PERSIA. 45 



After the death of Kerim Khan, his kinsman, Zikea, or Saki, seized 

 the government, but on account of his cruelties was soon murdered 

 by the soldiers, who raised Abul Futtah, the son of Kerim, to the 

 throne. He was soon after deposed by his uncle Sadick, who was be- 

 sieged in Shirauz, taken and put to death by Ali Murad, another re- 

 lation of Kerim Khan's. A eunuch, however, of the name of Aga 

 Mahmet, or Akau Mahommed Khan, refused to acknowledge the con- 

 queror as sovereign. Ali Murad marched against him, but on his 

 way died by a fall from his horse. Jaaffar Khan, who had been made 

 governor of Kom by Ali Murad then assumed the regular authority, 

 but being defeated by Akau, the latter retained possession of the pro- 

 vinces of Mazanderan and Ghilan, as well as the cities of Ispahan, 

 Hamadan, and Tauris, where he was acknowledged as sovereign. 

 Jaaffar Khan held possession of the city of Shh'auz, and the provinces 

 or districts of Beaboon and Shuster : he also received an annual pre- 

 sent from the province of Carmania, and another from the city of 

 Yezd : Abushehr and Lar also sent him tribute. The southern pro- 

 vinces are in general more fruitful than those to the nor hward, they 

 not having been so frequently the scenes of action during the late 

 revolutions. 



In 1792, however, Akau Mahommed Khan assembled an army, and 

 advanced against Jaaffer Khan, who was slain at Shirauz, in an insur- 

 rection ; after which Akau became sole sovereign of Persia, except 

 that part in the west included in the dominions of the Afghan sove- 

 reign of Cabul and Candahar. 



Akau Mahommed Khan, in 1794, was about fifty-five years of age, 

 tall in stature, but of a disagreeable countenance. He is said to 

 possess great art and dissimulation, and equal avarice and ambition. 

 Being a eunuch, he had nominated for his successor his nephew 

 Baba Serdar. 



