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

Abstract 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. Introduction 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. Material & Methods 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 Nade