true believers. He proceeds to observe, more piously perhaps than philofophically, that, as every one who heartily perfeveres will furely obtain the object of his wishes, he procured an introduction to Nadir Shah, who, on condition that he entered into his fervice, promifed that he should be allowed to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca.

After plundering the treasures of the Mogul, Nadir Shah left. him in the poffeffion, of his dominions. Tyrants, says Montefquieu, have been loudly praifed by hiftorians for restoring their crowns to princes whom they have vanquished. But this conduct has been generally the effect, not of generofity, but of profound policy. In vain will a conqueror attempt to preferve the poffeffion of an extenfive country which he has subdued, fince the governors whom he appoints will neither be able to keep the people in fubjection, or be difpofed themselves to continue long faithful to the service of their mafter. By giving the throne to the legitimate prince, he acquires a neceffary ally, and increases his military ftrength without diftreffing his own territories.

When Nadir Shah had performed this political act of generofity, he marched, fays our author, from Dehly and encamped in the garden of Shalehmar. Terror was the principle upon which he governed his army. He was confequently fo detefted by his foldiers that even victory could not diminish their hatred. Conscious that they had caufe for defertion, he gave strict orders that all who should be found in Dehly after his departure, fhould have their ears and noses cut off, and be sent to him in that condition. This fevere punishment did not deter many from remaining; and feveral were fo unfortunate as to have the punifhment inflicted on them.

On his march his firft expedition was against the Afghans of Youfef Zei, a people who had till then preferved their independence inviolate. After a fevere flaughter they were compelled to fubmit. To obtain quarter, they engaged to pay a tribute, and to furnish Nadir Shah's army with thirty thousand effective men. Though fear, however, reftrained them from open hoftility, revenge prompted them to fecret treachery. In the filence of midnight three Afghans fwam the river which feparated them from Nadir Shah. The noife of their feet in his outer tent awoke him; he removed to another place, and, being ignorant of their number, prudently observed a profound filence. They entered the apartment he had quitted, and, though difappointed in their defign of affaffinating him, carried off the most valuable effects which they could find. The guards were foon alarmed, but the Afghans plunged into the water, dived (fays the author) like aligators, and croffed the river with

3

their

their booty. In the morning, the guards, by whofe neglect they had been able to pafs, were punished with different degrees of feverity proportionate to their guilt.

The march of a numerous army is generally deftructive, in fome degree, to itself, and to the countries through which it paffes. To punish the Soobahdar of Sind for not meeting him. according to his orders at Cabul, Nadir Shah determined to cross a very dangerous and rapid river, in which he lost near a fourth part of the plunder of Hindoftan. Every village he paffed through was deferted by its inhabitants, and his troops were repeatedly in danger of perishing by famine. A fingle exception to this general terror fhall be related by the author himself: The only perfon that I faw was a fat Brahmin • fitting upon the highway, begging alms in the names of Ram and Mahadeo. I did all I could to perfuade him to fave himfelf by flight from the fury of the foldiers, who were near at hand; but he was fo infatuated that he would not ftir, and ' even asked me if I envied him the alms which he fhould obtain! During our converfation a party of Bukhtyearees came up, and, binding the poor wretch hand and foot, they 'cut him in pieces to try the sharpness of their swords.'

The Soobahdar of Sind, though compelled to furrender, obtained honourable terms of capitulation. The scarcity of water and provifions, rather than the generofity of Nadir Shah, was, however, the cause of this lenity. Yet a defpotic monarch, at the head of a victorious army, has fome merit in not violating his engagements.

In the progress of the army little occurs worthy of remark till Nadir Shah prepares to make an attack upon the Turkomans, The troops on each fide are drawn up in order of battle. A violent conflict enfues, and the Turkomans, being poffeffed of the ground between the river Gihoon and the Perfian army, the Kezlebashes are much diftreffed for water, and on the point of being routed. As foon as he knows their distress, Ñadir Shah fends immediately for the two Sucka Bafhees, whofe duty it is to fupply the camp with water, and orders their ears to be cut off. He then gallops to the front of his troops, upbraids his officers for their delay, and commands them to prepare for an attack. Animated by his example, the army forget their thirst, rush forward with united fury, and totally rout their enemies.

