The Sword of Persia: Nader Shah, from Tribal Warrior to Conquering Tyrant

by Michael Axworthy

Nader Shah, ruler of Persia from 1736 to 1747, took eighteenth-century Iran from political collapse to become the dominant power in the region, recovering Herat and Kandahar, conquering Moghul Delhi, plundering the enormous treasures of India, repeatedly defeating Ottoman Turkey, and overrunning most of what is now Iraq. But suspicion and avarice led him to persecute the Persian people as savagely as any foreign conqueror had done. This book recreates the story of a remarkable, ruthless man, and includes much new research which will prove indispensable to historians and students.

Genres: History, Iran, Biography, Nonfiction, War, Asia, Military History

368 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 2006

About the author

Michael George Andrew Axworthy was a British academic, author, and commentator. He was the head of the Iran section at the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office between 1998 and 2000.

Reviews

[Maziyar Yf · Rating 4 out of 5]

ایران در عصر نادر کتابی ایست از مایکل اکسورثی ، نویسنده و محقق معروف انگلیسی که در مورد تاریخ ایران صاحب نظر و اندیشه بوده و به تازگی کتاب امپراتوری عقل نوشته او ، به فارسی منتشر شده . کتاب اکسورثی توسط نشر اختران و اساطیر به نامی که بیشتر به عنوان اصلی کتاب شباهت دارد ، یعنی شمشیر ایران : نادر شاه منتشر شده اما نشر روزنه نام ایران در عصر نادر را برای کتاب انتخاب کرده .
با وجود آنکه در جلد کتاب به نقش زیباکلام در ترجمه اشاره شده است، ایشان نقشی مستقیم در ترجمه این اثر نداشته‌ و صرفاً در برخی موارد به مترجم، جناب امیر نیاکویی، یاری رسانده‌.
با این حال، هماهنگی یا سرپرستی زیباکلام به ترجمه این کتاب ، کمک فراوانی کرده است. ترجمه روان و دقیق آقای نیاکویی، ، تبحر و تسلط او بر زبان فارسی و زبان انگلیسی و همچنین آگاهی عمیق ایشان از تاریخ ایران را نشان می دهد
نادر و زمانه او
اکسورثی در این کتاب، زندگی پرفراز و نشیب نادر شاه، فتوحات شگفت‌انگیز او، اصلاحات نیم بند او در نظام اداری و مالی کشور، و همچنین اوضاع اجتماعی، اقتصادی و فرهنگی ایران در آن دوره را به طور جامع مورد بررسی قرار داده.
نادر شاه افشار، سرداری نابغه و بی‌رحم، که از تبار ایل افشار بود، در اواسط قرن هفدهم میلادی در دورانی پرآشوب و ناآرامی در ایران ظهور کرد. او با هوش و ذکاوت سرشار و قدرت نظامی بی‌نظیر خود، توانست در مدت زمان کوتاهی بر آشفتگی‌های موجود در کشور غلبه کند و ایران را بار دیگر به یک قدرت منطقه‌ای تبدیل نماید.
فتوحات نادر شاه در هندوستان، عثمانی و آسیای میانه در تاریخ ایران تقریبا کم نظیر بوده و فتوحات پیاپی او ، نادر را به یکی از قدرتمندترین پادشاهان تاریخ ایران تبدیل کرد. با این حال، نبوغ و قدرت او در اواخر دوران حکومتش به تاریکی گرایید و او به ستمگری بی‌رحم و خونریز تبدیل شد. سرانجام، نادر شاه در سال 1747 میلادی توسط تعدادی از نزدیکانش به قتل رسید و مرگ او پایانی بر امپراطوری عظیمی بود که خود بنا نهاده بود.
عمده زندگی نادر شاه در جنگ و میدانهای جنگ و یا بر پشت اسب گذشت ، او در یازده سال حکومت خود ، ایران را که تقریبا مانند همیشه دچار بی ثباتی شده بود نه تنها یک پارچه کرد ، بلکه امپراتوری که از کابل ، قندهار و سمرقند شروع ( اگر هندوستان را که خراج گذار ایران شده بود حساب نکنیم ) و تا بفداد و بصره امتداد داشت را بنیان گذاشت . عظمت کار نادر در این بود که ایران با جمعیت 9 میلیون نفر ، در کنار عثمانی که تقریبا 4 برابر ایران داشت و امپراتوری گورکانی که به مراتب از ایران جمعیت و ثروت بیشتری داشت و امپراتوری روسیه که از ایران بسیار پیشرفته تر بود به قدرت اول منطقه تبدیل کرد . ارتشی که نادر ساخت را می توان در زمان خود در جهان قوی ترین ، مخوف ترین و هماهنگ ترین ماشین جنگی شاید در جهان دانست .
اما جنگهای پیاپی نادر ، چنان هزینه ای برای ایران و خزانه همیشه خالی آن داشت که عملا تجارت ، اقتصاد و کشاورزی و شهرها که برای رشد و توسعه کشور بسیار مهم بودند را کاملا ویران کرد . برای نمونه اصفهان که در زمان صفویه و به ویژه شاه عباس به شهری بسیار مهم و تقریبا جهانی تبدیل شده بود هم با هجوم افغان ها و هم با مالیات کمر شکن نادر جمعیت انبوه خود را از دست داد و به شهری نه چندان مهم تبدیل شد . مالیات های نادر چنان سنگین و کمر شکن بوده که مردم خانه ها ، شهرها و روستاهای خود را ترک می کردند و به کوه ها پناه می بردند . افرادی هم که نمی توانستند مالیات پرداخت کنند ، دست ، پا ، چشم و حتی سر خود را از دست می دادند . حتی آن گونه که اکسورثی نوشته او به تقلید از تیمور و چنگیز در ورودی شهرهایی مانند اصفهان ، کرمان و مشهد ، پایتخت سلسله خود ، هرم هایی از سرهای بریده شده ساخت ، سرهای افرادی که مالیات نپرداخته بودند .
اصلاحات نادر
نادر را که به سبب هوش سرشار در مانورهای نظامی و فرماندهی درخشان و فتوحات چشمگیرش به ناپلئون شرق مشهور بوده ، بر خلاف ناپلئون که اصلاحات فراوانی در ساختار اداری ، بهداشتی ،مالی ، نظام اجتماعی و ارتباطات فرانسه انجام داد ، اصلاحات نادر تنها به امور مالی محدود شده بود تا باز هم به قول نویسنده بهتر و کاملتر بتواند مالیات لعنتی را وصول کند . اگر این اصلاحات نیم بند نادر و مجهز کردن قشون به توپ و تفنگ های نسبتا مدرن تر و تلاش برای ساخت نیروی دریایی را حساب نکنیم ، عملا ایران تقریبا در هیچ یک از شاخص های مهم دیگر مانند تجارت ، راه سازی و ارتباطات ، بازرگانی ، روابط بین الملل ، کشاورزی و حتی امنیت هیچ پیشرفتی نکرد .
نویسنده هم مانند بیشتر مورخان ، زندگی نادر شاه را به دو قسمت قبل از حمله به هند و پس از حمله یا قبل از کور کردن پسر ارشد خود ، رضا قلی و پس از آن و یا به طور خلاصه قبل از پریشانی و بعد از آشفتگی و پریشانی روحی نادر تقسیم کرده . هم به داوری نویسنده و هم به قضاوت تاریخ ، نادر در این دو دوره ، دو شخصیت کاملا متفاوت داشته . در دوره اول ، مردم او را شاه نسبتا عادل و سخت گیری می دانستند که در عظمت و امپراتوری را به ایران بازگرداند . اما دوره دوم ، نادر شخصیتی نامتعادل ، بسیار بی رحم و خونریز است که بیشتر به الگوهای خود ، یعنی تیمور و چنگیز شبیه است تا به یک پادشاه دارای فره ایزدی ایرانی .
کتاب با شرح توطئه قتل نادر و مرگ او به دست یارانش به پایان می‌رسد. اکسورث در این اثر به زیبایی، هوش و نبوغ نادر در جنگاوری، بی‌رحمی و خونریزی‌های وحشتناک او و همچنین فلاکت و بدبختی مردم، چه در شهر و چه در روستا، چه کشاورز و چه دامدار را به تصویر کشیده. هنر نویسنده در ترسیم چهره‌ای دقیق و بی‌طرفانه از نادر شاه سخت ستودنی است، چهره‌ای که با گذشت سالها ، هنوز هم به شدت ترسناک و هولناک به نظر می‌رسد.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a fair number of history books down the years but I have tended to concentrate on the history of Europe or the Americas. I know very little about Asian history. A few months ago I was reading an online article which made reference to how, in 1739, the Mughal Empire was overrun by a Persian army led by a King Nader, and the city of Delhi was sacked in the process. I had never heard of Nader Shah and thought I should learn more about someone who was obviously a major historical figure.

