Battle of Murche-Khort
| Battle of Murche-Khort | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Nader's Campaigns | |||||||||
Persian under Nader attacking Afghans | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Safavid Iran |
Hotak dynasty Supported by: Ottoman Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Nader | Ashraf Hotak | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 20,000–30,000 |
60,000
| ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Minimal | 7,000–8,000 killed in the opening stages | ||||||||
The Battle of Murche-Khort (Persian: نبرد مورچهخورت) was the last decisive engagement of Nader's campaign to restore Tahmasp II to the Iranian throne. Ashraf Hotak had failed to arrest Nader's advance onto Isfahan at Khwar pass where his ambush was discovered, surrounded and ambushed itself. The battle was fought in an uncharacteristic manner by the Afghans who to some extent sought to replicate their foes tactical systems which had so badly devastated their armies up to this point. Victory opened a clear road south towards Isfahan and the return of Safavid rule for a few brief years before Nader himself would overthrow it In 1736 and appointed himself as king himself founded the Afsharid dynasty