Nader Shah: Iran’s Last Conqueror - Nader Saves Persia

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Nader Shah, Shah Soltan Hoseyn, Isfahan, Khorasan
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Mir Veis, Kandahar, Shah Soltan Hoseyn, Khorasan
3. 10:00 – 15:00: Isfahan, Abivard, Tahmasp II, Khorasan
4. 15:00 – 20:00: Allahyar Khan, Mashhad, Isfahan, Sangan
5. 20:00 – 21:37: Isfahan, Allahyar Khan

Notable quotes from "Nader Shah: Iran’s Last Conqueror - Nader Saves Persia"

• Those famous and others who are barely mentioned in history books. However, very few have been likened to the best of them, such as Alexander the Great and Napoleon…

  about Nader Shah · at 0:15

• The real world's troubles. As a result, despite being educated, a succession of Safavid shahs had little to no experience in ruling and handling political and military matters.…

  about Shah Soltan Hoseyn · at 3:42

• The sources report that the Georgian soldiers of Gorgan oppressed the Afghans, which prompted the revolt of Mir Veis. Gorgan arrested Mir Veis, sending him to the Shah to…

  about Mir Veis · at 6:54

• The Empire, including the Caucasus, Kandahar, Herat, and the Persian Gulf islands. And the Shah was either unresponsive to these challenges or ineffective in overcoming them.…

  about Mahmud Hotaki · at 9:26

• Around this time, a Safavid court official named Malek Mahmud Sistani cut a deal with the Afghans, who agreed to his control over Khorasan in exchange for the recognition of…

  about Malek Mahmud Sistani · at 11:55

• SHAH TAHMASP II At this point, another figure enters the power struggle in Iran. The son of the deposed emperor, Tahmasp II, had escaped Isfahan before the Afghans took the…

  about Tahmasp II · at 14:02

• Fath Ali Khan saw his influence over Tahmasp wane, and he decided to reach out to Malek Mahmud. Nader’s scouts captured Qajar’s letter, and he was executed for his treason.…

  about Fath Ali Khan Qajar · at 15:10

• BATTLE OF HERAT On May 4, 1729, Nader’s 15000 force met with Allahyar Khan’s Afghan Ghilzai force of approximately the same number near Kafer Qala, 80 km west of Herat. Nader…

