Era: Afsharid Dynasty, Persia
Date: 1736–1796.
Kept in Nadir Shah's Tomb, Mashhad, Iran
Sources: [1], [2]
توپ جنگی دوره افشار - موزه نادرشاه - مشهد
Nadir Shah had horse drawn wheeled artillery and camel mounted Zamburaks (swivel gun). Camel guns are sort of special, they were available in large numbers and fired 1-2 lb cannon balls. They were deployed for massed fire. They were however vulnerable to other artillery (Camels are huge). At the battle of Baghavard they crushed the Ottoman center after the Ottoman artillery had been captured by Nadir's infantry. They had the edge over larger guns in that they could be moved over areas with poorly conditioned roads.By 1741, the number of cannons cast in Isfahan, combined with those that had been taken from India, reached five thousand. Still, the continually slow penetration of firearms into the Persian army is illustrated by the English traveler [3] Jonas Hanway’s description of Nāder’s regular forces.
