Nader Shah. Historical novel. Yunus Oghuz
Hasanali bey returned to the Shah he explained my idea to him. According to my idea, both my troops and the Shah’s troops had to attack to Khorasan and to get the city back. Hasanali bey returned to me again and informed me that the Shah wanted to meet with me.
It became clear that during the period when I wasn’t there the troops of Melik Mahmud wanted to fight against the Shah’s troops. When I heard that news I left Marv and turned my face to Khabushan. When Melik Mahmud heard that I had left Marv he returned to Meshed. In Khabushan I was waiting for the Shah and Fatali khan.
I was thirty eight years old, but till that time I had never seen the Shah. I met Tahmasb Shah at the entry of Khabushan. He was about twenty two or twenty three years old. It seemed that he was tired. The Shah was accompanied by a number of Viziers and advocates. It was felt that he was like a toy in their hands. I understood it from often changing his mind. I waited for the Shah to get off the horse. Hasanali bey came nearer to him:
– Your Majesty, Nader is here.
Tahmasb Shah asked:
– Where is he?
I went forward and bowed him, wishing him long life. To my mind, the Shah was pleased. Then in the home of the ruler of the city, he had a talk with me in private.
– How can we get Meshed? – He asked me directly.
– By attacking, Your Majesty! – I answered without think ing.
– Has our army power to attack?
– To occupy Meshed the army has the power, but for to restore the dynasty it has not.
– Why?
– Because our army isn’t regulated and isn’t trained specially. In private, everybody wants to behave like a hero. It is necessary for the army to show courage together, to learn the tactics of fighting and fulfill the orders unconditionally.
Tahmasb Shah thought and then said:
– You are right, it is necessary to set an army fighting regularly. Well, if I appoint you a warlord to the army to occupy Meshed, will you be able to do it?
– I shall occupy, Your Majesty! If the army will be of one mind, I shall be able to achieve my purpose, my Shah!
– If it is thus, I appoint you the warlord of the army!
When the order of the Shah was declared the Viziers, advocates, especially Fatali khan, began to play tricks in order to sully my good name. I didn’t have time to pay attention to them.
…I began marching. Meshed had already been encircled. Just at that time I learned that Fatali khan had a talk with Melik Mahmud so as not to let me occupy Meshed. Fatali khan would be able to make Melik Mahmud believe this. He made him believe that if his troops attacked me the stocks of Qajar wouldn’t fight against any sides. Melik Mahmud believed Fatali khan and attacked us. After the bloody battles he was obliged to reireat. In that batile, the Qajars didn’t take part. Without them the troops of Melik Mahmud could n’t stand before us. I captured one of the warlords of Melik Mahmud, Mir Muhammad. When I met with Mir Muhammad he said to me that he wanted to tell me a secret, but in return he wanted only his life. I agreed with him. Mir Muhammad spoke to me that Melik Mahmud and Fatali khan wanted to do away with the Shah. I went to the tent of the Shah and told him what Mir Muhammad had told me.
The Shah called Fatali khan in my presence and asked him:
– Why didn’t the Qajars take part in that battle?
Fatali khan didn’t know anything yet.
– Your Majesty, the Qajars had been kept like a spare power. If we retreated they had to come to help. You agreed to keep them like a spare power.
– Yes, I agreed, but the warlord of the army had to agree not me.
Then all of a sudden the Shah stood up. He approached Fatali khan, looked into his eyes and asked suddenly:
– What did you talk about with Melik Mahmud?
When Fatali khan heard the name of Melik Mahmud his face turned white, but he didn’t lose his composure:
– My Shah, it is a lie, it is a slander.. ..It is only a cunning lie in order to cast aspirations on me.
No sooner had Fatali khan finished his words than two executioners stood above his head. Tahmasb Shah said:
– Tell me, Fatali khan, tell me, how did you want to attempt my life?
Fatali khan fell on his knees:
– It is a lie…It is a slander, my Shah!
– Do you say that it is a slander?
He clapped his hands. They brought the warlord of Melik Mahmud, Mir Muhammad, into the tent; his hands were tied.
– Do you know him? – The Shah asked Fatali khan:
– I don’t know him, my Shah!
– If you don’t know him let him speak to you himself.
Mir Muhammad told that Fatali khan had sent a representative to Meshed many times, he also told who had talks with Melik Mahmud. When Fatali khan saw that all their plans were known to the Shah he was hung under the feet of the Shah:
– My Shah, give me a quarter!! Don’t kill me!
Tahmasb Shah flied into a rage:
– Fatali khan, do you know what the punishment for betrayal is?
– My Shah, I know! There isn’t any chief without mercy or any slave without a mistake!
I turned towards the Shah:
– My Shah, forgive Fatali khan! He was mistaken… We must not oblige the stock of Qajar be against us…
Tahmasb Shah looked at me attentively and thought for a while and then he shook his head; he agreed with me.
Then I learned that after the instigation and cunning of the Viziers the Shah had chopped off Fatali khan‘s head. I had gained my wishes firstly.
The Shah appointed me to the post of the artillery commander. After that appointment, I had great power. The artil lery was under my conlrol as a commander. The Shah also awarded me with the title of “The slave of Tahmasb”. I asked the Shah to give a post to my brother-in law (my wife’s brother) Kalbali bey in order to be an Avshar near the Shah. The Shah appointed him as an eunuch.
At last, in the December of 1726 we could occupy Meshed. Melik Mahmud yielded to us; he took an oath and promised not to be against us. Then he went to the tomb of Imam Rza and began to live there. I took into consideration the authority of mullahs and mujtehids among the people and ordered to restore the tomb of Imam Rza and to build there the second minaret.
Though I knew that the Shah respected me much, I knew that it wouldn’t last long, because the Viziers and advocates didn’t want me being respected in the palace. When the Shah went to Khabushan the plot against me by the Viziers and advocated increased. They spoke to the Shah as if I had talked with the Kurds against him. After the threat and pressure Tahmasb Shah sent orders to Mazandaran, Astarabad and other provinces which were under his control, named me as “betrayer” and demanded them to assist him “in the struggle against the betrayer”. Then my situation depended on the steps I was going to take, because I was declared “an undesirable person” by the Shah. Immediately I called my brother Ibrahim khan and consulted with him.
– Ibrahim, our situation is very bad. The Shah declared me “an undesirable person” and “a betrayer”. Now our lives depend on the steps that we are going to take.
– What do you suggest, Nader khan? We have a lot of enemies…
– The Shah is like a toy