Nadir’in Şah Eşref Hotekî ile Mücadelesi
Nader’s Battle with Shah Ashraf Hotaki

Summary/Abstract: Nader Shah who was to carry Afshar dynasty to power in Iran, after defeating Turkmens in Nisa, Çemişgezek Kurds in Habushan, Uzbeks in Merv in 1725, and after the defeat of Malek Mahmud Sistani in Mashhad, seized Mashhad and Herat in a bid to strengthen his dominance in 1726 and decided to battle Shah Ashraf Hotaki to remove Afghan power in Isfahan. The fact that Afghan dominance in Iran overtaxed people and caused resentment towards Afghans due to their pillages, also having defeated his rivals such as Malek Mahmud Sistani and Mohamed Fathali Kachar one after another, it became easy for Nader to defeat his only remaining enemy, Shah Ashraf Hotaki. In the meantime, while Shah Ashraf Hotaki’s commander Seydal Khan was marching Bastam, Ashraf sieged Semnan and reached Horasan borders. After hearing this word, Nader left Mashhad and advanced upon Shah Ashraf Hotaki through Nishapur and Sabzevar on September 12th 1729 to reinforce Semnan.In his article, I discussed Nader’s struggle and victory against Shah Ashraf Hotaki. In this context, the pillage and the persecution that took place during the last years of short-winded Afghan dominance in Iran, became the basis for Nader’s advance upon Ghilzais. After the battles with Nader, Afghans suffered heavy casualties as well as losing their dominance in Iran. However, Nader enthroned Shah Tahmasb II who was dethroned in Iran by Mir Mahmud Afghan, and advanced upon Shah Ashraf Hotaki in Dasht Zarkan to repel Ghilzais from Iran. Most of the Ghilzai combatants under Shah Ashraf Hotaki leadership and most of the Afghan civilians lost their lives while fleeing to Kandahar of Afghanistan during wars. Yet is said that Shah Ashraf Hotaki who was able to flee to Kandahar was killed near Zerdkoh. After being defeated in the last battle by Nader, Ghilzais did not venture attacking and pillaging Iran again.

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