44.0 AN ACCOUNT OF THU 



and the fort of Lorn, on the opposite of the Jnmua* 

 The domes are crowned with cullises, richly gilt, 

 and present a glittering appearance from a distance. 

 This mosque was begun by Shah J eh an, in the 

 fourth year of his reign, and completed in the tenth: 

 the expences of its erection amounted to ten lacks 

 of rupees; and it is in every respect worthy of being 

 the grand cathedral of the empire of Indostan. 



Not far from the palace is the mosque of Roshun- 

 a-D owl ah, rendered memorable to the Delhians for 

 being the place where Nadir Shah saw the massa- 

 cre of the unfortunate inhabitants. The cause assign- 

 ed by historians for this unhurnan act is, that a sedi- 

 tion broke out in the great market, in which two 

 thousand Persians were slain. Nadir, on hearing of 

 the tumult, marched out of the fort at night with a 

 small fore e to t h e Musjed of Roshun-a-Dowlah; 

 where he was fired upon in the morning from a 

 neighbouring terrace, and an officer killed close by 

 his side. He instantly ordered an indiscriminate 

 slaughter of the inhabitants ; and his squadrons of 

 cavalry pouring through the streets, before the after- 

 noon put to death a hundred thousand persons of all 

 descriptions. f< The King of Persia" says the trans- 

 lator of Ferisht a, " sat, during the dreadful scene, 

 " in the Mnsyed of Roshun-a-Dowlah. None but 

 " slaves durst come near him, for his countenance 

 M was dark and terrible. At length the unfortunate 

 " Emperor, attended by a numbc^ of his chief Om- 

 u rahs, ventured to , approach him with downcast 

 ec eyes. The Omrahs who preceded Mohummud, 



,f bowed 



