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Mirwais Hotak

March 03, 2023

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[3][4] of Kandahar, Afghanistan, and the founder of the Hotak dynasty.[5]

Mirwais Hotak
ميرويس هوتک
Emir of Greater Afghanistan
Shah of Persia
Sketch work of Mirwais Hotak
Emir of Afghanistan
ReignHotak dynasty: 1709–1715
CoronationApril 1709
PredecessorGurgin Khan (as governor of Kandahar under the Safavids)
SuccessorAbdul Aziz Hotak
Born1673
Kandahar, Safavid Iran
DiedNovember 1715 (aged 41–42)
Kandahar, Hotak dynasty
Burial
Kokaran, Kandahar, Afghanistan
SpouseKhanzada Sadozai
IssueMahmud Hotak
Husayn Hotak
DynastyHotak dynasty
FatherSalim Khan
MotherNazo Tokhi
ReligionSunni Islam

In 1709, after overthrowing and assassinating George XI of Kartil, the Safavid Persian governor, Hotak declared independence of the Loy Kandahar region, now southern Afghanistan.[6] Hotak is widely known as Mīrwais Nīkə (ميرويس نيکه) or Mīrwais Bābā (ميرويس بابا)—"Mirwais the Grandfather" in Pashto.[7][8]

Background

George XI of Kartli was a Georgian-Safavid general who was defeated by the Safavid Empire for trying to revolt in Georgia, and lent his services to the empire. He was ordered to quell a suspected rebellion and to govern in Kandahar. Sultan Husayn strongly suspected the Ghilji had revolted and sent George to Kandahar ahead of a large Persian army. When he arrived, he saw that the Ghilji were not revolting, resisting oppression. Although the Ghilji were loyal to George, he preferred to strike fear into the Afghan tribes[9] and treated the land as if he had conquered it. With many high-ranking officials sacked, 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 best Persian general was entangled with a large Persian army occupying Kandahar.[10]

 
The Greater Kandahar region (Candahar) during the Safavid dynasty and Mughal period

Rise to power

Prominent amongst the Ghilji chiefs during these events was Mirwais Hotak – as head of one of the tribes, he was intelligent, well mannered, and one of the richest and most influential people in Kandahar.[11] Hotak signed a petition to Husayn, and boosted the morale of his countrymen for a future revolt if necessary. After the petition failed, Mirwais advocated submission to the Safavids for the time being.[12]

 
Gurgin Khan/George XI of Kartli

George noticed Hotak's great influence in the Kandahar region, and viewed him as the only thing keeping the Ghilji from revolting in Kandahar. He was determined to strip Hotak of his influence and power, and ordered his arrest for conspiring against the government. Hotak was arrested along with many other compatriots and sent to Isfahan. George, feeling safe in his governorship of Kandahar, allowed the larger part of his army to return to Persia. Hotak arrived at Isfahan, and appealed to the officials in the Persian court, and portrayed George as an enemy to them. He also demanded that Husayn investigate the charges against him, who acknowledged he was innocent and allowed him to retain his influential position at the court.[13]

Hotak explained to the court that George would be a ferocious enemy if he rebelled, with the governorship of Kandahar, Georgia, and Kerman falling to his rule in such a scenario. He talked about George's power, and Husayn saw the possibility of Ghurghis's ambitions growing too big. Having achieved his goal, Hotak requested a pilgrimage to Mecca, which the court could not decline, and was granted permission. He wanted to obtain support and approval from religious leaders, so he asked two questions:

  • "Is it lawful for Muslamans to take up arms to free themselves from the yoke?"[14]
  • "In the case of which the chief men of several tribes having been forced to take the oath of allegiance to a sovereign who was a heretic, are not the members of the tribe released from the oath when the sovereign ceases to observe the convention he had sworn to?"[15]

The replies were in the affirmative, so Hotak returned to Isfahan. He planned to depart to Kandahar, but decided to remain in the court of Isfahan to avoid arousing suspicion.[16]

