Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

LXXI CONQUESTS OF NADIR SHAH 357
satin, upon which were representations of all the birds
and beasts in the creation, with trees and flowers, the
whole made of pearls, diamonds, rubies, emeralds,
amethysts, and other precious stones." The l victor
also organized pageants and entertainments of every
description.
The Campaign against Bokhara^ A.H. 1153 (1740).
The campaign against the Uzbegs of Bokhara and Khiva
was the corollary
to a successful in
campaign India. As
mentioned in
Chapter LXVL, these states were ruled by
separate, but kindred, dynasties.
From both countries
hordes of raiders annually ravaged Khorasan : it was one
of these bands which had, as already mentioned, carried
off Nadir when a youth. As, moreover, they were unable
to resist the Persian army,
it is not difficult to divine
the motives which induced the Conqueror of Delhi to
add to his conquests.
The campaign was organized from Balkh, where large
quantities of grain had been collected. These supplies
were loaded into boats and the army marched down
both banks of the Oxus to Charjui, where a bridge of
boats was constructed across the river. Abul Fayz Khan,
King of Bokhara, realizing
that he was unable to resist
the Persian veterans, submitted and proceeded to the
camp of Nadir. The victor, after at first treating the descendant
of Chengiz Khan with haughtiness and disdain,
restored him to the throne on condition that the Oxus
should, as in the days of old, constitute the boundary of
Persia. The treaty was cemented by
a double marriage,
he himself espousing a sister, and his nephew a daughter,
of the Bokharan monarch. Finally,
in accordance with
precedent, eight thousand Uzbegs were enlisted in the
Persian army.
The Conquest of Khiva, A.H. 1153 (1740). After
successfully adding Bokhara to his list of conquests, Nadir
Shah carried out his scheme of subduing Khiva. The
Turkoman nearly succeeded in capturing the bridge of
boats and destroying the convoy of grain on which the
existence of the army depended, but by a forced march
1
Abdulkarreem, p. 27.