PUKCHASE OF CAMELS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. 217 



gia, Azerbidjan, as also a part of Irak-Adjemi, were occupied by 

 Ottoman troops ; all the shores of the Caspian sea, from Bacou to 

 Mazanderan, were held by the troops of the Czar ; Arabia and the 

 coasts of the Persian Gulf had declared themselves independent ; and 

 the Affghans had subdued, by the force and terror of their arms, all the 

 rest, except the country lying on the two slopes of the mountain chain 

 of Elbourg, from Isheran to Meched.* The position of Jahmasb-Mirza, 

 it is thus seen, was identically the same as that of Darius Codoman ; 

 and if he had been pursued by the Affghans as Darius was by Alex- 

 ander, his end would have been as tragical. A new Bessus, Jamasb- 

 Konli-Khan betrayed also his master ; however, before he did it he 

 freed his country. Without wishing to extenuate, in the least, the 

 odium of this treason, we will suggest, however, that he may have 

 been led to it by the incapacity of the young prince. Be this as it 

 may, Jamasb-Konli-Khan set about subduing all the towns of Kho- 

 rassan which had not openly pronounced for Jamasb-Shah ; (the young 

 prince took this title as soon as his father had abdicated in favor of Mah- 

 moud the Affghan.) He trained his troops for war, and rallied many 

 tribes in his cause. The detail of these wars is very interesting, when 

 compared with those of the time of the Macedonian invasion. Their 

 examination proves clearly that the flight of Darius from Margiana 

 was not an inconsiderate act, nor the pursuit of Alexander an impru- 

 dence, having for its object only the gratification of vanity. The 

 Persian monarch knew that as long as he could hold the shore of the 

 Caspian sea and Khorassan,t he could preserve the hoj)e of reconquer- 

 ing his empire. There only is found the sap of the warlike races of 

 Asia. With the exception of the religion, the people have remained 

 the same. There also will probably be decided in our time the fate of 

 Asia. 



But these speculations, into which we have been insensibly drawn, 

 have carried us away too far from our artillery, to which we will 

 return. 



As soon as Tahmasb-Kouli-Khan thought himself sufficiently strong 

 to make head against the Affghans, he descended from the moun- 

 tains, and crossing the plains which separate Meched from the 

 province of Herat, he carried the war into the enemy's country. This 

 stratagem produced all the results he anticipated ; first, he attacked 

 his enemies where they were wholly unprepared for defence, and by 

 this means depriving the Affghans, who occupied Ispahan, of the 

 assistance which they expected ; he forced them to return with their 

 cavalry to attack him in their turn upon ground favorable to his 

 troops. A thing not less important was also a near acquaintance 

 with his adversaries, whose deeds rumor had greatly exaggerated, and 

 of putting to profit, as we shall see, everything which could be advan- 

 tageous to his troops. Let us hear what the historian Mirza Mehdi 

 says: "The Persian general, quitting the town of Asfendin, entered 

 the enemy's country with his army. Having formed his troops in 

 column, he marched them against Mandjanabat. A sandy desert 



* Ancient Hyrcania, Margiana and Parthia. 

 t Nadir-Shah surnamed this province "the Sword of Persia." 



