PERSIA. 
had obtained no command in the army of Nadir,” fays 
Sir John Malcolm, while Francklin tells ns that he was 
one of the fhah’s “ rnoft favourite officers;” but both 
agree that he was diftinguifhed for his good fenfe and 
courage. The moderation and humanity he difplayed in 
a fubordinate fituation, were his chief recommendations 
to the higheft. His foldiers refpeffed the principles of 
their leader; and the eyes of all were diredled with ad¬ 
miration and aftonifliment to a chief of a barbarous tribe, 
who refrained from plunder, and fhowed, amid fcenes of 
violence and confufion, fo marked a love of order and of 
juftice. 
The internal commerce of Perfia, as well as its agricul¬ 
ture, greatly revived during the reign of Kerim Khan. 
This prince gave the mod particular encouragement to 
all the induftrious clafles of his fubjedls, and to none 
more than the Armenians who were fettled in his domi¬ 
nions. They enjoyed under Kerim as much confidera- 
tion as he was able to give them ; and he was, on all oc- 
cafions, ready to redrefs the wrongs they fullered from 
the oppreffions of the officers placed over them. All the 
cities in Perfia flourifhed under this prince; but none in 
any degree to be compared with Shiraz. Kerim, perhaps, 
was firft induced to make this city his capital, by the cir- 
cumftance of its being centrical to the pafture-Iands of 
thofe tribes on whofe fupport he chiefly depended, and 
from the attachment which its inhabitants early fhowed 
to his interefts. He was at great pains to Itrengthen its 
defences; and he improved and ornamented the city it- 
felf with a number of ufeful and magnificent buildings, 
and beautified its environs by the eredlion of fome fine 
edifices, near which were planted luxurious gardens. 
Under his aufpicious fway, fays his Perfian biographer, 
“ the inhabitants of that favoured city palled their lei¬ 
sure hours in the fociety of moon-faced damfels; the 
fparkling goblet circulated; and love and pleafure 
reigned in every breaft.” The following anecdotes are 
related of Kerim Khan by Sir John Malcolm : 
“ When I was a poor foldier,” he often faid, “in Nadir 
Shah’s camp, my neceflity led me to fteal, from a faddler, 
a gold embofied faddle, which had been fent by an Af¬ 
ghan chief to be repaired. I foon afterwards learnt that 
the man, from whom it was taken, was in prifon, and 
fentenced to be hung. My confcience fmote me, and I re¬ 
placed the faddle exactly in the place from whence I took 
it. I watched till it was difcovered by the faddler’s wife, 
who, on feeing it, gave a fcream of joy, fell dow.n upon 
her knees, and prayed aloud, that the perfon who had 
brought it back might live to have a hundred gold em- 
bofled faddles. I am quite certain, (he added, fmiling,) 
that the honeft prayer of the old woman has aided my 
fortune in the attainment of that fplendour which file 
defired I fliould enjoyf” 
Writing was an accomplifliment which this juftly-cele- 
brated chief never poflefl'ed ; and he retained through life 
the dialed! of his native tribe, which, from its rucienefs, 
is univerfally denominated by the other inhabitants the 
barbarous dialed. This prince, as he was one day fitting 
in public, commanded his jefter (a neceflary appendage 
to a Perfian court) to go and bring him word what a dog, 
which was barking very loud, wanted. The courtiers 
fmiled at this fally of the monarch. The jefter went as 
defired; and, after appearing to liften fome time with a 
profound attention, he returned, and faid with a grave 
air, “ Your majefty mull fend one of the chief officers of 
your ownfamily , to report what that gentleman fays; he 
fpeaks no language except the barbarous dialed!, with 
which they are familiar, but of which I do not under- 
fland one word.” The good-humoured monarch latfghed 
moll heartily at this ridicule of his tribe, and gave the 
wit a prefent. 
Kerim Khan funk into the grave at an advanced pe¬ 
riod of life, being near 80 years of age, in the year 1779. 
He had reigned undifturbed for more than twenty years 
Vol. XIX. No. 1335. 