  about Allahyar Khan · at 17:46

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Nader Shah — Person · Primary historical subject · 1 mention · first at 0:21
  Central figure of the episode: his rise from a Khorasan warlord to the dominant military-political actor fighting Afghan forces and shaping late Safavid Iran.
• Shah Soltan Hoseyn — Person · Referenced ruler (late Safavid shah) · 3 mentions · first at 3:53
  Portrayed as an ineffective Safavid ruler whose weak governance and surrender to Afghan forces accelerates imperial collapse—creating the chaos Nader exploits.
• Tahmasp II — Person · Referenced claimant/nominal shah (Safavid restoration attempt) · 3 mentions · first at 14:02
  Acts as the Safavid legitimizing figure Nader initially serves and manipulates; their alliance and tension frame Nader’s transition from regional commander to imperial powerbroker.
• Mahmud Hotaki — Person · Referenced invader/antagonist (Afghan leader) · 2 mentions · first at 9:37
  Leads the Afghan military pressure culminating in the Safavid defeat and the fall of Isfahan; his takeover is a key driver of the empire’s collapse described in the episode.
• Allahyar Khan — Person · Referenced battlefield opponent (Herat campaign) · 5 mentions · first at 17:50
  Commands an Afghan force against Nader at the Battle of Herat (Kafer Qala), serving as the main opposing commander in the episode’s culminating military narrative.
• Mir Veis — Person · Referenced rebel leader (Afghan uprising) · 3 mentions · first at 6:54
  Presented as the initiator of the Kandahar revolt against Safavid rule, setting in motion the Afghan challenge that later enables Mahmud’s invasion and Nader’s rise.
• Malek Mahmud Sistani — Person · Referenced regional strongman (Khorasan) · 1 mention · first at 11:55
  Depicted as a Safavid official who bargains with Afghan occupiers to control Khorasan; becomes an early obstacle and bargaining partner in Nader’s regional ascent.
• Fath Ali Khan Qajar — Person · Referenced tribal leader and political rival · 1 mention · first at 14:16
  Initially courted by Tahmasp II as a power base; later executed after Nader intercepts his correspondence—illustrating factionalism and Nader’s consolidation of authority.
• Shah Abbas I — Person · Referenced historical predecessor (Safavid reformer) · 1 mention · first at 2:21
  Used to illustrate Safavid administrative excellence at its height, providing contrast to the later institutional decay described in the episode.
  The Safavid Empire, which at its height controlled a vast territory spanning from the North Caucasus to Afghanistan, had long since fallen from its glory days. The empire…
• Shah Ismail I — Person · Referenced historical predecessor (Safavid founder) · 1 mention · first at 2:21
  Cited as an example of Safavid strength at its peak, contrasting with later weak shahs and contextualizing the empire’s decline before Nader’s rise.
  The Safavid Empire, which at its height controlled a vast territory spanning from the North Caucasus to Afghanistan, had long since fallen from its glory days. The empire…
• Giorgi — Person · Referenced provincial governor (trigger for revolt) · 1 mention · first at 6:37
  Identified as a Georgian prince appointed governor of Kandahar; his forces’ oppression is presented as a catalyst for Mir Veis’s revolt.
  Still, at this point, Nader’s life trajectory was pointing upwards, as on his return to Khorasan, he married the daughter of Baba Ali and saw his status gradually rise. This…
• Alexander the Great — Person · Comparative reference (benchmark conqueror) · 1 mention · first at 0:21
  Used as a rhetorical comparison to frame Nader Shah as a top-tier conqueror in world history.
  Those famous and others who are barely mentioned in history books. However, very few have been likened to the best of them, such as Alexander the Great and Napoleon…
• Napoleon — Person · Comparative reference (benchmark conqueror) · 1 mention · first at 0:21
  Paired with Alexander as a comparison point to elevate Nader’s reputation and set expectations for the episode’s theme of conquest and military genius.
  Those famous and others who are barely mentioned in history books. However, very few have been likened to the best of them, such as Alexander the Great and Napoleon…
• Timur — Person · Historical reference (fortress association) · 1 mention · first at 11:45
  Mentioned to emphasize the strategic/historic significance of Kalat as a fortress associated with major conquerors, reinforcing the episode’s conquest theme.
  Remember, chaos can be a ladder. In retrospect, it certainly was for Nader. As the state authority collapsed, Abivard’s governor fled the city, and Nader became its de facto…

