"دليل بلاد فارس، المجلد I ويشمل محافظات أستراباد، شاهرود-بوستان، خراسان، وسيستان" [ظ‎‎٢‎٩‎٣] (٧٢٢/٥٩٣)

540
resumed possession of Mashhad. The Khan of Khiva and the Amir of
Bukhara advanced to the assistance of the rebel chiefs ; and it is said that
the ruler of Khiva was defeated, whilst the ruler of Bukhara tendered an
explanation, which was accepted by the Shah. Subsequently the Turkumans
rose in rebellion, if rebellion it can be called ; for they never appear to have
acknowledg'ed the supremacy of the Shah.
During the period, when the Persian government held but a loose hold
upon Khurasan, Muhammad Vali Mirza committed an act so violent as to
lead to his recall. The most powerful of all the chiefs of Khurasan was a
Kara Turkuman, named Ishak Khan. He had originally filled the office of
mace-bearer to the chief of his tribe ; but having secured the means of
constructing a fort at Turbat, he soon obtained the foremost place in the
province. His possessions extended over 200 miles in the neighbourhood
of Mashhad and Khaf, and his force included 6,000 men. Ishak Khan is
said to have yielded submission to Agha Muhammad Khan and to his suc
cessor, Fateh All Shah; but to have imbibed a strong dislike to Muhammad
Vali Mirza, and to have employed every species of intrigue with the Shah
to procure the recall of the prince-governor from Khurasan. Ishak Khan
however, still continued to attend the levees of the prince-governor of
Khurasan, and to respect his authority ; and though Muhammad Valf Mirza
was aware of the extent of his intrigues, he hesitated to act against a chief
of such commanding influence. At length the prince-governor was driven
to desperation by the intrigues against him ; and when all the chiefs were
assembled at a certain levee, he ordered Ishak Khan and his son to be
seized and strangled in his presence. The other chiefs immediately left
Mashhad, and fled to their respective strongholds ; and the treacherous act
brought about the very disgrace which Muhammad Yah Mirza had hoped
to avoid. Such a storm of indignation was raised, that the Shah was com
pelled to recall him from the government of Khurasan.
The province of Khurasan was then conferred upon Hasan Ali Mirza,
whose warlike disposition was well calculated to restore the turbulent chiefs
to the authority of the Shah. Indeed, at this period the city of Mashhad
may be said to have been the only place in the vast province of Khurasan
which was really in the possession of the Shah. The territories of Nisha-
pur, Kuchan, Bujnurd, Tabas, Turbat-i-Haidarf, and Ghain, were under
the authority of semi-independent Khans, who were supported in their
disaffection by the ruler of Herat. Moreover, the treacherous murder com
mitted by Muhammad Vah Mirza seems to have created such widely-spread
disaffection throughout Khurasan, that the chiefs refused to attend his
court. Hasan Ali Mirza, however, marched against these refractory chiefs
in turn at the head of his army, and gradually reduced them to submission,
with but one exception. A chief of the Hazaras still held out in his strong
hold at Mahmudabad; and as Hasan All Mirza had resolved on an expedi
tion against Herat, he determined to take this fortress on his way. After
a desperate assault the fortress was taken ; but the chief escaped on horse
back, although pursued for twenty miles by the prince-governor in person.
Hasan Ah Mnza subsequently wreaked his vengeance upon his prisoners,
many of whom he caused to be nailed to the ground.
It will now be necessary to glance briefly at the affairs of Herat. It
has aheady been stated that, about IbOO, prince Firuz-ud-din obtained
possession of that province. lor some years subsequently Firuz-ud-din
was viitually an independent sovereign. On the one hand, the fierce
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