Around the same time that Mirwais returned from Mecca, he learned of an Armenian named Israel Orri, sent to Isfahan as an ambassador under diplomatic authority of Peter the Great. The ambassador had hundreds of followers supporting him to move toward the court. His goal was more influence over Persian import and export duties, and the story was expanded upon and greatly exaggerated. When it reached the court at Isfahan, many rumors added to the alarm, and Husayn had asked Hotak for counsel,[17] who replied:

It is true that the conjuncture is formidable. If the Tsar of Russia had desired to send a peaceful mission to this country, he would not have selected an Armenian as his agent. By sending a man, born a Persian subject, yet of his own faith, and of the ancient royal family of Armenia, his object must be to blow with effect the coals of sedition into the very heart of the kingdom. But, the efforts of Armenia backed by Russia, would mean nothing, could we be sure of Georgia. But it is only recently that the Georgians, under Ghurghis Khan, revolted against the Shah. We know that the cousin of Ghurghis Khan is now at the court of St Petersburg. How can we doubt that as soon as this Armenian Christian has penetrated with his following into Persia, backed by Russia, Ghurghis Khan, who was once a Christian, who is probably a Christian in heart now, who is, moreover, the lineal descent of descendant of the ancient kings of Georgia, who can doubt but that he will turn Georgia, Kerman, and Kandahar against us, and strike a blow at the heart of the empire.[18][19]

The arguments sent Husayn into a panic. In fear of provoking Russia, he allowed Israel Orri to travel to Isfahan, and suspicion of George plagued both the court and the Shah. As a result, Husayn reappointed Hotak to his position to spy on George, and by any means, remove him from power if he was thought to have started anything suspicious.[20] Hotak returned to Kandahar, enraging George, who had to appoint him back to his positions. George demanded that Hotak hand over his daughter to be his concubine. Hotak, insulted, communicated with the heads of other tribes in his tent and consulted on plans for rebellion. Mirwais asked the tribes to follow him, and they waited for him to give the signal.

Hotak disguised a young-looking girl and dressed her to take the place of his daughter and sent her to George. Hotak was ready to rebel, but he had one obstacle in his way: When Gurgin Khan allowed the Persians to return to Persia, he kept the Georgians of the army as his bodyguards. Hotak informed the Tarins – tribal governors of the Pishin Valley – to stop paying tribute to George, who dispatched the majority of his Georgian troops to the region. Meanwhile, Hotak arranged members of the branch of the Ghilji tribe, with him being the chief and marched out to approach within a few miles of Kandahar. Hotak then invited the marching Georgians, including George, to a banquet, expressing his distaste for the Tarins' behaviour.[21][22][23]

George, not suspecting treachery, was slain.[24] Hotak ordered George and his men stripped, and he and his allies wore their armor and set out for Kandahar, their appearance preventing suspicion. They entered the gates and attacked the Georgian army, cutting down the guards and admitting the awaiting Afghans from the rear.[25]

Hotak dynasty

With the coup succeeding, Hotak assembled the inhabitants of Kandahar and made a speech about how the loss of George had weakened Persia, and the opportunity for freedom and liberty was now available to Afghans. Mirwais said:

If there are any amongst you, who have not the courage to enjoy this precious gift of liberty now dropped down to you from heaven, let him declare himself; no harm shall be done to him, he shall be permitted to go in search of some new tyrant beyond the frontier of this happy state.[26]

Every Afghan hearing the speech felt inspired to defend the liberty granted to them. Hotak then assembled leading men of the different tribes and presented the situation to them: the Persians would likely send a punitive expedition. Hotak was given complete executive power, armed his forces, and spread word of his successes to other tribes to encourage them to join the revolt.[27]

 
Map of the Hotak dynasty 1715

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

The retreating Georgians carried news of the revolution at Kandahar. The Persian court tried to solve the issue diplomatically due to fear of the Hotaks calling in the Mughal Empire. They sent an ambassador, Jani Khan, to assure Hotak that George's death would be forgiven if they allowed a Persian garrison in Kandahar. Hotak imprisoned him to stall for time and delay Persia’s preparations by refusing to answer the court. After hearing nothing from Jani Khan, the Persian court sent another ambassador, Muhammad Khan, to Kandahar. He was informed that he should "never make base proposals to men who are free".[28][29] When the ambassador returned, the Persian court realized that war was the only option to subdue Hotak and his followers.[30]

