Nader Shah. Historical novel

– Your Highness, you know that there is chaos, anarchy and no control in the state of the Safavid. Now there are revolts in each of the cities.

Peter the Great didn’t let Nepluyev finish his words:

– I know all about it, I know what happens there. Speak to me about Istanbul. What did Tahmasb’s messenger promise to the Sultan? What will the Sultan give instead? Speak me about all these!

Nepluyev said, being confused:

– Your Highness! The Sultan wants from Tahmasb one part of Azerbaijan including Qazvin, Tabriz, Irevan, Tiflis, Hamadan, Rey, Khoy, and Shirvan…

What is he going to give in return?

– In return the Sultan is going to give troops to Tahmasb, to help him in suppressing revolts, and recognize him as the Shah.

– Hmmm… The Sultan wants from Tahmasb half of Azerbaijan. Is it shamelessness or the demonstration of power? Well, it is interesting, what happened then?

– Then the problem remained just the same, Your Highness!

– What does it mean “remained just the same?”

– The messenger answered the Sultan that he hadn’t the authority to answer. So, he returned from istanbul to Tahmasb’s place.

Peter the Great walked up and down on the marble floor of the palace making a noise with his boot and thought a little. Then he returned and put his hands on the messenger’s shoulder:

– It is very good, Alexander Vasilyevich, very good! You must insist, thoughtfully, on the problem of Azerbaijan. Interfere in the signing of a peace treaty between the Ottomans and the Safavids. If it needs don’t spare any gold, money or other things. Do you hear? Don’t even miss the chance of using the French Markiz de Bonak! Do you hear?

– I hear, Your Highness!

– So it is from one side; from the second side try to achieve an agreement between the Ottomans and Russia in building a demarcation line passing through the territory of Azerbaijan. – He showed the seashore of the Caspian Sea on the map. – Because the troops of Russia could move forward to Mazandaran. Do you understand, Alexander Vasilyevich?

– I understand, Your Highness!

– Very well, if it is thus you may go…

Nepluyev went out of the room. Peter the Great took the bell and rang it for some time, and the master of ceremonies entered the room:

– Your Highness!

– Call the messenger of the Safavids!

– All right, Your Highness!

Peter the Great sat on his throne and continued thinking. After some time the high doors were opened again. The master of ceremonies hit the golden stick on the floor:

– The messenger of the empire of the Safavid, Ismayil bey!

A man at the age of about thirty, handsome, black-eyed, having black eyelashes, whose appearance showed he came from the East, an interpreter and a servant with a covered tray in his hand entered the sa lon. The man who entered first was Ismayil bey. Ismayil bey came forward and bowed to Peter the Great:

– I have brought you the regards of our Shah, Tahmasb Mirza! I wish you long life! – The interpreter began to trans- late the words of Ismayil bey. Peter the Great nodded his head as a sign of thanks. – Our Shah wants you to take this gift on behalf of his name, like the gift showing the symbol of friendship of a neighboring state.

Ismayil bey took the covering off the tray that the servant was holding. A sword was on the tray, decorated with precious stones and an atlas dressing-gown sewn with golden threads. Ismayil bey gave the tray to the servant who was standing near the emperor. The other servants went out.

– Our Shah ordered me to tell you that the Safavids always lived with the Russians in peace and friendship. Starting from now he wants to live in the same way.

Peter the Great looked firmly into the eyes of Ismayil bey and forthrightly spoke about the main purpose:

– What does your Shah want?

– Our Shah wants you, being a great emperor, to recognize him as the Shah; to assist our Shah in the troubled days of our state.

– Well, suppose we recognized Tahmasb Mirza as the Shah. What does Russia gain out of it?

– You may know this, Your Highness!

Peter the Great thought screwing up his eyes and then said:

– We shall agree with you under the following conditions:

– Darband, Baku, and their suburbs remain in the structure of Russia.

– The seashore provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran and Astarabad pass to Russia’s control.

– The state, which is our friend, becomes your friend; the state which is our enemy becomes your enemy too.

– Russian merchants can trade in your territory without paying tax and they can go to Delhi and other countries without paying tax.

