Nader Shah. Historical novel

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CHAPTER IV

Qazvin, 1723

The troops of Mahmud Shah had first enclosed Qazvin, then they sent a messenger to the ruler of the city and demanded them to give Tahmasb Mirza to the Afghans. The ruler of the city told the messenger that Tahmasb Mirza wasn’t in Qazvin and if he was in the city he would never give him to the Afghans. Only after the ruler’s words, the Afghans attacked the city with about troop of ten thousand fighters. The fortress walls of the city were not firm, which was why in the third day of the blockade it was broken and the city yielded to the Afghans after intensive battles. The real tragedies began after the blockade. The Afghans hung the ruler of Qazvin at the gate of the city. In the city robbery, killing, destroying and firing began.

The population of the city had never seen such a situation. The people of the city were losing their patience.

…The mullabashi of Qazvin had also never seen such kind of cruelty. That was why he was thinking about a way out. He secretly informed the beys of Qazvin to be ready; in due time he would pronounce Fetwa17 to clear off the city from the Afghans. The beys, rich people and simple devout persons tried to hide themselves and were defending their families.

That night the mullabashi was waiting for the beylerbeyi18 of Qazvin. The beylerbeyi Husam was a brave person at the age of thirty. When he heard about the arrogance of the Afghans he couldn’t bear it. He flew into a rage. When he sent news to the mullabashi that he wanted to say something to him Husam was pleased with the answer he received. The mullabashi promi sed to give him any assis- tance he needed. The Afghans were becoming ungovernable day after day.

At midnight the door of the home of mullabashi was knocked quietly. Though mullabashi knew who was behind the door he said:

– My children, go to the door, somebody is knocking at the door.

The man who knocked at the door was Husam. He entered the room and said: “Good evening!”

The mullabashi stood up, put his hands on his chest and answered him: “Good evening, bey!” He showed him a cushion and asked him to sit.

There were a lot of bookshelves in the room. The mullabashi had read a great deal; he was an educated person. He approached any probl em correctly, according to the rules allowed by “Qur’ani-Kerim”. That was why he was respected by all the people in Qazvin. Most people appealed him in those troubled days knowing about his respect.

The mullabashi arranged himself comfortably on the cushion and asked the beylerbeyi:

– What news in the city, Husam bey?

The beylerbeyi answered, smoothing his moustaches:

– The news is that there is grief, misfortune and meanness in the city! – Our honor has been hurt and disgraced. After some days we must tie a kerchief round our heads.

The mullabashi didn’t consider getting angry was acf ceptable:

– Have patience, Husam bey! Your flying into a rage may harm us. If we start fighting before its time the people can be killed.

– Mullah, the people are being killed. Listen to me, what those cruel Afghans have done. Two drunk Afghans stopped a widow who has four children, in the street and asked about the place where she lived. That poor woman said that she didn’t live far from there. The drunken Afghans began gofng after her. As soon as the woman entered her home, the Afghans also rushed in after her. The hopeless woman took a frying pan and struck the head of one of them. Her children ran outside and began to shout…Those cruel Afghans firstly raped the woman, then choked her. When the neighbors came and saw that they had killed the woman, the neighbors also killed two Afghans, and hid their dead bodfes. Now Afghans are lookfng for everywhere to find them. After that accident they have a good opportunity to meddle everywhere.

The mullabashi said in a miserable, mournful voice:

– I know all you told, Husam bey! – I even know worse than you told! Religion and faith are hurt.

– What are we waiting for?

– The time.

– When will the time come?

– If they behave like thus and make all the people fly into a rage the time will come soon, Husam! Tell me how is the preparation of fighting of the beys?

– I also want to speak about preparation, mull ah! My brave boys are ready. They are waiting for the day when all the people will begin fighting. We have gathered two thousand brave boys having swords and all are ready to fight. When will the time you speak about come?

The mullabashi sighed deeply:

– In fact, the day that we are waiting for has come today. But we wasted a chance, what a pity!

