‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎289r] (584/722)

His dominion, however, only extended over the southern provinces. The-
northern provinces were still in the possession of the Kajar chief, Agha
Muhammad Khan, who had made Tihran his capital, and still retained
possession of Isfahan, and who was actively preparing to engage in a
desperate struggle for the throne.
In the early part of the summer of 1789, Agha Muhammad Khan left
Tihran with an army of 50,000 men, and marched towards Shiraz-
Lutf Ali Khan at once took the field against him, and in all probability
would have defeated him ; but during the engagement his troops began to
desert him and retreat towards their native hills, and Agha Muhammad Khan
was thus enabled to obtain the victory. Lutf Ah Khan, however, suc
ceeded in reaching Shiraz; and although Agha Muhammad Khan followed
him and laid siege to the city, he failed to take it, and was ultimately
compelled to return to Tihran. In 1790 Lutf Ali Khan expected a
renewal of the siege ; but Agha Muhammad Khan was at this time too much
engaged in maintaining his own authority in Azarbaijan to attempt a
second expedition against Shiraz. Accordingly Lutf Ali Khan determined
to march once against Karman, which he had been endeavouring to reduce
when he was called away by the news of his father's murder. The governor
of Karman offered to pay tribute to Lutf Ali Khan, on the condition that
his attendance at Shiraz should be dispensed with ; but the impetuous young
Zand refused to accept the terms, and set out with his army in the
beginning of winter, and commenced the siege of the city of Karman.
The result was, that the army of Lutf Ali Khan perished of cold and
hunger. Heavy falls of snow cut off the supplies of provisions ; and, at last,
so much disaffection was excited, that he was compelled to raise the siege
of Karman and return to Shiraz.
At this juncture a breach arose between Lutf Ah Khan and Haji
Ibrahim, which proved fatal to the Zand dynasty. Haji Ibrahim had long
rendered loyal and valuable services to the Zand sovereigns; and it was
owing to his active support that Lutf Ali Khan obtained possession or Shiraz.
In return Lutf Ali Khan made Haji Ibrahim his min ster; but soon
grew jealous of his authority.- llaji Ibrahim exeicised a strong locM
influence in Shiraz, by which', indeed, he had been enabled to place Lutf
Ali Khan in the possession of the southern provinces; but which, neverthe
less, excited the growing suspicion in the mind of the young sovereign, that
his minister was entertaining ulterior designs. And in this surmise he was
right; for the minister himself, distrustful of his young master, took
advantage of his being absent on an expedition to seize the citadel of
Shiraz; and when Lutf All returned, he found not only that he was
refused admittance, but that Haji Ibrahim had made over the city to his
Kajar rival. . . „ , ,,
At this crisis Lutf Ali Khan rose with the occasion, and performed those
prodigies of valour which have rendered him famous m Persian story. He
defeated armies in the open field which ten times outnumbered his own.
On one occasion when Agha Muhammad Khan was encamped with an army
of thirty thousand men near the ruins of Persepolis, Lutt All Khan made
a night-attack with only five hundred followers, and cut his way to the royal
quarters ; and he could easily have secured the pavilion and_ person ia
Muhammad Khan, had he not been persuaded that the Kajar had fled from
the camp, and that the royal treasures, which might easily be secured
for his own use in the morning, would ue carried off b\ the Loops m