Nader Shah. Historical novel

Kalat, 1722

From Nader:

“....It seemed that somebody was calling my name. I opened my eyes. Sona Beyim was calling me. She was the daughter of Baba-ali khan, the head of the stock of Avshar. My son Rzaqulu was standing near her and was catching the hem of her dress. I was so busy with fulfilling the tasks of Baba-ali-khan, which was why just then I noticed that my son had already been brought up.

– What do you want? – I asked her angrily. -Don’t you know that I came just towards morning?

Sona Beyim:

– I know, but my grandfather is calling you. – Sona Beyim called her father as grandfather. – He sent my brother to call you.

– Where is he?

– In his own room.

– Has anything happened?

– I don’t know, my brother said nothing.

I raised myself up in the bedding; I called Rzaqulu. The child jumped towards my arms as if he was waiting for my words. I sleeked his hair and kissed his red cheeks. Then I turned towards Sona :

– Ask the servant to bring water! I want to wash myself. Tell your brother that I am coming after a little time.

– All right, my bey! – Sona Beyim said and went out.

The voice of Sona Beyim was heard in the yard.

Sona Beyim was the elder daughter of Baba-ali khan. She was very beautiful. She could rule the home very well. But she often fell ill because her health wasn’t good. She had suffered much while giving a birth to Rzaqulu.

I kissed my son once more and stood up. The boy went out of the room running.

I wore my chukha2 and my cap, fastened my sword to my waist and went into the yard. Rzaqulu came to me. Immediately the servants brought the washbasin and a can. I took my cap and put it on Rzaqulu’s head. He looked funny. Sona Beyim wanted to serve me herself. She took the water can and poured water into my palm. I asked while washing my hands, face and throat:

– How is the khan?

– He looks a bit tired.

– He had to marry after your mother’s death.

– My God! Enough! Did our father want to marry and we didn’t agree?

– Yes, I know, he might marry. The khan himself didn’t want to marry; he loved your mother too much

When I finished my washing, Sona Beyim gave me the towel. The wife of the khan died while giving birth for the last time. The doctors tried hard but they couldn’t save her. After the death of his wife the khan grieved. The hale and hearty man began to melt like a candle before our eyes.

…When we escaped from the danger of the Uzbeks of Khorasan, I and my brother Ibrahim came to the city of Kalat, to Baba-ali khan’s palace. He greeted us kindly. Though our family was poor, he knew my father very well. Baba-ali khan spoke some sweet words about my father. I told him all that had happened; I informed him that my mother and other Avshar women and children were captured. Baba-ali khan was listening to me attentively and he couldn’t take his eyes off me. I lost the power of speech under his looks. But also I was afraid of not befing able to speak. I finished my words and kept silent. He turned pas- sionately towards my brother and asked:

– My son, did you see how Nader killed the armed Uzbek?

Ibrahim answered simply:

– Yes, I saw only one of them, but not the other one. When he ran towards the camp of the Uzbeks I was in the forest.

Baba-ali khan stood up:

– Bravo! Bully for you! – He said. Do you want to work in my palace?

We answered his question by nodding our heads. We had nowhere to go. Thus, we began to serve to Baba-ali khan.

Afterwards I learned that Baba-ali khan had sent a mes- senger to the ruler of Khorasan and asked him to give back the women and the children of the stock of Avshar. The Uzbeks of Khorasan promised to return the captured people in return for some sum money in order not to be cross with the Avshars.

I couldn’t see my mother among the returned prisoners. In this way, the languor of my mother remained in my heart for ever.

I was promoted to the post of a military leader in the palace. The quickest, the most famous regi ment among the Avshars was mine. One day Baba-ali khan called me. I supposed that he was going to send me to fight. But I was mis- taken. That time he had another thought. Baba-ali khan began talking in a roundabout way. It was his habit, when he wanted to solve a serious problem he used to begin his talk in a roundabout way. He spoke about the summer pas- ture, winter hut of the Avshars, about the forest, river and frontier fights. At last he began to state his purpose:

– My son, Nader, you are more than twenty five years old. Don’t you want to marry?

I dropped my eyes shyly:

– I follow you advise, my khan!

Baba-ali khan:

– My son, don’t be ashamed! Consider me to be close to you. There is a saying if water is in the can it is drinkable. If you love somebody, tell me. I shall be your match-maker.

