Siege of Herat

The Siege of Herat was a military engagement that took place in the spring of 1749, during the power struggle that followed the death of Nader Shah. The city of Herat, a strategically important stronghold in Khorasan, was nominally under the authority of Shah Rukh Afshar, Nader Shah's grandson, but was governed locally by an Arab chief.

 Background 
Ahmad Shah assembled an army, reported to be 25,000 strong, and marched toward Herat in the spring of 1749.

 Course of the Siege 
Afghan soldiers scaled the walls, fought their way inside, and opened the gates. The Durrani army entered enmasse and sacked Herat. Amir Khan attempted a counterattack from the citadel but was defeated. Realizing the futility of further resistance, he and Bahbud Khan surrendered to Ahmad Shah and pleaded for clemency.

 Aftermath 
Following the capture, Herat was formally annexed into the Durrani Empire. Ahmad Shah reinstalled Shah Rukh as a nominal ruler under Afghan suzerainty. Subsequently, he appointed a new governor, Ali Khan, a Hazara tribal leader, to oversee the city.

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 Bibliography 

Category:Sieges