‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎288v] (583/722)

530
Fateh Khan, the eldest son of the deeeased Karim Khan, to
the throne of Persia. The new sovereign, however, proved weak and
dissolute, and was dragged out of the royal harem by an uncle named Sadik
Khan, and placed in confinement. Then Ah Murad, who had readied
Tihran, declared for the imprisoned prince; hut Sadik Khan tried to
remove the cause of quarrel by depriving the prince of his eyesight,
and thus rendering him incapable of tilling the throne of Persia. At this
news Ah Murad left Tihran and proceeded to Shiraz; and after a
blockade of eight months, he succeeded in capturing the place, and putting
Sadik Khan and all his family to death.
Ah Murad thus became the sovereign of Persia. His first act was to
transfer his capital from Shiraz to Isfahan. His second was to send
his son, Shaikh Vaiz, against the Caspian provinces held by Agha Muhammad
Khan. In the first instance Shaikh Vaiz gained some successes, and com
pelled Agha Muhammad Khan to fly from Mazandaran to Astarabad. He
then sent a detachment in pursuit, which was completely cut off by the
Kajar chief; and the whole army was seized with such a panic, that Shaikh
Vaiz retreated with all speed to Tihran. Ah Murad had already arrived
at Tihran from Isfahan ; and he was so enraged at the chiefs who had
abandoned his son, that he ordered their brains to be beaten out with wooden
mallets. Pie would then have marched in person against Agha Muhammad
Khan, but was called away to the southward by tidings of a revolt of his
half-brother, Jafar Khan ; and he died on the road from Tihran to
Isfahan.
Meantime Jafar Khan advanced to Isfahan, and took possession of the
throne of Persia. He had now two enemies to deal with, namely—Shaikh
Vaiz, the son of the deceased Ah Murad ; and Agha Muhammad Khan, the
chief of the lower branch of the Kajars and hereditary enemy of the Zands.
He overcame Shaikh Vaiz by treachery. He cajoled the prince with a
friendly letter, and thus got him in his power, and then immediately put
out his eyes. The attention of Jafar Khan was next drawn to Agha Muham
mad Khan. During the previous reign Agha Muhammad Khan had with
difficulty maintained himself in Mazandaran; but he had long promised his
followers that when All Murad should be out of the way, he would advance
towards the south. No sooner did he hear that AH Murad was dead than
he left Mazandaran with a small army, which was rapidly joined by so
many disaffected chiefs, that he was enabled to take possession of Tihran
and Isfahan, and to compel Jafar Khan to retire in the utmost confusion
to Shiraz. It is needless to detail the military operations, which followed.
They were brought to a close by the violent death of Jafar Khan.
Jafar Khan left one son, who has long been celebrated in Persian annals
as the hero of the Zands and the last of the dynasty. Plis name was Lutf
AH Khan. This prince was engaged in the reduction of Karman when
he heard that his father had been murdered at Shiraz. At this time he
was only eighteen years of age; but he had already distinguished himself
in war. Accordingly, when he heard the news of the tragedy at Shiraz,
he at once marched against that city. At that time the chief magistrate
of the province of Fars was Haji Ibrahim, a man whose fortunes had been
closely bound up with those of the Zand rulers, to whom he had rendered
great service, and by whom he had been liberally rewarded. Through the
influence of this important personage, Lutf AH Khan was readily admitted
into Shiraz, and succeeded in obtaining possession of the throne of Persia.