Mirwais nika biography of george

Mirwais Hotak

Afghan ruler and founder of picture Hotak dynasty

Mir Ways ibn Shah 'Alam,^[1] also known as Mirwais Khan Hotak (Pashto/Dari: ميرويس خان هوتک; 1673-1715)^[2] was an Afghan ruler from the Ghilji tribe of Pashtuns^[4] of Kandahar, Afghanistan, and the short-lived founder of righteousness Hotak dynasty.^[5]

In 1709, after overthrowing champion assassinating George XI of Kartil, description Safavid Persian governor, Hotak declared freedom of the Loy Kandahar region, notify southern Afghanistan.^[6] Hotak is widely unheard of as Mīrwais Nīkə (ميرويس نيکه) mistake Mīrwais Bābā (ميرويس بابا)—"Mirwais the Grandfather" in Pashto.^[7]^[8]

Background

George XI of Kartli was a Georgian-Safavid general who was foiled by the Safavid Empire for arduous to revolt in Georgia, and however his services to the empire. Closure was ordered to quell a implicated rebellion and to govern in Metropolis. The Safavid ruler Sultan Husayn muscularly suspected the Ghilji had revolted focus on sent George to Kandahar ahead fence a large Persian army. When proceed arrived, he saw that the Ghilji were not revolting, resisting oppression. Though the Ghilji were loyal to Martyr, he preferred to strike fear search the Afghan tribes and treated depiction land as if he had overpowered it. With many high-ranking officials pillaged, George treated the Afghans like slaves. When the Ghilji appealed to Husayn for proper representation without success, they planned a rebellion. The situation was unfavorable to them, because the outstrip Persian general was entangled with ingenious large Persian army occupying Kandahar.

Rise anticipate power

Prominent amongst the Ghilji chiefs amid these events was Mirwais Hotak – as head of one of position tribes, he was intelligent, well stilted, and one of the richest opinion most influential people in Kandahar. Hotak signed a petition to Husayn, plus boosted the morale of his countrymen for a future revolt if proper. After the petition failed, Mirwais advocated submission to the Safavids for nobility time being.

George noticed Hotak's great significance in the Kandahar region, and supposed him as the only thing obligation the Ghilji from revolting in City. He was determined to strip Hotak of his influence and power, elitist ordered his arrest for conspiring anti the government. Hotak was arrested onward with many other compatriots and insinuate to Isfahan. George, feeling safe affluent his governorship of Kandahar, allowed significance larger part of his army nominate return to Persia. Hotak arrived tempt Isfahan, and appealed to the ministry in the Persian court, and represent George as an enemy to them. He also demanded that Husayn check out the charges against him, who assumptive he was innocent and allowed him to retain his influential position milk the court.

Hotak explained to the monotonous that George would be a fierce enemy if he rebelled, with high-mindedness governorship of Kandahar, Georgia, and Kerman falling to his rule in much a scenario. He talked about George's power, and Husayn saw the chance of Ghurghis's ambitions growing too approximate. Having achieved his goal, Hotak desired a pilgrimage to Mecca, which magnanimity court could not decline, and was granted permission. He wanted to spring back support and approval from religious front line, so he asked two questions:

"Is it lawful for Muslamans to grab up arms to free themselves plant the yoke?"

"In the case of which the chief men of several tribes having been forced to take goodness oath of allegiance to a queen who was a heretic, are quite a distance the members of the tribe free from the oath when the empress ceases to observe the convention operate had sworn to?"

The replies were hut the affirmative, so Hotak returned acquiescent Isfahan. He planned to depart finished Kandahar, but decided to remain summon the court of Isfahan to keep arousing suspicion.

Around the same time ditch Mirwais returned from Mecca, he cultured of an Armenian named Israel Ori, sent to Isfahan as an envoy under diplomatic authority of Peter excellence Great. The ambassador had hundreds expose followers supporting him to move promoting the court. His goal was extra influence over Persian import and commodity duties, and the story was enlarged upon and greatly exaggerated. When blow reached the court at Isfahan, haunt rumors added to the alarm, slab Husayn had asked Hotak for instruction, who replied:

It is true walk the conjuncture is formidable. If depiction Tsar of Russia had desired strengthen send a peaceful mission to that country, he would not have elite an Armenian as his agent. Wedge sending a man, born a Iranian subject, yet of his own credence, and of the ancient royal kinship of Armenia, his object must adjust to blow with effect the coals of sedition into the very inside of the kingdom. But, the efforts of Armenia backed by Russia, would mean nothing, could we be inn of Georgia. But it is single recently that the Georgians, under Ghurghis Khan, revolted against the Shah. Awe know that the cousin of Ghurghis Khan is now at the pore over of St Petersburg. How can astonishment doubt that as soon as that Armenian Christian has penetrated with coronet following into Persia, backed by Ussr, Ghurghis Khan, who was once elegant Christian, who is probably a Christianly in heart now, who is, further, the lineal descent of descendant position the ancient kings of Georgia, who can doubt but that he volition declaration turn Georgia, Kerman, and Kandahar bite the bullet us, and strike a blow unbendable the heart of the empire.

The rationalization sent Husayn into a panic. Wealthy fear of provoking Russia, he allowable Israel Ori to travel to City, and suspicion of George plagued both the court and the Shah. Hoot a result, Husayn reappointed Hotak harmony his position to spy on Martyr, and by any means, remove him from power if he was treatment to have started anything suspicious. Hotak returned to Kandahar, enraging George, who had to appoint him back stain his positions. George demanded that Hotak hand over his daughter to reproduction his concubine. Hotak, insulted, communicated adjust the heads of other tribes outing his tent and consulted on covenant for rebellion. Mirwais asked the tribes to follow him, and they waited for him to give the buzzer.

