The reaction of the ethnic community of Dagestan to the rule of Nader Shah Afshar

The Caucasus region has long been one of the most sensitive areas of conflict between Iran, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire due to its strategic location and ethnic-religious diversity. In the Afshar era, Nader Shah, with the aim of restoring Iranian sovereignty over the lost lands, reclaimed the Caucasus regions, including Dagestan. However, his extensive campaigns in this region not only did not lead to the permanent consolidation of Iranian sovereignty, but also provided the grounds for the divergence of Dagestan from Iran. This research aims to examine, using a descriptive-analytical method and relying on library sources and historical documents, the nature of Nader Shah's relations with the tribes of Dagestan and the causes and factors that led to the weakening of the ties between this region and Iran. The research findings indicate that Nader Shah organized three major campaigns to Dagestan between 1735 and 1743 AD and, using a huge force of between 100,000 and 150,000 people, was able to conquer large parts of Dagestan and bring tribes such as the Lezgis, Avars, and Tabasarans to the brink of complete defeat. However, the extremely harsh and mountainous terrain of the North Caucasus, the stubborn resistance and guerrilla warfare of the indigenous tribes, and the covert support of the Ottoman Empire and Russia for the Dagestani rulers were the most important obstacles to the complete conquest of this region. Ultimately, the Iranian army left the region despite the apparent victories, and the status quo continued until the end of Nader Shah's rule in Dagestan. Dagestan's divergence from Iran was rooted in multiple factors: first, the lack of comprehensive and unified sovereignty in the region, which had created a political structure based on a semi-independent khanate system and fluid loyalties; second, the interference and competition of foreign powers, especially the Ottomans and Russia, which strengthened the grounds for secession by supporting local rebellions and weakening Iran's central government; and third, Nader Shah's bloody repressions and harsh military policies towards opponents, which, instead of attracting loyalty, aroused the anger and hatred of the Dagestani tribes and undermined the legitimacy of the Iranian government in their eyes.Geographically, Dagestan was located in the northernmost part of the Safavid state. After the fall of the Safavids, this land was occupied by Russia and the Ottomans. The religious ties between the majority of Dagestan residents and the Ottomans paved the way for their extensive relations with each other. This issue was considered one of the main reasons for Nader Shah Afshar's war policies against the rulers of Dagestan. Nader Shah invaded this state three times to completely dominate Dagestan. Although most historians believe that he achieved some victories on the surface, he was never able to completely defeat the Dagestanis. In addition to the difficult mountainous conditions of the region, the reasons for Nader's failures have been attributed to secret relations and Ottoman support for the rulers of Dagestan due to the common interests of the Ottomans and Russia in this region. Among the most important consequences of this invasion, Nader's defeat against the Lezgi mountaineers and the beginning of the decline of his power in other parts of Iran are mentioned. Also, Nader's violent behavior is considered to be one of the factors that led to the subsequent tendencies of the people of Dagestan towards Russia and the Ottomans, such that the Dagestanis were offended by Iranian rule. But it should be noted that at this time, what developments occurred in Iran and the world and surrounding countries that led to Nader's expedition to Dagestan and his subsequent encounters in this region? The important point is that the Lezgis - who lived in the lower plains of Dagestan - repeatedly attacked Shirvan and other inhabited areas and plundered those areas. They killed Nader's brother during his expedition to India. In return, Nader also launched an expedition to Dagestan. Although he pursued the Lezgis in the mountain forests, he was eventually forced to retreat towards Darband due to a lack of supplies. After that, the Russian government encouraged the Lezghians to submit a petition for protection to this government. This region, which had attracted Russian attention, was later ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Golestan, and Iran renounced all its claims to it. Thus, the many years of Iranian sovereignty over this state were destroyed.
The emergence of divergent trends in the Dagestan region during the reign of Nader Shah Afshar had its roots in Safavid history and even before that. The series of developments that took place in Iranian history, although occasionally written by historians of the relevant periods, have to some extent sacrificed historical developments to the demands of the conquerors and post-conquerors. The fall of the Safavids was in fact a diagram of the awakening of tribal monarchies that the Safavid government was unable to manage. In the series of political, social, military, cultural and economic developments related to Dagestan during the Afsharid period, most contemporary historians consider Nader to be an impotent conqueror in this region and have resorted to simplistic thinking without considering the dimensions of the issue. Russian historians have also examined these developments from a different perspective and in line with the interests of Tsarist Russia.