Clashes with the Persian army

In 1710, the Persians dispatched a force under Muhammad Khan to go to Kandahar and quell the rebellion. Hotak, hearing that the army was mostly made up of Persians, advanced with over 5,000 cavalrymen and defeated the Persian army.[31] Over 18 months, the Persians dispatched four more armies, but each was defeated. On the last attempt, the Persians advanced with over 5,000 men, commanded by Mahammad Khan, and was repelled by the 500-man Afghan army, with the Persians suffering over 1,000 killed and wounded.[32] Amongst the prisoners from the battle was Mahammad Khan and his three sons.[33]

In the wake of these defeats, the Persian court focused all the imperial resources of the Persian empire on Hotak. George's nephew Khusru Khan marched with a large Persian army to Kandahar against Hotak. Khusru scouted ahead after advancing to Farah, and Mirwais took positions near Ghirisk on the banks of the Helmand River, leaving the passes unguarded. Khusru led his army of 42,000 through the pass where he met Hotak and his army. The Afghans, inferior in numbers, were defeated by Khusru, and with this victory, Khusru marched on to Kandahar.[34] He demanded that Kandahar surrender to him, but the Afghans resisted. Hotak hastened to the south of Kandahar and mobilized a force of Balochs and Tarins to march toward Kandahar. He cut off enemy supply lines, laid waste to the land around Kandahar, and threatened enemy communications. Khusru tried to prolong the siege as long as he could, but he lost two-thirds of his force to scorched earth tactics and enemy counterattacks. Khusru called for a retreat, but Hotak advanced. The Persian army was destroyed and Khusru was killed.[35]

The Persians tried one last time in 1713–1714 with an army led by Muhammad Rustum Khan, but he was forced to withdraw in 1714 from the Afghan armies.[36]

Death and legacy

 
The mausoleum of Mirwais Hotak in the Kokaran section of Kandahar, Afghanistan

Hotak remained in power until his death in November 1715 and was succeeded by his brother Abdul Aziz, who was later killed by Hotak's son Mahmud, allegedly for planning to give Kandahar's sovereignty back to Persia.[37] In 1717, Mahmud exploited Husayn's political weakness and briefly conquered large parts of Persia.

Hotak is buried in his mausoleum in the Kokaran section of Kandahar.[38] He is regarded as one of Afghanistan's greatest national heroes and admired by many Afghans, especially the Pashtuns. Steven Otfinoski referred to him as Afghanistan's George Washington in his 2004 book Afghanistan.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Matthee, Rudi (2015-09-01). "Relations between the Center and the Periphery in Safavid Iran: The Western Borderlands v. the Eastern Frontier Zone". The Historian. 77 (3): 431–463. doi:10.1111/hisn.12068. ISSN 0018-2370. S2CID 143393018.
  2. ^ Dupree, Louis (1980). Afghanistan. Princeton University Press. p. 322. ISBN 0-691-03006-5. Mirwais Khan Hotak, the Hotaki Ghilzai chieftain and nominal mayor of Qandahar was a much more formidable rival than Mir Samander.
  3. ^ Malleson, George Bruce (1878). History of Afghanistan, from the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. London: Elibron.com. p. 227. ISBN 1402172788. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  4. ^ Ewans, Martin; Sir Martin Ewans (2002). Afghanistan: a short history of its people and politics. New York: Perennial. p. 30. ISBN 0060505087. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  5. ^ Axworthy, Michael (2006). Sword of Persia: Nader Shah, from tribal warrior to conquering tyrant. New York: I.B. Tauris. p. 186. ISBN 1850437068. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  6. ^ "AN OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF PERSIA DURING THE LAST TWO CENTURIES (A.D. 1722–1922)". Edward Granville Browne. London: Packard Humanities Institute. p. 29. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
  7. ^ "Mirwais Neeka".
  8. ^ a b Otfinoski, Steven (2004). Afghanistan. Infobase Publishing. p. 8. ISBN 0816050562. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  9. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 212. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  10. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 213. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  11. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 213. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  12. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 213. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  13. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 215. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  14. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 218. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  15. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 219. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  16. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 219. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  17. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 220. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  18. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 220. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  19. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 221. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  20. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 221. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  21. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 222. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  22. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 223. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  23. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 224. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  24. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 225. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  25. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 226. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  26. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 227. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  27. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 228. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  28. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 229. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  29. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 230. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  30. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 230. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  31. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 230. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  32. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 231. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  33. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 231. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  34. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 232. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  35. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 233. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  36. ^ Malleson, George (1878). History of Afghanistan: From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. p. 233. ISBN 0343739771. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  37. ^ Malleson, George Bruce (1878). History of Afghanistan, from the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. London: Elibron.com. p. 234. ISBN 1402172788. Retrieved 2010-11-03.
  38. ^ . Nancy Hatch Dupree. Archived from the original on October 26, 2005. Retrieved 2010-10-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

