retreated. The Turks abandoned all of their artillery and baggage.

1747 Persians subdue a revolt by Kurdish tribes. Nadir Assassinated.

Persia: Central Asia's Powerhouse During the 1700s

Introduction and Bibliography
The Persian Army of the 1700s
Campaigns and Battles 1705-1747