Nader Shah, ruler of Persia from 1736 to 1747, embodied ruthless ambition, energy, military brilliance, cynicism and cruelty. His reign was filled with bloodshe

Ascending from obscurity and without dynastic credentials, Nadir Shah tried and failed to establish his right to rule the people of Iran from the 1720s until 17

By any measure, Nader Shah -- founder of the Afsharid Dynasty -- ranks as a towering figure in Iranian history. Rising from the humblest of origins, he became a