اشرف افغان بر تختگاه اصفهان الفارسية 1447

This book, drawing on the journalistic records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), offers a documented account of the period of Ashraf Afghan’s domination over Iran. These records, which mainly register daily political events and rely on a network of local informants, provide a detailed picture of the country’s chaotic and distressed conditions. Preserved in Dutch archives, these valuable sources were first critically studied and analyzed by Willem Floor.

The book portrays Ashraf as an inept and violent ruler who, together with his retinue, engaged in plunder and repression of the population. Alongside this, it recounts the meteoric rise of Nader (Tahmasp-Qoli Khan), the hasty flight of Ashraf’s followers from Isfahan, and the intrigues of colonial powers seeking to exploit the turmoil for their own gain. In this context, Iran’s political arena becomes a battleground for rival claimants to the throne and local warlords—a struggle whose outcome is nothing but destruction, bloodshed, and the displacement of innocent people.

Overall, by relying on first-hand VOC reports, the work presents a dark yet well-documented portrait of one of the most critical periods in Iranian history, showing how, amid power struggles, the greatest suffering fell upon ordinary society.