Nader was certainly a remarkable man. He was born into an obscure tribe of Turcoman nomads and yet rose to become Shah of Persia, in which role he not only crushed the Mughal Empire to the east but inflicted numerous defeats on the Ottoman Empire to the west. I was also interested to read that Nader seems to have had a fairly sceptical view of religion, just at the time European monarchs like Frederick the Great were taking the same view. Unfortunately Nader's decline was as steep as his ascent and the latter part of his life was characterised not just by physical decline but by a combination of paranoia, cruelty and insatiable greed.

The author clearly admires Nader for the achievements of the earlier part of his reign, but it seems to me he also implicitly concedes that Nader's military conquests were unsustainable. Much of Nader's success was down to him making sure that his soldiers were always well-paid, well-fed and well-equipped, but this led to Nader placing an intolerable tax burden on his subjects, that effectively ruined the Persian economy. In that sense Nader's army was like an over-greedy parasite that sucked the life from its host. Indeed soon after his death both Afghanistan and Georgia broke away from the weakened Empire to become independent states.

For me this book had the advantage of covering entirely new territory, so I now have a better understanding of the history of the region, (at least during the 18th century). I'm glad though, that I wasn't born as one of Nader's subjects.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first found this book by chance in West London while browsing for nothing in particular. Considering the dearth of english language material on Nader Shah and my preexisting interest in him I picked it up immediately. I read it back then (in 2009) and loved it. It became, and remains, my second favorite autobiography I have so far read. It is also, as of now, the only one I ever read twice.

Axworthy takes us on a journey to the collapsing Safavid world and sets up the context for the various mafiosos who swoop in like vultures on the landscape. By far the most capable of these was a regional semi-nomadic frontiersman in Khorasan who would one day become Nader Shah. From his service to the declining Shahs to his rise as a generalissimo and regent, to shah itself, a promising career in both sectarian reform and military ability was undermined by malaria, mental illness, and paranoia. To say nothing of an addiction to war and acquiring funds for its perpetuation.