A fortunate circumftance, which by a partial hiftorian would have been attributed to policy, happened foon after this victory. To prevent the corn from being injured by the weather, Nadir Shah ordered that fifteen thousand jackets, and twelve thoufand -pair of long drawers, fhould be filled with it. After their defeat, the Ufbecks formed a design of burning the boats, and sent

fpies to gain intelligence of their pofition. Arriving in the night, and feeing the clothes ftuffed with grain, they concluded that men were guarding the boats, and returned with such a report as deterred the Ufbecks from their enterprise. Had it been fuccefsful, the whole army must have perifhed by famine.

Though the work before us is not diftinguifhed by any acutenefs of remark, or depth of reflection, yet there is a plainness and piety in the author's manner which entitle him to respect and con dence. His account of the murder of Nadir Shah, though he was not then with the army, but on his pilgrimage to Mecca, we fhall give in his own words:

An ACCOUNT of the Murder of NADIR SHAH.

About this time, by letters from the ministers of Nadir Shalr, and from the accounts of perfons just arrived from Perfia, was learnt the following intelligence:

Nadir Shah commenced his expedition against the Lezekee of Daghistan, for which he was making preparations when I took my leave of him at Cazvin. As he had conquered Hindoftan and Turan without experiencing any of the hardships of war, he vainly imagined that he should alfo now carry all before him, and arrogantly declared that he would make proftitutes of all the virgin daughters of their great men; and, in retaliation of the blood of his brother, would decapitate five thoufand Lezekees; and confiding folely in his own ftrength, fought not the aid and favour of heaven. But the Lezekees, who are remarkable for their ftrength and valour, gave him a different reception from what he had expected.

I have heard from many of the fervants, who attended his perfon, that in the wars of Hindoftan, Turan, and Turkey, he never neglected his ablutions; but would then humble himself by proftrating his forehead in the duft, and make prayers and fupplications to God; and that particularly during the battle with the Omrahs of Hindoftan, he alighted from his horfe, rubbed his face against the earth, and made loud proteftations of his own unworthinefs. But in the war of Daghistan, he behaved in a manner quite contrary, being inated with pride and arrogance, neglecting his duty to God; in confequence of which, he experienced a reverfe of fortune; for the Lezekees, after having made great flaughter amongst his troops, took refuge in their mountains; and thus, although in fact victorious, he was obliged to give up the war, without having committed the rapine, and fatiated his revenge, in the manner he had meditated and threatened. After his return from Daghistan, he said some time in Iran, to prepare for the Turkish war. He then marched to Kerhook, and, after plundering Mouffel, Diarbeker, and other places in that quarter, which I have defcribed, proceeded to Nejeff and Kerbela, where he vifited the fhrines of the Imams, and then proceeded through Irak Agem to Khorafan.

Allavee Khan, when he was at the court of Perfia, availing himof Nadir Shah's favour and kindnefs, employed the opportunities,

whilft he was prescribing medicine, to adminifter alfo wholesome advice, and which the Shah took in very good part. The Hikeem Bashy was alfo continually exerting his skill to correct the impetuofity of his temper, for the benefit of mankind; and, by a proper medical treatment, his difpofition was fo much improved, that for a fortnight together he would not order the difcipline of the stick, much lefs command any one to be deprived of his eyes or life. And efpecially when the attempt was made to affaffinate him on the borders of Mazenderan, in the manner already described, he did not punish any one until he had coolly and deliberately investigated the matter. But after the departure of Allavee Khan, his own phyficians from the dread of offending him, fuffered the peccant humours again to predominate, when he returned to his old courfes; every day, for the molt trifling offences, he would order fome to be deprived of their eyes, and others of life. At laft his cruelty had risen to fuch a pitch, that he had resolved to have a general maffacre of his Perfian troops, by the hands of the Afghans and Uzbecks, in whom alone he now placed confidence. But he was himself murdered the very night preceding the morning in which he had determined to put his bloody purpose into execution. The following are the particulars of this event. On the night of the 11th of Jemady ul Sany, A. H. 1160 (or June 8th, 1747), near the city of Khojoon, three days journey from Mehed, Mohammed Kuly Khan Ardemee, who was of the fame tribe with Nadir Shah, his relation, and Kufhukchee Bafhee, with seventy of the Kukfhek or guard, as well from a view to felf-prefervation, as at the inftigation of their commander, bound themselves by an oath to affaffinate Nadir Shah; but when the appointed hour arrived, fifty-feven of them being feized with a panic, refused to join in the execution of the plot. The other thirteen, however, at night tore down the Seraperdah, and entering the Haram, killed the eunuch upon guard, who refused them admittance; they then proceeded to the Shah. The fubftance of the various accounts is, that they difpatched him with a matchlock ball, with blows, and wounds, with fwords and knives. It is faid that at first he raged and abused, and then humbly fupplicated for mercy; but neither prevailing, he was obliged to fubmit to his fate.

