TRANSLATIONS OP TWO LETTERS, &C. 527 



written early in the year 1 73 1 , a few montlis previous to 

 the dethronement of Shah Tamasp^ which took place 

 in the month of August of that year. Nadir Shah 

 published, at the period at which he wrote this letter, a 

 proclamation or manifesto addressed to the inhabitants 

 of Persia, in which, after stating his own successes 

 against the Afghans and the other enemies of his coun- 

 try, and the evils which appeared likely to arise from 

 the shameful peace which had been concluded with the 

 Turlis, he announces his intention of marching after the 

 feast of Nau Roz (which occurred that year on the 2'Kl 

 oi Ramzon or 1 0th of March) and of not only obliging 

 tht' Turks to consent to more just terms, but of de- 

 priving of dignity and power, and considering as infi- 

 dels, all those who should oppose his intentions. This 

 manifesto, as well as his letter to the h^eglerheg o( Fars, 

 sufficiently prove, that his designs were at that moment 

 more directed against his own sovereign than that of 

 Constantinople. 



There IS no epoch in the life of Nadir Shah at 

 which he acted with more consummate art and policy, 

 than upon this occasion. The crown of Persia was 

 completely within his grasp. But he appears to have 

 considered it as indispensable to have his right univer- 

 sally acknowledged by his countrymen before he seized 

 it. He h^d within a period of thirteen years risen from 

 obscurity to unrivalled pre-eminence in the service of 

 his weak monarch ; and, by his wonderful valour and 

 conduct, had not only rescued his country from the 

 Afghans, the Turks and tiie Russians, who taking advan- 

 tage of the decline of the Sofaviyah dynasty and conte- 

 quent dissentions of the nobles of the empire, had made 

 themselves masters of its richest cities and finest pro- 



