'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME I' [‎156r] (318/820)

kaj-kaj
291
“ The tribe of Kajar were originally from Syria. They were brought
from that country to Persia in the year of the Hijrah 803 by Timur. After
the death of that prince and his immediate successor, this tribe increased
m much in numbers, and shewed, on repeated occasions, so seditious and
in mb ordinate a spirit, that Shah Tahmasp, fearing their power one day
might subvert the government, determined to divide them in such a
manner as to render them incapable of united action He in consequence
separated them into divisions—one of which called Azc anlu he sent to
the tov n of Merv inKhoiasan ; one to Ponnah (?) m Azarbaljan ; °ne to
Kazvln in ’Iiaq ; one to Ganja iu Georgia (these afterwards attached
themselves to Nadir Shah and earned the title of Kajar Afsbar ; they
declined from the death of that monarch) ; and another to Astarabad in
Mazandaran. In that part of this numerous tribe which was sent to
Astarabad there were two chief families. The one was distinguished by
the name of Yukarita-h, the other by that of the Ashagabash. The
latter became celebrated for the number of wairiors and statesmen
whom it produced, who successively reached the highest honours in the
court of the Safavian monarehs ; and in the commencement of the weak
rei<-n of Shah Tahmasp, the last and most unfortunate prince of that race,
Path ’AH Khan Kajar, who was the representative of the Ashagabash
fami’v obtained the height of power, and was entrusted by his indolent
sovereign with the seal of empire, which he employed more to further his
own ambition than to advance the interest of his master., r- ^
“ 4t this period Nadir Quli Karklu, so well known afterwards by the
name of Nadir Shah, entered the service of Shah
1725 A. D. Tahmasp, and began early to form those vast
projects of ambition which he afterwards matured. Path ’AH Khan, who>
was in fact pursuing the same road, was from his character the only noble
that Nadir conceived had the spirit and ability to oppose his aggrandize
ment. • He therefore detern ined to remove him ; and combining with
those ministers who were jealous of Fath’Ali Khan’s fortune, he procured
from the prince, in a moment of intoxication, an order for his
confinement, which was carried into execution on the 29th September
1725 ; and the unfortunate Path ’All was lodged as a prisoner in the camp
of his rival, by whose order he was immediately assassinated.
Husain Khan, the son of Path ’All, the moment he heard of his father’s
fate, mounted a fPet horse and fl d to Turk^mania, and while Nadir Shah
lived he never visited Persia. But taking advantage of the troubles
that occurred at that tyrant’s death, he returned, aided by a body of
Turkomans, to his native town, Astarabad ; and collecting all his tribe in
that quarter, soon formed an army, which made him master of the prov
inces of Mazandaran and Gllan. Elated with his success, he marched
against ’Adil Shah, the brother of Nadir Shah, by whom he was com-
pletelv defeated ; and his eldest son, Aqa Muhammad, fell a prisoner in
to the bands of the victor, who on the spot deprived him of his virility.^
“ The dissensions that arose in the family or Nadir Slab soon ended in
its destruckon ; and Persia was for a period without a men reh, to: n by
the most bloody civil wars, carried on by usurpers, who rose like baneful
weeds in every village of that distracted empire.
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