With all these condi tions the Russian Empire undertakes the followings:

– Recognizes Tahmasb as the Shah of the state of Safavids;

The Russian state will assist in suppressing any revolts which happen inside the state of the Safavids.

The interpreter was translating slowly, without any pause, translating the words which the emperor said to Ismayil bey. When he finished translating the silence was broken by Peter the Great:

– Did the Shah of Safavid give you responsibility to dis- cuss all these problems and sign the documents?

Ismayil bey answered:

– Yes, Your Highness!

– In this case it would be interesting to know your attitude to these conditions.

For Peter the Great the third paragraph was important, because that paragraph didn’t allow the uniting of the Ottomans with the Safavids. If they signed a peace treaty, without fail the opinion of Russia was to be taken into consideration. Practically, Peter the Great made the Safavids fall into a political trap. Peter the Great supposed that the messenger would think a lot but would understand nothing. But Ismayil bey dispersed this supposition of the emperor:

– Your Highness, I agree with your conditions, but it is necessary to add one word to the responsibility from your side.

– Which word?

– In the second paragraph instead of the word of “military” there must be written “military and financial”.

Peter the Great had already gained a diplomatic victory over the Ottomans by means of the Safavids. Now whatever the messenger of Safavids wanted he would give. That was why he said with indifference:

– Let it be how you want, messenger of Safavids! – Tonight we are going to sign a treaty about “friendship and brotherhood”. After the official signing, tomorrow you may take the first financial assisiance- ten thousand pieces of Russian gold.

To get the unexpected assistance and by means of it to strengthen the army of the Shah made Ismayil bey rejoice:

– All right, Your Highness!

Peier the Great had achieved his main purpose. His main purpose was to turn the Caspian Sea into a Russian basin and not to let the Ottomans to the west of the Caspian Sea. That was why he became cheerful. In order to test the mind of Ismayil bey, he wanted to make him speak once again:

– Both the Safavids and the Ottomans are from the same stock. Why don’t you find a common language? Half of the world is under your control. You fight against yourselves. What can’t you share?

Ismayil bey answered without thinking:

– For faith and lands, Your Highness!

– I understood the meaning of faith, but why for “lands”?

– Both the Otiomans and the Safavids are the Oghuz Turks. Azerbaijan and Anatolia are the motherland of both of them. They say that Azerbaijan and Anatolia are their motherl and, but we say that Azerbaijan and Anatolia are ours and we have been living here for thousand years. They don’t want to agree with us…

Peter the Great smiled at the naive words of Ismayil bey and said nothing.

Addition:

On June 24 in 1724 as a result of the efforts of the ambassador of Russia in istanbul, Nepluyev and the ambas- sador of France, Markiz de Bonak, a treaty was signed between the Ottomans and Russia about the division of the north and west parts of the state of Safavids. According to that treaty a straight line from the place where Kur and Araz joined till Hamadan, from the south part of Dagestan including the east part of Shamakhy were considered the borders of Russia and the Ottomans. According to the document, the Ottoman and Russia empires would recognize Tahmasb Mirza as the Shah. If the Shah recognized that treaty, they would assist him in restoring orders in the state of the Safavids.

But Tahmasb Shah didn’t accept such a shameful treaty and the conditions shown there. That was why under the leadership of Ahmad pasha, the Ottomans firstly occupied Khoy, then Hamadan, then Nakhchivan and Irevan. The Ottomans who were not able to conquer Tabriz entered Ganja. Tahmasib Shah returned to Ardabil when the second attack on Tabriz was successful.

“…I knew that the situation was worse. My beauti ful Azerbaijan was conquered by the Russians and the Ottof mans; there began a revolt in the empire which had been left to us like a heritage. Now the ruler of each city behaved like the Shah. Be fore my eyes I was losing my country. “What must be done?” – That question always made me think. It was necessary to put an end to this lack of overall control. In order to join Azerbaijan and other lands in unity Tahmasb Shah made more efforts, but there was no result.

