‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎294v] (595/722)

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and commenced the siege, and terrified Firuz-ud-dm into tendering his sub
mission. Ffruz-ud-dm was then left in the government of Herat, hut was
required to pay a fine of fifty thousand tumans, and to have the ‘khutbah*
read for the Shah and the coinage issued in his name.
It seems that after the capture of Ghurian, the Herati governor of the
place, together with two Khurasan chiefs, had taken refuge with the tribes
of Ffruzkuhi; and Hasan All Mfrza and his general, Ismail Khan, deter
mined to follow the fugitives. The expedition, however, terminated in
terrible disaster. An advanced force under Ismail Khan entered the moun
tains and mastered some outlying troops ; and then, considering that their
work was over, and finding the place deserted, they commenced plundering
the enemy's camp. Meantime the enemy overlooked their proceedings ; and
seizing their opportunity, they poured through a gorge into the camp where
the Persian plunderers were at work, and gained a complete victory. Ismail
Khan was compelled to fall back upon the main army; and Hasan All
Mfrza, finding himself unable to prosecute the war any further, was obliged
to retreat to Mashhad.
Next year Hasan Alf Mfrza undertook a second expedition against Herat;
and this time he would probably have captured the place but for the inter
vention of the government of Kabul. It seems that Ffruz-ud-dfn was so
much alarmed at the expected advance of the Persian army, that he at
last determined to apply to Kabul for assistance. At this time Shah Mah
mud was occupying the throne of Kabul, having driven out Shah Shuja
through the assistance of his wazfr Fateh Khan, the famous Barakzaf chief
tain. Accordingly, the wazfr Fateh Khan marched to Herat, ostensibly to
assist Ffruz-ud-dfn against Persia ; but on arriving at the place he dethroned
Ffruz-ud-dfn. The result was that Hasan Alf Mfrza, instead of gaining a
comparatively easy victory over Firuz-ud-dm, found that he had to encoun
ter the whole forces of Fateh Khan. A battle ensued, the result of which
seems to have been doubtful, as both parties claimed the victory.
The progress of diplomatic relations between Persia, Russia, and Great
Britain, from the conclusion of the treaty of Gulistan in 1 818 to the renewal
of the war between Persia and Russia in 1825, is of little practical im
portance. Both an English and a Russian minister were residing at Tihran;
and one of the main objects of diplomacy at this period was to settle the
Russo-Persian frontier as laid down by the treaty of Gulistan. The ques
tion, however, lingered on for yeai’S without any settlement. Meantime
it may be remarked that the continued residence at Tihran of the ministers
of Great Britain and Russia increased the stability of the Persian throne,
and conferred a greater dignity upon the court. In return, however, for
these advances, Persia was compelled to conform in many important
respects to the practices of civilised nations; and in course of time Persian
ministers have found it necessary to abstain from acts of needless cruelty
and barbarity, by the fear lest the foreign residents should mark their
horror by withdrawing from all personal intercourse, and lest they them
selves should be exposed to the ridicule or indignation of the European
press.
In 1821 war broke out between Persia and Turkey, which originated in
some local disputes. Abbas Mirza overran the border from his province of
Azarbaijan. The Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of Baghdad, in return, overran the border further
south, and entered Karmanshah. He was, however, defeated by Muhammad
All Mfrza, who subsequently pushed on towards Baghdad. But the career