NADIR SHAH, of Persia, belonged to the Afslmrs, a Turkish tribe, and was born hear Kelat, in the center of Khorassan. Persia, in 1688. When 17 years old, lie was taken prisoner by the Usbeks, but escaped after four years of captivity; entered the service of the governor of Khorassan, and soon obtained high promotion. Navin_, how ever, been degradA and punished for sonic real or supposed offense, he betook himself to a hiwless life, and for several years was the daring leader of a band of 3,000 robbers, who levied contributions from almost the whole of Kborassan. An opportunity having occurred, Nadir seized the town of Kelat, and gradually extended his territorial authority. Persia was at this time ruled by Melok Ashraf, an Afghan of the tribe of Ghilji, whose grinding tyranuy and cruelty produced in the miud of every Persian a deadly hatred of the very name Afghan, winch exists to the present day. Nadir having avowed his intention of expelling the hated race from the country, and restoring the Su ffavean dynasty, numbers flocked to his standard, and Meshed, Herat, and all Knorassan were speedily reduced. Ashraf, signally defeated in several engagements, fled before the avenger. who, with a celerity only equaled by its thoroughness, purged the provinces of Irak, Fars, and Kerman of even the semblance of Afg.ina domination. The assassination of Ashraf, during his retreat, terminated the war. The rightful heir, Tamasp, then ascended the throne. and Nadir received for his services the government of the provinces of Khorassan, Mazanderan, Seistan, and Kerman, assuming at the sarno time the title of Thump-kali (tau slave of Tamasp), the title of khan being subsequently added. He was sent against the Turks in 1731, and defeated them at Hamadan, regain% big the Armenian provinces which had been seized by the Turks in the preceding reign; but his sovereign having in his absence engaged unsuccessfully the same enemy, Nadir caused lion to be pat in prison. and elevated Ida infant son, Abbas III., to the throne in
1732. The death of this puppet, in 1736, opened the way for the elevation of Nadir himself, who was crowned as Nadir shah, Feb. 26, 1730. He resumed the war with the Turks; and though totally defeated hi the first two battles by the grand vizier Asman, turned the tide of fortune in the subsequent campaign, and granted peace to the Turks on condition of receiving Georgia. He also conquered Afghanistan, and drove back the invading Usbeks. His ambassador to the Great Mogul having been murdered along with his sane atJeialabad, and satisfaction having been refused, Nadir, in revenge, ravaged the Northwest Provinces, and took Delhi, which be was, by the insane behavior of the inhabitants, reduced to the necessity of pillaging. With booty to the amount of A:20,000,000, including the Kohat-nfir (q.v.) diamond, he returned to the w. bank of the Indus. lie next reduced Bakhara and Kilaurezin, restoring to Persia her limits under the golden reign of the Sassauides. From this period, his character underwent a snd dui change; lie was formerly open-hearted, liberal, and tolerant; he now became sus picious, avaricious, and tyrannical. The empire groaned under his extortions, and he was finally assassinated on Jnne 20, 1747. His only surviving son was carried to Constantinople, and thence to Vienna, where lie was brought up as a Catholic under the surveillance of the empress Maria Theresa, and died a maj. in the Austrian service, under the title of baron Semlin. Nadir's tyranny has now been forgotten; and at the present day he is regarded with pride and gratitude as the " Wallace " of Persia.