afghan sultanates, 1260–1732force separately. Zu’l-fiqar Khan fled back to Farah while the ‘Abdali maliks
of Herat went to the Persian camp and tendered their submission. Nadir
Quli presented them with robes of honour and a treaty was signed, under
the terms of which Allah Yar Khan remained ruler of Herat under Persian
sovereignty and pledged not to provide military assistance to the Hotaki
rulers of Kandahar. 46 Much to their distaste the ‘Abdali clans were also
required to provide levies for the Persian army, yet surprisingly Nadir Quli
Khan did not install a Persian garrison. It was a decision he soon regretted.
Shah Husain Hotaki, worried about the fall of Herat and the renewal
of the Saddozai-Persian alliance, sent envoys to Herat to persuade Sultan
Allah Yar Khan to revoke the treaty, proposing instead an ‘Abdali-Ghilzai
alliance against Nadir Quli Khan. Allah Yar Khan refused on the grounds
that he could not break a treaty that he had sealed by an oath on the Qur’an.
However, he had little power, and since the ‘Abdali tribal leaders favoured
the anti-Persian alliance, they deposed Allah Yar Khan and appointed
Zu’l-fiqar Khan in his place – only for Allah Yar Khan to refuse to step
down. For the next few weeks Herat was again turned into a battleground
until finally Allah Yar Khan fled back to Maruchak. In April 1730 Zu’l-
fikar Khan entered Herat accompanied by his nine-year-old half-brother,
Ahmad Shah, and his mother, Zarguna, who had travelled from Multan
to join the victory celebrations.
Zu’l-fikar Khan immediately tore up the Persian treaty and, taking
advantage of Nadir Quli’s absence campaigning against the Ottomans,
besieged Mashhad, whereupon Allah Yar Khan joined the Persian defence
of the city. When Nadir Quli heard of the siege he ordered the governor
of Mashhad not to go on the offensive but to drag out the siege as long as
possible so he could march to his relief. The ‘Abdalis tried to starve the city
into submission and laid waste all the countryside around Mashhad, but
in the end it was the besiegers who ran out of food and fodder and they
were forced to lift the siege.
Nadir Quli reached Mashhad in November 1730 and spent the winter
preparing for a final showdown with Herat. Allah Yar Khan was shown
great favour for his support and a treaty was signed restoring him to the
governorship of Herat, but this time a Persian garrison was to reside in
Herat’s citadel. In April of the following year the Persian army marched on
Herat, laying waste to the countryside as they went and driving off thou-
sands of sheep and goats, the backbone of the ‘Abdali tribe’s wealth. While
Herat was placed under siege, a column was dispatched to the Helmand
to occupy Farah and a second force marched across the Murghab into
Uzbek-held Maimana.