– What does it mean “we wasted the chance?”

– Pay attention to my words, Husam! If we don’t make all the people begin fighting, if the people stay in their homes, the struggle will be strangled in the sea of blood! Today we could use the tragedy of that woman. We had to gather the people, firstly, we had to rouse them, so we can begin to revolt. Revolt for honor, manliness, self -respect… But the neighbors were frightened, they hid the dead bodies of two Afghans because of belong frightened. They showed themselves as though they knew nothing about the accident. The unhappy woman was buried secretly.

The beylerbeyi thought for a while and said pitifully:

– You are right, mullah! We missed a good chance, which we could use. Nobody thought about it.

– Nobody thought, but you must think about it now, Husam bey! If such a kind of tragedy happens once more, you must act immediately. Also ask your brave boys to get in the way and not to let the Afghans help each another.

– All right, mullah!

– If it is thus, be ready, Husam bey! I hope that the time of this revolt won’t be late.

The beylerbeyi thought that the mullabashi was going to finish talking and he stood up:

– Well, allow me go away, I must meet with the beys tomorrow, I must tell them about our conversation.

The mullabashi also stood up. He shook hands with the beylerbeyi and said to him: “Good night!” When Husam bey left mullabashi took the Qur’an, opened it, put his hand on any sentence and read the sentence after intending to follow it in his heart. He thought a bit about the sentence that he read in the Arabian language and smiled with pleasure. Then he blew out the lamp on the niche.

…It was winter, the morning came late. At seven o’clock in the morni ng, the door of the home of mullabashi was knocked noisily. The mullabashi had just finished his morning ritual worship, he was awake, and closing the Qur’an he was reading went out to the yard:

– I am coming, who are you?

Behind the door, there were heard rude words:

– Open the door, be quick, hurry!

The mullabashi opened the door. There were three Afghan fighters at the gate. The mullabashi asked:

– What for have you come? What do you want?

One of the fighters said:

– It is the order of the vice-regent. He ordered us to look into each home as two of our fighters disappeared.

The mullabashi said severely:

– This is the home of the mullabashi in Qazvin. If you lost your fighters go and look for them in other places. Maybe they drank too much and are sleeping in one of the cellars.

– We don’t know anything. We have been ordered to search for them everywhere. We must look for them!

The fighters said thus and wanted to squeeze themselves into the room.

“Maybe the time to fight has come” – The mullabashi thought. It was necessary to draw these fighters to enable the fighting to begin. It was possible to win over the enemy even with one’s death like Imam Husain. Imam had left such a kind of sign in Karbala so that thanks to him the religion of Islam was supported. Couldn’t he save his city and his people by continuing his tradition? The mullabashi came to a final decision and blocked the fighters with his tall body:

– My home is the place where the terms of shariat are kept! I won’t allow you who do slovenly work to enter my cell and disgrace my self-esteem:

– Renegades! Leave my home!

The Afghan fighters began to suspect him. One of them pushed the mullabashi on his breast.

– Don’t stand in our way, old witch!

Though the mullabashi didn’t fall he staggered. Then he said loudly “Bismillahir-rehmanir-rehim” and rushed to – wards them. He caught the collar of the fighter before him, attack-ng his face with his head. The attack covered the fighter’s face in blood and the mullabashi fell on the floor.

…The children were running in the streets and shouting: “They killed mollabashi! The Afghans killed the mollabashi!”

A crowd was going towards the home of the mollabashi. The popul ation of the city came running and after some time not only in the yard but also in the streets there were a lot of people. Husam bey also had come. He was looking at the faces, the eyes of the people. There was hatred, fury against the Afghans. “It was the proper time. That is to say the mullabashi sacri ficed himself for the freedom of the city. Husam bey thought thus and clenched his fist. Then he whispered into the ears of the beys standing near him, setting tasks. The beys went away somewhere in a hurry.

