- Also spelled:
- Nāder Shāh
- Original name:
- Nadr Qolī Beg
- Also called:
- Ṭahmāsp Qolī Khan
- Born:
- October 22, 1688, Kobhān, Safavid Iran
- Died:
- June 1747, Fatḥābād (aged 58)
- Title / Office:
- king (1736-1747), Iran
Nādir Shāh
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Who was Nādir Shāh?
Nādir Shāh, born in Kobhān, Safavid Iran, in 1688, was an Iranian ruler and conqueror who founded an empire stretching from the Indus River to the Caucasus Mountains.
Rising from obscurity in the Turkic Afshar tribe, he served under a local chieftain and later led a band of robbers. In 1726, Nādir supported the Safavid shah Tahmasp II, reformed Iran’s military, and defeated the Ghilzay Afghans, restoring Tahmasp to the throne.
Nādir then ousted the Ottoman Turks from Azerbaijan and Iraq. In 1736, he deposed Abbas III and became the Shah, taking the name Nādīr Shāh. His military successes included capturing Bahrain and invading Oman. In 1739, he defeated the Mughal Empire at Karnal and looted Delhi, acquiring the Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-noor diamond.
Nādir Shāh was assassinated by his own troops in 1747.
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When and where did Nādir Shāh rule?
Nādir Shāh, born in Kobhān, Safavid Iran, ruled as an Iranian ruler and conqueror from 1736 to 1747. He created an Iranian empire stretching from the Indus River to the Caucasus Mountains.
Nādir Shah rose to power by serving under the Safavid Shah Tahmasp II and leading a band of robbers. He defeated the Ghilzay Afghans, Ottomans, and forced Russia to relinquish its Caspian provinces. In 1736, he deposed Abbas III and ascended the Iranian throne. His military successes include the capture of Delhi in 1739, after which he returned to Iran with vast amounts of loot. He was assassinated in 1747 by his own troops.
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How did Nādir Shāh become the ruler of Iran?
Nādir Shāh, born Nadr Qolī Beg, rose from obscurity in the Turkic Afshar tribe to become the ruler of Iran. He initially served under a local chieftain and later led a band of robbers, displaying strong leadership skills. In 1726, he supported the Safavid shah Ṭahmāsp II with 5,000 followers, helping him regain his throne by defeating the Ghilzay Afghans.
After restoring Ṭahmāsp to the throne, Nādir attacked the Ottoman Turks and drove them out of Azerbaijan and Iraq. He then deposed Ṭahmāsp, declared himself regent, and, in 1736, formally took the throne as Nādir Shāh.
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What were some major achievements of Nādir Shāh?
Nādir Shāh, who ruled Iran from 1736 to 1747, was a military leader and conqueror who founded an Iranian empire stretching from the Indus River to the Caucasus Mountains.
Key achievements:
* Military Reform and Conquests Nādir reformed Iran’s military, defeating the Ghilzay Afghans and restoring the Safavid shah to the throne. He drove the Ottoman Turks out of Azerbaijan and Iraq and forced Russia to relinquish its Caspian provinces to Iran.
* Naval Power He built a navy that enabled him to seize Bahrain from the Arabs and conquer Oman.
* Indian Campaign Nādir Shah's capture of Delhi and the Mughal emperor's treasures provided so much booty that he exempted Iran from taxes for three years. He defeated the Mughal army at Karnal in 1739 and looted Delhi, taking the Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-noor diamond.
* Territorial Expansion His empire reached its greatest extent, rivaling ancient Iranian empires after attacking the Uzbeks around Bukhara and Khiva.3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why is Nādir Shāh remembered for invading India?
Nādir Shāh is remembered for invading India because his campaign marked a significant blow to the Mughal Empire, leading to its rapid decline. In 1739, he exploited the empire's weakness, defeating the Mughal army at the Battle of Karnal and subsequently capturing Emperor Muhammad Shah.