I made up my mind that it was necessary to create a strong army. Firstly, in Kalat I gathered one group of troopers about two thousand, consisting of the Avshars. I began to teach them the tactics of fighting, the ways to go forward, to retreat. To my mind, I achieved my purpose. Within a short time, I was able to create a group of regulated troopers. It stimul ated me to other great fights. Kalat was between the trenches like hills and valleys. It was my first fortress. It was necessary to test the fighting ability of the group by leaving Kalat. We attacked Khorasan. The fighters exactly fulfilled all my orders. We plundered Khorasan and returned Kalat with much plunder. At that time, Melik Mahmud Sistani didn’t miss the chance because of lack of control in the country. He occupied Meshed and declared him self an in de pend ent ruler.

Tahmasb Shah couldn’t get back Isfahan from Ashraf khan. Though he attacked the city with Fatali khan, Ashraf khan made them retreat.

One day a man by the name of Nasir agha came to me. He was originally Kurd. After greeting me he explained the purpose of his coming:

– Nader khan, I have come to you like a representative.

– Please, I am listening!

– It is necessary the Kurds and the Avshars are combined and become one troop or if they remain separate Melik Mahmud will make us surrender…

He was speaking wisely. I didn’t hide my thoughts and said:

– Nasir agha, I also think like you… – If there is no uniting they will kill not only us but also they will destroy our motherland…

He was glad to hear my words as if he didn’t expect me answering thus.

– It is right, Nader khan! In such troubled days we must unite. We discussed this and then decided that you must be the warlord of our fighters.

I thought for a while.

– Aren’t you mistaken in choosing me? – I asked in order to make sure.

– I think that we are not mistaken. Firstly, within a short time you will be able to introduce proper order between the fighters. Secondly, your name, bravery and courage are spoken by all the people.

I didn’t want to arrive at a decision in a hurry:

– Nasir agha, I may accept your proposal. In that case your group must obey my orders without reserve and must fulfill my orders unconditionally.

He didn’t think long:

– It will be how you said, if God pleases!

I agreed with Nasir agha, but I felt that he wanted to say something more. After some hesitation, he said:

– In order to do away with Melik Mahmud we have one mea sure.

– Please, Nasir agha, what did you decide?

Nasir agha made me take an oath on Imam Rza not to speak to anybody about his words.

– You know that the Kurds also serve to Melik Mahmud in his palace. We are obliged to be near him. After a week a traditional horse-race will begin in Meshed. In this horse-race both Melik Mahmud and you also will take part as before. If in that race you pull the horse of Melik Mahmud by the bridle, it will be a sign to us and we shall attack and kill him…

It wasn’t a bad idea. I agreed with Nasir agha about it. But I didn’t trust him much. In such kind of days any betrayal could be expected from men. In an underhand way, I learned that during the execution of Melik Mahmud they wouldn’t miss the chance to hurt me and to do away with me. I didn’t refuse taking part in the horse-race. But I behaved as though I couldn’t pull the bridle. So, the horse-race finished, Melik Mahmud didn’t doubt. Then I knew that Melik Mahmud was aware of that plan and together his with two courtiers they had a plan of their own. I took those courtiers to hunting and asked them to tell me all what they knew.

One of the courtiers said to me that the idea had been decided by Melik Mahmud himself as he wanted to do away with me in that way.

– Why? – My relations with Melik Mahmud aren’t bad.

– Melik Mahmud isn’t afraid of Tahmasb Shah but you. By removing you he will get rid of his most dangerous enemy.

– Was Nasir agha aware of what you told me about?

– No, we showed ourselves to Nasir agha as though we were dissatisfied with Melik Mahmud and we would be able to make him believe us.

I killed the courtiers of Melik Mahmud and sent their heads to him…

…In 1725 near Khabushan the troops of Melik Mahmud and my troops came face to face. By fighting, I made him to retreat to Meshed. It was impossible to continue that fight till the end, because we needed cannons to encircle the city. I didn’t have cannons at that time. I made up my mind that instead of blockading Meshed it was better to take control of the stocks in the province of Daragoz who were enemies to me. I did what I thought. In that way the number of my fighters reached six thousand.

Tahmasb Shah sent his warlord Rzaqulu khan to Meshed to Melik Mahmud. There I was ready to combine with the troops of the Shah.The ill-wishers near Rzaqulu khan whispered in his ears that: “If the victory is gained, it will be the victory of Nader” – and in that way they laid obstacles in the way of combining the troops.