 

The mullahs were speaklng to one another in a low voice. They pursued different thoughts about the death of the mollabashi. Husam bey looked at them and shook his head ironically. The mullabashi wouldn’t be buried under the black soil like the inhabitant of the defeated city! They didn’t have to miss this chance. He put a stump under his feet, stood on it and spoke loudly:

– People! Our wise respected elder, the mullabashi of the people, sacrificed himself on the route to the freedom of our city! We must not agree to bury him when the enemies are in Qazvin, like a minister of religion of a defeated city! – He raised his voice. – If our city hasn’t been freed the mullabashi can’t be buried with respect! His spirit won’t forgive us!

The crowd shouted: “It is right”, “Death to the Afghans”, “It is the time to begin to Jihad!19”.

The beylerbeyi understood that the time to fight had come. He unsheathed his sword and raised his sword above his head and said furiously:

– Kill the sons of bitches!

It was as if the crowd was waiting for his shouting and their glittered swords and poniards were raised above their heads. The sound of roaring grew greatly and the people raged and moved along the street…

…After some time swords, spears, axes and pitch-forks began to collide with one another. The arrows began flying, guns began shooting, and the stone-hearted Afghans were covered in their own blood. The voices of “Allahu -Akber” of the powers which started the attack spontaneously shuddered the city. Then the fights became more regulated and became even more aggravated.

Qazvin was divided into parts. The group of Husam bey was the main fighting part. Wherever they saw a fighting Afghan they fought against him. All the people were fighting against the Afghans. Streets, walls and doors were covered in blood. The fighting Afghans removed themselves towards the gate of the city. By the ritual worship of the afternoon the larger part of the Afghan fighters were killed. The people of the city were inspired and they thought that no one could defeat them. At last they drove out the last Afghan fighter too and began to shout “Allahu -Akber!”, “Ya Husain”. The people wanted their victorious exclamations even reach to the heavens.

In the streets were hung the dead bodies of eight thousand Afghan fighters Only about two thousand fighters escaped from the revolt of Qazvin and with difficulty ran away to Isfahan. When they spoke to Mahmud khan about the incident, he couldn’t believe his ears. Then he got so angry that he sentenced to death about five hundred Safavids who were captives. He didn’t sentence to death only Sultan Husain and his two sons.

…The loss of Qazvin had shaken Mahmud Shah’s nerves. After some time his nerves were strongly shocked. He behaved as though mad. At last the Afghans were sick of his madness and illness, they began thinking about what measures to take. They offered the throne to Mahmud khan’s nephew, Ashraf bey. Ashraf bey accepted that proposal and he killed his uncle and declared himself Shah.

Saint-Petersburg, thepalace of Peter the Great, 1724

Peter the Great, who seemed hale and hearty in spite of being old, was looking at the map of the empire. The map was on a big table. He was thinking with his arms crossed on his chest. He had occupied Darband and Baku using the opportunity of weakness of the dynasty of the Safavid. That day two ambassadors would come to his reception. One of them was Alexander Vasilyevich Nepluyev whom Peter the Great had appointed ambassador to istanbul; the other was Ismayil bey who was sent by the ruler of the Safavid, by Tahmasb Shah for talks. Peter the Great had decided to receive firstly Nepluyev, to clear up with him the problem of the attitude of the Ottomans to Azerbaijan; then to receive the messenger of Shah Tahmasb. Ismayil bey was in Saint-Petersburg for about one week. But Peter the Great didn’t hurry to meet with him.

Just at that moment the doors, the height of which was about four or five meters, opened; the master of ceremonies entered the room and hit the golden stick on the floor and said loudly:

– Your Highness, Emperor! Your chief ambassador in Is- tan bul, Al ex an der Vasilyevich Nepluyev!

The emperor hinted “come” with a sign of his hand. A man of medium height came in. He was the ambassador of Russia in Istanbul. He bent his head and bowed. Peter the Great said in a lively manner:

– Well, Alexander Vasilyevich, tell me how it is to live in Istanbul? Don’t you miss your home?