687 
over the whole of Perfia, with the exception of the two 
eaftern provinces, Chorafan and Candahar, which had 
been difmembered by the Afghan government of Cabul. 
Yet he never aflumed the title of Shah ; but merely that 
of Vakeel, or regent. 
When the death of Kerim Khan was announced in the 
city of Shiraz, much confufion arofe ; two-and-twenty of 
the principal officers of the army, men of high rank and 
family, took pofleffion of the citadel, with a refolution to 
acknowledge Abul Futteh Khan, the eldeft fon of the 
late vakeel, as their fovereign, and to defend him againll 
all other pretenders ; whereupon Zika Khan, a relation 
of the late vakeel by the mother’s fide, who was poflefied 
of immenfe wealth, enlifted a great part of the army into 
his pay, by giving them very confiderable,bounties. Zika 
Khan u'as a man remarkably proud, cruel, and unrelenting. 
Having afiembled a large body of troops, he immediately 
marched them to the citadel, and laid clofe fiege to it for 
the fpace of three days; at the expiration of which, find¬ 
ing he could not take it by force, he had recourfe to trea¬ 
chery. To each of the principal khans he fent a written 
paper, by which he fwore upon the Koran that, if they 
would come out and fubtnit to him, not a hair of their 
heads fliould be touched, and that they ftiould have their 
eftedfs fecured to them. Upon this a conlultation was 
held by them : and, it appearing that they could not fub- 
fift many days longer, they agreed to iurrender tliem- 
felves, firmly relying on the promifes that had been made 
them. Zika Khan, in the mean time gave private orders, 
for the khans to be leized-, and brought feparately before 
him as they came out of the citadel. His orders were 
ftridlly obeyed, and thefe deluded men were all mafiacred 
in his prefence ; he was feated the whole time, feafting his 
eyes on the cruel fpediacle. 
Zika Khan’s tyranny became foon intolerable, and he 
W’as cut off by his own body-guard, when Abul Futteh 
Khan, who was at the time in the camp, was proclaimed 
king by the unanimous voice of the troops, whom he im¬ 
mediately led back to Shiraz. On his arrival he was ac¬ 
knowledged as fovereign by all ranks of people, and took 
quiet pofl’eflion of the government. 
Mohammed Sadik Khan, only brother of the late Kerim 
Khan, who had during that prince’s life filled the high 
office of beglerbeg of Fars, and had been appointed guar¬ 
dian of his fon Abul Futteh Khan, was at this period 
governor of the city of Baflora, which had been taken by 
the Perlians previous to the vakeel’s death. Upon hear¬ 
ing the news of his brother’s deceafe, he became ambi¬ 
tious of reigning alone, and from that inftant formed 
fchemes for the deftrudlion of his nephew ; but, as it was 
neceflary for him to be on the fpot for the advancement 
of his views, he determined to withdraw the Perfian gar- 
rifon from Baflora, who were all devoted to hjs intereft: 
accordingly he evacuated that place, and marched imme¬ 
diately for Shiraz. The news of Sadik Khan’s approach 
threw the inhabitants into the greateft confternation; 
but their minds were varioufly agitated on the occafion ; 
for fome, from his known public character, expedled he 
wouid honelily fulfil the commands of his decealed bro¬ 
ther; others, who had been witnefles to the confufion of 
former times on fimilar occafions, rightly imagined that 
he would fet up for himfelf; and indeed this proved to 
be the cafe; for, having entered Shiraz a very few days 
after, he caufed Abul Futteh Khan to be feized, deprived 
of fight, and put into clofe confinement. 
Sadik Khan then openly aflumed the government. As 
foon as the intelligence reached Ali Murad Khan, who 
was at Ifpahan, that lord inftantly rebelled : deeming 
himfelf to have an equal right to the government with 
Sadik Khan, he openly declared himfelf a competitor for 
theempire. Perfia was by this means again involved in all 
the horrors of a civil war. Ali Murad Khan indeed 
took pofleffion of Shiraz, aflumed the government, and 
gave to the empire the flattering profpeft of being fettled 
8 N under 
