Chap. II. 
tif the Empire of P E R s i 
A» 
the Lands, the Modus betwixt the Farmer and Tenant, 
the Rights and Revenue of the Crown, and diftinguifh- 
ed all The Artificers and Tradefmen in his Empire into 
different Companies, over whom he appointed Mafters 
and Wardens ; with many other Regulations, moft of 
which fubfift to this Day. 
The Defcendants and Succeffors of this Prince, were 
thofe famous and powerful Emperors of Perfia, who con- 
tefted the Dominion of the Eaft with Conjtantine i\\t 
Great, and the following Greek Emperors, till by De- 
arees, and chiefly by the long and bloody Wars they 
carried on againft each other, both Empires were much 
weakened, and at laft brought fo low, as to be over- 
run and ruined by a Race of Barbarians, that had been 
taught the Art of War by ferving as Mercenaries in both 
then- Armies. The Perfian Writers reckon twenty 
three Monarchs of this Dynafty down to Jefdegerde 
Shehriar^ who was the laft, and in whom not only his 
Famify, but his Nation ended. Long before his Time 
the Empire began to decline. Princes became Tyrants, 
their Subje6ls, and even their Sons, confpired againft 
them, their Religion grew corrupt, and the. People dii" 
folute ; this encouraged their Neighbours to invade 
them on all Sides, and a prodigious Multitude of Parks 
breaking in on the North Eaft, J efdegerde marched 
againft them into the Province of Chorafan^ but before 
he came to a Battle, he had Intelligence that tht Arabs 
had invaded Perda on the other Side ; upon which he 
determined to march againft them ; but whilft Things 
were in this Situation, and before he could affemble 
Forces fufficient to aft againft fo formidable a Power, 
Grief and Diftraftion of Mind brought him to his End 
vv^hen he had reigned about nineteen Years. His Death 
IS, by the beft Authors, referred to the thirty firft Year 
of the Hegira^ and confequently to Anno Domini 650. 
It may not be amifs to obferve, that the famous vEra, 
which is denominated from this Prince, does not com- 
mence, as one would imagine, with his Death, but from 
the Be<^inning of his Reign, and therefore anfwers to 
the eleventh Year of the Hegira, and to Anno Domini 
632. 
5. As we have already marked the precife Time when 
the Arabs became Mafters of this Country, we fhall 
only obferve, that the firft of their Khalifs was Mowa- 
via\ the Fourth lawful Succeflfor of Mahomet, who 
reigned twenty Years ; it would lead us into a vaft Field, 
if we fbould pretend to give even a fhort Account of 
the SuccefTion of thefe Priefts and Princes ; for under 
Pretence of being Succeffors to the Prophet, or, as the 
Word Khali f litterally fignifies Lieutenant, they affu- 
med the fupreme Power in fpiritual as well as temporal 
Affairs, and executed it for the moft Part with great 
Severity. It was this that led them to treat with unre- 
lenting Cruelty, the unhappy Race of the ancient Per- 
fian Nation, whom they were bent upon extirpating, 
Atom a ridiculous Notion of their being Infidels and 
Idolaters ; whereas it is very difficult to fay, whether 
their Religion is not as near the Truth as that of Ma- 
homet i but without entring into this Dilpute, it is fuf- 
ncient for our Purpofe to lay that they fucceeded fo far 
therein, as to reduce that numerous People to a very 
handful, and even thefe were forced to take Shelter in 
Woods, in Mountains, and in Defarts, to fecure them- 
felves from the Effefts of their religious Fury. 
