50 
E. E. Oliver —The Safwi Dynasty of Persia. 
[No. 2 
capital of the Empire.” The colleges became a sanctuary for mur¬ 
derers. What spirit remained in the nation became rapidly broken. 
For some twenty years of his reign matters went on getting steadily 
worse, but showing little sign of the coming storm that was to wreck 
Persia and break up the Safwi dynasty for good. 
It is unnecessary to enter here upon the history of those Af gh an 
tribes whose country is the mountainous tract between Khurasan and 
the Indus. Never a homogenous nation, and never able to form any¬ 
thing worthy the name of a national government, they were then, as 
now, ruled by chiefs the most determined opponents of all foreign rule, 
and to a man, born with the strong desire for a wild personal freedom, 
which qualities, united to great bravery and physical power, made them 
turbulent and dangerous subjects, and, on occasion, formidable foes. 
Nor is it needful to go over details of the story that made them, tem¬ 
porarily at least, masters of Persia,—a story that with all the elements 
of romance, has been often, and so effectively, told by Hanway, Malcolm, 
Malleson, and others. The tribes had for long been growing more 
powerful, and were at the time driven to extreme discontent. The most 
prominent place among them had come to be taken by the Ghiljis 
or Gliilzais, who, with the Abdalis of Hirat, became subjects of Persia 
when ’Abbas I. took Qandahar. The GKilji discontent had almost 
reached the stage of revolt. 
The ablest general of Persia at the time was a Georgian, named 
Gurgin Khan. Born a Christian, he had turned Muhammadan, and 
became famous for his skill and his severity. He was therefore sent, 
with 20,000 men, as governor of Qandahar. Foremost among the 
Ghiljis was a chief named Mir Wis,* a man of superior intelligence, 
good manners, eminently diplomatic, rich, generous and influential. On 
this man Gurgin Khan promptly fixed a quarrel, and sent him a 
prisoner to Persia—probably the most stupid thing he could have dono. 
The story of Mir Wis will repay reading at length in Hanway or 
Malleson. In place of prisoner, ho bocamo tho confidential adviser of 
Shall Husain, returned to Qandahar via Mokka with full powers from 
the Porsian King and with tho additional religious influence attaching 
to a Haji, raised a revolt, hIow Gurgin Khan and all belonging to him 
in the time Afghan fashion, declared himself independent, and became 
the first king of Qandahar. There ho reigned eight years, defeating 
three Persian armies sent against him, in 1122, 1125 and 1120 H. and 
died in 1127 II. Ho left two sons. Mahmud, tho elder, being considered 
too young, tho government devolved upon Mir ’Ahdu-llah, the brother of 
Mir Wis, a man so timid that he could never enjoy Af g han confidence. 
* [ iSjn'IW’iI Af««r Vain l»y Mulnoltn ami in tho I'oraiaa translation, Vol. I, 
p. 201. Kd. 