I added this book's 5 star rating years ago as I acquired a goodreads profile years after first reading it, but now that I have read it twice through its time to give it a proper review.

[晓木曰兮历史系 Chinese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iran, as a country, can be said to be the "most familiar stranger" to the people of the country. Like China, he has a long history and civilization. As early as the Spring, Autumn and Warring States period in China, a set of imperial governance models across Europe, Asia and Africa initiated by Darius I developed rapidly, and provided a great reference for later ancient Roman civilization. In modern times, Iran has also become the main target of the "patronage" of the nomads of Inner Asia and the Russians afterwards due to its geographical features extending in all directions.



Since the 19th century, Britain and Tsarist Russia, which have been racing to expand in Eurasia, have actively involved Iran’s internal affairs and divided their respective spheres of influence in order to achieve a so-called "great game" balance of power, which has further aggravated Iran. Colonial colors.



Both China and Iran have a splendid and heavy historical past. Compared with the ancient Persian civilization and the development trend of Iran after the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty that scholars at home and abroad are concerned about, the history of Iran before the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty appears to be a lot lonely. The reason is both familiar and unfamiliar. The Afshar dynasty of Iran, which was almost at the same time as China's Kang and Qian dynasty in the Qing Dynasty, was even less interesting.



However, in the eyes of British scholar Michael Axworthy, although Nadir Shah, the ruler who founded this dynasty, played the roles of both the initiator and the destroyer of his short-lived regime, Nadir’s reign However, it contains the potential of the Persian nation to realize modernization by its own efforts, which is worthy of arousing academic attention.



In his book "The Sword of Persia", his biography of Nadir Shah, the subtitle is impressively "Nadir Shah and the Rise of Modern Iran." However, it is quite regrettable that the author neither explained what is "modern Iran" in the book, nor did he make a detailed argumentation on the content of Nadirsha's rule that is in line with "modernization".



Obviously, compared with the author's attempt to place Nadirsha in the context of Iran's modernization, this book is more like a simple biography of Nadirshah.



However, the value of this book cannot be easily denied because the author of the book neglected to discuss the relationship between Nadir Shah and Iran’s modernization. Because there are not many books that can write clearly about the complicated history from the fall of the Safavid Dynasty to the rise of the Kaija Dynasty.



Iran in the late Safavid dynasty ruled at the same time faced external oppression by Ottoman Turkey, Tsarist Russia, and Afghans. The tribal aristocracy inside was also ready to move, trying to get rid of the control of the empire. Iran in this period can be said to be on the brink of "subjugation of the country and species", and Nadir Shah from the Khorasan Turkic tribe quickly regained confidence in the Persian people who had been beaten by foreigners. Turning from defense to offense, Nadir Shah stabilized Tsarist Russia in the north, marched westward several times under the city of Baghdad, forcing the Ottoman Empire, which was struggling to quell the rebellion in Southeast Europe, had to consolidate the stability of the eastern border. It consumes more troops and wealth.



In the east, the army led by Nadir Shah smashed the Afghans who had destroyed the Safavid dynasty, and then sent their troops south to occupy and looted Delhi, the center of the Mughal Empire. Because of such a glorious achievement, Nadir Shah has also been compared to the Iranian version of Napoleon.



Of course, compared with the outcome of Napoleon’s defeat of Waterloo, Nadir did not die on the battlefield, but was killed by a surprise attack by his followers. This may have something to do with his growing bloodthirsty and suspicion, but Napoleon After losing power, France was able to usher in a stable rule by the descendants of the Bourbon family, and the domestic situation was relatively stable. However, after the death of Nadir Shah, the Iranian plateau was plunged into continuous turbulence caused by warlords.



As for the descendants of Nadir Shah, they were also driven to extinction by warlords with inflated ambitions and desires. A strong man who relied on the army to consolidate his rule and experienced countless winds and waves throughout his life, but was unable to allow future generations to hold on to the scepter of self-defense, but allowed him to become a lamb to be slaughtered. This is embarrassing. Obviously, even when compared with the traditional monarchy, Nadir Shah’s political acumen is difficult for people to give a high evaluation.



So, how should we view Nadir Shah’s modernization efforts? It is true that, as mentioned in the previous article, the author’s writing focuses on depicting Nadir’s military career, but when it comes to the use of hot weapons such as the hornet cannon by Nadir’s army, and the strengthening of the tax system in the city, this book The author interprets it approvingly as Nadir's steps on the road to modernization. However, the Nadir army was familiar with the operation of guns, which was not uncommon in Eurasia at the time. In the same period, the Ottoman Turkey and the Mughal Empire had their own gunners and artillery. If this is the so-called modernization, why would Ottoman Turkey and others still lose to Nadir? Why did Nadir's dynasty collapse so easily?



The establishment of the relationship between Nadir's army and modernization is still doubtful. As for the bureaucrat-led taxation system established by Nadir in the city, it is even more difficult to describe. Because it is Nadir’s superstition of violence and his habit of forcing his subordinates to obey unconditionally, the bureaucrats in the towns are endlessly grabbing wealth from the people until they perform the tragedy of "killing chickens and eggs".



Nadir, who was responsible for the rise of modern Iran, almost dragged the country's already weak economy to the abyss of collapse in order to satisfy his personal war needs. At the end of the book, the author indirectly defended Nadir, thinking that the chaos after Nadir's death is a hundred times more sad than Nadir's high-handed rule, "I would rather be a peace dog than a troubled world." However, what does this historical theory of "50 Steps Laughing One Hundred Steps" have to do with the modern Iran in the title of the book?



