'The dynasty of the Kajars translated from the original Persian manuscript presented by His Majesty Faty Aly Shah to Sir Harford Jones Brydges ... to which is prefixed a succinct account of the history of Persia previous to that period illustarted with plates and a map of Western Persia' [‎78] (99/684)

IXXviii PRELIMINARY MATTER.
ment, as a Persian would say, was filled to the brim;
and they instantly entered into a most solemn en
gagement to attempt the freedom ol their country.
It does not come within the plan I have laid down
for myself, to wander into the detail of the war
which now commenced between Persia and her
former subjects. An ineffectual attempt was pre
viously made by her, to procure their return to their
duty, by negociations, offering concessions and par
don : these were haughtily rejected; and after the
one side exhibiting a series of cowardice, mis
management, and treachery, and the other an unde-
viating perseverance in the attainment of their ob
ject, Isfahan surrendered, by capitulation, on the
22d October 1722. On the following day. Shah Hu-
sain, attended by all his Ministers, proceeded to the
camp of Meer Mahmud, who had become chief of
the Afghans, in consequence of the death, during
the progress of the rebellion, of his father, Meer
Weis.
In the course of the siege, the supplies of provi
sions from the country were completely cut off from
the city; and the following circumstances, related
by an eye-witness, will serve to afford us an idea oi
the straits to which the wretched inhabitants were
reduced. When Husain, with his great officers,
were compelled to proceed to the Afghan camp,
Mahmud sent horses for them to mount; " there
" being not one left in Isfahan, where all were
" eaten during the siege." The same person re
lates, that in a certain quarter of the city he saw
" a woman with a cat in her hand, trying to strangle
" it; and though the cat, in defending itself, had