pofe, which they accompiifh’d to the utrnoft. Nadir 
Shah , having fully eftabliffied himfelf, and fettled his 
Affairs in Perfia , he left his Son Reza Kuli Miza to com- 
mand there, and fet out with his Army towards Kanda- 
har. Hojfein-Khan , the Governor thereof, having laid up 
great Stores of Provifions and Ammunition, held out for 
eighteen Months ; at laft being reduced to Straits, he falli- 
ed out with his Men, moft of whom died bravely fight- 
ing, Hojfein-Khan and his Son being taken Prifoners, 
the Perfans entered the Caftle, and took Poffeffion there- 
of. While Nadir Shah was bufy in fecuring and fortifying 
Kandahar , and bringing over to him the Zemidars 0 of thofe 
Parts, Letters came from Nizam al Muluck , and Saadit- 
Khan , inviting him to march towards Indofian. In an- 
fwer to which, he objected the Difficulties of getting thro 5 
the Defiles, paffing the great Rivers, and the many En- 
counters he mult expe£l to have with the Afghans , and 
the warlike Nations of thofe Parts. The Oppofition he 
mufl expect from Nadir-Khan , Soubahdar of Cabal , and 
Zekari'a-Khan , Ruler of Labor-, and laft of all, his Fate 
to depend on his Succefs againft a powerful Imperial 
Army. They foon fatisfied him how unneceffary his 
Fears were, and that before he crofted the Attock , he 
fhouid have a Proof how able they were, and how much 
inclined to facilitate his Paffage. Being encouraged by 
thofe Reprefentations, he fet out with an Army of 1 2 5,000 
Horfe, Kuzzlebafh, Georgians , Lurks , Khorafanians , Balk- 
his , &c. all inured to Fatigues and Hardfhips ; they were 
well provided for this Expedition, and greatly encouraged 
thereto by the Hopes he gave them of not only enriching 
themfelves, but of bringing Wealth and Glory to their im- 
poverifhed Country,, by the Plunder of India. In the 
mean Time, Nizam al Muluck and Saadit-Khan ufed all 
their Endeavours fecretly to promote his Intereft, and 
wrote to Sherzith-Khan , Governor of the Caftle of Cabul, 
and Maar-Khan , Soubahdar of that Province, as alfo to 
Zakaria-Khan , Ruler of the Province of Labor , to this 
Purport; 44 Nadir Shah , being throughly informed of 
44 the State of Affairs in India , and that his Imperial Ma- 
44 jefty and favourite Courtiers employ their Time in Wine 
44 and Women, has come to a Refolution to ftrike a 
44 Blow at this Empire. You well know, that none of 
44 the great Ones here are fit to take the Field, much lefs 
44 to refill a Man who is condufted by Fortune. As this 
« 4 is the Cafe, you can have little Hopes of Affiftance 
44 from hence ; the beft you can do, will be to behave difcreet- 
44 ly and fave yourfelves. 55 Thefe Letters cooled them 
pretty much, and had the defired Effect with Nadir-Khan 
and Zekaria-Khan. Nadir Shah having fubdued Ghorbund 
and Ghoznavi , and garrifoned them with his own People, 
came to Cabul and befieged it. Nain-Khan had left it, 
and marched to Peifoor , but Sherzih-Khan defended both 
the City and Caftle for fix Weeks, with the utrnoft Bra- 
very, and wrote repeatedly to Nadir-Khan , and to Court, 
for Affiftance ; but none coming, both City and Caftle 
were at laft taken by Storm, and he and his Son were put 
to Death. 
Nadir Shah found Treafure, Jewels, Arms, &c. to a 
great Value, which, fince the Great Mogul Babar’s Time, 
had been flrut up in Vaults. When the taking of Cabul 
was known at Court, the Emperor gave Orders to get his 
Troops in Readinefs, and -provide all things neceffary for 
taking the Field. As Rajah JcJfmg was more attached to 
Khandoran than to any of the other Omrahs, he repeatedly 
wrote to him to this Purport : 44 Nadir Shah’s coming is 
44 a concerted thing, you muft be watchful over the Mo- 
44 gul Omrahs, who feem to be united in order to compafs 
44 fome treacherous Defign Nadir -Khan and Sherzih-Khan 
44 are gone ; one has facrificed his Life to his Intereft, and 
44 the other has fled to Peifoor. If Zekaraia-Khan , Ruler of 
44 Labor, makes any Oppofition, it will give the Empe- 
44 ror’s Army Time to advance pretty far, in order to check 
44 this Invader ; as for us Rajapouts , we are ready to join 
44 the Royal Enfigns.” Khandoran knowing him to be 
well affedled, reprefented this to the Emperor, and told 
him, it would be very imprudent in him to leave the Ca- 
pital, and take the Held ; however, it was at laft agreed, 
that the Army fhouid march to Labor, that the Emperor 
fhouid accompany it fo far, and that from thence it fhouid 
proceed towards Cabul , under the Command of Nizan al 
Muluck , and the other two Omrahs ; for which Purpofe the 
Peijhkhana was ordered out to the Gardens of Shalimar ; 
but after it was lent thither, to every body’s Surprize, 
Khandoran came back to the Palace, and delayed the 
March, whereas Nizam feemed to be for haftening it all in 
his Power. 