Therefore, it should not be overestimated for Nadir and even Iran to realize the so-called modernization without being affected by external forces. Indeed, Nadir is very good at using troops armed with his own thermal weapons. In the early days of his entrepreneurship, he was able to turn his rivals into battle with competitors in time. Nadir was once a visionary military strongman, but his vision was limited to Replace the position of the Safavid dynasty in people's hearts, and then force the soldiers and civilians to fight for battle after battle in order to consolidate his personal authority (or even just to satisfy their vanity). The rich trophies that Nadir obtained after the victory were used to fill the desires of his soldiers who could never be satisfied.



The "Sword of Persia," which makes the surrounding political forces jealous, is also pushing this ancient country into the abyss of disaster step by step. Therefore, for those readers who do not understand modern and modern history of Iran, this book can make up for their knowledge gaps, but the author's seemingly ingenious "theory of modernization occurring in Iran", I am afraid that even he himself will not be able to completely convince it!

[Debjit Sengupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was once reading an article on Nader Shah. I found it interesting and then one article led me to another and so on. I ended up reading 5-6 articles on Persian history and Nader Shah. Thereafter , I became keen to explore more about him and the region. If you read Wikipedia about Nader Shah or Persian history, you will find books authored by Micheal Axworthy as a suggested reference reading. He has expertise in the subject. He was part of British Foreign and Commonwealth office and was heading the Iran section. He had been associated with couple of British Universities, teaching Middle East History. In the last 4-5 years, he and his family had been denied visa under some pretext or the other by the Iranian government. This book was in my wish list for the last two years. In Amazon,I could not purchase the book as paperback version was only available , which is very expensive. In the Amazon itself , I had sent a request for a kindle version of the book. I am sure similar kind of requests have been made by other readers as well, who share my interest. Finally the e-book version was made available in Amazon. I purchased it at one forth of the actual cost.

This is the story of a man whose life followed upward and downward trajectories . He rose from an obscure origin. His bellicose , ability and panache led him to ruthless intrigue.He led a juggernaut army. One military success followed another, accompanied by splendor and riches,leading to his aggrandizement. He liberated Persian from Afghan rules, driven out Ottomans by force and tactfully kept Russians out of the country. He then attacked Ottomans and Afghans in their own homeland, invaded India and conquered Delhi. The success culminated him to powerful position in Central Asia and adjoining region. However during later part of his life, he became ruthless, vicious, frustrated, ferocious and cruel which was further aggravated by his mental derangement.Nader Shah’s death made his infant dynasty meek which lasted for two more generations.

Nader Qoli Beg belongs to Turkish Afshar tribe, which for long were loyal to Safavid Shah of Persia. One third of the population consists of nomadic or semi-nomadic tribes. These tribal groups were helped together by strong bond of kingship. There were traditions of military and economic independence. The Shah often appointed tribal chief as local and regional governors. This tribal region where Nader Shah had spent his childhood was often raided by fierce Uzbek Tartars, who would carry off slaves and animals for sale in the towns and cities. This raids have had a pernicious impact during Nadir’s childhood. He came into the service of one of the tribal leader Baba Ali Beg. Due to his skill , ability and acumen , he was assigned higher responsibilities. He led an army of men to inflict crushing defeat on approaching Tartars. This was the first time, when he was being noticed.

Afshar tribes were subservient to indigenous high-ranking Persians in Shah’s court. Still an obscure person from the tribe was able to supersede them. What were the stimuli that caused fall of Safavid dynasty? Long ago, Arab historian and theoretician Ibn Khaldum developed a theory wherein he gave reasons for a dynasty rise and fall in the Islamic world. As per his observation, in tribal group , it was strong mutual support, fellowship and hardship that gave them cohesion in battle and politics. This made them a potent force. Soon they dominated the countryside and conquered the cities. They created a dynasty and began to rule urban population. Once established, they maintained a distance from their nomad supporters. The dynasty would relax and enhance its prestige by erecting splendid buildings. The tough and austere values that established the dynasties were lost. The dynasty followed new courtly traditions of display and magnificence. At a later stage, the monarchs gave them to worldly pleasure and charm. The theory was applicable to Safavid dynasty too. In later stages, the Shah lapsed into a pleasant life of indolence, drinking and beautiful women. He deviated from the nature of their responsibilities. There were open revolts , which the Shah was unable to suppress. There were failures and prestige of the government was degrading. . The tribes too took full advantage of the weakness of the dynasties and conquered them. Afghan invaders reached the Safavid capital, Isfahan. Safavid power ended and civil wars followed, which depressed Iran's economy further and brought widespread suffering.

