Yunus Oghuz - Nader Shah. Historical novel

– Yes, I agreed, but the warlord of the army had to agree not me.

Then all of a sudden the Shah stood up. He approached Fatali khan, looked into his eyes and asked suddenly:

– What did you talk about with Melik Mahmud?

When Fatali khan heard the name of Melik Mahmud his face turned white, but he didn’t lose his composure:

– My Shah, it is a lie, it is a slander.. ..It is only a cunning lie in order to cast aspirations on me.

No sooner had Fatali khan finished his words than two executioners stood above his head. Tahmasb Shah said:

– Tell me, Fatali khan, tell me, how did you want to attempt my life?

Fatali khan fell on his knees:

– It is a lie…It is a slander, my Shah!

– Do you say that it is a slander?

He clapped his hands. They brought the warlord of Melik Mahmud, Mir Muhammad, into the tent; his hands were tied.

– Do you know him? – The Shah asked Fatali khan:

– I don’t know him, my Shah!

– If you don’t know him let him speak to you himself.

Mir Muhammad told that Fatali khan had sent a representative to Meshed many times, he also told who had talks with Melik Mahmud. When Fatali khan saw that all their plans were known to the Shah he was hung under the feet of the Shah:

– My Shah, give me a quarter!! Don’t kill me!

Tahmasb Shah flied into a rage:

– Fatali khan, do you know what the punishment for betrayal is?

– My Shah, I know! There isn’t any chief without mercy or any slave without a mistake!

I turned towards the Shah:

– My Shah, forgive Fatali khan! He was mistaken… We must not oblige the stock of Qajar be against us…

Tahmasb Shah looked at me attentively and thought for a while and then he shook his head; he agreed with me.

Then I learned that after the instigation and cunning of the Viziers the Shah had chopped off Fatali khan‘s head. I had gained my wishes firstly.

The Shah appointed me to the post of the artillery commander. After that appointment, I had great power. The artil lery was under my conlrol as a commander. The Shah also awarded me with the title of “The slave of Tahmasb”. I asked the Shah to give a post to my brother-in law (my wife’s brother) Kalbali bey in order to be an Avshar near the Shah. The Shah appointed him as an eunuch.

At last, in the December of 1726 we could occupy Meshed. Melik Mahmud yielded to us; he took an oath and promised not to be against us. Then he went to the tomb of Imam Rza and began to live there. I took into consideration the authority of mullahs and mujtehids among the people and ordered to restore the tomb of Imam Rza and to build there the second minaret.

Though I knew that the Shah respected me much, I knew that it wouldn’t last long, because the Viziers and advocates didn’t want me being respected in the palace. When the Shah went to Khabushan the plot against me by the Viziers and advocated increased. They spoke to the Shah as if I had talked with the Kurds against him. After the threat and pressure Tahmasb Shah sent orders to Mazandaran, Astarabad and other provinces which were under his control, named me as “betrayer” and demanded them to assist him “in the struggle against the betrayer”. Then my situation depended on the steps I was going to take, because I was declared “an undesirable person” by the Shah. Immediately I called my brother Ibrahim khan and consulted with him.

– Ibrahim, our situation is very bad. The Shah declared me “an undesirable person” and “a betrayer”. Now our lives depend on the steps that we are going to take.

– What do you suggest, Nader khan? We have a lot of enemies…

– The Shah is like a toy in the hands of courtiers of the palace. The Shah can change his opin i on even a hundred times in a day. If he doesn’t see power before him we shall also receive the fate of Fatali khan.

– Do you offer to attack Khabushan?

– We have no other way-out. In order to overcome our other enemies we must reconcile with the Shah without fail; but after demonstrating our power. If we don’t do it like this the Shah will make Melik Mahmud be on his side too.

– If our way out is this, I agree with you!

After some days, I encircled Khabushan and made the troops of the Shah retreat. When the troops of the Shah were defeated, I was able to make him believe that I wasn’t against him. I told him that my only wish was to reinstate our state as previously; to unite it. The Shah agreed with my thoughts, because then he was in my hand. If I didn’t kill him, it meant that the courtiers had told him a lie. We returned to Meshed in order to celebrate Novruz holiday together. After that time, in two years I suppressed a number of revolts in the east, south and in the centre of the country and tamed the rulers who didn’t obey. It appeared that I spent the two years on horseback. I didn’t think about sleeping or resting. Wherever they revolted, I was there. Whenever they didn’t obey the Shah or me I used to reach there in time. I even forgot my famlly. Durlng that time, my children who were given birth by my second wife were being brought up. They were still living in Kalat. The name of one of my sons was Nasrullah, the name of other one was Imamqulu…

From the author:

Though Nader khan was illiterate, he was born for war and he was a genius of military affairs. Many modern historians liken him to the great Alexander, at times to Napoleon, at times to Emir Timur and they are not mis-aken. Within some years he freed the occupied territories and he united the new lands into the state. It testified that he was a great military strategist. His ability was inborn. He was res- o-utely sure that in order to set up a mobilized army the fighters had to be trained seriously with military instructions, and he always toiled in that direction. Like a strategist Nader Shah was superior to all the warlords who were against him. Before the battle he always attended to all the small details and niceties and only then carried out the battles.

One of his successful tactics was carefully attacking the enemy with troopers from the unexpected place. His infantry fighters were very disciplined and they were not weaker than the yanichers of the Ottomans.

During the battles, if the enemy made his groups retreat a little Nader khan then used to enter that group, kill the sotnick, military leader personally and appoint another one to the post. That was why his fighters never retreated if they weren’t ordered.

Nader khan skillfully used the spare troops too. The main point was that he could easily sense the weak point ofthe enemy, and if it needed, he could send spare troops there.

The name of Nader khan is also connected with the development ofheavy artillery.

His military qualities increased after he became the Shah.

He was also born as a nice organizer and an instructor. After his personal efforts, he who wasn’t a fighter could be turned into a skilful fighter. One of his superior qualities was that he paid attention to stiffening the spirit among the fight ers.

To control the army spread all over the country, and to make them obey his orders show his ability to organize.

Nader Shah had a wonderful memory. In a big troop he knew the officers name by name. Also he remembered exactly when and to which private fighter he had awarded a medal or had them punished.

He could turn the mass of disorderly and uncontrollable fighters into a great and mighty army in Asia.

After Mahmud’s declaring himself Shah in Isfahan, Sultan Husain’s sister Fatime Sultan Beyim, his daughter Rize Beyim couldn’t leave the palace. In the harem chaos reigned. The sister and daughter of the Shah knew well that if Mahmud learned that some relatives of the Shah were in the harem, he would deal with them. In the worst case Mahmud Shah could give those women into the hands of his soldiers. It was tantamount to death. To protect the honor and dignity of the women, daughters and close women relatives of the rulers of Safavid was considered as the main duty. It was impossible in some cases. During the wars and captivtty, there were some enemies who didn’t consider the sacred laws. Safavids’ girls and women were aware that their lives did not belong to them. They were like hostages kept in the palace to be relatives with emirs, khans, Sultans, Shahs or to get their confidence and loyalty. In fact, they were pleased with such a kind of life in the palace. At times one of those girls loved somebody or fell in love with somebody. In that case, if the young man was from the upper class, a ceremony of engagement would be held there at that time. If the young boy was from the lower class they used to execute him by throttling, or they forced the girl either to poison herself or to hang herself in order that the other girls might learn a lesson.