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Kings and Generals animated historical series on the history of early modern period, Iranian and Muslim empires continues with a video on the rise of Nader Shah during the late stages of the Safavid empire. History remembers many conquerors, but few were compared—at once—to Alexander the Great and Napoleon. This episode begins the story of Nader Shah, the warlord who rose from obscurity on Iran’s volatile northeastern frontier to become the decisive military force of his age. First, we set the stage: the Safavid Empire at the turn of the 18th century—economically strained, politically fractured, and weakened by ineffective rulers and feuding elites—just as Afghan revolts ignite along the eastern borders. Into this collapse steps Nadergulu of the Afsharid Qizilbash, forged by poverty, raids, and frontier warfare. As the Afghans sack cities and the Safavid state implodes after the surrender of 1722, Nader exploits the vacuum—rewarding submission, crushing resistance, and turning local struggles into a growing professional army. When the Safavid pretender Shah Tahmasp II enters the scene, Nader becomes kingmaker and commander, navigating betrayal and legitimacy while focusing on the existential Afghan threat. The episode culminates with the campaign and Battle of Herat (1729), where Nader’s tactics, discipline, and firepower reshape the balance—setting up the coming march west toward Isfahan.
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More videos on the history of Iran and the Middle East:
Were the Eastern Romans and Arabs Always at War?: https://youtu.be/nBMP6yRAOZg
Great Schism Between Greek and Latin Christianity: https://youtu.be/a6rWf0k8d78
How Islam Split into the Sunni and Shia Branches: https://youtu.be/-85dXjgMiSU
Rise of the Cossacks: https://youtu.be/UQ_ocyTRRIE
Crusades From the Muslim Perspective: https://youtu.be/t8RZtYvW02g
Early Muslim Expansion - Yarmouk, Al-Qadisiyyah: https://youtu.be/r2cEIDZwG5M
Early Muslim Expansion - Egypt and Iran: https://youtu.be/baHT2nR5Wr4
Muslim Schism: https://youtu.be/-85dXjgMiSU
Third Crusade: https://youtu.be/jCyCSgsFXKQ
Fourth Crusade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vp_IENiSnA&list=PLaBYW76inbX4ZjR4rodOOSc-zL1orP4hW
First Crusade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkyYjpYLORI&list=PLaBYW76inbX6RqjG027zLO_svn3Fdv7Qa
Sultanate of Women in the Ottoman Empire: https://youtu.be/OEzS8D4IidA
How the German Empire Provoked Ottoman Jihad in WWI: https://youtu.be/8LCpbgVx9kY
Ottoman Battles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txyqS5yuw30&list=PLaBYW76inbX5BKGRPzlqdztQySZmJLjJt
Why the Ottomans Never Colonized America: https://youtu.be/lM_Wzt_Z228
Why the Ottoman Sultans Killed their Brothers: https://youtu.be/vN7LgUIOAVw
Cem Sultan: Ottoman Prince in the Heart of Europe: https://youtu.be/3w9POQMt5jk
Ottoman Pirates: https://youtu.be/5jguevSDIuY
Turkification of Anatolia: https://youtu.be/JBgq1taoUsY
Hashashins: https://youtu.be/vG8qmlKdRjs

The video was made by Talha Sial, while the script was researched and written by Turgut Gambar. This video was narrated by Officially Devin (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU0-VII-V376zFxiRGMeZGg & https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC79s7EdN9uXX77-Ly2HmEjQ). The art was created by Nargiz Isaeva. Machinimas made using Total War: Empire engine.
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Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11IfP-yNaTgEdZmpF9Th_DmsRTMSNQvZ-18pU7TtWvQY/edit?usp=sharing
00:00:00 - The Last Great Conqueror of Iran
00:02:08 - The Late Safavid Empire in Decline
00:04:06 - Nader’s Background and Rise to Power
00:08:30 - The Afghan Debacle and Safavid Collapse
00:11:33 - Chaos as a Ladder: Building an Army
00:14:04 - Shah Tahmasp II and Court Intrigue
00:17:46 - Battle of Herat: Firepower vs Cavalry
00:20:26 - What Comes Next: Isfahan and the Ottomans

Production Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound: http://www.epidemicsound.com
#Documentary #NaderShah #Safavid