Podcast: A Great Persian King, Lost to Time
In 17th-century Persia, present-day Iran, there lived a powerful Shah who aspired to rule all of Asia. Nader Shah was one of the great military rulers of history, though less known outside Iran.
This could be because the British in the 19th and 20th centuries viewed Iran as corrupt, decadent and backward, writes Michael Axworthy, a scholar of Iran, in his book, The Sword of Persia. Only Western colonisers like Robert Clive, who set up British rule in India, were seen as great military heroes.
Nader Shah did not fit the Victorian English narrative.
“It's actually Nader Shah who enabled British and French colonialists in India,” says historian Ali Ansari, professor of Iranian history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. “It's a curious example of international history where you never see Nader Shah feature heavily in histories of British India.”
Nader was born in 1688 in the Khorasan province of Iran in dangerous and brutal times. He became known for his ruthless military excursions, and his ability to unite fierce Persians and Afghans warriors under him. After establishing himself as the Shah of Persia, he rode east to conquer India in 1737 and claim the wealth of the Mughals.
He overran the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah outside Delhi and set upon looting two centuries of accumulated wealth of the Mughal court. To hear about Nader Shah’s epic life story, listen to Episode 2: Jewels of the Maharajahs on the Scrolls & Leaves podcast using the audio player.
Nader’s conquest informed the British that the Mughals were weak, and Indian provincial rulers could be turned against each other. In 1757, Clive took over Bengal in the Battle of Plassey, and in 1764, the British defeated the Mughals at the Battle of Buxar.
Without Nader, British rule would have come much later to India – or perhaps, not at all, writes Axworthy.
Scrolls & Leaves is a world history podcast that features stories from the margins of history, science and cultures. Season 1, Trade Winds, narrates how trade and movement across the Indian Ocean World changed us. Follow along on your favourite podcast platform, and learn more here.
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