Investigating the Position of Qarachurlu Tribe in the Military Conflicts and Political Challenges of the Nader Shah Era

During the Nader Shah Afshar’s reign, despite the all the military and political successes in the foreign arenas,  Iran was full of actions and reactions of different tribes and clans in the form of military conflicts and political challenges. One of the tribes that seems to have had a serious and effective presence in the conflicts and challenges of the Nader Shah era was Qarachurlu tribe. Investigating the role and position of this tribe in Iran’s military and political developments and the results of it is the main issue of this research. Despite the bold role of this tribe in the Nader’s era, no proper research has been done in this field so far. The present study attempts to analyze this role by using the descriptive-analytical method and by searching through historical texts and various documents. The results of various studies show that different clans of this tribe have been active especially in the fight against the Afghans and the Ottomans, and other foreign struggles, as the vanguards of the soldiers of Nader. Besides, Qarachurlu Kurds have always been in favor of Nader Shah in repressing internal insurgencies.

The formation of the Afsharid government, following the anarchy caused by the fall of the Safavid dynasty, is considered one of the most important developments in the history of Iran. As a result of Nader Shah Afshar’s rise to power, Iran regained its unity and was able to maintain its cohesion and integrity. Different tribes[1], especially the tribes living in Khorasan, were Nader Shah’s main partisans to achieving various internal and external successes.
One of these tribes which played a significant role in the political and military developments of the Nader’s era was Qarachurlu tribe and its various related clans[2]. This tribe was settled in the foothills of the Aladagh Mountains of Khorasan. Following the developments of the last years of the Safavid rule and in the early years of Nader’s movement, they first opposed him but due to the provisions that Nader had considered in dealing with the tribes and clans, they soon became one of his main allies. The main issue of this research was to analyze the role of this tribe and the efforts of its leaders in the developments of the Nader’s era.

There has been no independent and comprehensive research done on the role of Qarachurlu tribe in the developments of this period of Iran’s history. Sources of the Nader Shah’s era, including Aalam Araye Naderi written by Mohammad Kazem Marvi, Jahangushaye Nader by Mirza Mehdi Khan Astarabadi, as well as new studies, including the first volume of the book Harekate Tarikhi Kurd Be Khorasan (the Historical Movements of Kurds to Khorasan) by Kalimollah Tavahodi, and Ilhaa Va Tayefehaye Ashayeri Khorasan (Khorasan nomadic tribes and clans) by Sayyid Ali Mirnia have generally considered the role of Kurds of Khorasan in the military-political developments of the Naderi’s era. However, no research has been done specifically on the political and military efforts of this tribe in the military and political conflicts of the period. The present study aimed to analyze this role by examining the main sources and new research, especially the use of various documents, including orders, deeds, and historical correspondence.

 An examination of the collection of sources, studies, and historical documents of the Afsharid era showed that numerous tribes and clans of Khorasan have played an essential role in the formation and then consolidation of the Afsharid government. Among these tribes and clans, Qarachurlu tribe, as one of the five Kurdish tribes of Khorasan, was one of the main allies of Nader Shah. They have always been in the vanguard of his wars and campaigns with the Ottomans, India, and the Caucasus. The Kurds of Qarachurlu have been active in defeating Malek Mahmood Sistani in Mashhad, Abdali Afghans in Herat, Nader’s quadruple battles with Ashraf Afghan, the triple wars with the Ottomans, as well as in Nader’s campaign to India and Dagestan with thousands of their troops. Additionally, Qarachurlu tribe played a key role in the suppression of Mohammad Taqi Khan Shirazi in Fars, the Lezgins in Dagestan, and Pir Mohammad Khan in Baluchistan. Najaf Sultan, Mohammad Khan, Mohammad Reza Khan, Aghasi Beyg, Shahbaz Beyg, Ahmad Khan, Salim Beyg, Pahlevan Beyg, Ali Reza Beyg, Ali-Qoli Beyg, and Imam-Qoli Beyg were among the most important Nader officials and allies of Qarachurlu tribe. Nader, in response to the cooperation of Qarachurlu tribe, gave the government of areas such as Darband in Caucasus to Najaf Sultan Qarachurlu, the authorization of Arabia to Mohammad Khan Qarachurlu, the solicitor of the tribe to Hassan Beyg Qarachurlu, Esik-aqasi of Divan to Ali Reza Beyg Sarvarlo,Beylerbey of Shirvan to Ali-Qoli Khan Sarvarloo, and the Fars rule to Ahmad Sultan Kargarlu, one of the elders of this tribe. Today, groups of Kurds from Qarachurlu tribe are present in areas such as Georgia and Azerbaijan that have been settled as a result of Nader’s policies.[1]. Tribe:The tribe in the Iranian nomadic society is a political union consisting of several Tireh-Ashayer (Several families with kinship affiliations) and nomadic clans that, based on kinship affiliations or at a specific time, they unite according to political and social interests, and necessities and form a tribe.The tribes usually had their own territory and tribal territory and were run under the leadership and personal management of either the Ilkhan or the Il-Bagi (Aashti, 1987, p. 14-13).[2]. Clan:  The clan in the Iranian nomadic community is a social-political unit consisting of several Tireh-Ashayer and in the hierarchy of tribal categories, it is the most important and distinct category. In the social hierarchy of Iranian nomads, most of the clans are located between the tribe and the Tireh-Ashayer, but there are also clans that are not affiliated with any tribe and are called independent clans. The clan is a social-political organization with a classification structure. They may be sedentary, complete nomadic, or semi-nomadic and a clan. It doesn't matter if the clan is nomadic or sedentary, it is still considered a clan. The clan is the smaller subset of a tribe, which is often closely related to each other and has a common ancestor for several generations (Takmil Homayoun & Bloukbashi, 2009, p. 15-8).