‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎290r] (586/722)

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Shah this tribute of beauty had been withheld; and although Karim
Khan had demanded its renewal, the Czar Heraclius successfully refused to
comply with the degrading requisition. In 1783, whilst Persia was dis
tracted by the wars between the Zand and the Kajar, Heraclius, Czar of
Georgia, transferred his allegiance from Persia to Russia; and the Empress
Catherine the Second guaranteed the crown of Georgia to Heraclius and
his heirs for ever. Accordingly, when Agha Muhammad Khan had establish
ed his supremacy, he called on Heraclius to return to his allegiance ; but
the ruler of Georgia replied that he acknowledged no sovereign but Cathe
rine. Agha Muhammad Khan then determined to take Heraclius by surprise
before the Russians could support him; and with this view he advanced by
rapid marches to Tiflis, the capital. Heraclius fought bravely to the last;
but was overpowered by numbers, and compelled to fly to the mountains,
with a portion of his family. Tiflis was then abandoned to the bigoted and
brutal rage of the Persian soldiery. The churches were levelled to the
ground ; the priests were bound and thrown into the stream ; the town was
pillaged and burnt; all the aged and infirm were ruthlessly massacred ; and
fifteen thousand youth of both sexes were carried away to Tihran to end
their days in slavery.
Prior to the conquest of Georgia, Agha Muhammad Khan had refused to
be crowned Shah of Persia. By that conquest, however, he appears to have
e msidered that he had recovered all the territory which belonged of right to
the Persian kingdom; for he allowed himself to be solemnly crowned Shah
of Persia at the new capital of Tihran.
Immediately after the coronation at Tihran, Agha Muhammad Khan
marched a large force towards Mashhad, the capital of Khurasan. He
pretended that he was going on a pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Imam
Raza at Mashhad ; but his real object was to establish his suzerainty in
Khurasan, and to check the inroads of the Turkumans and Uzbaks. Above
all, he was anxious to possess himself of the jewels, which still appertained
to the miserable descendants of Nadir Shah. On his march the chiefs of
Khurasan tendered their submission; and as he approached Mashhad, the
blind Shah Rukh came out to meet him, and to propitiate him with presents.
The wretched grandson of Nadir Shah was indeed utterly powerless.
Hitherto he had ruled over the province of Khurasan under the suzerainty
of the Amirs of Afghanistan; but Ahmad Shah and Taimur Shah had
passed away, and Zaman Shah, the reigning Amir, was far too much
occupied at this period with his designs on Hindustan to pay any attention
to the agressions of Persia in Khurasan. Under such circumstances, Shah
Rukh was submissive to the last degree. He was prepared to yield every
thin-, except his jewels ; and he attempted to evade the demand for treasure
by solemnly protesting that he had none in his possession. Agha Muhammad
Khan however, was remorseless. He ordered the old man to be bastinadoed,
but without effect. He then tortured Shah Rukh with hot irons ; and a
number of jewels were produced, which had been sunk m wells, or built up m
walls. Still there was one ruby of extraordinary size, which had once
adorned the crown of Aurungzebe. Shah Rukh \vas supposed to have m m
his possession ; but not even hot irons could make him give it up. Einally,
a circle of paste was put upon his head, and boiling lead poured into it
Then he aled prince gave A P the ruby ; and Agha Muhammad Khan prepared
t 0 “ hfm prisone? to Tihran. Shah Rukh, however, died of his tortures
at the age of sixty-three.