1845.] An account of the Early Abdalees. 467 



equally with the Ghiljyes. This latter party, however, played them 

 false, and the Abdalees took arms. A great battle was fought between 

 the rival tribes near Algabad in the Dasht-i-Boree, in which the Ghil- 

 jyes were victorious, and the Abdalees, under Sadulla-khan Sadozye, re- 

 tired to Herat, of which they became masters by profiting by the dissen- 

 sions inside. Others say, that one Allaiyar-khan was the Sadozye chief, 

 who got possession of the citadel of Herat by disguising some fifty 

 followers as merchants with a caravan. 



Shah Mahmood Ghiljye, the son and successor of Meer Wais, it is 

 said, made an attempt to take Herat from the Abdalees, and for that 

 purpose advanced to Nawah on the Helmand, where he was met by the 

 Herat force under Sadulla. A battle ensued, in which the latter was killed, 

 and Shah Mahmood returned to Candahar. He next year again ad- 

 vanced on Herat, as far as Giranee, on the Farrah Rod. Here he was 

 met by a deputation from Herat sent by Sadulla's mother, who was 

 a sister of his mother, * which induced him to change his plans and to 

 proceed via Seistan to Kir mam. 



By the other account Allaiyar-khan is said, after getting possession of 

 Herat, to have put his brother Zuman-khan and all his sons to death, 

 and that Ahmad alone escaped, by being an infant in the cradle. His 

 mother, who was an Alakozye, took him to Hajee Ismail Aleezye, the 

 Beglar-begee of Herat, and, by promising him her daughter for his son, 

 got him to intercede with Allaiyar to spare the infant's life. Hajee 

 Ismail shewed the child to his Peer, a spiritual father, Mulla Usman, an 

 Alakozye Akhund, who foretold that he would be favoured of God. 



On Ahmad growing up, many of the Abdalees flocked to him, which 

 causing Allaiyar uneasiness, he had them all put to death : and Hajee 

 Ismail had his protege conveyed to the neighbourhood of Subzwar and 

 Farrah, and there kept concealed. Allaiyar- khan's wrath was thus turned 

 on the Hajee whom he was waiting the first favorable opportunity of kill- 

 ing, when Nadir Shah appeared in the field and attracted the attention of 

 all Khorasan.f Mulla Usman was called upon to foretell events ; which 



* Khanzad was Mahmood's mother, and Sadulla's mother must by this have been a 

 second daughter of Durkhee and Jafar Sultan. 



f My Aleezye informant makes Allaiyar the governor of Herat about this time, 

 while a descendant of Shah Husen assures mc that his name was- Sadulla. Again, 

 that Mahammad Zuman-khan was once governor of Herat there is no doubt, his tomb 

 is now there. In the History of Persia, Mahammud-khan, the governor of Herat, is 

 mentioned as having been sent by the king of Persia with overtures to Meer Wais on 



