Capture of Samarkand (1740)
| Battle of Samarkand (1740) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Nader Shah's Central Asian campaign and Campaigns of Nader Shah | |||||||||
Portrait of Nadir Shah Afshar, c. 1740–1750 | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Afsharid Iran |
Khanate of Bukhara Samarkand principality | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Nader Shah Afshar |
Abulfaz Khan Abu Salam Khan | ||||||||
The capture of Samarkand (Persian: فتح سمرقند) one of the political and economic centers of the region, during his Central Asian campaign. According to Nader Shah, who was an admirer of Amir Timur, Samarkand had a symbolic meaning. The capture occurred in 1740 and Nader Shah entered Samarkand almost unopposed. According to legend, Nader Shah brought the double doors of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque made of gold, silver, precious stones, jewelry and other precious metals, located in Samarkand, as well as a number of architects, artists, and scientists, to the center of the Afshar Empire.