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

NADIR SHAH.
CHAPTER LXXII
THE LAST YEARS OF NADIR SHAH
Who was it that restored the Persian Empire but the Persians ;
and who
assisted the King to conquer India but the Persians ? He has now a foreign
force, and governs us with an army of Tartars. A Persian's complaint to
Hanway.
The Lesghian Campaign^ 1741-1742. In Iran the
proverb runs, " If any Persian King is a fool,
let him
march against the Lesghians," a saying of which Nadir
was destined to prove the truth. Inhabiting an uncultivated
and almost inaccessible country in the recesses
of Daghestan, these savage tribesmen raided Shirwan and
other settled districts, and during the Indian campaign
they killed Ibrahim Khan, the only brother of the Shah.
Nadir was bound in honour to avenge his death, and
in the operations undertaken for this purpose he at first
gained some advantage, his advance-guard composed of
Afghans capturing a strong position. This success and
the fame of Nadir caused certain sections of the tribe
which inhabited less defensible country to submit, and
they were transported with their families into Khorasan.
Nadir then entered the Daghestan range, posting a force
of eight thousand men to keep open his communications
while the main body pursued the elusive Lesghians
deeper and deeper among the densely timbered mountains.
At length the tribesmen found their opportunity. They
attacked both the army and the connecting force at a disadvantage,
and inflicted heavy loss, even penetrating to
the royal
tent and carrying
off some women and jewels.
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