Places & events

• Isfahan — Place · 8 mentions · first at 3:58
  Little to no experience in ruling and handling political and military matters. But although the trouble was slowly brewing in the Safavid Empire, Shah Soltan Hoseyn probably…
• Mashhad — Place · 8 mentions · first at 4:27
  His exact place of birth is unclear, but many sources indicate that it was Dastgerd, a village located northwest of Mashhad. As a member of the militant and nomadic Afsharid…
• Khorasan — Place · 6 mentions · first at 4:06
  Nader’s BACKGROUND AND RISE TO PROMINENCE But thousands of kilometers away in the dangerous northeastern border area of Khorasan, the disorganization was more readily felt. In…
• Herat — Place · 1 mention
  BATTLE OF HERAT On May 4, 1729, Nader’s 15000 force met with Allahyar Khan’s Afghan Ghilzai force of approximately the same number near Kafer Qala, 80 km west of Herat. Nader…
• Abivard — Place · 5 mentions · first at 5:31
  Killed. Baba Ali’s brother Qorban Ali became the new governor of Abivard, but soon he also died of illness, or according to other claims, was killed by Nader. The new governor…
• Kandahar — Place · 3 mentions · first at 6:45
  Nader both followers and enemies in Khorasan. Around this time, the Georgian prince Giorgi, known as Gorgan Khan in the Safavid sources, was appointed governor of Kandahar to…
• Kerman — Place · 1 mention · first at 9:43
  Of the Ghilzai Aghans of Kandahar, the son of Mir Veis, sacked Kerman with 10,000 men, comprehensively looting the city and killing many of his inhabitants. Two years later…
• Sangan — Place · 2 mentions · first at 16:26
  Nader was in no rush to capture Isfahan and lay claim to the Safavid crown yet. He decided to deal with the Afghan threat coming from the east first. In September 1727, his army laid siege to Sangan, and a month later, the town was taken.
• Yazd — Place · 1 mention · first at 10:05
  Mahmud once again marched with his army to besiege Kerman. This time, the city was better prepared, but suffered terribly under a lasting siege, which ended with Kerman paying…
• Gulnabad — Place · 1 mention · first at 10:49
  In a decisive battle. The Shah’s army had more men, but it was disorganized due to rivalry, a lack of communication, and a lack of a common plan between different units and…
• Farah — Place · 1 mention
  Allahyar Khan withdrew east towards the Hari Rud river, while, after an initial withdrawal, Nader continued his march on Herat. At this point, both camps received word that…
• Qom — Place · 1 mention
  The Shah was happy to enjoy the privileges of being emperor, but did not like to shoulder the burden of ruling. He was content with leaving the political and military matters…

Full transcript with timestamps

0:05 History has had its fair share of conquerors. Those who have conquered small neighboring tribes and those who have built their realms over the ruins of empires destroyed by them. Those famous and others who are barely mentioned in history books. However, very few have been likened to the best of them, such as Alexander the Great and Napoleon, simultaneously. Today, we begin telling the story of Nader Shah, perhaps the last great ruler of Iran, the man who emerged from nowhere to make a final attempt to save the Safavid Empire from a painful demise. Our story begins with the emergence of Nadir as a political leader and military figure in Iran, culminating in a campaign against the Afghan invaders and the Battle of Herat.

1:09 THE-LATE ERA SAFAVID EMPIRE It is the turn of the 18th century. The Safavid Empire, which at its height controlled a vast territory spanning from the North Caucasus to Afghanistan, had long since fallen from its glory days. The empire, which reached its peak with a fearless conqueror like Shah Ismail I and a great administrator like Shah Abbas I, was slowly declining due to the ineffective rule of a succession of weak shahs. There were structural reasons for the poor state of the Safavid Empire, including the decline of the silk trade, the empire's main export commodity. At the same time, numerous problems arose due to the very nature of the Safavid regime. As a feudal state, the Safavid empire depended on the cooperation of regional elites, governors and tribal leaders for a vast array of functions ranging from tax collection to raising armies for the state. This may sound contradictory, but such a decentralized

3:01 system could only operate properly if the central authority was powerful and respected. In the absence of a powerful and functioning central authority, provincial elites were more reluctant to follow the rules of the state, tended to misappropriate collected taxes and engaged in infighting with their neighboring rivals. And this is exactly what was happening in the Safavid Empire in the 18th century. Unlike in the apex days of the Safavid dynasty, when its leaders were military, political, and even religious leaders of their realm and were trained in these matters through practice, as the rule of the dynasty solidified, crown princes began to be kept in harems. There they were surrounded by women and eunuchs, and were deliberately kept away from the real world's troubles. As a result, despite being educated, a succession of Safavid shahs had little to no experience in ruling and handling political and military matters. But although

3:53 the trouble was slowly brewing in the Safavid Empire, Shah Soltan Hoseyn probably did not feel it within the confines of his grand palace in his splendidly beautiful capital of Isfahan. Nader’s BACKGROUND AND RISE TO PROMINENCE But thousands of kilometers away in the dangerous northeastern border area of Khorasan, the disorganization was more readily felt. In 1698, a boy named Nadergulu was born into the family of Imamgulu, a herdsman of the Afsharid Azerbaijani-speaking Qizilbash tribe. His exact place of birth is unclear, but many sources indicate that it was Dastgerd, a village located northwest of Mashhad. As a member of the militant and nomadic Afsharid tribe, Nader is said to have been a good rider and hunter as early as the age of 10.

