Nader Shah and the Afsharid Expansion

Nader Shah, born near Dastgerd in northeastern Iran, was a brilliant military commander who founded the Afsharid dynasty following the decline of the Safavids. Rising through the military ranks during regional chaos, he expelled Afghan forces, defeated Ottoman armies, and reunited Iran under his control before crowning himself Shah in 1736. Nader launched ambitious foreign campaigns, most famously invading the Mughal Empire in 1739, capturing Delhi, and taking immense wealth including the Peacock Throne. Though his conquests extended Iranian influence deep into Central Asia and India, his oppressive taxation, harsh rule, and endless wars sparked widespread rebellions, leading to his assassination in 1747.

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