Function of the Artillery Unit of Nader Shah Afshar

The neglect of the artillery unit at the end of the Safavid dynasty led to the weakness of its operational function to the extent that the Iranian artillerymen did not have much skill and experience in the process of launching cannons and aiming. The expansion and the complexity of Nader Shah's conflicts with internal and external enemies made him to make his increasing efforts to form and strengthen the artillery unit. This research thus aimed to throw light on the function of the artillery unit of Nader Shah Afshar. This study found that the artillery of the Afshar ruler gradually improved significantly in many respects such as equipment, recruitment and training of artillerymen and the promotion of commanders' positions. As a result, artillery was the most important operational unit of the army on the battlefields especially during sea battles or the siege of strategic forts. The present historical study collected library data from historical sources after describing and classifying the various aspects of Nader Shah Afshar artillery to analyze and interpret these features and its different effects.