4:38 This was a dangerous region, regularly plagued by raids from the Turkmen tribes, and young men were trained to be ready to fight at a very early age. Nader’s defiant character was, to an extent, shaped by the troubles of his childhood and early adulthood. His father died when he was still very young, condemning Nader to a life of poverty. He is said to have been subject to ridicule for growing up in poverty without a father, but this experience apparently hardened his character instead of bringing him down. Moreover, this experience is said to have fostered distrust towards those in privileged positions, including nobility and mullahs. Having been brought up in poverty by his widowed mother may have been the catalyst for a relatively respectful conduct towards women during his future reign and military campaigns, particularly compared to how others treated women lacking male protection at the time.

5:31 Around the age of fifteen, Nader entered the service of the governor of Abivard - Baba Ali Beg Kuse Ahmadlu as a musketeer in his army. One of the main responsibilities of this army and Nader as its soldier was to fight against raiders and prevent them from taking loot. In 1714-1715, several thousand Yomut Turkmens attempted to raid Northern Khorasan, but Baba Ali’s troops defeated them and captured 1400 raiders in the battle. Baba Ali chose Nader to give this news to Shah Soltan Hoseyn in the capital, which indicates that either Nader distinguished himself against the raiders, or was already in good graces of the governor. Shah Soltan Hosein was gracious in this meeting, giving Nader a gift of 100 tomans. But apparently, important members of the court were not as kind. There is a story that the court officials were rude to Nader, which likely exacerbated his negative opinion of those in positions of power and privilege.

6:26 Still, at this point, Nader’s life trajectory was pointing upwards, as on his return to Khorasan, he married the daughter of Baba Ali and saw his status gradually rise. This success won Nader both followers and enemies in Khorasan. Around this time, the Georgian prince Giorgi, known as Gorgan Khan in the Safavid sources, was appointed governor of Kandahar to deal with the unrest caused by Afghan tribes on the border with the Mughal Empire. The sources report that the Georgian soldiers of Gorgan oppressed the Afghans, which prompted the revolt of Mir Veis. Gorgan arrested Mir Veis, sending him to the Shah to decide on his punishment. Instead of punishing the rebel, Soltan Hosein allowed Mir Veis into his inner circle. The Shah even allowed Mir Veis on a pilgrimage to Mecca, where the Afghan rebel secured a fatwa authorizing Sunni Muslims of Kandahar to end the Shia rule. In 1709, Mir Veis returned to Kandahar

7:22 and killed Gorgin and his Georgians. Kandahar was now out of Safavid control, with several armies of the shah failing to defeat Mir Veis and his Ghilzai Afghans. Then followed the Abdali Afghans, who rebelled and won power in Herat. This state of affairs on the eastern frontiers of the empire gave Nader an opportunity to rise in the hierarchy. Chaos can indeed be a ladder. In 1716, Nader’s father-in-law, Baba Ali, was sent from Mashhad to fight the Abdali Afghans and was killed. Baba Ali’s brother Qorban Ali became the new governor of Abivard, but soon he also died of illness, or according to other claims, was killed by Nader. The new governor, Hasan Ali Khan, officially appointed Nader as his deputy, and very soon, Nader became the de facto ruler of Abivard.