Afghans headed by Malek Mahmud conquered Isfahan, capital city of Safavid dynasty. The people of the city had revolted.There was total anarchy. Dozens of warlords and princes declared their independence. Nader Shah was still consolidating his position. He was strong only in his landscape not in the entire region yet. Other tribal leaders were also competing for influence. Some warlords allied with Nader Shah and some looked elsewhere. Some slipped out of Nader Shah’s grip and offered their alliance to the new ruler of Isfahan. Despite the success, Malek Mahmud was on a shaky ground. His position was precarious. They were far away from their base , exposed to threats on all side and extremely unpopular with the Persian people. Some of his troops had already slipped away to home. The soldiers were mutinous and disillusioned . The morale of his army was low. It was around this time Nader Shah came into prominence. As mentioned earlier, his tribes were loyal to Safavid’s. His army was confronted with Afghan forces. His army won one battle after another over his rivals. Nader Shah had found a military formula that gave him a decisive advantage over his opponents. It was firepower infantry. The Afghans had no answer to advancing Persian army , who were strong in disciplined musketeers and artillery. Nader Shah’s opponents were defeated by a new and unexpected form of warfare against which they had no viable answers . One of the heir to Safavid dynasty - Shah Tahmasp was still alive and had stayed away from Isfahan. He re-entered the capital city after the defeat of hated Afghans. People in the city welcomed him. By winning the war, Nader Shah found favour with Shah Tahmasp. He was the only hope to revive Safavid dynasty.

Nader Shah then turned his attention westward towards the Ottomans. Persians had a long enmity with them . Under the pretext of liberating Persians under Ottoman rule there was a recurring theme of Nader’s justifications for his campaigns. When confronted, the Ottomans encountered a Persian army of different calibre. Unlike previous armies, they were potent, fierce and much more advanced . The Persian armies were winning battles after battles against demoralized Ottomans. Nader had comprehensively defeated the Afghans and the Ottomans , and had regained all the major cities of the Persian heartland. Since the sentiments of Safavid dynasty was still strong among people, he had preferred to take power as a regent only. He completed the reconquest of western and northwestern Persia. He quelled all rebellions and restored the border prior to its position prior to the Afghans invasions. With Tahmasp around , legitimacy Nader Shah was not the supreme head but his supremacy was undisputed . His army was feared in Persia and adjoining regions. He has reached the position of supreme majesty that corresponded with his achievements. He later achieved political triumph by disposing Tahmasp without violence. Albeit as a regent but Nader Shah had ruled the country for several years. The development had impressed the Russians who were edging closer to war with the Ottomans. They notified Nader Shah that they would evacuate occupied Persian territories and wished for an alliance with him against the Ottomans.Nader Shah’s flurry of success put him in control and his position became unassailable.

In India , we know Nader Shah for all the wrong reasons. Delhi is the place which marked zenith of Nader Shah’s success. His main objective was to amass huge wealth of Mughals. The empire was ruled by Mohammed Shah during that time. It was already in the stage of free fall. There was fierce rivalry between factions and civil war had broken many times. The nobles, zamindar and local leaders were becoming stronger. The weakness was capitalized by the Marathas, who expanded into areas where Mughal authority was weakened. While Nader began his march to India, on the way he attained military victories in Khandhar and Kabul. His reputation preceded him. His march spread an aura of fear. He had crushed the Mughal forces. What followed then was a horrendous incident. Minor scuffle between some of the Persian troops and merchants snowballed into a major disaster. Many Persian soldiers were killed across the city. Nader Shah was incensed and ordered slaughtering of citizen. The soldiers unleashed an unbridled massacre on the citizens of Dehli. There were mass killing , looting and burning. This lasted for 6-7 hours and an estimated two lacs people were killed. The army took with them tens and thousands of camels and mules laden with treasure. Great quantities of gold and silver were melted down into large ingots and taken back. One of the possession also includes priceless diamond - Kohinoor. In his retreat , he also took along masons, builders, carpenters and stone cutters. In monetary terms, valuation of plunder was so high that he declared three year remission of tax on Persian people.

Nadir Shah’s son Reza Qoli had kept Persia peaceful while Nader Shah was in India. However the rift between father and son was widening. Shah Tahmasp and his children were executed on Reza Qoli’s order. Reza Qoli had been disobeying Nader Shah during various campaigns. His behaviour conveyed indifference to Nader .He had removed men whom Nader Shah had appointed to advice him. All these pointed to his rebellious traits. Reza Qoli was also alleged to have been the mastermind behind the failed assassination attempt on Nader Shah . Once in a fit of rage, he ordered his son to be blinded which was duly executed. He regretted his decision and then could never recover from the situation. It had upset his mental balance and affected his psyche. The certainties that underpinned his previous self-confidence and his success had gone. It shook him such a way that he was never the same person again. He was showing a greater tendency for irascibility and irritation, which made liable to morose melancholia . He had an insatiable desire for conquest and Persian economy was inadequate to support him. The tax collectors beleaguered people into submission, leaving them destitute. Initially, people were grateful to him for ejecting country enemies , later his army forced petrified people into slavery and poverty. Even his close companions and relatives were being alienated. Later his own people assassinated him. All his male children and grandchildren were executed . Only his grandson was deliberately spared. His dynasty lasted for another sixty years. Even after Nader Shah’s death, there was no peace. There were skirmishes between warring parties and the atmosphere of animosity stayed on. The empire went through lowest ebb and it was in wane.

Unlike Europe, there are no contemporary drill book, manuals or memoirs. There was also communication gap between soldiers and bureaucrats due to which there was no easy flow of accurate information. Nader’s physician, historian, European traders , travellers and East India representative inputs provided great insights about his life and events. He had managed to keep an uneasy balance between Persian and non-Persians as well Shia and Sunni soldiers. Nader’s reign is significant and often also referred to as a millitary revolution. His army first time exploited the full potential of gunpowder weapons to a telling effect. His emphasis on drill and gunpowder provided him with decisive advantage . His army was well paid and there was never any mutiny despite hardships and setbacks, except at very end. He attended to the need of his soldiers and maintained discipline and they in turn repaid him with loyalty. All through his life, he belonged to saddle and tents. He lived for equanimity, activities, conflicts and overcoming of obstacles and enemies. His armies was feared across the region and his contemporaries were wary of his stratagem. Micheal Axworthy’s narratives has injected life into the character. Nader Shah has been beautifully portraited and Iran’s introduction was superb as well. Despite lack of much souvenirs, this is well researched and it presents wealth of information, some with unique interpretation. It has been a riveting read.

