46 
[No. 2, 
E. E. Oliver —The Safun Dynasty of Persia. 
While ’Abbas was extending his territories in the direction of, if not 
on occasion actually as far as, Balkh, his generals, operating along the 
Persian Gulf, had conquered the island of Bahrain and brought under 
subjection the Province of Lar from Shiraz to Gambrun, or Bandar- 
’ Abbas, as it was afterwards called. The year 1012 H. found him strong 
enough to commence a long contemplated attack on the Turks,* in 
order to recover the lost provinces of Persia. He began by capturing 
Nahawand,f following this up by the capture of Tabriz in 1013 H., and 
ITwan in 1014 H., in which year he fought a great battle, 60,000 Persians 
to 100,000 Turks, according to Anthoine de Corvea, and won a most 
complete victory. After this the Turks never again rallied during 
’Abbas’s lifetime, and were successfully driven from Azarbaijan, Georgia, 
Kurdistan, Baghdad. Mansil and Diyarbakr, including Najaf, Karbala, 
and other places sacred by association with the remains of the Khalifali 
’Ali. Of the recovery of Hurmuz from the Portuguese, his alliance with 
the Emperor of Dehli, his relations with European powers, as told by 
the Shirleys, and his general character, particulars are all to be found 
at length in Malcolm. He is almost invariably esteemed by Persians as 
one of their very greatest kings, and to his long and successful reign are 
popularly ascribed nearly all the fine works that exist in that country. 
He enlarged its boundaries in every direction, and maintained all his 
acquisitions intact till he died. “ He gave,” says Hanway, “ a martial 
spirit to the people, polished their manners, and brought the governors 
of the Provinces, who were before in a great measure independent, into 
subjection.” But his reign was marked by the most unhappy suspicion 
of his own children, and the most barbarous cruelties to them. He 
caused the eyes of the two youngest to be put out, and the eldest to be 
murdered, a crime for which he repented in bitter tears, made the 
executioner of the eldest bring in the head of his own son by way of 
punishment, and finished by inviting all the Lords who had excited his 
jealousy against his son to a feast, where he mixed poison with their 
wine, and watched them expire in his presence. Leaving out of the 
questions this treatment of his own family, there is no doubt he was on 
occasions cruel to a degree, not merely to enemies, but to his rebellious 
subjects. Allowances must at the same time be made for the unsettled 
state of tlio kingdom and the customs of the country, which even to 
this day mako the sovereign the director of all executions. Probably 
rebellion was rife, and sedition required stern examples. While affect¬ 
ing great piety and making pilgrimages, he dearly loved the bowl and 
made much love to the ladies. Ho hated the Turks, but was tolerant to 
# Mul.mtunmd III bin Murad, 1 CK>3 to 1012. 
f 40 miloH of Houtli of llamadun. 