Further reading

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mirwais Hotak.
  • Axworthy, Michael (2006). The Sword of Persia: Nader Shah, from Tribal Warrior to Conquering Tyrant. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1850437062.
  • Matthee, Rudi; Mashita, Hiroyuki (2010). "Kandahar iv. From The Mongol Invasion Through the Safavid Era". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume XV/5: Ḵamsa of Jamāli–Karim Devona. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 478–484. ISBN 978-1-934283-28-8.
  • Matthee, Rudi (2002). "Gorgin Khan". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume XI/2: Golšani–Great Britain IV. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 163–165. ISBN 978-0-933273-62-7.
  • Matthee, Rudi (2011). Persia in Crisis: Safavid Decline and the Fall of Isfahan. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-0857731814.
  • Matthee, Rudi (2015a). "Solṭān Ḥosayn". Encyclopaedia Iranica.
  • Nölle-Karimi, Christine (2020). "Afghanistan until 1747". In Fleet, Kate; Krämer, Gudrun; Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John; Stewart, Devin J. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE. Brill Online. ISSN 1873-9830.
Political offices
Preceded by Emir of Afghanistan
April 1709 – November 1715 		Succeeded by


March 03, 2023
mirwais, hotak, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, october, 20. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Mirwais Hotak news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message 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 3 4 of Kandahar Afghanistan and the founder of the Hotak dynasty 5 Mirwais Hotakميرويس هوتکEmir of Greater AfghanistanShah of PersiaSketch work of Mirwais HotakEmir of AfghanistanReignHotak dynasty 1709 1715CoronationApril 1709PredecessorGurgin Khan as governor of Kandahar under the Safavids SuccessorAbdul Aziz HotakBorn1673Kandahar Safavid IranDiedNovember 1715 aged 41 42 Kandahar Hotak dynastyBurialKokaran Kandahar AfghanistanSpouseKhanzada SadozaiIssueMahmud HotakHusayn HotakDynastyHotak dynastyFatherSalim KhanMotherNazo TokhiReligionSunni IslamIn 1709 after overthrowing and assassinating George XI of Kartil the Safavid Persian governor Hotak declared independence of the Loy Kandahar region now southern Afghanistan 6 Hotak is widely known as Mirwais Nike ميرويس نيکه or Mirwais Baba ميرويس بابا Mirwais the Grandfather in Pashto 7 8 Contents 1 Background 2 Rise to power 3 Hotak dynasty 3 1 Clashes with the Persian army 4 Death and legacy 5 See also 6 References 7 Further readingBackground EditGeorge XI of Kartli was a Georgian Safavid general who was defeated by the Safavid Empire for trying to revolt in Georgia and lent his services to the empire He was ordered to quell a suspected rebellion and to govern in Kandahar Sultan Husayn strongly suspected the Ghilji had revolted and sent George to Kandahar ahead of a large Persian army When he arrived he saw that the Ghilji were not revolting resisting oppression Although the Ghilji were loyal to George he preferred to strike fear into the Afghan tribes 9 and treated the land as if he had conquered it With many high ranking officials sacked 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 best Persian general was entangled with a large Persian army occupying Kandahar 10 The Greater Kandahar region Candahar during the Safavid dynasty and Mughal periodRise to power EditProminent amongst the Ghilji chiefs during these events was Mirwais Hotak as head of one of the tribes he was intelligent well mannered and one of the richest and most influential people in Kandahar 11 Hotak signed a petition to Husayn and boosted the morale of his countrymen for a future revolt if necessary After the petition failed Mirwais advocated submission to the Safavids for the time being 12 Gurgin Khan George XI of Kartli George noticed Hotak s great influence in the Kandahar region and viewed him as the only thing keeping the Ghilji from revolting in Kandahar He was determined to strip Hotak of his influence and power and ordered his arrest for conspiring against the government Hotak was arrested along with many other compatriots and sent to Isfahan George feeling safe in his governorship of Kandahar allowed the larger part of his army to return to Persia Hotak arrived at Isfahan and appealed to the officials in the Persian court and portrayed George as an enemy to them He also demanded that Husayn investigate the charges against him who acknowledged he was innocent and allowed him to retain his influential position at the court 13 Hotak explained to