‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎288r] (582/722)

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the family, had fled ta the Tuidoimatis; hut they subsequently surrendered
to Karim Khan, and were kept at Shiraz as prisoners at large, but were
otherwise treated with every consideration. Karim Khan took the sister
of the deceased Muhammad Hasan Khan to be his wife, and made her the
mistiess of Ins harem a, circumstance which was of some importance in
the ultimate rise of the Kajars to sovereign power. Karim Khan died at
an advanced age in 1779.
The death of Karim Khan was naturally expected to affect very con
siderably the future fortunes of the family of the deceased Muhammad
Hasan Khan, and especially those of his eldest son, Agha Muhammad Khan.
The early career of Agha Muhammad Khan was characterised by misfortune;
hut he was destined to become one of the most important personages in the
modern history of Persia. After the death of Nadir Shah, when Muhammad
Hasan Khan, the Kajar chief, revolted against the new rule, and establish
ed his independence in the northern provinces, Agha Muhammad Khan
unfortunately fell into the hands of Adil Shah, the immediate successor of
Nadir Shah. Agha Muhammad Khan was then a lad of tender years ;
and Adil Shah had the cruelty to order that he should be reduced to the
condition of a eunuch. After the downfall of Adil Shah the boy returned
to his father’s house ; and henceforth he seems to have devoted all the
energies of his mind to the gratification of three master passions,—power,
wealth, and revenge. Pie accompanied Muhammad Hasan Khan on various
journeys and campaigns, and was entrusted with the important government
of a province; but his career was cut short for a while by the death of his
father and the accession of his detested Zand rival to the throne of Persia.
As Agha Muhammad Khan was the eldest son of Muhammad Hasan Khan,
he was entitled to succeed to the chiefship of the lower branch of the
Kajars ; hut he was so closely pressed by the hereditary enemies of his
father, that he was compelled to fly to the Turkumans, accompanied by the
other members of his family, and ultimately to surrender to Karim Khan,
and reside at Shiraz.
All this while his aunt was the mistress of the royal harem ; and when
Karim Khan was on his deathbed, this lady privately warned her nephew,
that if he remained at Shiraz after the death of the Zand sovereign, he
would certainly be murdered by the surviving chiefs of the Zand party.
Accordingly Agha Muhammad Khan effected his escape from Shiraz under
pretence of a hunting expedition, and speedily obtained possession of all
the Caspian provinces, which had previously belonged to his predecessors in
the chieftainship of the lower branch of the Kajars.
Meantime Karim Khan had breathed his last ; and the throne of Persia
was disputed by his brothers and his son. It would be needless to describe
the series of tragedies which characterised the struggle between the uncle
and the nephew. Ultimately Zaki Khan, the uncle, prevailed and succeeded
in establishing himself at Shiraz. He then revived the feud against
the Kajar by sending an expedition against Agha Muhammad Khan under
the command of a kinsman and warm supporter of his own, named Ali
Murad. But there was treachery in the camp. Ali Murad revolted
against the brother of Karim Khan, and declared for the son of the deceased
sovereign. Zaki Khan left Shiraz furious with rage to wreak his vengeance
on his refractory kinsman.
Before, however, he could carry his threat into execution he was assassinated
at Yazdikhast ; and his death was followed by the accession of Abd-ul-
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