'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' [‎82] (103/684)

Ixxxil preliminary matter.
of Europe, and who ultimately effected the destruc
tion of the Roman Empire.
But it is necessary the reader should not be left
to imagine, that because Mahmud obtained posses
sion of Isfahan, that his government was therefore
submitted to throughout the whole kingdom. It
has already been mentioned, that a son ot Hu-
sain, named Tahmasp, escaped, by the desiie of his
father and the council, from Isfahan, who, imme
diately on being acquainted with the unfortunate
events which after his departure took place in that
city, assumed the title of Shah, and found many
Persians, and many districts of the empire, willing
to acknowledge his title.
Seldom perhaps is it, that, at first, a conqueror is
not lenient and mild to those whom he has subju
gated ; but, after a short period of deceitful calm,
circumstances arise, or are pretended to arise, in the
conduct of the vanquished, which are considered
as requiring and justifying dreadful massacres and
the most severe ordinances. There are relative posi
tions, amongst nations and individuals, the ties and
terms of which are at times so extremely delicate, so
adapted to give ground of mutual suspicion, that hu
man wisdom or prudence seems insufficient to pre
serve them inviolate. Such is generally the case ol a
conquered nation and its conqueror. If, therefore,
Mahmud began by continuing the greater part of bis
new subjects, who held the high offices of the king
dom under Husain, in the same offices, he ended by
inviting them to a banquet, and causing them to be
massacred. If he commenced by incorporating the