Siege of Kandahar

Long ago, in a place called Afghanistan, there was a big city called Kandahar. Two groups of people wanted to be in charge. One group was called the Hotaki Afghans, and they were holding onto the city.

The other group was the Persian army, led by a powerful leader named Nader Shah. Nader Shah wanted to take the city from the Hotaki Afghans. So, his army came and surrounded Kandahar, starting a big event called a siege.

A siege is like a game of keep-away, but with soldiers! The Persian army surrounded Kandahar so no one could get in or out. They wanted the people inside to give up. This happened in the Old Kandahar area, which is part of the city we know today. The fight lasted for a while, until March 24, 1738. That's a very long time ago, even before your grandparents were born!

This exciting event took place in the year 1738. That's almost 300 years ago! Think about how different things were back then. There were no cars or airplanes. People traveled by horse or on foot. The Persian army, led by Nader Shah, was very determined to win. They fought hard until they finally defeated the Hotaki Afghans who were defending Kandahar.

After a long time of being surrounded, the Hotaki Afghans inside Kandahar could not win. The Persian army, which was called the Afsharid empire, was too strong. They defeated the defenders. This meant Nader Shah and his army took control of Kandahar. It was a very important victory for them and changed who was in charge of that part of the world.