Siege of Kandahar: Difference between revisions
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==Bakhtiari Assualt== |
==Bakhtiari Assualt== |
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In anticipation of the siege, the Afghans had stockpiled a large |
In anticipation of the siege, the Afghans had stockpiled a large amounts of provisions in the city and although starvation had begun to take hold in the city by the end of 1737, Nader realized that it would take a long time for the Afghans to exhaust the last of their provisions. Furthermore, he was unsure of his position in Persia; although he had deposed [[Tahmasp II]], the deposed ex-king was still alive and Nader didn't want to be remain bogged down in the siege <ref>Axworthy p.183</ref>. On March 23, 1738, [[Nader Shah| Nader]] selected 3,000 men from among the [[Bakhtiari]] contingent of his troops to lead a human wave assault on [[Kandahar]]<ref>Axworthy p.185</ref>. A [[Bakhtiari]] named Mullah Adineh Mostafi was selected to lead the assault party. Nader initially tried to dissuade the [[Mullah]] from taking part in the attack given the threat he faced but Adineh insisted on taking part<ref>Axworthy p.185</ref>. The night before the attack, [[Nader Shah]] personally addressed the [[Bakhtiaris]] and told them that would be each given 1,000 [[Rupees]] and a share of the spoils of the city if the assault succeeded <ref>Axworthy p.185</ref>. On March 24, The assault commenced and the [[Bakhtiaris]] surged forth from their concealed positions on the cliffs of Chehel Zina and charged towards the city. The Afghan gunners in the city's guard towers managed to kill some of the attackers but many of the [[Bakhtiaris]] reached the city walls and used their ladders to scale it. Mullah Adineh was the first to make it to the top and a fierce struggle took place atop the [[Kandahar]] city walls <ref>Axworthy p.185</ref>. Gradually, the [[Bakhtiaris]] managed to take control of the walls and proceeded to take the inner fortifications of the city. The attackers then raised guns atop the walls and used them to bombard the city. The [[Afghans]] made several attempts to retake the city's fortifications but they were beaten back by heavy fire from the [[Bakhtiari]] jazayerchis. Realizing the hopelessness of the struggle, [[Hussain Hotaki]] and a few Afghans retreated into the Kandahar citadel, leaving the rest of the inhabitants of the city to be killed or captured <ref>Axworthy p.185</ref> . The [[Iranians]] then proceeded to commandeer the cannons installed on the city's walls and used these cannons to bombard the citadel. Finally, the next day, on March 25 1738, [[Hussain Hotaki]] and the rest of his retinue which had taken shelter in the citadel, surrendered <ref>Axworthy p.185</ref> |
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==Aftermath== |
==Aftermath== |
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Revision as of 04:01, 25 October 2010
| Siege of Kandahar | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Afsharid forces | Hotaki forces | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Nadir Shah Afshar Reza Qoli Afshar Mullah Adineh Mostafi Tahmasp Qoli Khan Jalayer |
Hussain Hotaki Mohammad Seidal Khan | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 80,000-100,000 [1] | 30,000 [2] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | All killed or captured [3] | ||||||
The siege of Kandahar was a conflict between the Afsharid dynasty and the Hotaki dynasty that took place between April 1737 and March 1738.
The Siege
Much of the duration of the siege saw little fighting as the Afsharid forces' lack of heavy artillery forced them to settle into a blockade of the city [4]. As the Iranians became more impatient, they made several attempts to take the city by storm but the Afghans defiantly repulsed these attempts [5].
Bakhtiari Assualt
In anticipation of the siege, the Afghans had stockpiled a large amounts of provisions in the city and although starvation had begun to take hold in the city by the end of 1737, Nader realized that it would take a long time for the Afghans to exhaust the last of their provisions. Furthermore, he was unsure of his position in Persia; although he had deposed Tahmasp II, the deposed ex-king was still alive and Nader didn't want to be remain bogged down in the siege [6]. On March 23, 1738, Nader selected 3,000 men from among the Bakhtiari contingent of his troops to lead a human wave assault on Kandahar[7]. A Bakhtiari named Mullah Adineh Mostafi was selected to lead the assault party. Nader initially tried to dissuade the Mullah from taking part in the attack given the threat he faced but Adineh insisted on taking part[8]. The night before the attack, Nader Shah personally addressed the Bakhtiaris and told them that would be each given 1,000 Rupees and a share of the spoils of the city if the assault succeeded [9]. On March 24, The assault commenced and the Bakhtiaris surged forth from their concealed positions on the cliffs of Chehel Zina and charged towards the city. The Afghan gunners in the city's guard towers managed to kill some of the attackers but many of the Bakhtiaris reached the city walls and used their ladders to scale it. Mullah Adineh was the first to make it to the top and a fierce struggle took place atop the Kandahar city walls [10]. Gradually, the Bakhtiaris managed to take control of the walls and proceeded to take the inner fortifications of the city. The attackers then raised guns atop the walls and used them to bombard the city. The Afghans made several attempts to retake the city's fortifications but they were beaten back by heavy fire from the Bakhtiari jazayerchis. Realizing the hopelessness of the struggle, Hussain Hotaki and a few Afghans retreated into the Kandahar citadel, leaving the rest of the inhabitants of the city to be killed or captured [11] . The Iranians then proceeded to commandeer the cannons installed on the city's walls and used these cannons to bombard the citadel. Finally, the next day, on March 25 1738, Hussain Hotaki and the rest of his retinue which had taken shelter in the citadel, surrendered [12]
Aftermath
Nader generously rewarded the Bakhtiaris and personally rewarded Adineh Mostafi with a bag full of gold [13]. Hussain Hotaki was treated leniently and was exiled to Mazandaran along with the rest of the Hotaki royal family; it is presumed that he and his family were later killed during the Zand massacres of Afghans in Northern Iran [14]. On the other hand, Nader was suspicious of Hussain's main military commander, Mohammad Seidal Khan, and suspected him of being a troublemaker; Nader therefore ordered that he be blinded [15]. The city of Kandahar was systematically destroyed by artillery fire and the surviving inhabitants were transferred to a new city that the Afsharid forces had built 6 miles South-east of the ancient city [16] . Nader Shah named the city "Naderabad", after himself. The old city was not reoccupied but the ruins of the old Kandahar Citadel remain visible to this day. The capture of Kandahar is a resonant event in Bakhtiari oral traditions and in Lur culture in general; it is an event which has become a cultural touchstone. [17]
References
- ^ "History of Afghanistan from the earliest to the outbreak of war of 1878". G.B. Malleson. London: Pall Mall. p. 260. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
- ^ "History of Afghanistan from the earliest to the outbreak of war of 1878". G.B. Malleson. London: Pall Mall. p. 261. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
- ^ Axworthy p.185
- ^ Axworthy p.182
- ^ Axworthy p.182
- ^ Axworthy p.183
- ^ Axworthy p.185
- ^ Axworthy p.185
- ^ Axworthy p.185
- ^ Axworthy p.185
- ^ Axworthy p.185
- ^ Axworthy p.185
- ^ Axworthy p.187
- ^ "The Cambridge history of Iran: From Nadir Shah to the Islamic Republic". William Bayne Fisher, Peter Avery, Gavin Hambly, Charles Melville. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 77. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
- ^ Axworthy p.182
- ^ Axworthy p.182
- ^ "Persa Revisted". Thomas Edward Gordon. London: BiblioBazar. p. 77. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
Sources
Michael Axworthy, The Sword of Persia: Nader Shah, from Tribal Warrior to Conquering Tyrant Hardcover 348 pages (26 July 2006) Publisher: I.B. Tauris Language: English ISBN 1-85043-706-8