Nader's Dagestan campaign

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Nader's campaigns in Dagestan
Part of Naderian Wars
Lezgian people Leki.jpg
The Lezgis proved to be indomitable foes in the upper reaches of the Caucasus where they could avoid pitched battles.
Date 1730s–1740s
Location North Caucasus, Daghestan
Result Indecisive
Territorial
changes

Persian Invasion of Daghestan:

  • The Persian Empire annexes almost all of Daghestan
  • The Lezgis manage to hold out in the northernmost parts of Daghestan
  • Status Quo until the collapse of the Persian Empire
Belligerents

Safavid Empire (prior to 1736)


Nadir Shah Flag.svg Afsharid Empire (after 1736)
Lezgis[1][2]
Avars
Commanders and leaders
Nader Shah
Ebrahim Khan Afshar 
Givi Amilakhvari
Haji Dawood Myushkyurskogo
Muhammad Khan Avar
Strength
varying;
100,000 at height
varying;
a few dozen thousand at height
Casualties and losses
heavy unknown

Nader's Dagestan campaign,[3][4][5] refers to the campaigns conducted by the Persian Empire (under the Safavid and Afsharid dynasty) under the ruling king Nader Shah between the 1730's and 1740's in order to fully subjugate the Dagestan region in the North Caucasus. The conflict between the Persian Empire & the Lezgis was intermittently fought through the mid-1730s during Nader's first campaign in the Caucasus until the very last years of his reign and assassination in 1747. The incredibly difficult terrain of the northern Caucasus region made the task of subduing the Lezgis an extremely challenging one. Despite this Nader Shah gained numerous strongholds and fortresses from the Dagestan people and pushed them to the very verge of defeat. The Lezgis however held on in the northernmost reaches of Daghestan and continued to defy Persian domination.

The conflict was fought over many years and only included a few years of actual hard fighting, usually when Nader himself was present, but otherwise consisted of skirmishes and raids throughout. The majority of the Persian casualties were from the extremity of the weather as well as the outbreak of disease, all of which combined with the indomitable will of the Lezgis to wage an insurgency and retreat to their distant strongholds when threatened with a pitched battle made the entire war a quagmire for Nader's forces. Ultimately the Lezgis who had held on in the northern fortresses marched south upon hearing of Nader's assassination and reclaimed most of their lost territories as the Persian empire crumbled.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Axworthy, Michael (2009). The Sword of Persia: Nader Shah, from tribal warrior to conquering tyrant, p. 205. I. B. Tauris
  2. ^ Floor, Wiilem(2009). The rise & fall of Nader Shah: Dutch East India Company Reports 1730-1747, Mage Publishers
  3. ^ Sinor, Denis (1990). Aspects of Altaic Civilization III: Proceedings of the Thirtieth Meeting of the Permanent International Altaistic Conference, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, June 19-25, 1987. Psychology Press. p. 117. During his [Nader's] Dagestan campaign it appeared that Nader had plans to attack Crimea and Russia. (...) 
  4. ^ Shireen, Hunter (2004). Islam in Russia: The Politics of Identity and Security. M.E. Sharpe. p. 12. (...) Following the assassination of Nadir Shah during his campaign in Dagestan (..) 
  5. ^ Ehsan Yar-Shater. Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume 13 Routledge & Kegan Paul, 2004 p 237 ISBN 978-0933273955 (originally from the University of California)

Sources[edit]