The Emperor’s Servants, as they knew Khandoran p to . 
be attached to their Mailer, contrived all the Impediments 
they could think of ; fo that Nadir Shah had not only Time 
to fecure Cabul, but was far advanced in his March to 
Peifoor , where the Afghans and Mountaineers very much 
incommoded him, and kept him in Play for feven W eeks ; 
in which Time he had a great many Men wounded 
and killed, feeing there was no way for forcing the Paffes 
without much Blood-fhed, and that the Afghans had forti- 
fied themfelves on the Tops of the Hills, he fent them 
Officers of Accommodation, to which they came into the 
more readily, as the Soubahdars had fent no Affiftance, 
and that they had been four or five Years without receiving 
any of their ufual Allowance from Court. Upon Nadir 
Shah’s paying them a certain Sum of Money, they not only 
let him pafs unmolefted, but feveral of them lifted in his 
Army ; the other Afghans hearing of this, followed their 
Example ; fo leaving the main Army behind, with ten 
thoufand chofen Horfe, Kuzzlebafh , in feven Days he got 
to Peifoor. Nadir Khan, who with feven thoufand Horfe 
had encamped without the City, not imagining he could 
get through the Paffes fo foon, upon hearing of his Ap- 
proach with fo large a Body of Horfe, was greatly per- 
plexed, feveral of his Auxiliaries left him, and few befides . 
the King’s Men flood by him, who, after a brave Refill- 
ance, were defeated, and NadirAihan taken Prifoner. Some 
Afghans, who waiting the Event, were polled on the 
Hills, feeing Nadir Shah prevail, came and offered him 
their Service ; after this Victory he entered Peifoor, and 
took Poffeffion thereof. v 
When the News of this Defeat came to the Court, Nizan 
al Muluk , Khandoran , Zammir 0 din Khan, and the other 
Omrahs, according to the King’s Orders, on the fecond of 
January 1738-9, marched out with a numerous Army, a 
large Train of Artillery, and other Neceffaries, in order to 
oppofe this Conqueror, and halted at the Gardens of Sha- 
limar. Nizam, who was the Contriver of this Storm, en- 
deavoured all he could to prepoffefs the Minds of the Sol- 
diers with a Terror of Nadir-Shah’s Forces, and how vain 
it was to refill him, and at the fame time amufed them, to 
divert their going too far forward ; but the King ilfued out 
Orders, that Nizam, and the other Omrahs, fhouid ad- 
vance with ail Expedition, himfelf intending to follow 
foon after them. Nizam al Muluck , and the reft, accord- 
ing to thefe Orders, marched on, and encamped in the 
Plains of Karnal, which is fifty-five Cofs diftant from 
Behli. The Emperor alfo fet out the 1 8th of January 
1 73 8-9, and on the 4th of February joined them. Nadir 
Shah having thrown a good Garrifon into Peifoor, paffed 
the River Attok, and marched on diredtly towards Labor , 
the Governor of which had fortified the Place with great 
Diligence, and feemed difpofed to defend it to the jail Ex- 
tremity ; but as he was in the Secret of Affairs, upon the 
Approach of the Perfian Army, he abandoned the Town, 
and retired into the Caftle, which he held out no more than 
three Days. 
0 It will be neceffary to explain this Word, and in order to make the Reader perfectly comprehend it, we mufl: obferve, That Bar lignifies as Pof- 
feffor, that is to fay, one who'holds, or enjoys any thing. Zemin lignifies Land, and Zemidar is one who poffdTes Land, that is, a Rajah, or little 
Indian Prince, who pays feme Acknowledgment to the Emperor, but who is notwithftanding the free Lord of his Inheritance. In the lame Manner 
the Word Manfubdar is compounded from Manfub, a Poll or Office, and confequently he who pofieffes it is a Manjuldar. If, inftead of a Salary, 
he has Lands aligned him, thofe Lands are called Jagnir, and from thence the Officer is itiled J aguirdar. The Zimedar and J aguidar both pof- 
fel's Lands, but by very different Titles ; for the former is a Freeholder, and the latter a Tenant at Will, by the Grant of the Emperor. 
p This Minifter was fincerely attached to his Mailer, but had a very odd Scheme of Politicks, for he thought that the moft precarious Peace was 
preferable to War, and therefore he was always for Negotiations and Expedients, rather than having Recourfe to Arms ; by which he funk his Mailer’s 
Credit, and, as we ihail iee hereafter, drew on his own Ruin and Death. 
It 