Nādir Shāh's invasion resulted in the sacking of Delhi, accompanied by a large-scale massacre and extensive looting. The treasures he plundered included the Koh-i-noor diamond and the jewel-studded Peacock Throne, symbols of Mughal power and wealth. This invasion paralyzed the Mughal court, paving the way for further invasions and the eventual collapse of the empire.
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How did Nādir Shāh’s rule affect Iran and surrounding regions after his death?
Nādir Shāh's death in 1747 led to the disintegration of his military machine as commanders sought to establish their own states. Aḥmad Shāh Durrānī founded a kingdom in Afghanistan, based in Kandahār. Nādir Shāh’s blind grandson, Shah Rukh, maintained an Afshārid state in Khorāsān, with its capital in Mashhad.
Other effects of his death included:
* The Qājār chief Muḥammad Ḥasan took Māzanderān south of the Caspian Sea.
* Āzād Khan, an Afghan, held Azerbaijan, before being expelled by Muḥammad Ḥasan Khan Qājār.
* The Qājār chief was unable to overcome the rising power of the Zands in central and southern Iran.Nādir Shah's reign exemplified that a successful Shah of Iran needed to defend the realm's territorial integrity and expand its wealth through conquest. Though a brilliant military leader, Nādir Shāh lacked statesmanship, leaving Iran exhausted.
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Nādir Shāh (born October 22, 1688, Kobhān, Safavid Iran—died June 1747, Fatḥābād) was an Iranian ruler and conqueror who created an Iranian empire that stretched from the Indus River to the Caucasus Mountains.
Nadr Qolī Beg had an obscure beginning in the Turkic Afshar tribe, which was loyal to the Safavid shahs of Iran. After serving under a local chieftain, Nadr formed and led a band of robbers, showing marked powers of leadership. In 1726, as head of this group of bandits, he led 5,000 followers in support of the Safavid shah Ṭahmāsp II, who was seeking to regain the throne his father had lost four years earlier to the Ghilzay Afghan usurper Maḥmūd. Nadr reformed Iran’s military forces and utterly defeated the Ghilzay Afghans in a series of brilliant victories, after which he restored Ṭahmāsp to the Iranian throne.
Nadr then attacked and routed the Ottoman Turks, who had occupied adjacent areas of Azerbaijan and Iraq. Meanwhile, Ṭahmāsp had rashly attacked the Turks while Nadr was absent quelling a revolt in Khorāsān, but the shah was heavily defeated and was forced to conclude peace with the Turks on ignominious terms. Enraged at this, Nadr hurried back, deposed Ṭahmāsp, placed the latter’s infant son on the throne, and declared himself regent. After sustaining a defeat at the hands of the Turks in Iraq, Nadr revenged himself by driving them completely out of Iran. Then, by threatening Russia with war, he forced that nation to relinquish its Caspian provinces to Iran. In 1736 Nadr deposed the youthful ʿAbbās III (as Ṭahmāsp II’s son was styled) and ascended the Iranian throne himself, taking the title of Nādir Shāh.
With the navy he proceeded to build, Nādir Shāh was able not only to take Bahrain from the Arabs but also to invade and conquer Oman. In February 1739, after capturing several cities of the Mughal Empire of northern India, he moved against the main Mughal armies at Karnal, India (see Battle of Karnal). He won the battle and entered Delhi, returning to Iran with vast amounts of loot, including the fabulous Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-noor diamond. He then attacked the Uzbeks around the cities of Bukhara and Khiva; his empire had reached its furthest expansion and rivaled the territorial extent of the ancient Iranian empires.
In 1741, after an assassination attempt on him had failed, Nādir Shāh suspected his eldest son of complicity and had him blinded. He also attempted to make the largely Shiʿi populace of Iran adopt the Sunni form of Islam. In 1743 Nādir Shāh again attacked the Ottoman Turks, but revolts in Iran forced him to conclude a truce. He renewed hostilities with the Turks as soon as possible, winning a great victory over them near Yerevan. Peace was concluded in 1746.
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?”