Afghan interlude

Afghan interlude, (1722–30), period in Iranian history that began with the Afghan conquest of Iran and ended with the defeat and death of the Afghan ruler Ashraf. In 1722 Maḥmūd, an Afghan notable and former vassal of the Ṣafavids, attacked and captured Eṣfahān, the Ṣafavid capital in Iran. The capture of Eṣfahān marked the eclipse of the Ṣafavid dynasty. Maḥmūd proclaimed himself ruler of Iran in 1722, and in 1723 he put to death Shāh...