At length, after a Succeffion of fifty four Princes 
who bore this Title, though in that Space there hap- 
pened many Revolutions, the Power of the Arabs or Sa- 
racens funk and grew weak, in the fame Manner as all 
other Nations do, that is to fay, their Monarchs grew 
drunk with Power, and the People were debauched by 
Luxury. In this melancholly Situation they were conti- 
nually difturbed, either by Invafions from Abroad, or by 
Confpiracies at Home, till at laft the Strengh of the 
Empire, unable to fupport fuch continual Fatigues, 
funk under them. Mojtadhem, or Mojlazem Billah Ben 
Moftanfer Billah, the thirty feventh Khalif of Bagdat, 
or Babylon, faw the End of that Empire j he fucceeded 
to the Government in the Year of the Hegira 640, and 
from the very Beginning of his Adminiftration was un- 
V 0 L. n. N^ 131 
fortunate in all his Undertakings. Holokou was at that 
Time Kan of thtPartars, a Prince fo powerful, and 
whofe Dominions were fo extenfive, that he for fome 
Time deliberated whether he fhould pufli his Conquefts 
through Poland into Germany, or turn them againft this 
IChalif, and he was determined to the latter by the Ad- 
vice of Hqffireddin, a famous Aftrologer, who being dif- 
obliged at the KhaliPs Court, went to the Partar, and 
advifed him to fall upon his old Mafter. It fell out 
that this unfortunate Prince had ftill a Traytor about 
him greater and more dangerous than this Aftrologei”, 
The Name of this perfidious Monfter was Adotvaded- 
din, who was Vizier to the Khalif, but was of the oppo- 
fite Seft in Point of Religion •, he perceived the Dftign 
of the Par tars, and advifed his Mafter to disband his 
Forces, under Pretence that he was fo much reverenced 
by his Neighbours, that there was no Fear of his being 
difturbed, if he did not open a Pretence for it by appear- 
ing armed. The Khalif, who naturally loved Money 
and Pleallire, fwallowed the Bait, applied himfelf folely 
to the heaping up Wealth, and taking his Diverfion, 
till of a fudden the News came, that the Partars had 
invaded a diftant Part of his Dominions •, upon which, 
by the Advice of this trufty Minifter, he ordered all the 
Forces in his Service to march againft them. By this 
Means his Capital, the glorious City of Bagdat, the 
faireft and richeft of the Eaft, and perhaps of the 
whole World, was left in a Manner unguarded. The 
Par tar Khan, who forefaw and expefted this, marched 
immediately with a choice and powerful Army to inveft 
it *, and as foon as that was done, the Vizier, under 
Pretence of propofing Terms of Peace, went to the 
Camp of the Enemy, from whence he never returned. 
The City was foon after taken by Storm ; the Khalif, 
who was then forty fix Years of Age, was made Pri- 
foner, together with hisConfort and an only Son, his eldeft 
being killed in the Attack. The Partar Prince behaved 
towards him with great Inhumanity •, he caufed him to 
be dragged through the Streets till he died, and put his 
Son alfo to Death ; this happened in the Year of x\\t Hegi- 
ra, 656, Anno Domini 1258. At the fame Time the City 
was deftroyed, and almoft ail its Inhabitants, without 
refpeft to Sex, Age, or Rank, put to the Sword. 
6. In this Manner the Saracens or Arabs loft Poft 
feffion of Perfia, after they ’ had kept it fix hundred 
Years j and as for this Partar Prince Holokou or Olaku 
Khan, he was the Grandfon of that mighty Conqueror 
.Jengiz Khan, and raifed in a very fhort Space one of 
the moft powerful and extenfive Empires the World 
ever had, though moft of the Partar Hiftorians affirm, 
that when he conquered Perfia, he afted only as Lieute- 
nant to his Brother Manchu Kan, whom he afterv/ards 
fucceeded. He had the Reputation of being a juft and 
good Prince, and though he returned into Partary to 
quiet fome Difturbances that broke out there, yet he 
was fo pleafed with the Country of Media, that he 
quickly came back thither, and fpent the Remainder of 
his Days. He left his Dominions to his Son Abkay 
Khan, who was fucceeded by his Brother Hamed Khan, 
the firft of this Race, who became a Mahometan \ after 
whom there followed a Succeffion of fix Princes of this 
Family, the laft of whom was Abu Said Bahudar Khan, 
who deceafed in the Year of Hegira 736, Anno Domini 
1335, in whom this Race ending, the Government fell 
into great Confufion, which continued till Perfia fell 
under the Power of the Succeffors of the great Pimur, 
whom we call Pamerlane. This celebrated Prince hav- 
ing, in the Courle of his glorious .Reign, added the 
greateft Part of Perfia to his other Dominions, left them 
to his Family, among whom continual Wars and Dil- 
fentions reigned ; fo that in the Space of about forty 
Years, there were no lefs than twelve of his Race who 
ftiled themfelves Monarchs of Perfia, and adually pof- 
feffed Chorafan, and fome other Provinces of that Em- 
pire. In the mean time, another Hord of Purceman^ 
grew very powerful in Diarbeck, and made Bagdat the 
Capital of their Dominions, from whence they made 
Incurfions into Perfia for many Years with various 
Succefs, till at laft they defeated Mirza Abukeker, the 
10 Y Grand foij 