The women, with the jewel office and other valuable effects, having been fent on before to Kelat, under the charge of Naffirulla Mirza, efcaped the fury and rapine of the affaffins. At laybreak, when the principal Omrahs affembled together to inveftigate this aftonishing event, they found the trunk of Nadir Shah lying headlefs on the ground, and an old woman lamenting over the head. The troops and the country people now plundered the Shah's camp with that fury of which he had fet them the example in Hindoftan, Turan, Turkey, and other places. His head was fent to Aly Kuly Khan, his brother's fon, who had occafioned the confpiracy in order to raise himfelf to the throne. From hence is to be learnt, that it is better for kings to repose confidence in their fervants than in their nearest relations. Nine days after the affaffination, Aly Kuly Khan ordered D the ENG. REV. VOL. XV. JAN. 1790.

the body to be removed to Mefhed, where it was buried on the fifteenth day, in the maufoleum which Nadir Shah had prepared for himfelf.

A variety of contemptible anagrams were made of the letters which form the date of his death, and amongst the rest the following: In fire, in hell, with his grandfather and father.'

The date of his acceffion to the throne may be thus expreffed: It is good, in what has happened.'

To fpeak the truth, Nadir Shah was a brave and experienced foldier, poffeffed of an acute, difcriminating understanding, with activity, refolution, and forefight; he knew very well how to conquer, and to make himself obeyed, but he was totally ignorant of the true principles of government, for the profperity of a kingdom; and the impetuofity of his temper, his cruelty and hardness of heart, made his name univerfally abhorred and detefted. From a verfe of Sheikh Mohammed Aly Hazeen, it fhould feem that Nadir Shah's grandfather, Imam Kuly Beg, was a fkinner: however, as it has been obferved by a refpectable perfonage, we ought not, on this occafion, to give entire credit to the poet's affertion, fince he was an enemy to the Shah, and fled into Hindoftan from the dread of him. His age has not been exactly afcertained, for want of his horofcope. From the appearance of his countenance, the ftrength of his limbs, and the vigour of his faculties, he did not feem to be above fifty years of age. Some fix his birth in A. H. 1099 (or A. D. 1687); and I have fomewhere feen it written that he was born on the 27th of Ramzan 1102, or 13th June 1691. His beard was quite white, and he used to have it dyed black regularly twice a week. Having loft all his double teeth, he feldom eat food that required much mattigation, and when he did, fwallowed it without chewing. His front teeth were all found and firm in his head.

• After the death of Nadir Shah, his nephew Aly Kuly Khan, with the affiftance of Thomas Aly Khan Jelayer, and others of the nobility, mounted the throne, and affumed the title of Aly Shah. He got poffeffion of ten crores of rupees in money, with gold and filver bullion, and jewels to an incredible amount, with the peacock throne, and other riches, which Nadir Shah had depofited in Kelat. He put to death all the fons and grandfons of Nadir Shah, excepting Sharokh Mirza, the fon of Reza Kuly Mirza, by a daughter of Sultan Huffein. He appointed his own younger brother Ibrahim Khan, his viceroy.'

This volume is, upon the whole, well worthy of perufal. Refpecting the tranflator, whatever may be his merit in the eastern languages, he does not in his own poffefs any considerable degree of tafte. His ftyle is feldom elegant, and fometimes ungrammatical.

ART.