Nader Shah: Persia’s Napoleon

Nader Shah Afshar was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as Shah of Iran from 1736 to 1747, when he was assassinated during a rebellion.

He fought numerous campaigns throughout the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and South Asia. Because of his military genius, some historians have described him as the Napoleon of Persia, the Sword of Persia,or the Second Alexander.

To his west Nader attacked and routed the Ottoman Turks, who had occupied adjacent areas of Azerbaijan and Iraq. After threatening Russia with war, he forced that nation to relinquish its Caspian provinces to Iran.

Nader invaded the Mughal Empire taking Kabul and Peshawar before sacking Delhi and slaughtering thousands.

He sacked the Mughal Treasury of the jewels in its Peacock Throne and returned to Iran with the plunder laden on elephants. which sustained his Treasury and wealth for years.The jewels are still part of the Persian Crown jewels today.

Nader idolized Genghis Khan and Timur, the previous conquerors from Central Asia. He imitated their military prowess and—especially later in his reign—their cruelty. His victories during his campaigns briefly made him West Asia’s most powerful sovereign, ruling over what was arguably the most powerful empire in the world.

Although brilliantly successful as a soldier and general, Nādir Shāh had little talent for statesmanship or administration, and Iran became utterly exhausted during the later years of his reign. Tens of thousands of people perished in his ceaseless military campaigns, and the exactions of his tax gatherers ruined the country’s economy. Nādir Shāh had always been harsh and ruthless, but these traits became more pronounced as he grew older. His suspiciousness and capricious cruelty continued to grow, and wherever he went he had people tortured and executed. The consequence was that revolt after revolt against him occurred. In the end he was assassinated by his own troops while attempting to crush an uprising in Khorāsān. Nādir Shāh’s only interests were war and conquest. Once, when informed that there was no warfare in paradise, he remarked: “How then can there be any delights there?”

Following his assassination in 1747, his empire quickly disintegrated and Iran fell into a civil war before a new dynasty, the Qajar dynasty, came to power.

Destination: Iran / Afganistan/ Pakistan / India / Uzbekistan / Turkey / Azerbaijan / Armenia / Bahrain / Turkmenistan.