the court that George would be a ferocious enemy if he rebelled with the governorship of Kandahar Georgia and Kerman falling to his rule in such a scenario He talked about George s power and Husayn saw the possibility of Ghurghis s ambitions growing too big Having achieved his goal Hotak requested a pilgrimage to Mecca which the court could not decline and was granted permission He wanted to obtain support and approval from religious leaders so he asked two questions Is it lawful for Muslamans to take up arms to free themselves from the yoke 14 In the case of which the chief men of several tribes having been forced to take the oath of allegiance to a sovereign who was a heretic are not the members of the tribe released from the oath when the sovereign ceases to observe the convention he had sworn to 15 The replies were in the affirmative so Hotak returned to Isfahan He planned to depart to Kandahar but decided to remain in the court of Isfahan to avoid arousing suspicion 16 Around the same time that Mirwais returned from Mecca he learned of an Armenian named Israel Orri sent to Isfahan as an ambassador under diplomatic authority of Peter the Great The ambassador had hundreds of followers supporting him to move toward the court His goal was more influence over Persian import and export duties and the story was expanded upon and greatly exaggerated When it reached the court at Isfahan many rumors added to the alarm and Husayn had asked Hotak for counsel 17 who replied It is true that the conjuncture is formidable If the Tsar of Russia had desired to send a peaceful mission to this country he would not have selected an Armenian as his agent By sending a man born a Persian subject yet of his own faith and of the ancient royal family of Armenia his object must be to blow with effect the coals of sedition into the very heart of the kingdom But the efforts of Armenia backed by Russia would mean nothing could we be sure of Georgia But it is only recently that the Georgians under Ghurghis Khan revolted against the Shah We know that the cousin of Ghurghis Khan is now at the court of St Petersburg How can we doubt that as soon as this Armenian Christian has penetrated with his following into Persia backed by Russia Ghurghis Khan who was once a Christian who is probably a Christian in heart now who is moreover the lineal descent of descendant of the ancient kings of Georgia who can doubt but that he will turn Georgia Kerman and Kandahar against us and strike a blow at the heart of the empire 18 19 The arguments sent Husayn into a panic In fear of provoking Russia he allowed Israel Orri to travel to Isfahan and suspicion of George plagued both the court and the Shah As a result Husayn reappointed Hotak to his position to spy on George and by any means remove him from power if he was thought to have started anything suspicious 20 Hotak returned to Kandahar enraging George who had to appoint him back to his positions George demanded that Hotak hand over his daughter to be his concubine Hotak insulted communicated with the heads of other tribes in his tent and consulted on plans for rebellion Mirwais asked the tribes to follow him and they waited for him to give the signal Hotak disguised a young looking girl and dressed her to take the place of his daughter and sent her to George Hotak was ready to rebel but he had one obstacle in his way When Gurgin Khan allowed the Persians to return to Persia he kept the Georgians of the army as his bodyguards Hotak informed the Tarins tribal governors of the Pishin Valley to stop paying tribute to George who dispatched the majority of his Georgian troops to the region Meanwhile Hotak arranged members of the branch of the Ghilji tribe with him being the chief and marched out to approach within a few miles of Kandahar Hotak then invited the marching Georgians including George to a banquet expressing his distaste for the Tarins behaviour 21 22 23 George not suspecting treachery was slain 24 Hotak ordered George and his men stripped and he and his allies wore their armor and set out for Kandahar their appearance preventing suspicion They entered the gates and attacked the Georgian army cutting down the guards and admitting the awaiting Afghans from the rear 25 Hotak dynasty EditWith the coup succeeding Hotak assembled the inhabitants of Kandahar and made a speech about how the loss of George had weakened Persia and the opportunity for freedom and liberty was now available to Afghans Mirwais said If there are any amongst you who have not the courage to enjoy this precious gift of liberty now dropped down to you from heaven let him