One day a group of horsemen under the headship of the Shah’s Vizier Hasanali bey came to meet me. Though I didn’t know Hasanali bey very well, his herald who had come before Hasanali bey had informed me about him. I welcomed him at the gates built near Khabushan and told him: “You are welcome!” As soon as he got off the horse he said in a lively voice:

– It is better to hear about a brave man than to see him.

I said modestly:

– I shall be a brave man when together with the Shah I shall bring into unity the lands left us from our forefathers like a heritage. Now I am busy only with small tasks.

– What are you saying? Your fame is spread from Azerbaijan to Baghdad.

– I wish you also to be famous, Hasanali bey!

– Thanks! If you were not famous the Shah wouldn’t send

me to you to appoint you the ruler. It appears that you won the confidence of the Shah.

– I wish our Shah long life! It is our duty to serve to the Shah! The Avshars always devotedly served the Qizilbashs.

When Hasanali bey returned to the Shah he explained my idea to him. According to my idea, both my troops and the Shah’s troops had to attack to Khorasan and to get the city back. Hasanali bey returned to me again and informed me that the Shah wanted to meet with me.

It became clear that during the period when I wasn’t there the troops of Melik Mahmud wanted to fight against the Shah’s troops. When I heard that news I left Marv and turned my face to Khabushan. When Melik Mahmud heard that I had left Marv he returned to Meshed. In Khabushan I was waiting for the Shah and Fatali khan.

I was thirty eight years old, but till that time I had never seen the Shah. I met Tahmasb Shah at the entry of Khabushan. He was about twenty two or twenty three years old. It seemed that he was tired. The Shah was accompanied by a number of Viziers and advocates. It was felt that he was like a toy in their hands. I understood it from often changing his mind. I waited for the Shah to get off the horse. Hasanali bey came nearer to him:

– Your Majesty, Nader is here.

Tahmasb Shah asked:

– Where is he?

I went forward and bowed him, wishing him long life. To my mind, the Shah was pleased. Then in the home of the ruler of the city, he had a talk with me in private.

– How can we get Meshed? – He asked me directly.

– By attacking, Your Majesty! – I answered without think ing.

– Has our army power to attack?

– To occupy Meshed the army has the power, but for to restore the dynasty it has not.

– Why?

– Because our army isn’t regulated and isn’t trained specially. In private, everybody wants to behave like a hero. It is necessary for the army to show courage together, to learn the tactics of fighting and fulfill the orders unconditionally.

Tahmasb Shah thought and then said:

– You are right, it is necessary to set an army fighting regularly. Well, if I appoint you a warlord to the army to occupy Meshed, will you be able to do it?

– I shall occupy, Your Majesty! If the army will be of one mind, I shall be able to achieve my purpose, my Shah!

– If it is thus, I appoint you the warlord of the army!

When the order of the Shah was declared the Viziers, advocates, especially Fatali khan, began to play tricks in order to sully my good name. I didn’t have time to pay attention to them.

…I began marching. Meshed had already been encircled. Just at that time I learned that Fatali khan had a talk with Melik Mahmud so as not to let me occupy Meshed. Fatali khan would be able to make Melik Mahmud believe this. He made him believe that if his troops attacked me the stocks of Qajar wouldn’t fight against any sides. Melik Mahmud believed Fatali khan and attacked us. After the bloody battles he was obliged to reireat. In that batile, the Qajars didn’t take part. Without them the troops of Melik Mahmud could n’t stand before us. I captured one of the warlords of Melik Mahmud, Mir Muhammad. When I met with Mir Muhammad he said to me that he wanted to tell me a secret, but in return he wanted only his life. I agreed with him. Mir Muhammad spoke to me that Melik Mahmud and Fatali khan wanted to do away with the Shah. I went to the tent of the Shah and told him what Mir Muhammad had told me.

The Shah called Fatali khan in my presence and asked him:

– Why didn’t the Qajars take part in that battle?

Fatali khan didn’t know anything yet.

– Your Majesty, the Qajars had been kept like a spare power. If we retreated they had to come to help. You agreed to keep them like a spare power.

– 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.