Durrani Campaign to Khorasan (1754–55)

The Durrani Campaign to Khorasan took place in 1754 and 1755. Ahmad Shah Durrani launched the campaign to avenge his defeat in the first campaign of Khorasan.

Durrani Campaign to Khorasan (1754–55)
Part of Campaigns of Ahmad Shah Durrani

Map of Khorasan in 1775
DateMay 1754 – 24 June 1755[1][2]
Location
Khorasan province
Result

Afghan victory[3][4]

Belligerents
Durrani Empire
Khanate of Kalat		 Afsharids
Qara Bayat Amirdom
Qajar dynasty
Khozeimeh Amirdom
Commanders and leaders
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Sardar Jahan Khan
Shah Pasand Khan
Nasir Khan		 Shahrokh Shah
Abbas Qoli Khan
Jafar Khan †
Ali Murad Khan †

Background

In 1750–1751, Ahmad Shah's first campaign to Khorasan had little success and many losses. As a result, Ahmad Shah began preparing for a second campaign beginning in 1754. During this time, Nishapur was besieged by Alam Khan, a former Afsharid viceroy.[2] Upon hearing that Ahmad Shah began his campaign to Khorasan, Alam Khan's army completely dispersed, while the Camesgazak Kurds completely defected to Ahmad Shah and his army.[2]

Campaign

Ahmad Shah began his campaign in May 1754. Afghan forces departed from Herat and made for Tun. Ahmad Shah dispatched Sardar Jahan Khan and Nasir Khan of Kalat, with them beginning their campaign by devastating the countryside.[5] Following this, they marched against the governor of Tabas, Ali Murad Khan, who also assembled his own army and met the Afghans in battle, with Singh describing the battle that took place as bloody battles in Persian history.[6] As ammunition failed to gain any clear advantage for both sides, the two armies drew swords and began clashing. The battle was inconclusive for a while until Ali Murad Khan was killed, and the remaining army was routed.[6] As a result, Tabas and Tun were conquered in between of June and July 1754.[6] The Afghan armies then marched on Mashhad, arriving before the city on 23 July.[3] A long siege continued until the Afsharids finally submitted to Ahmad Shah on 1 December 1754. On the 4th, Ahmad Shah's name was read in the sermon, acknowledging his sovereignty and paramountcy over the Afsharids.[3] Alongside this, the domains of Torshiz, Bakharz, Jam, Khaf, and Turbat-e Haidari.[7][3] Following this, Ahmad Shah continued his march on Nishapur in the following spring of 1755, while Shah Pasand Khan set out to march to Mazandaran against the Qajars.[3][8]

Siege of Nishapur

On 17 June 1755, the Afghan armies arrived at Nishapur, and immediately, Abbas Qoli Khan submitted without opposition and sought to be pardoned for giving resistance during Ahmad Shah's first campaign in Khorasan.[3] Not long after, however, Nishapur raised in rebellion due to news that Shah Pasand Khan was defeated by the Qajars, and as a result, closed the gates of the city on Ahmad Shah's troops.[8][3] As a result, a one-week siege began.[9] During this siege, Ahmad Shah lacked important siege equipment, and as a result, every mounted soldier many kilograms of gunmetals.[10] As the siege began, Armenian cannon makers melted down the metal the soldiers carried, and forged a large cannon. The first shot of the cannon blasted through the city walls, and even caused havoc in the city through Houses and bazaars.[10] As a result, this weapon forced the submission of the cities elders, and they opened the gates despite Abbas Qoli Khan's opposition.[11] Following this, the city was plundered, with the populace of the city spared if they went to mosques and didn't take anything with them. The army then plundered the city, going from houses and then tearing down the defenses of the city, including a part of the city to be entirely razed.[12][13]

Defeat of the Qajars

Following the victory at Nishapur, Ahmad Shah defeated the Qajars and followed up that victory by sacking the cities of Tun and Tabas, also instilling massacres in their cities.[12]

Aftermath

On 9 May 1755, Shahrokh Shah was officially re-instated as ruler over Mashhad, effectively as a Durrani protectorate.[2]

See also

References
  1. Noelle-Karimi, Christine (2014). The Pearl in Its Midst: Herat and the Mapping of Khurasan (15th–19th Centuries). Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. ISBN 978-3-7001-7202-4.
  2. Perry, John R. (1985). "ʿALAM KHAN". Encyclopedia Iranica.
  3. Noelle-Karimi 2014, p. 110.
  4. Lee, Jonathan (2019). Afghanistan: A History from 1260 to the Present. Reaktion Books. p. 188. ISBN 9781789140101.
  5. Singh 1959, p. 95-96.
  6. Singh 1959, p. 96.
  7. Singh, Ganḍā (1959). Ahmad Shah Durrani: Father of Modern Afghanistan. Asia Publishing House. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-4021-7278-6. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  8. Singh 1959, p. 89.
  9. Noelle-Karimi 2014, p. 110-111.
  10. Lee 2019, p. 133.
  11. Lee 2019, p. 133-134.
  12. Lee 2019, p. 134.
  13. Noelle-Karimi 2014, p. 111.
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