User:Safavid1623/sandbox2: Difference between revisions – Wikipedia

Hussein Hotaki was growing increasingly anxious about his position in Qandahar with Nader approaching Herat, prompting him to enter into negotiations with Nader in which he sent back a few captive Safavid princesses. Hussein sultan’s support for his proxy, Zulfaqar Khan, however did not cease or even lessen – in fact a Ghilzai force of at least a few thousand strong commanded by Mohammad Seidal Khan was sent from Qandahar to support him. In February 1731 Nader ordered Emamverdi Khan, the Governor of Kerman, to march to Herat and subdue the Abdalis.^[3]

The Persian army arrived during April 1731 in the town of Nuqra just a few short kilometres from Herat itself, whence they fanned out and to take hold of the towers and strongholds in Herat’s environs. During one of these nights Nader’s small entourage of a mere eight musketeers were trapped in an isolated tower when Seidal Khan carried out a surprise raid. Fortunately for Nader a unit of musketeers happened upon the Afghan cavalry encircling his tower and put the enemy to flight. At a later date after crossing over a bridge over Harrirud, the Persians beat back a large counterattack by the Afghans forcing them to retire behind the walls of Herat’s citadel. On a particular night when Nader was resting in his tent, an Afghan cannon from the citadel walls fired a random shot, lobbing a round ball through the roof of the tent with it landing right next to Nader’s bed as he was resting causing his followers to claim he had divine protection.

The final decisive engagement took place outside the city when Zulfaqar Khan and Seidal Khan agreed to a joint coordinated attack against the Persians. The attack was decimated when Nader sent a flanking force round the Afghans and himself rode directly against their front with a large body of cavalry. The defeat caused Seidal Khan’s departure which in turn led to the remaining defenders of Herat asking for terms of submission.