– I love nobody, my khan!

From the author:

Nader had a vigorous constitution; he was tall, large-eyed, with long eyelashes and black brows. The scar which was the keepsake of the fight made him look much braver. The colors of his eyes were yellow and that color suited him very well. He had a severe character. When he was betrayed he used to suffer from nerves and became much crueler. In spite of everything he was very joyful.

In life he loved much firstly his mother, and in his old age his grandson Shahruh. Nader and the people around him liked to speak the Turkish language. He didn’t know the Arabian language. He used the Persian language only if necessary. Till the end of his life Nader didn’t learn to read and write.

“…I went upstairs quickly and stood at the room of the khan. The servant standing at the door said to me: “The khan is waiting for you”. I entered the room and greeted the khan. The khan was leaning against a cushion and was staring at an unknown point; he was looking somewhere as if he didn’t notice me entering. Though the mushtuq3 of his pipe was in his mouth, neither the smoke rose nor was the water of the pipe boiling. He was too thoughtful. I didn’t want to disturb him and decided to wait on foot just at the door. After some time he stirred a little. I greeted him once more. He shook his head without turning towards me and showed me a place to sit. I bent my knees and sat on the carpet of Shirvan4. I put my hands on my shins and began to wait. I was feeling that he had called me to tell something serious. I wasn’t mistaken. …He began to speak after some time:

– Nader, my son, I have lived most of my life, there remains only a little. There is a proverb; he who is born will pass away once. I think my deceased wife is waiting for me. And I miss her so much…

I wanted to cheer up the khan:

– Don’t be upset, my khan! You will dance in the wedding of your grandson Rzaqulu too.

The khan answered like a moaning person:

– Don’t interrupt me!

I kept sil ent. That time he also began to speak in a roundabout way;

– We always served our grandfather Shah and his successors devotedly.

– Whom do you mean while saying “our grandfather Shah”, my khan?

– I mean the founder of the state of the Safavids, Shah Ismayil. He did salavat5. – He united all the Oghuz stocks in Azerbaijan. Then he consolidated the territories of the stocks with his territories, the stocks which were not Turkish.

– Well, my khan, why didn’t you tell me all about it?

– Because the time wasn’t right. Now it is the time. Listen to me attentively! The foundation of the state of the Safavids was laid by the six Turkish stocks together with the Avshars. Those stocks are of Sham, Rum, Takla, Ustaja, Zulqadar and Qajar. The power of our grand father Shah was in those Turkish stocks. Those stocks were like backbones of the state. Our grandfather Shah behaved kindly to them and considered them to be close to himself. Because of it our grand tat her Shah not only united the Azerbaijani lands but also consolidated the lands of Iraq, Bahrain, and Turkustan with the territory of our state.

I was thinking why Baba-ali khan was telling me all he did. But I said nothing. I felt that he had a purpose in his story.

Somebody knocked at the door. The servant entered the room. There was tea and dry fruits on the tray he brought. He put the tea-kettle on the table-cloth, and put one of the bowls in front of me and another bowl in front of the khan. Then he poured the Chinese tea and left quietly. The khan took the bowl and drank a sip of tea.

– Now only little remains from the unity and the realm raised by the Shah. The Ottomans occupied Baghdad… Well, our grand tat her Shah always wanted to be friends with the Ottomans, because they are also the Turks of Oghuz. The late Shah used to write his letters to the Sultan in the Turkish language. I don’t know all the reasons well....The result is that the dynasty of Safavids has been de stroyed now.

I couldn’t help myself from asking a question:

– What do you mean by saying “has been destroyed”, my Khan?

– Aft er the death of Shah Abbas II, his children were clumsy. They were ruled either by their wives or by the eunuchs in the palace. The successors to the throne had a good time all day long. See, the Qizilbashs had become so weak that the realm turned to a toy in the hands of eunuchs. The successors to the throne spent most of their time with women. The treasury became empty, the taxes increased. The seven stocks which were the backbones of the state began to wrangle and fight with one another. Because of that reason in Herat, Ghilzais revolted under the leadership of Mir Vays. Shah Sultan Husain sent Qurqun khan to Mir Vays. Mir Vays destroyed the troops of Qurqun khan and in ad di tion he oc cu pied Qandahar.

