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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(OCTOBER, 1886.
May God preserve us from such aberrations who slew him in revenge for the blood of of mind! It is said, too, that one day when Said Muhammad Khan. After the siege had sitting in public darbár, he perceived a cat lasted for a very long time, there was a scarcity walking along the coping of wall, which of grain in the city, but still no aid arrived caused him to break out in a fit of horse-laugh- from any quarter. So Naib Isa Khân was ter and to exclaim :-"What would become of under the necessity of guing for peace, and the wall, if this cat were changed into a cow ?" surrendering the city to the QAjár [Persian) The Darrâni Khâns at last all despaired of his government. On which the Persian army sanity, and invited the Sardars of Qandahar marched into the city and acted as it listed. twice or thrice to overthrow his government. One day, when Naib 'Isa Khân Bardurâni, They came, but effected nothing till Naib 'Isa at the invitation of the Shahzâdah (Murad Khan Durrânî secretly invited the Shahzâdâh Mirza), made his appearance in the camp for Muhammad Yusaf, son of the Shahzadah Malik the purpose of paying his respecte, a man Qasim, son of Haji Firuzu'ddin, who was at approached him on the pretext of wishing to Mashhad. He arrived during the night of speak to him, and shot him dead. This happened Tuesday the third of the sacred month Muhar at the time when the adherents of the Amir Dôst ram in the Hijri year 1272 (15th September Muhammad Khân arrived at Qandahar from 1855), entered the city of Hirât with one hun- Kabul, after the demise of Sardar Kuhandil dred sawdrs and caused the kettle-drums to be Khan, subjugated that city and expelled from it struck in his own name. The Alkûzî Kháns Sultan Ahmad Khân, son of Sardar Muhammad and Amîrs, most of whom happened to be dead 'Axim Khân, together with Muhammad 'Ilm drunk with aromatic wine, were frightened Khan, son of Sardâr Rahmdil Khân, on account when they heard the sound of the kettle-drums, of some disputes they had with them. These and not being able to distinguish their hands two exiles, despairing of assistance from other from their feet, hid themselves in every cor. quarters, sought it from the Qajør Government, ner. Although they had swallowed lakhs of and went to Tahrîn to implore Naşru'ddin rupees during the government of the Wazir, Shah QAjar for it. Sardar Sultan 'Ali Khân not one of them dared to offer opposition, | also went there with the same intention. except Haji Khairu'llah Khân, who came As the English Government was not willing forward to fight and received a mortal wound, that any Afghan possessions, and especially in consequence of which he departed from Hirat, the abode of victory, which is one this perishable world. Said Muhammad of the finest of localities and possesses a strong Khân was taken and slain, whilst all the citadel, should be at the disposal of the Qajør Alkūzi Amirs were made prisoners and mulcted Government, it had, as has been narrated above, in silver by the riļl and the mann.
during the time of Kamran and of the Wazir When the Persian government was inform- Yår Muhammad Khân, spent a great deal of ed of what had taken place, Náşra'ddin Shah, wealth and property, through the Englishman desirous to protect the old administration, Todd, in improving the district. It now fordespatched his own uncle Husamu's-Sultanat warded through its plenipotentiary, at Tahran, Marad Mirza, who was the Hakim of Khorâsân, representations to Nasru'ddin Shah, that as the as commander-in-chief with a powerful army European powers had made an agreement that and artillery to conquer Hirât, which he no other power than itself should interfere with invested, and besieged therein Muhammad the possessions of Afghánistán, the Persian Yûsaf and Näib 'Isa Khân for long time. Government, which had occupied Hiråt, ought, After the siege had been thus protracted, according to the said agreement, to restore it Näib 'Isa Khân Bardurâni sent envoys to to the Afgháns, and to cease to interfere in its Qandahår to wait upon the unequalled Amîr, affairs. But as the forefathers and ancestors of and asked him to send reinforcements, but the Naşra'ddin Shah had lusted always for the Amir Şâhib paid no attention to the request. At subjugation of that strong fortress, and had last Naib 'Isa Khân, being much distressed by hoped in their hearts for the conquest of that the bad behaviour of the Shahzadah Muhammad God-created citadel, he paid no attention to Yusaf, sent him prisoner to Husamu's-Sultanat, the representations of the English plenipoten