declare himself no harm shall be done to him he shall be permitted to go in search of some new tyrant beyond the frontier of this happy state 26 Every Afghan hearing the speech felt inspired to defend the liberty granted to them Hotak then assembled leading men of the different tribes and presented the situation to them the Persians would likely send a punitive expedition Hotak was given complete executive power armed his forces and spread word of his successes to other tribes to encourage them to join the revolt 27 Map of the Hotak dynasty 1715 On the fourth day after George s death the rest of the Georgian dispatch returned from their campaign to suppress the Tarins numbering around 600 disciplined Georgian men Hotak allowed them to approach within range of musket shot fire then directed the guns to open up on the Georgian army He opened up another gate with over 5 000 cavalrymen to cut off the Georgian retreat 600 Georgians managed to breach through the cavalry Hotak pursued the Georgian army for days though repelled he inflicted heavy casualties on them The retreating Georgians carried news of the revolution at Kandahar The Persian court tried to solve the issue diplomatically due to fear of the Hotaks calling in the Mughal Empire They sent an ambassador Jani Khan to assure Hotak that George s death would be forgiven if they allowed a Persian garrison in Kandahar Hotak imprisoned him to stall for time and delay Persia s preparations by refusing to answer the court After hearing nothing from Jani Khan the Persian court sent another ambassador Muhammad Khan to Kandahar He was informed that he should never make base proposals to men who are free 28 29 When the ambassador returned the Persian court realized that war was the only option to subdue Hotak and his followers 30 Clashes with the Persian army Edit This section relies largely or entirely upon a single source Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources June 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message In 1710 the Persians dispatched a force under Muhammad Khan to go to Kandahar and quell the rebellion Hotak hearing that the army was mostly made up of Persians advanced with over 5 000 cavalrymen and defeated the Persian army 31 Over 18 months the Persians dispatched four more armies but each was defeated On the last attempt the Persians advanced with over 5 000 men commanded by Mahammad Khan and was repelled by the 500 man Afghan army with the Persians suffering over 1 000 killed and wounded 32 Amongst the prisoners from the battle was Mahammad Khan and his three sons 33 In the wake of these defeats the Persian court focused all the imperial resources of the Persian empire on Hotak George s nephew Khusru Khan marched with a large Persian army to Kandahar against Hotak Khusru scouted ahead after advancing to Farah and Mirwais took positions near Ghirisk on the banks of the Helmand River leaving the passes unguarded Khusru led his army of 42 000 through the pass where he met Hotak and his army The Afghans inferior in numbers were defeated by Khusru and with this victory Khusru marched on to Kandahar 34 He demanded that Kandahar surrender to him but the Afghans resisted Hotak hastened to the south of Kandahar and mobilized a force of Balochs and Tarins to march toward Kandahar He cut off enemy supply lines laid waste to the land around Kandahar and threatened enemy communications Khusru tried to prolong the siege as long as he could but he lost two thirds of his force to scorched earth tactics and enemy counterattacks Khusru called for a retreat but Hotak advanced The Persian army was destroyed and Khusru was killed 35 The Persians tried one last time in 1713 1714 with an army led by Muhammad Rustum Khan but he was forced to withdraw in 1714 from the Afghan armies 36 Death and legacy Edit The mausoleum of Mirwais Hotak in the Kokaran section of Kandahar Afghanistan Hotak remained in power until his death in November 1715 and was succeeded by his brother Abdul Aziz who was later killed by Hotak s son Mahmud allegedly for planning to give Kandahar s sovereignty back to Persia 37 In 1717 Mahmud exploited Husayn s political weakness and briefly conquered large parts of Persia Hotak is buried in his mausoleum in the Kokaran section of Kandahar 38 He is regarded as one of Afghanistan s greatest national heroes and admired by many Afghans especially the Pashtuns Steven Otfinoski referred to him as Afghanistan s George Washington in his 2004 book Afghanistan 8 See also EditHistory of Afghanistan Safavid conversion of Iran from Sunnism to ShiismReferences Edit Matthee Rudi 2015 