8:12 During this period, Nader participated in several campaigns aimed at defeating the Afghans, but none of them were successful. On one occasion, he was almost killed. In any case, he learnt from this experience, which would be used in his future campaigns. THE AFGHAN DEBACLE However, all these troubles did not prevent Shah Soltan Hoseyn from enjoying his life filled with wine and concubines. The Shah was happy to enjoy the privileges of being emperor, but did not like to shoulder the burden of ruling. He was content with leaving the political and military matters to court officials, nobles and eunuchs. In 1706, Soltan Hosein set out on a pilgrimage with a huge entourage of 60k people to Qom and Mashhad, the holy cities for the Shia. This was an extremely financially costly endeavour for the state treasury and the provinces along the Shah’s route. While he was away from Isfahan, a severe food shortage in the capital caused thousands to gather in front of

9:09 the Ali Qapu palace, the Shah’s residence. The enraged public shouted insults at the Shah and threw stones at the palace, showing the level of authority and respect that Soltan Hosein had among the capital’s population at the time. There were troubles in the border regions of the Empire, including the Caucasus, Kandahar, Herat, and the Persian Gulf islands. And the Shah was either unresponsive to these challenges or ineffective in overcoming them. Particularly, the failure to defeat the Afghans emboldened them. In the autumn of 1719, Mahmud Hotaki of the Ghilzai Aghans of Kandahar, the son of Mir Veis, sacked Kerman with 10,000 men, comprehensively looting the city and killing many of his inhabitants. Two years later, Mahmud once again marched with his army to besiege Kerman. This time, the city was better prepared, but suffered terribly under a lasting siege, which ended with Kerman paying 1700 tomans to

10:05 end the siege. The Afghans then moved to besiege Yazd, but the defenses of the city stood tall. At this point, Mahmud had lost a significant number of men in battle and due to desertion. But given the apparent weakness of the Safavids, he decided to make a huge gamble. His army marched directly on Isfahan. Panic ensued in the Safavid capital. Instead of staying put in Isfahan and waiting out the Afghan siege until a more powerful army could be raised elsewhere to relieve the capital, the Shah decided to move the army stationed in the capital and defeat the Afghan rebels in a decisive battle. The Shah’s army had more men, but it was disorganized due to rivalry, a lack of communication, and a lack of a common plan between different units and commanders, which doomed it to defeat in the Battle of Gulnabad on the outskirts of Isfahan. Afterwards, Shah Soltan Hosein could have left the capital and rallied his loyalists for further resistance against Mahmud,

11:00 but instead, in October 1722, he surrendered. The Shah abdicated his throne. Although his successor, Tahmasp, continued attempts to rally the Safavid loyalists to recapture the capital, the mighty dynasty, which had reigned over Iran, the Caucasus, Eastern Anatolia, parts of the Middle East, and Central Asia for more than two centuries, had practically fallen. The capital was in the hands of the Afghans. Meanwhile, the Ottomans had captured the Caucasus, while the Russians were trying to gain a foothold on the Caspian shore.

11:32 Remember, chaos can be a ladder. In retrospect, it certainly was for Nader. As the state authority collapsed, Abivard’s governor fled the city, and Nader became its de facto ruler. Taking advantage of the chaos, he solidified control over the surrounding areas, including Kalat, a former fortress of Timur and won the loyalty of several small local warlords and chiefs. Around this time, a Safavid court official named Malek Mahmud Sistani cut a deal with the Afghans, who agreed to his control over Khorasan in exchange for the recognition of Mahmud Hotaki as the new Shah. Nader was not strong enough to oppose Malek Mahmud’s authority, while Malek Mahmud did not want to risk his army in a campaign against Nader’s fortified sphere of control. The consensus was reached when Nader accepted the authority of a new governor sent to Abivard by Malek Mahmud, while Nader was now in charge of administering justice. And he used or

12:28 perhaps abused this authority to its fullest. He worked under Malek Mahmud’s authority and punished warlords and chiefs who opposed him. Those who chose to accept Nader became part of his growing army. Those who opposed him until the bitter end were severely punished. According to historian Michael Axworthy, “These tactics of benevolence to those that submitted, combined with harshness to prevaricators and traitors, proved successful: Nader followed the same principle throughout his career. He was quite ruthless, but not pointlessly vindictive.

