Caucasus Campaign (1735)

Ottoman–Persian War (1730–35)
Part of Naderian Wars
File:Caucasus Campaign 001.jpg Map of the Caucasus at the time of the conflict
Date 1734-1735 Location Caucasus Result Decisive Persian victory (effective end of the war) Territorial changes Persian suzerainty re-established over the Caucasus
Belligerents
Safavid Empire	Ottoman Empire Crimean Khanate
Commanders and leaders
Nader Tahmasp Khan Jalayer	Köprülü Abdullah Pasha†
Strength
55-80,000	100,000+
Casualties and losses
Minimal	50,000+ killed & wounded

The Caucasus Campaign of 1734-1735 was the last great campaign of the Perso-Ottoman war of 1730-1735 which ended in a Persian victory allowing Nader to recast Persian hegemony over the region, reconnecting this severed limb of the empire back to the Safavid state.

A brief overview of events

Main article: Battle of Baghavard

Nader's decisive victory at Baghavard destroyed any hope of the Crimean Tatars joining the main Ottoman army on the field.

The Caucasus had been under Ottoman control since 1722 with the collapse of the Safavid state. The first target of the campaign was the Shirvan Khanate, its capital Shmakhi falling in the August of 1734 freeing up the Persian forces to march west and lay siege to Ganja. The battlements of Ganja as well as its garrison of 14,000 soldiers provided a formidable defence. After Tahmasp Khan Jalayer engaged and routed a joint Ottoman and Crimean Tatar force in the south east Caucasus Nader cut their line of retreat further west dealing them another crippling blow, scattering them into the mountains north.

The mountains to the north in Avarestan made any pursuit of the defeated foe a daunting prospect especially considering the approach of winter, so Nader chose to turn west and besiege Ganja where he was drawn into an intense effort to capture the surprisingly formidable fortress. The Persian artillery was still severely lacking in strong siege guns and consisted mostly of field batteries which were effective in battles but unable to make significant impact against city walls and battlements. Failing in their siege artillery capacity the Persian sent sappers to dig underground to reach the citadels walls from beneath but the Turks received timely intelligence reports revealing the intention of the besiegers. Tunnelling underground the Persians and Ottomans burrowed into each other's way whence they came to grips in hand-to-hand combat. The Persians were able to detonate six charges killing 700 Ottoman defenders but still failed in their main object of destroying the citadels walls. The Persians also lost some 30 to 40 men themselves.

Nader also blockaded Yerevan and Tiflis forcing a response from the Ottoman 'Saraskar' Koprulu Pasha. Istanbul had found the preliminary negotiations by Ahmad Pasha, governor of Ottoman Baghdad unsatisfactory and sent an enormous army consisting of 50,000 cavalry, 30,000 janissaries and 40 cannon to be commanded by Koprulu Pasha foe the defence of Ottoman possessions in the region.

Nader having besieged many of the key cities and fortresses in the area awaited the arrival of Koprulu Pasha's main army which he engaged and thoroughly destroyed, forcing Istanbul to finally sign a peace recognizing Persian control of the Caucasus and the border in Mesopotamia already agreed to in the treaty of Zuhab.

Sources

• Moghtader, Gholam-Hussein(2008). The Great Batlles of Nader Shah, Donyaye Ketab
• Axworthy, Michael(2009). The Sword of Persia: Nader Shah, from tribal warrior to conquering tyrant, I. B. Tauris
• Ghafouri, Ali(2008). History of Iran's wars: from the Medes to now, Etela'at Publishing
• Farrokh, Kaveh(2011). Iran at War: 1500–1988, p. 114. Osprey Publishing