09 01 Relations between the Center and the Periphery in Safavid Iran The Western Borderlands v the Eastern Frontier Zone The Historian 77 3 431 463 doi 10 1111 hisn 12068 ISSN 0018 2370 S2CID 143393018 Dupree Louis 1980 Afghanistan Princeton University Press p 322 ISBN 0 691 03006 5 Mirwais Khan Hotak the Hotaki Ghilzai chieftain and nominal mayor of Qandahar was a much more formidable rival than Mir Samander Malleson George Bruce 1878 History of Afghanistan from the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 London Elibron com p 227 ISBN 1402172788 Retrieved 2010 09 27 Ewans Martin Sir Martin Ewans 2002 Afghanistan a short history of its people and politics New York Perennial p 30 ISBN 0060505087 Retrieved 2010 09 27 Axworthy Michael 2006 Sword of Persia Nader Shah from tribal warrior to conquering tyrant New York I B Tauris p 186 ISBN 1850437068 Retrieved 2010 09 27 AN OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF PERSIA DURING THE LAST TWO CENTURIES A D 1722 1922 Edward Granville Browne London Packard Humanities Institute p 29 Retrieved 2010 10 01 Mirwais Neeka a b Otfinoski Steven 2004 Afghanistan Infobase Publishing p 8 ISBN 0816050562 Retrieved 2010 09 27 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 212 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 213 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 213 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 213 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 215 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 218 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 219 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 219 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 220 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 220 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 221 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 221 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 222 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 223 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 224 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 225 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 226 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 227 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 228 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 229 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 230 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 230 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 230 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 231 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 231 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 232 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 233 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George 1878 History of Afghanistan From the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 p 233 ISBN 0343739771 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Malleson George Bruce 1878 History of Afghanistan from the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 London Elibron com p 234 ISBN 1402172788 Retrieved 2010 11 03 Mir Wais Hotak 1709 1715 Nancy Hatch Dupree Archived from the original on October 26 2005 Retrieved 2010 10 01 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Further reading Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mirwais Hotak Axworthy Michael 2006 The Sword of Persia Nader Shah from Tribal Warrior to Conquering Tyrant I B Tauris ISBN 978 1850437062 Matthee Rudi Mashita Hiroyuki 2010 Kandahar iv From The Mongol Invasion Through the Safavid Era In Yarshater Ehsan ed Encyclopaedia Iranica Volume XV 5 Ḵamsa of Jamali Karim Devona London and New York Routledge amp Kegan Paul pp 478 484 ISBN 978 1 934283 28 8 Matthee Rudi 2002 Gorgin Khan In Yarshater Ehsan ed Encyclopaedia Iranica Volume XI 2 Golsani Great Britain IV London and New York Routledge amp Kegan Paul pp 163 165 ISBN 978 0 933273 62 7 Matthee Rudi 2011 Persia in Crisis Safavid Decline and the Fall of Isfahan I B Tauris ISBN 978 0857731814 Matthee Rudi 2015a Solṭan Ḥosayn Encyclopaedia Iranica Nolle Karimi Christine 2020 Afghanistan until 1747 In Fleet Kate Kramer Gudrun Matringe Denis Nawas John Stewart Devin J eds Encyclopaedia of Islam THREE Brill Online ISSN 1873 9830 Political officesPreceded byGurgin Khan Emir of AfghanistanApril 1709 November 1715 Succeeded byAbdul Aziz Hotak Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mirwais Hotak amp oldid 1140294763, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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