13:00 He would rather take even a man of dubious loyalty into his service than destroy him unnecessarily. His prestige grew, and attracted new chiefs and armed followers into his service, eager for a share in the proceeds of future successes.” By 1724, Nader had amassed a formidable force with around 1200 cavalry and felt powerful enough to make a move against Malek Mahmud. One source tells that Nader personally killed Malek Mahmud’s appointed governor of Abivard at the end of their joint hunting day with a single blow of a sword to his neck. After that, Nader made a successful raid on Mashhad. He was then called upon to help the city of Merv against raiders and, on a separate occasion, to intervene in a war between Turkmen tribes. He then defeated the Chameshgazak Kurds and captured their base, Khabushan. Nader used each of these instances as an opportunity to grow his prestige and recruit new men into his nascent army.

14:02 SHAH TAHMASP II At this point, another figure enters the power struggle in Iran. The son of the deposed emperor, Tahmasp II, had escaped Isfahan before the Afghans took the capital and was eager to restore the throne to his dynasty. He went to the Qajar tribe, one of the most powerful in the realm and tried to persuade its leader, Fath Ali Khan Qajar, to retake Isfahan immediately. But Qajar advised caution and suggested that Tahmasp capture Mashhad from Malek Mahmud first. Tahmasp reached out to Nader and secured his participation in this campaign. In September 1726, Shah Tahmasp II and Fath Ali Khan Qajar marched on Khorasan. There, Nader joined them with a force of 2000 cavalry and infantry, a few cannons and zanburak camel guns.

14:47 Nader met Tahmasp as a shah, knelt before him and pledged his allegiance. As a gesture of gratitude, Tahmasp hugged Nader and gave him the title of Khan. This was the moment when Nader started his rise from a regional force into an actor capable of influencing affairs on the imperial scale. Nader immediately won a few skirmishes against Malek Mahmud’s forces. Fath Ali Khan saw his influence over Tahmasp wane, and he decided to reach out to Malek Mahmud. Nader’s scouts captured Qajar’s letter, and he was executed for his treason. Malek Mahmud saw this moment as an opportunity to crush the weakened royal host, but was comprehensively defeated by Nader. Even though he managed to get back behind the city walls of Mashhad, there was no relief in sight for the besieged city, and very soon he surrendered to Tahmasp and Nader.

15:39 But towards the end of 1726, Tahmasp II started growing jealous of Nader’s authority, as the shah’s courtiers did their best to turn the young shah against his commander in chief. In early 1727, he slipped out to Khabushan and sent letters throughout the empire calling Nader a traitor and asking for military support against him. But Nader was quick to act and, after defeating Tahmasp’s small force, had the shah at his mercy. Nader chose to forgive Tahmasp and celebrate Nowruz together with the Shah in Mashhad. Although Nader was clearly on the rise, he still apparently needed someone from the Safavid dynasty for the sake of legitimacy.

16:21 Nader was in no rush to capture Isfahan and lay claim to the Safavid crown yet. He decided to deal with the Afghan threat coming from the east first. In September 1727, his army laid siege to Sangan, and a month later, the town was taken. Soon, Nader’s army had to face a 7-8k Abdali Afghan army near Sangan. The sources report that Nader only had around a thousand men. He placed his musketeer infantry in the entrenchments, which allowed them to fire at the attacking Afghan forces and made sure to protect them with some 500 of his best cavalry, maneuvering throughout the battlefield. Nader personally took part in this 4-day long battle, which ended in the Afghan retreat to Herat. Nader returned to Mashhad, where the nominal Shah Tahmasp was conspiring against his commander, but to no avail. Tahmasp tried to flee Mashhad on several occasions, but each time Nader’s men would capture him and bring

17:16 him back. At one point, Tahmasp even tried to kill himself with a knife, but Nader personally prevented this. At this point, Nader was using Tahmasp’s seal and issuing orders in his name. After defeating several rivals in Mazandaran and Astarabad, Nader set his sights on Herat once again. Afghans still controlled Isfahan, and Nader thought that before marching on the capital, he needed to take the whole of Khorasan under his control and defeat the Afghans in his rear. BATTLE OF HERAT On May 4, 1729, Nader’s 15000 force met with Allahyar Khan’s Afghan Ghilzai force of approximately the same number near Kafer Qala, 80 km west of Herat. Nader once again placed his musketeer infantry in the rear, protecting them on each flank with cannons, while he took charge of the cavalry reserve. Nader planned to draw the Afghans towards his infantry and cannons and defeat them with superior firepower.

