The Battle of Khanaqin was an engagement fought between the forces of Zand Iran and the Ottoman pashalik of Baghdad. It resulted in an Iranian victory that heralded further engagements, being a theatre of the broader Ottoman–Persian War that happened at the time.
Prelude In January 1775, the brother of Persian dynast Karim Khan Zand, Sadeq Khan Zand, had set out to capture the vital commercial hub of Basra. Various raids were conducted and Shahrezur was captured, pressuring Ottoman action. Subsqeuently, the Ottomans inflicted a defeat on the Persians in Ardalan, winning a pitched battle at Qara Chowalan and humiliating the Zand commander. A new force was equipped and dispatched to alleviate the situation under Nazar 'Ali Khan Zand. He pursued the forces of the Ottoman governor of Bajlan, 'Abdollah Pasha.
Battle After an afternoon forced march, he caught up to 'Abdollah Pasha at Khanaqin and defeated him, inflicting significant losses and taking large amounts of their livestock. Ahmad Pasha, the victor of Qara Chowalan fled to Kirkuk after this pivotal engagement.
Aftermath Zand prestige in Kurdistan was restored as a result of this victory, and Nazar 'Ali plundered the region, intensifiying nearby raids that reached uncomfortably close to Baghdad. The Zands pressed demands to control more territories, eventually arranging for pashalik 'Omar Pasha to appoint the pro-Zand Mohammad Khan in charge of Qara Chowalan. However, the unexpected withdrawal of Nazar 'Ali Khan Zand resulted in a string of future defeats that compelled yet another Zand army to be dispatched, that later won the Battle of Shahrezur.
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