– Do you know why the troops of the Shah were de t stroyed?

– Maybe they didn’t train well for the fight.

– No, my son! Sult an Husain had sent the Persian and Georgian regiments headed by the clumsy warlords to fight against them… That was the reason.

– But whom did he have to send?

– The Turkish troops always tamed the Ghilzais. They are not afraid of the Persian and Georgian troops.

The khan drank a sip of tea and continued:

– During the period of Shah Abbas II, gift of money used to be sent to the Lezgis of Dagestan for them not to leave the mountains and to obey the rules. After Shah Abbas II the Viziers of Sultan Husain appropriated the annual money gifts and the Lezgis of Dagestan, seeing that the money gift had stopped, destroyed Shirvan and Georgia. As if that was not enough, the mullabashi6 got the permission of the Shah and began to kill the Sunnite people, and burnt the Sunnite mosques. The people of Darband called the Russian Shah for help…

I didn’t know that the khan had such comprehensive information. I directed all my attention to his words so as not to forget any small detail.

The khan was continuing his conversation in a low voice:

– The Ottomans wanted to requite for the loss in Balkans. Istanbul, which had finished the war with Russia, turned towards the East. Duru Efandi was sent to Tehran and demanded Azerbaijan and Georgia including Tabriz and Shirvan.

I had no patience:

– My khan, how do you know all this information?

– If I didn’t know all this information I wouldn’t be able to be the khan of about twenty thousand families of the Avshars. – The khan continued his conversation. – In the east, the Baluchs attacked Kirman and Lor. They destroyed the city of Bender Abbas at the Kanger gulf. Anxious news was heard from Kurdustan and Luristan. The ruler of Turan, Shah Melik Mahmud had renounced his power. He had sent into retirement his only talented warlord Lutfali khan.

– Why?

Because the Shah was not able to rule the country. See, as a result of the policy of Shiite and Sunnite (adherents of the Mos- em sects) pursued by the Shah, Shirvan revolted and appealed to the Ottomans. Istanbul appointed the head of the Shirvan rebels, Haji Davud to be the khan of that province. Using the absence of Lutfali khan, Mahmud khan of Qandahar attacked Shiraz and Isfahan. Shah Sultan Husain ran to Julfa and not being able to stay there he returned back to Isfahan. After all that had happened the wives and eunuchs decided that the Shah had to give up the throne. The Shah gave up the throne in favor of his elder son Sultan Mahmud. But the young Shahzade, because of al t ways remaining alone, ran to the harem and gave the crown to his middle brother Safi Mirza. Safi Mirza also immediately refused the power. Then they announced the third son Tahmasb Mirza to be the successor to the throne. The other sons were younger still. Mahmud khan of Qandahar, who had encircled Isfahan, didn’t think about moving of Sultan Husain, who had no way out, decided to give himself up. He put the crown on the head of Mahmud who was waiting for him at the door of Isfahan. Mahmud entered the city ceremonially and declared himself the Shah.

– But where was the successor to the throne at that moment?

– Three months before that event, the successor Tahmasb Mirza ran to Qazvin from Isfahan together with two hundred people of Tabriz. It was the only safe place in that situation.

The khan stopped for a while. I felt that he would tell the main purpose for his talk.

After a short time Baba-ali khan broke the silence himself:

– I told you at the beginning of my talk. The stocks of the Avshar always served the realm of the Safavids. Now they have the same opinion.

– How? – I asked.

– You must help the successor Tahmasb Mirza. I decided that the Avshars must support the lawful successor to the throne. It is true, the lying Shah had sent his representative to me, but I didn’t receive him.

I lived well in the palace of Baba-ali khan. It is true; at times I used to rob. I attacked the Afghan and Uzbek villages and plundered there. During all my life I robbed only twice. Then Baba-ali khan forbade me plundering and I gave up robbing. But then the khan wanted me to be much closer to the Shah.

As if he knew what I was thinking about:

– It isn’t the end of my talking!

After two days, Baba-ali khan whom I respected as my father and who had defined my fuiure life, died. Let him sleep in peace! After one month Sona Beyim died ill-fatedly because of her illness. I consulted the respected adults of Avshar and it was decided that there was no need to bring a new mother for my son Rzaqulu. The second daughter of the khan – Govhar Shad could be a real mother to my son… I married her.”

CHAPTER II