Editing Muhammad Shah (section)

== Invasion of Nader Shah ==
{{See main|Nader Shah's invasion of India}}
=== Invasion of Mughal empire ===
In May 1738, Nader Shah attacked northern Afghanistan and captured [[Ghazni]]. He captured Kabul in June and [[Jalalabad]] in September. By November, he had [[Battle of Khyber Pass (1738)|crossed]] the [[Khyber Pass]] and besieged and razed the [[Bala Hissar, Peshawar|fortress]] of [[Peshawar]]. In January 1739, he captured [[Lahore]], after completely subduing the forces of the Mughal viceroy, [[Zakariya Khan Bahadur]] and his 25,000 [[Sowar|''sowars'']],<ref name="google5">{{cite book |author=Chhabra, G.S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UkDi6rVbckoC |title=Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume 1: 1707–1803) |publisher=Lotus Press |year=2005 |isbn=9788189093068}}</ref> by the [[Chenab]] river. The Afsharid forces soon encountered bands of [[Misl|Sikh rebels]] whom Nader Shah predicted would clearly benefit after his invasion.<ref name="google5" /> The Afsharids would capture [[Subah of Lahore|territory]] all the way up to [[Attock]], forcing Muhammad Shah and his court to realise that the Persian emperor would not be satisfied with the loot of a province. The cities of [[Wazirabad]], [[Eminabad]] and [[Gujrat city|Gujrat]] were not only sacked but razed to the ground. Near [[Larkana]], the Afsharids completely routed the Mughal army of the [[Kalhora dynasty|Nawab of Sindh]], [[Main Noor Mohammad Kalhoro]], and later captured him and his two sons. [[Sirhind-Fategarh|Sirhind]] was then captured by the Persians in February 1739, opening the route towards the Mughal capital of Delhi. 

=== Battle of Karnal ===
{{See main|Battle of Karnal}}[[File:Jahangusha-ye Naderi 12.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Muhammad Shah with the Persian invader [[Nader Shah]], art from Nader's court historian [[Mirza Mehdi Khan Astarabadi]], who was a firsthand witness of the encounter]]
[[File:Jahangusha-ye Naderi 11.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Muhammad Shah with an Afsharid prince, art from Nader's court historian [[Mirza Mehdi Khan Astarabadi]], who was a firsthand witness of the encounter]]

Rao Bal Kishan of [[Rewari]], with his army of 5,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry and with the forces of Delhi, attempted a desperate defence of the city but was killed in battle and has been immortalized the name "''Vijay'' or "''Veergati''". Nadir Shah remarked to emperor Muhammad Shah that "if your combined forces helped Rao Balkrishna of [[Rewari]], then I might not able to enter in Delhi. I had never seen any warrior like him brave, Fierce and strong. Muhammed Shah commissioned a royal ''[[chhatri]]'' to pay tribute to Rao Bal Kishan.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CAXULggU0QMC |title=Realm and Region in Traditional India |publisher=Duke University, Program in Comparative Studies on Southern Asia |year=1977 |isbn=9780916994129}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yNBSEAAAQBAJ&dq=rao+balkishan&pg=PA30 |title=Haryana Digdarshan |date=21 February 2021 |publisher=Arihant Publications India limited |isbn=9789325294486}}</ref>

After entering Delhi, [[Nader Shah]] claimed to invasion and occupation of the [[Mughal Empire]] was borne out of religious devotion and that if ''"the wretched Marathas of the Deccan"'' moved towards Delhi, he might ''"send an army of victorious [[Qizilbash]] to drive them to the abyss of Hell."''<ref name="columbia">{{cite web |author=Frances Pritchett |title=part2_19 |url=http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00islamlinks/ikram/part2_19.html#n02 |access-date=17 January 2014 |publisher=columbia.edu}}</ref><ref>Muhammad Latif, The History of the Panjab (Calcutta, 1891), p. 200.</ref>
[[File:Rao Balkishan Chattri.jpg|thumb|Rao Bal Kishan Chhatri at Karnal]]

=== Sack of Delhi ===
[[File:THE FIRST SIGHT THAT MET HIS GAZE WAS THE BODIES OF HIS MURDERED COUNTRYMEN..gif|thumb|[[Nader Shah]] finds his troops had been killed in rioting. From {{cite book |last=Surridge|first=Victor |date=1909 |title=Romance of Empire: India}}]]

[[File:1740 Seutter Map of India, Pakistan, Tibet and Afghanistan - Geographicus - IndiaMogolis-seutter-1740.jpg|thumb|Provinces of the Mughal Empire in the year 1740]]

The occupation of Delhi was initially cordial, however, rumours spread throughout the city that Nader Shah was assassinated. The masses attacked the Persian force and killed some soldiers. Nader Shah became furious, ordered to massacre the populace, and leaving at least 30,000 dead. Muhammad Shah and [[Asaf Jah I]] had to beg Nader Shah for mercy and thus he stopped the massacre and turned to looting the Mughal treasury.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Jagmohan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QsDSGn8jLPAC&q=begged+nadir+shah+for+mercy&pg=PA298 |title=Soul and Structure of Governance in India |year=2005 | publisher=Allied Publishers |isbn=9788177648317 |access-date=26 May 2014}}</ref> The famous [[Peacock Throne]], the [[Daria-i-Noor]] and [[Koh-i-Noor]] diamonds and unimaginable wealth was looted. In addition, elephants, horses and everything that was liked was taken. Muhammad Shah also had to hand over his daughter Jahan Afruz Banu Begum as a bride for Nader Shah's youngest son. [[Asaf Jah I]] retired to Deccan after installing his eldest son [[Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung II|Intizam-ud-Daula]] as a major commander in the [[Mughal Army]].<ref>{{cite book |author=H. G. Keene |title=Moghul Empire |publisher=Allen &co Waterloo Place Pall Mall |year=1866 |author-link=Henry George Keene (1826–1915)}} [http://www.new1.dli.ernet.in/scripts/FullindexDefault.htm?path1=/data2/upload/0055/654&first=1&last=302&barcode=4990010201502 Digital Library of India] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721192051/http://www.new1.dli.ernet.in/scripts/FullindexDefault.htm?path1=%2Fdata2%2Fupload%2F0055%2F654&first=1&last=302&barcode=4990010201502|date=21 July 2013}} Accessed 7 January 2012</ref>