[Maziar MHK · Rating 3 out of 5]

.تحسین جامعیت این اثر مطلبی نیست که منصف باشی و از گفتنش برکنار
خود نویسنده ضمن اشاره به افسانه های ساخته شده درباره "نادر قلی" (پیشانادرشاه) در زمان و آثارِ "پسانادرشاه" از زبان ایرانیان و ادامه یِ نقل و روایتِ آن در صدها سال بعد، اشاره ی چندانی بدانها جُز در 2 مورد نمیکند
به تحقیق، تلاش های دیپلماتیک و چندوجهی نادر در چند مرحله برای حل مشکل و شکاف تشیع-تسنن در جهان اسلام در نامه نگاری وحمله و توقف حمله ها با عثمانی ها، منصفانه تحسین شده است
تاثیر مانا و نافذ بیماری نادر بر جسم و روان او و صدالبته در شاه بیتِ تراژیکِ مرثیه نامه یِ زندگی اش (کور کردن پسر محبوببش) و بستن راه اصلاح و به روزآوری امپراتوری جدید ایران در اوج قدرت، از کانال انتقال قدرت حال وراثتی یا غیر آن، مسئله ای است که نویسنده گرچه با اغراق و سیاه دیدن های آشکار اما بصورتی درخور مورد اشاره قرار داده است
ترجمه کتاب قابل قبول و مطلوب بود.

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tell them he is the son of Nader Shah the son of the sword, the grandson of the sword; until they have seventy generations instead of seven."

This book was a fascinating insight into Nader Shah, the man whose military autocracy revived the independence of 18th-century Iran and brought the country back from partition between the Russians and Ottoman Turks. He brought discipline and artillery to Iranian warfare and commanded the most powerful force in the world with tactics which were later adopted in Western Europe. "the army like an extension of his own mind." But his politics were even more interesting than his crushing military success.
Nader's story is surprisingly modern. "Nader seized the sceptre which his valour had saved, and which no other hand could have wielded." One of history's Great Men, made obscure by Western European prejudices, makes several parallels with the ascent of Ayatollah Khomeini in contemporary Iran. Nader was born in an obscure nomadic tribe. His intelligence and bravery brought him to prominence in the territory, and eventually internationally. "The sword takes its merit from the natural strength of its temper, not from the mine in which it was formed." He also forbade the abuse of women following his seiges with strict justice, and minimised bloodshed amongst civilians. There is something deeply ambivalent about this juxtaposition of vicious expansionism and mercy.
"Are there such things as war and overcoming one's enemies in Paradise? No? Then how can there be anything to delight in?"
Nader's victories win territories from Georgia and Azerbaijan to Afghanistan and Dheli in India. This cultural and national identification between countries which contemporary scholars often differentiate categorically into Christian Europe and the Islamic Middle East. And yet there is so much shared history! Nader's decline is told with great sensitivity, with emphasis on mental and physical illness rather than demonic, tyrannical madness. He is wracked with regret whilst commissioning towers of severed heads, and leaves his assassins the chance to destroy him. His reaction to his own paranoia and mistreatment of his sons is darkly relatable. "It is not my eyes that you have put out, but those of Persia."
I would have liked to have seen more written about Nader's plans to unite Sunni and Shi'a Islam, and the potential consequences this could have had for the history of the world, if not only Iran. This ideological proposal was fascinating and has left me with more questions than answers. A great book, I wish there had been more topics like this covered in school.
"I would feel as if my body itself had been guilty of a massacre."

[Koit · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not to my credit that I had not heard of a figure as instrumental as Nader Shah until earlier this year. However, coming upon him in my research, I was keen to investigate further. Mr Axworthy’s book is one of the very few recent options—though it would deserve a read even if there were a dozen books on the time and period.

The story starts in the hinterlands of 18th century Iran. While following the growth of a boy, Tahmāsp Qoli Khan, into a man, the reader is brought to Ispahān of the Safavids where the decay of the imperial court brings dismay to the young commander. It doesn’t take long for the interminable civil wars and foreign conquerors to afford Tahmasp the moment to take over a small part of the country, and then to start on his own path of conquest.

It is this interminable rise—with due credit being given to the clever general’s military innovations which were ahead of contemporary Europe—that the author describes in most detail. The narrative’s emphasis is on military conquest and administrative themes are mentioned not quite in the same degree. This seems to follow Nader Shah’s interest who was keen to increase his tax intake though less keen to support the peasantry in other ways.

The Shah’s reign took him to defeat both the Ottomans and the Mughals in the field as well as to sack Delhi. Yet, up until personal tragedies conquered his mind, we can speak of a generally prudent ruler. However, it is in the later years of his life we see the old Shah turning into a cruel tormentor, suspicious of everyone. These character changes inspired many an uprising, and the end of Nader’s life came about at the hands of his own captain of the guard.

