Several invaders came to India for loot and plunder, and one of the most notorious among them was Nadir Shah, who invaded India in 1739. Nadir Shah rose from humble beginnings as a shepherd and eventually became the Emperor of Persia (modern-day Iran). Before invading India, he had already conquered Afghanistan. Some Afghan rebels had taken refuge under the protection of the Mughal Empire. Nadir Shah demanded that they be handed over to him, but his demand was refused by the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah. Offended by this refusal, Nadir Shah marched towards India and invaded Delhi in 1739.
The decline of the Mughal Empire had begun after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707. At the time of Nadir Shah’s invasion, Muhammad Shah was the Mughal ruler. He was also popularly known as “Rangila” because of his fondness for music, dance, and colourful attire. Muhammad Shah was no match for Nadir Shah militarily. In the Battle of Karnal, the Mughal army was decisively defeated and Muhammad Shah was forced to surrender. Although he was later reinstated on the throne by Nadir Shah, he ruled merely as a puppet king and had to pay a huge tribute.
During Nadir Shah’s stay in Delhi, a rumour spread that he had been assassinated. Following this rumour, several Persian soldiers were attacked by the local population. Enraged by these attacks, Nadir Shah ordered a general massacre in Delhi. Thousands of inhabitants of the city were killed by the Persian army. The massacre continued until Muhammad Shah personally appealed to Nadir Shah for mercy, after which the killings were finally stopped.
Nadir Shah plundered enormous wealth from India. Among the treasures he carried away was the famous Peacock Throne built by Shah Jahan. The throne had taken seven years to build and reportedly cost more than twice the expenditure incurred in constructing the Taj Mahal. It was placed in the Diwan-i-Khas of the Red Fort. The throne was made of gold and richly studded with precious jewels.
Nadir Shah also carried away the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond. The diamond was later recovered by Ranjit Singh but eventually came into the possession of the British and became part of the crown jewels worn by the British monarchy. Another famous gem taken by Nadir Shah was the Darya-i-Noor, a rare pink diamond that is now part of the Iranian National Jewels.
The amount of wealth looted from Delhi was so enormous that, according to historical accounts, Nadir Shah was able to exempt the people of Persia from taxation for three years.
