________________
THE LAST YEARS OF SHAH SHUJA'A.
OCTOBER, 1886.]
Hâkim, after he had disgorged the revenues due. | dependency of Sistân. The Wazir on his part The son of Ḥikmat Khan was taken as a hostage to Hirât, where the Wazir treated him well.
also started with his ever-victorious army, but wrote during the march to the Sardârs of Qandahår, that enmity between him and them is out of place, as both parties were enemies of the Saddozâis, and that as all this trouble had been fomented by Aḥmad Khân Lashi-Lâsî, his punishment was necessary, and the taking of the fort of Lash from him a most important matter. He himself made his own arrangements for attacking the fort, and succeeded in one day in depriving Ahmad Khân of it; and then gave Sher Ali Khân leave to depart to Qandahar. On the march to Lash, the Wazir had felt unwell from eating cucumbers and curds, but the distemper now became more serious. So he left the camp in charge of his son Said Muhammad Khân, and made all possible haste to reach Hirât. He expired, however, on the road to it, in the muz'a known by the name of Rabat Mirhâhah. This event took place at the end of the month Sh'abân in the Hijri year 1267 [29th June 1851]. His corpse was conveyed to Hirât and was interred by the side of the Mazar-i-Jâmî.
He independently governed Hirât for eleven years and was a man of firm character and unbounded liberality. He was so anxious for the good opinion of his people, that once when one of his sarbázes [common soldiers] died, he went in person to the heirs, and after reading the Fatihah, presented them with robes of honour, Kasmir shawls, &c., and went away. It is also on record that once when a servant boy brought a robe of honour as a present from him, the recipient expressed his doubts as to whether a mistake had not been committed, and asked for what services the gift had been bestowed, as he had received a very valuable one but the day before !
Sâlâr-i-Qajar, who was governor of Mashhad Muqaddas on behalf of the Persian Government, was displeased when it also appointed the Shahzadah Hamzah Mirza, brother of Muhammad Shah, to be governor of Mashhad Tus, and therefore went to Marv, where he made common cause with the Turkmâns, and finding an opportunity during the winter, marched with Turkmân sawars to subjugate Mashhad. After taking the town, he besieged the Shâhzâdah in the citadel, who called in the assistance of the Wazir Yar Muhammad Khân, when he was pressed beyond endurance. Accordingly the Wazir started with numerous troops in the direction of Mashhad under the pretext of reinforcing Sâlâr; but when he had arrived at a distance of two karahs from the town, he deflected from the proper route and proceeded to aid the Shahzâdah, whom Salâr attacked as soon as he heard of this intention. The Wazir now perceived that the affairs of the Shâhzâdah were in a desperate condition, and so he induced him to march with his troops and artillery to Hirât, where he provided all the necessary stores, and maintained them in great comfort in the localities of Kusan and Ghurian, where he had them housed, till the winter was over. When the spring set in, reinforcements arrived from Tahran, with which the Shahzâdâh marched to reconquer Mashhad. He requited the services which the Wazir had rendered, by presenting him with four pieces of siege artillery, and the title of Zahira'ddaulah [Support of the Monarchy] when he took leave of him.
297
All this confirmed the friendship between the Qajar dynasty and the Wazir, and he governed Hirât during the next two or three years in peace, till Ahmad Khân, the brother of Salû Khan Ishaqzai revolted, and making common cause with the Sardârs of Qandahår, incited them to occupy Lash and Jawain, both of which were dependencies of Hirât, and even brought Sher 'Ali Khân, son of Sardar Mohrdil Khân to Lash, and established him there. The Sardars likewise marched with their troops to attack the Wazir and arrived in Girishk, whilst the Sardar Muhammad Sadiq Khân, son of Sardar Kuhandil Khân came with a powerful army and took the fort of Khâkpûr which is a
After him his son S'aid Muhammad Khân assumed the reigns of government under the regency of his mother, but he surpassed even his father in liberality, and bestowed enormous sums upon poor wretches who scarcely deserved to receive a present of two rupees. He was subject to fits of lunacy, in one of which he fell out with his mother who dwelt in the fort of Ikhtiara'ddin; whereon he brought cannon to bear upon it, and ordered the artillery to fire them, making wanton breaches in the wall. He, however, rejoiced and abused his mother!
