



470 An account of the Early Abdalees. [No 162. 



Ahmad-khan accompanied Nadir Shah in all his campaigns, and was 

 present in camp at the time of that monarch's murder. How he suc- 

 ceeded in becoming Ahmad Shah by means of one of Nadir Shah's 

 cash remittances from Hindustan that fell into his hands, belongs to 

 his own history, and nothing is left to note but the patriotism of Nadir's 

 old Afghan officers. 



On their being summoned to the upstart court of Ahmad Shah, to 

 give their advice for the consolidation of the rising Duranee* power, 

 "First," was their reply, "raise a body of 12,000 foreign Persian 

 troops as your ghulam-khanahs (slaves of your will,) as a check upon 

 your Duranees ; and, secondly, have us put to death, as we are too 

 powerful, and stand in your way." 



Their advice in both cases was taken by Ahmad Shah ! 



two horsemen. He gave the outskirt lands in Tavel to the Duranees, and the rich 

 suburb lands he assessed at one-tenth of the produce, after the following unfair ex- 

 periment in the lands under the walls of Candahar, which had on account of preceding 

 anarchy lain fallow for three years, whereas the land was always deemed and termed 

 " doo aish," that is, two kulbahs were alternately cultivated year about. He appoint- 

 ed his own men to sow one kulbah with five kharwars of seed after ploughing it seven 

 times ; and because the outturn was 100 kharwars, he unfairly made a fixed settle- 

 ment of one-tenth, being ten kharwars grain, and ten kharwars straw (bhoosah.) The 

 Afghan's hereditary lands are called mouroosee or kosai. 



* Ahmad Shah assumed the title of Dur-i-Duran, " pearl of pearls," notwithstand- 

 ing his Peer, or spiritual adviser, suggested Dur-i-Douran, " pearl of the age." 









IV 