The strong points of this book are numerous. Firstly, it is rare to see a narrative history that flows as well. Secondly, Mr Axworthy is clear of many prejudices that might twist a book like this into a promotional cause—instead, this is more of an educational cover which brings Nader Shah’s story to a reader. Thirdly, many a point is proved wrong from the school which argues that European superiority at the time was guaranteed. Overall, well worth a read!

This review was originally posted on my blog.

[Roya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book 5 stars for one main reason, and it is because of the knowledge and insight it gave me about history of IRAN during the past 250 years. Now I have a clearer image in my mind of what led us to our state today and what could have had happened if Nader had reigned longer to hand his monarchy to his son maybe. I have to say the ending of the book gave me heart break, such that one can only feel when there is great sorrow and regret. There is no more to say, but that this book worth reading over and over again, to memorize the unfortunate series of events that led a great country like IRAN made by Nader, into deep dark era.

[Monjik · Rating 5 out of 5]

این کتاب برای گستره خوانندگانی که هیچ آشنایی‌‌ای با تاریخ ایران دوره نادری ندارند تا کسانی که آشنایی کمی دارند بسیار مناسب است و می‌تواند بسیار دانش و شناخت آنان را نسبت به ایران نادری افزایش دهد . نوشته جناب اکسورسی به جزئیاتی که برای خواننده عام جالب نبوده نپرداخته است و نثر کتاب نیز پیچیدگی ویژه‌ای ندارد و خواننده می‌تواند از خواندن آن لذت ببرد ‌.

[Ossian's Dream · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography on the Persian Napoleon, whose intelligent use of strategy made him great and whose oriental stupidity in administration led him to the grave and Persia with him. His ruthlessness and the ruthlessness of middle easterners in general is nothing new, but the vivid descriptions and the flimsy reasoning behind some of the killing and maiming is genuinely shocking. Although it only makes it more impressive that he rose to the top in that sort of world.

He was a Great man and like most Great men he was personally a piece of shit.

[Mohammedn19871988 · Rating 5 out of 5]

اعتقد انه من اروع الكتب على الاطلاق وارجو الحصول على نسخة pdf لان توجد نسخة واحدة في العتبة

[Peyman HAGH · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Sword of Persia: Nader Shah from Tribal Warrior to Conquering Tyrant” by Michael Axworthy




Nader Shah was born in the fortress of Dasgerd into the Qereqlu clan of the Afshars; a semi-nomadic Turkic tribe settled in the northern valleys of Khurasan. His father, Emam Qoli, was a herdsman.

At the age of 13, his father died, and Nader became the breadwinner for his family. In 1704, when he was about 17 years old, a band of Uzbek Tartars invaded the province of Khurasan. Nader was living with his mother. The Uzbek took him, and his mother died as slaves. In 1708, Nader convinced a Turkmen to let him go, and in return, one day, he will help him.

In this era, Iranian lacked a stable central government and the Safavid dynasty headed by Shah Hussain, who was an incompetent leader. It created a power vacuum and allowed warlords like Hotaki Pashtuns to gain momentum to wage war against Shah Hussein. Shah Hussein lacked the confidence to defend the national sovereignty of Iran, and it collapsed.

Tahmasp II and the Qajar leader Fath Ali Khan needed a more military force to confront Hotaki Pashtuns troops in Iran, and they contacted Nader and asked Nader to join their cause. Nader agreed with them. During this military campaign, he pushed the Afghan forces out of Iran as he became a hero for Iranians. Later on, Nader became aware that Fath Ali Khan was in treasonable correspondence with Malek Mahmud and revealed this to the Tahmasp II. Tahmasp executed Fath Ali Khan. Tahmasp made Nader the chief of his army.

Nader suggested to his confident friends (Tahmasp Khan Jalayer and Hasan-Ali Beg Bestami) that he should become the new king rather than the young Abbas III. No one uttered a word to him. When Nader asked him why they remained silent, Hasan-Ali replied that the best thing for Nader to do would be assembling all leading men of the state, to receive their agreement. Nader approved the proposal and wrote to the chancellery, which included the court historian Mirza Mehdi Khan Astarabadi, instructed to send out orders to the military, clergy, and nobility of the nation to summon at the plains. On March 08th, 1736, Nader ascended to the throne in the attendance of the army, religious, and nobility of the country and the Ottoman ambassador Ali Pasha.

Nader suffered from illnesses and grew angry. He could not control his thoughts. He demanded more tax from Iranians. It caused friction between Iranians and Nader. New revolts broke out throughout Iran, and Nader used military force to respond to those delicate matters. Nader admired Timur that, after capturing a city, Timur built towers from his victims' skulls. Nader imitated Timur's war policy and built a tower from his defeated enemies' heads.

In 1747, Nader deployed his army to suppress Kurdish uprising. His army lacked solidarity. There was a cloud of doubt and suspicion among his army commanders, including two of his relatives: Muhammad Quli Khan, the captain of the guards, and Salah Khan, the overseer of Nader's household. The army officers wanted to save their lives; they decided to assassinate Nader Shah on June 20th, 1747. He was sleeping as the assassinates charged him. He called for his sword. It was too late. No one wanted to help him. Nader killed two assassinate. However, he could not have a melee with fifteen armed men. The fifteen men stabbed Nader to death.

Nader Shah was an ambitious man. He wanted to rule the world. One contemporary Punjabi poet described Nader foreign policy, "when all of India trembled with horror. Nader Shah, the horror of Asia, the pride and savior of his country, and the restorer of her freedom and conqueror of India, who have a simple origin, rose to such greatness that monarchs rarely have from birth."

