NADIR SHAH, a native of Khorasan, was one of the greatest warriors whom Persia has ever procbiced. His name was Nadir Kuli, but he has also been known as Tahmasp Kuli. Accord ing to Mims. Mandi, his historiographer, Nadir was descended from the Karakli branch of the tribe of Afshar, or Aushar, according to the pro nunciation of the Turkomans, meaning one who holds together. The Afshar was one of the seven Turkish tribes that had attached themselves to the family of the Suffavean dynasty, moved from Turkestan into Iran during the dominion of the Mon gols, and settled in Azerbijan. In the time of Shah Ismail Safi, they emigrated to Khorasan, where they dwelt in Yap' Kopken, which belonged to Abivcrd, and is situated twenty farsakhs to the north-west of Meshed. Here, on the border of the steppe, Nadir was born, A.D. 1687.
At seventeen he was taken prisoner by the .Uzbak, but four years afterwards lie escaped and returned to his native country, and subsequently accepted service with the king of Khorasan. He successfully commanded an army against the Tartars, but, being ill rewarded, he left and became predatory.
After the abdication of Shah Husain in favour of Malnud, chief of the Ghilji, A.D. 1722, when Isfahan yielded to that Ghilji chief, Tahmasp, son of Shah Husain, escaped. He had fled from Isfahan, and had remained under the protection of the Kajar tribe on the shore of the Caspian, where he was joined by Nadir Kuli.
He captured 'Meshed, and recovered Khorasan from the Abdali and MuharnMad Khan of Scistan, and in a succession of battles broke down and dispersed the Ghilji, most of whom were killed or perished in the desert on their attempt ing to return home. Ashraf, son of Mahmud, was murdered by a Baluch chief (January 1729) between Kirman and Kandahar. Nadir next marched against the Turks, from whom he re covered Tabreez, opposed a rising of the Abdali, took Herat, and gained over the Abdali to his views. Shortly after this he adopted the Sunni religion, and the Abdali became the most devoted of his followers. Shah Tahmasp had begun to
exercise tho prerogatives of royalty, but Nadir replaced him by his infant son. This was virtually the commencement of Nadir's own reign, but it was not till 'he gained many victories over the Turks, recovered the whole of the territories which that nation and the Russians had seized, and mado peace with both powers, that he formally assumed the title of king of Persia. He repaired with his army to the plain of Moglian, to which place ho summoned the civil and military functionaries. They assembled to the number of 100,000 persons, and unanimously offered him the crown (A.n. 1736), which he accepted on the condition that the Sunni religion should be established throughout Persia. Ile was crowned at 20 minutes past 8 2Gth February 1736 A.D., or Shawal 1148 A.u. His next military effort was to seize Kandahar from the Ghilji, and restore it to the Persian monarchy. He set out with an army of 80,000 men, but, though aided by the Abdali, it was not till after a close investment for nearly a twelvemonth that Nadir ventured an assault, and even then he was more than once repulsed before Kandahar fell into his hands (March 1738). While carrying on the siege, lie settled the greater part of tho surrounding country, and at the same time his son Razza Kuli .Mirza, who had marched from Meshed against the Uzbaks, not only conquered the province of Balkh, but gained a victory on the Oxus (Amu Darya) over the king of Bokhara in person (Mal colm's Hist. of Persia, ii. p. 68; Hanway, ii, p. 335 ; Sir W. Jones, Nadir Namalt). His treat ment of the Ghilji was moderate ; he regarded them like his other subjects, and admitted many of them into his army, but he removed a portion of them from their lands around Kandahar, which ho made over to the Abdali, and particularly to that part of them which had been settled about Nishapur in the west of Khorasan.