18:13 The battle started when Nader sent a small cavalry detachment against the Afghans to wear them down and bring them closer to his musketeers. This part of the plan worked, as the Afghan cavalry charged Nader’s infantry’s left flank furiously. Allahyar Khan’s forces managed to push back their left flank, creating a really threatening situation for Nader. And just like in the battle of Sangan, Nader led a personal charge of cavalry to relieve his forces, getting wounded in the process. But he succeeded in repealing the Afghan attack. After a tough battle, both sides decided to regroup.

18:50 Allahyar Khan withdrew east towards the Hari Rud river, while, after an initial withdrawal, Nader continued his march on Herat. At this point, both camps received word that some 10k Afghan force under the command of Zulfuqar Khan was en route from Farah to assist Allahyar. Nader needed to act fast and defeat Allahyar Khan decisively before he got reinforcements. Several more skirmishes took place between the sides, as Nader’s firepower continued to prevail over the Afghan cavalry. But the decisive battle eluded Nader. At this point, the hero of our story decided to engage in psy-op, as we now call it. He sent a column on Allahyar Khan’s army with loud victory drums and horns to make the Afghan army believe that Nader had already dealt with Zulfuqar Khan’s force. Nader left a portion of his force to engage with the approaching Zulfuqar Khan’s army, while the rest were sent to pursue Allahyar’s force. However,

19:45 a violent sandstorm erupted at this point, preventing any meaningful engagement between the sides. Both Afghan armies managed to retreat into the city walls of Herat, bracing for a siege. But it did not last long. Nader’s artillery was causing havoc in the city and gradually weakening its defenses. Allahyar Khan sued for peace. Nader accepted his submission in exchange for the recognition of Herat as the Safavid territory. Many Abdalis joined Nader. Nader’s campaign against the Afghans did not end with a decisive victory, but for now, he was content with the situation in the east. Now his sights turned west towards the capital, Isfahan.

20:26 CONCLUSION By the 1730s, what used to be a small army had grown into a well-drilled force of 20-30 thousand men. It had superior firepower compared to all other rival armies, with a decisive commander who knew when to punish his foes and when to bring them into the fold to expand his army. Nader’s military prowess and political cunning enabled him to rise in status, capitalizing on the chaotic situation within the Safavid Empire. But this was only the beginning of his rise. In the next video, we will talk about how Nader became the most powerful man in the Safavid Empire and his war against the Ottomans. To ensure you don’t miss that, make sure you are subscribed and have pressed the bell button to see it. Please consider liking, subscribing, commenting, and sharing - it helps immensely. Our patrons and YouTube members can watch more than 250+ exclusive videos - join their ranks via the link in the

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Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Nader Shah: Iran’s Last Conqueror - Nader Saves Persia"?

In order: 0:00 Nader Shah, Shah Soltan Hoseyn, Isfahan, Khorasan; 5:00 Mir Veis, Kandahar, Shah Soltan Hoseyn, Khorasan; 10:00 Isfahan, Abivard, Tahmasp II, Khorasan; 15:00 Allahyar Khan, Mashhad, Isfahan, Sangan; 20:00 Isfahan, Allahyar Khan.

What is mentioned in this Kings and Generals episode?

26 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Nader Shah, Shah Soltan Hoseyn, Tahmasp II, Isfahan, Mahmud Hotaki, Mashhad. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Nader Shah: Iran’s Last Conqueror - Nader Saves Persia"?

The episode runs 22 min; the transcript is about 3,391 words in 25 timestamped sections.

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