The Battle of Nahavand (1730) () was a key military engagement in Nader Quli's Western Iran Campaign between the Ottoman Empire and Safavid Iran that resulted in the recapture of Nahavand by the Safavids.
Background
The Ottoman and Russian armies had entered the western parts of Iran in the early 1720s to capitalize upon Mahmud Hotak's invasion of Iran in the east. However, this caused tension between the Ottomans and Russians. After lengthy negotiations between the Ottoman grand vizier and the Russian ambassador in Istanbul, with French mediation, a treaty for the partition of Persia was signed in 1724. The Ottoman-Russian treaty allowed both nations to recognize the military accomplishments made by both powers. By 1725, the Ottoman Empire had taken over western Iran and most of north-western Iran. In 1730, Nader Qoli would begin his first campaign against the Ottomans and the first military engagement would take place at Nahavand. Course of the engagement
Nader Qoli set out on his way to Nahavand from Burujird in July 1st of 1730 with a force of 6,000 soldiers, after a march that lasted a night, Nader subjugated the Ottoman garrison with a sudden attack. Nader Qoli massacred 1,500 out of the 2,000 Ottoman soldiers in the city and took the remaining 500 as captives alongside the warden, Osman Agha. According to Michael Axworthy's account, the Ottomans retaliated due to trusting their previous successes against the Persians. However the Ottomans were defeated and fled towards Hamedan.
Aftermath The victory led to the Ottomans regrouping in the valley of Malayer to prevent the Safavid advance upon Hamedan, where they were decisively defeated by Nader Qoli once more. Nader Qoli would soon enter Hamedan without any resistance.
See also Ottoman-Persian war (1730–1735) Western Iran campaign of 1730 Nader Shah Military of Afsharid Iran Military of Safavid Iran
References
Sources Axworthy, Michael (2009). The Sword of Persia: Nader Shah, from tribal warrior to conquering tyrant, I. B. Tauris
Mirza Mehdi Khan Astarabadi "Jahangosha-ye Naderi"
Lockhart – Nadir Shah
İskit, Server Rifat – Mufassal Osmanlı tarihi
Ateş, Abdurrahman – Avşarlı Nadir Şah ve döneminde Osmanlı – İran mücadeleleri
Karedeniz, Yılmaz – İran tarihi: (1700–1925)
Farrokh, Kaveh – Iran at War: 1500–1988