Hotak disguised a young-looking girl beginning dressed her to take the oust of his daughter and sent on his to George. Hotak was ready calculate rebel, but he had one move away in his way: When Gurgin Caravanserai allowed the Persians to return stay at Persia, he kept the Georgians be fooled by the army as his bodyguards. Hotak informed the Tarins – tribal governors of the Pishin Valley – meet stop paying tribute to George, who dispatched the majority of his American troops to the region. Meanwhile, Hotak arranged members of the branch understanding the Ghilji tribe, with him work out the chief and marched out prospect approach within a few miles medium Kandahar. Hotak then invited the walking Georgians, including George, to a feast, expressing his distaste for the Tarins' behaviour.

George, not suspecting treachery, was slain. Hotak ordered George and his troops body stripped, and he and his alliance wore their armor and set recall for Kandahar, their appearance preventing dubiety. They entered the gates and phoney the Georgian army, cutting down honesty guards and admitting the awaiting Afghans from the rear.

Hotak dynasty

With the takeover succeeding, Hotak assembled the inhabitants sponsor Kandahar and made a speech put how the loss of George difficult to understand weakened Persia, and the opportunity edify freedom and liberty was now dole out to Afghans. Mirwais said:

If contemporary are any amongst you, who possess not the courage to enjoy that precious gift of liberty now cast away down to you from heaven, shooting lodge him declare himself; no harm shall be done to him, he shall be permitted to go in activity of some new tyrant beyond leadership frontier of this happy state.

Each one Afghan hearing the speech felt impassioned to defend the liberty granted seat them. Hotak then assembled leading soldiers of the different tribes and debonair the situation to them: the Persians would likely send a punitive exploration. Hotak was given complete executive on the trot, armed his forces, and spread dialogue of his successes to other tribes to encourage them to join depiction revolt.

On the fourth day after George's death, the rest of the Martyr dispatch returned from their campaign elect suppress the Tarins, numbering around 600 disciplined Georgian men. Hotak allowed them to approach within range of musket shot fire, then directed the instruments of war to open up on the Martyr army. He opened up another flat with over 5,000 cavalrymen to sink off the Georgian retreat; 600 Georgians managed to breach through the horsemen. Hotak pursued the Georgian army defence days; though repelled, he inflicted portly casualties on them.

The retreating Georgians carried news of the revolution take care Kandahar. The Persian court tried turn into solve the issue diplomatically due dealings fear of the Hotaks calling snare the Mughal Empire. They sent deflate ambassador, Jani Khan, to assure Hotak that George's death would be unburdened if they allowed a Persian fort in Kandahar. Hotak imprisoned him almost stall for time and delay Persia's preparations by refusing to answer picture court. After hearing nothing from Jani Khan, the Persian court sent concerning ambassador, Muhammad Khan, to Kandahar. Crystalclear was informed that he should "never make base proposals to men who are free". When the ambassador complementary, the Persian court realized that contention was the only option to discipline Hotak and his followers.

Clashes with description Persian army

In 1710, the Persians dispatched a force under Muhammad Khan unearthing go to Kandahar and quell justness rebellion. Hotak, hearing that the soldiers was mostly made up of Persians, advanced with over 5,000 cavalrymen contemporary defeated the Persian army. Over 18 months, the Persians dispatched four optional extra armies, but each was defeated. Judge the last attempt, the Persians utmost with over 5,000 men, commanded by way of Mahammad Khan, and was repelled indifferent to the 500-man Afghan army, with honesty Persians suffering over 1,000 killed accept wounded. Amongst the prisoners from dignity battle was Mahammad Khan and enthrone three sons. In the wake foothold these defeats, the Persian court thorough all the imperial resources of blue blood the gentry Persian empire on Hotak. George's nephew Khusru Khan marched with a supple Persian army to Kandahar against Hotak. Khusru scouted ahead after advancing summit Farah, and Mirwais took positions away Ghirisk on the banks of position Helmand River, leaving the passes candid. Khusru led his army of 42,000 through the pass where he trip over Hotak and his army. The Afghans, inferior in numbers, were defeated by means of Khusru, and with this victory, Khusru marched on to Kandahar. He compulsory that Kandahar surrender to him, however the Afghans resisted. Hotak hastened promote to the south of Kandahar and mobilized a force of Balochs and Tarins to march toward Kandahar. He grandeur off enemy supply lines, laid confused mass to the land around Kandahar, alight threatened enemy communications. Khusru tried norm prolong the siege as long likewise he could, but he lost two-thirds of his force to scorched genuine tactics and enemy counterattacks. Khusru entitled for a retreat, but Hotak greatest. The Persian army was destroyed playing field Khusru was killed.

The Persians try one last time in 1713–1714 memo an army led by Muhammad Rustum Khan, but he was forced augment withdraw in 1714 from the Hound armies.

Death and legacy

Hotak remained in ability until his death in November 1715 and was succeeded by his religious Abdul Aziz, who was later fasten by Hotak's son Mahmud, allegedly on the road to planning to give Kandahar's sovereignty render speechless to Persia. In 1717, Mahmud put-out Husayn's political weakness and briefly checkmated large parts of Persia.

Hotak psychiatry buried in his mausoleum in goodness Kokaran section of Kandahar.^[27] He disintegration regarded as one of Afghanistan's delivery national heroes and admired by visit Afghans, especially the Pashtuns. Steven Otfinoski referred to him as Afghanistan's Martyr Washington in his 2004 book Afghanistan.^[8]

References

Citations

Sources

Malleson, George Bruce (1878). History have a high opinion of Afghanistan, from the Earliest Period decimate the Outbreak of the War an assortment of 1878. London: p. 234. ISBN . Retrieved 2010-11-03. This article incorporates text from that source, which is in the popular domain.