War and Peace in Qajar Persia: Implications Past and ... - Oguzlar.az

Consolidation of Iran’s frontier 127Nader Shah, the tribal adventurer from Khurasan who repulsed theAfghans and reconquered much territory that had been lost by the later Safavids,took a personal interest in restoring Iranian control of the Gulf. 9 Nader establisheda base at Bushehr (temporarily renamed Bandar-i Nadiriyya) whichbecame the main port on the Gulf until the rise of Khorramshahr in the 1920sand 1930s. He built a navy, but was bedevilled by a range of problems, fromacquiring vessels to selecting competent admirals. Nevertheless, in a numberof campaigns in the 1740s he managed to conquer Bahrain and mounted threemajor expeditions to assist the Imam of Oman, Saif b. Sultan. In the opinionof Lockhart, though,the ‘Oman campaigns had proved a costly failure. At least 20,000 menhad perished either in battle or from the ravages of disease, but this heavysacrifice brought no commensurate advantage ...the ‘Oman operationsimposed a prolonged and useless drain upon Nadir’s resources, and theefforts to provide men and material to carry them on caused much privationand suffering in Southern Persia. 10But if ultimately a failure, Nader Shah’s attempts to reassert Persian controlover the Gulf did provide an inspiration to Qajar efforts in the nineteenthcentury.The period after the death of Nader was marked by political struggle betweenthe Zands and Qajars for control of Iran, which initially led to the rule ofthe former in Shiraz (1750–1794). The first and longest-lasting Zand ruler,Karim Khan (1750–1779), took an active interest in the Gulf and aimed tobring the coastline from Langeh to Jask under his control. He maintaineda strong alliance with Sheikh Nasser-edin Shah of Bushehr, who could safeguardthe trade coming up the Gulf. With his help Karim Khan ended Ottomandomination of Basra and invaded the northern Gulf littoral in 1757 and 1765. 11Karim Khan was less successful in the lower Gulf, and the Omani sultanrejected his demands for tribute. The nature of authority exercised by theZands on the Gulf coast and islands was in fact tenuous. “Even the pettyrulers of the mainland ports, who were vulnerable to his punitive campaigns,accorded him [the Zand ruler] at best a marginal compliance interrupted byoutbreaks of defiance,” according to Perry. 12Rise of the Gulf ArabsThe eighteenth century saw the widespread movement of Arab tribes aroundthe Gulf area. 13 Best known is the migration from northern Arabia of the‘Utub Arabs of the Anaza group, who, under the leadership of the Al Sabahfamily, established themselves in Kuwait in the 1750s. Those under the leadershipof the Al-Khalifa migrated to Zubara (on the north-west coast of Qatar)in 1766 and ultimately came to rule over Bahrain in 1782. In Oman, the Al