Joseph Stalin read books about Nader Shah and admired his domestic and foreign policies. Nader Shah's local and international policies were about brute force to bring the opposing force under its subjugation. Stalin viewed Nader Shah in light of Ivan the Terrible. Napoleon Bonaparte applauded Nader Shah's actions and considered himself a new Nader or European Nader Shah.

[SAEB GHORBANI · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتابی در خصوص اخرین روزهای سلسه صفویه و طهور نادرشاهافشار .
از دلاوری ها و قدرت جنگی ارتش نادر شاه که ایران بحران طده و اشفته را به مرزهای سابق خود بازگرداند و سرزمین پر از ثروت دهلی را تصرف کرد. تا ظلم و ستمی که نتیجه آن ترور نادر شاه و اشوب دوباره ایران زمین بود .
نقطه ماندگار کتاب انجایی است، که رضا قلی میرزا فرزند و ولیعهد مادر شاه پس از کور شدن توسط پدرش به او گفت

[[این ها نه چشم من که چشمان ایران بود که تو از حدقه در اوردی ]]

[Negro Alts · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Those who possess understanding and are endowed with wisdom, know that when the times are full of troubles and confusion, when fortune favors the desires of the unjust, the supreme ruler of the universe, the arbiter of all things, brings forth an appointed one to fulfill the outpouring of his mercy..." - Mirza Mahdi Astarabadi, Jahangosha-ye Naderi

[Yüksəl Babayev · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's undoubtedly a great biography. The book aroused my interest in the author's other books and especially the pre-nineteenth century history, it's time for more biographies, history, and Crusader Kings 2.

[Ali A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب جيّد به معلومات كثير
ومراجع أكثر
وتبقى المصداقية "السّؤال الأهم والأبرز" عند قراءة أي سيرة
فماذا لو كان للكاتب المستشرق غاية ما في كتابته عن الشّرق؟
لماذا الشّكّ؟
فالكاتب أبرزَ مصادره ومراجعه التي عاد إليها في الكتابة
وتبقى الحقيقة في المزيد من القراءة

[James Woo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Zeitgeist · Rating 4 out of 5]

戰爭狂人，無論是成吉思汗還是帖木兒，建立的帝國皆是曇花一現，其統治合法性和各部落的效忠源於不敗的戰爭業績和不斷的賞賜，一旦神話破滅和封賞結束，自然帝國內忠誠不在，叛亂四起，一切歸於原點，所以納迪爾沙的結局早已註定。

[Publius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise, easy to read. Would have liked some more detail on the militaristic parts of his life, but I imagine sources are limiting.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a highly readable and interesting portrait of Nader Shah, an 18th century Persian warlord who rose from obscurity to become the supreme ruler of Persia. Along the way he defeated the Ottoman Turks on numerous occasions, invaded and conquered Afghanistan, moved on into India and defeated the powerful Moghul dynasty in Delhi, all the while constantly suppressing home-grown rebellions from would-be usurpers.
As befitting the times, he was ruthless and capable of extraordinary cruelty but also showed an unusual amount of leniency and forgiveness to his enemies, although this was usually a one time deal and he had no hesitation in punishing them severely if they transgressed again.
Nader Shah was responsible for transforming the Persian military from a tribal based collection of seasonal fighters into a modern professional standing army that was possibly the most powerful in the world at that time, moving from swords and lances to modern firearms and artillery.
After years of extorting and terrorising the civilian population to pay for his continual military campaigns and displaying a worsening mental degredation, Nader Shah would eventually pay the ultimate price and be betrayed by those closest to him, thus ending the remarkable life of a man who stopped Persia from becoming just another piece of land to be divided up by the Russians, Ottomans, and Afghans.
The book itself is well written, moves along at a cracking pace, and is highly detailed, but is presented in a way that general readers will enjoy. The author has obviously done a lot of research and manages to present Nader Shah as not just another power hungry warlord but gets deeper into his character and looks for the underlying reasons for why and how he achieved so much in his life.
The book also gives a good insight into the Persian culture of the time period and there is a lot of information regarding the various tribes, cities, and places that made up what was known as Persia.
There are a lot of battles throughout the book with an accompanying plethora of people and places to remember, and a lot of ground covered in following Nader Shah on his campaigns, so some concentration is required to remember who is who and where abouts a particular place is.
All in all, a great read and an important book that keeps alive the life and achievements of a man and events that helped shape the modern world.

[Bijan · Rating 5 out of 5]

خوب است که تمام ایرانیان عزیز این کتاب را بخوانند. کتابی که بسیار جذاب و پرکشش، با ذکر جزئیات و دارای منابع موثق تاریخی و اسناد تازه‌یافته شده، در سال 2009 توسط یک پژوهشگر خارجی برجسته نوشته شده است. ترجمه بسیار خوبی هم دارد. این کتاب صورت واقعی سلسله منحط صفویه و برخی علل مهم سقوطش همراه با معرفی چهره دقیق‌تری از نادرشاه را برای خواننده هویدا می‌کند. همچنین برای ثبت گذشته اسف‌بار تاریخ ملت ایران بدون حافظه تاریخی، معرفی شاهان نالایق، استبداد، فساد دربار و ... مطالعه آن به‌غایت توصیه می‌گردد. دوستان محترم کتابخوان، اگر به تاریخ ایران علاقه‌مند هستید، حتما این کتاب را بخوانید.