– No, Your Highness! I don’t miss, but it is very difficult for a Christian to live among the Moslems, especially among the Turkish people. It is right, there are Christian churches too, but to live there isn’t too easy....Not easy.

The moustaches of Peter the Great trembled with rage. He brought himself together and clapped his hands on the shoulder of the ambassador:

– Never mind, Alexander Vasilyevich, have patience, the time will come, we shall drive out all the Turks, these Mos- lems, from Istanbul. Remember well, he who will occupy Istanbul will be the ruler of the world.

– Let it be as you say, Your Highness!

Peter the Great put a question to the ambassador in a lively voice:

– Now, tell me how the situation is with the Ottomans? -I mean those whose trousers are loose…

– Your Highness, after the occupation of Darband and Baku by the Russian troops, the Ottomans began to act. One part of the Ottomans went forward from Baghdad till Hamadan under the leadership of Ahmad pasha; the other part of them occupied Tiflis and is going to conquer the north part of Azerbaijan including Shirvan…

Peter the Great interrupted his words:

– Alexander Vasilyevich, don’t continue! Show me on the map what you said to me.

– All right, Your Highness!

They came nearer to the map. Nepluyev took the thin switch for the map and put it on the state of Safavids.

– Your Highness, here is Azerbaijan. I have heard that the troops of Ahmad pasha will go till Qazvin, then passing through Irevan they will join with the army going in the direction of Shirvan and his troops will fight against our garrison to free Darband and Baku. The chief Vizier called me to Topqapi many times and wanted to present me with a note about the war.

Peter the Great said in surprise:

– Why didn’t he present the note?

– By the efforts of Markiz de Bonak, the ambassador of France in istanbul.

– Hmm… What is the interest of France.?

– As I know, the king of France doesn’t want war between the Ottomans and Russia.

– Is it useful for France or for the Ottomans?

– Of course, for France, Your Highness! France doesn’t want the two big states fighting against each other. In fact, France wants to make the Turks fight against Austria.

Peter the Great laughed loudly:

– Oh …I didn’t know about it. It appears that France

wants to place Austria under its command…

– It appears like this, Your Highness!

Peter the Great asked one more question:

– Has Markiz de Bonak firm standing in the palace of the Sultan?

– Yes, Your Highness! He has a firm standing with the Sultan and the Viziers. The Ottomans try to strengthen economical, political and military relations with France.

– Well, it is clear. It appears that a war against the Ottomans is not expected soon. How is the situation in the Safavids?

– Your Highness, you know that there is chaos, anarchy and no control in the state of the Safavid. Now there are revolts in each of the cities.

Peter the Great didn’t let Nepluyev finish his words:

– I know all about it, I know what happens there. Speak to me about Istanbul. What did Tahmasb’s messenger promise to the Sultan? What will the Sultan give instead? Speak me about all these!

Nepluyev said, being confused:

– Your Highness! The Sultan wants from Tahmasb one part of Azerbaijan including Qazvin, Tabriz, Irevan, Tiflis, Hamadan, Rey, Khoy, and Shirvan…

What is he going to give in return?

– In return the Sultan is going to give troops to Tahmasb, to help him in suppressing revolts, and recognize him as the Shah.

– Hmmm… The Sultan wants from Tahmasb half of Azerbaijan. Is it shamelessness or the demonstration of power? Well, it is interesting, what happened then?

– Then the problem remained just the same, Your Highness!

– What does it mean “remained just the same?”

– The messenger answered the Sultan that he hadn’t the authority to answer. So, he returned from istanbul to Tahmasb’s place.

Peter the Great walked up and down on the marble floor of the palace making a noise with his boot and thought a little. Then he returned and put his hands on the messenger’s shoulder:

– It is very good, Alexander Vasilyevich, very good! You must insist, thoughtfully, on the problem of Azerbaijan. Interfere in the signing of a peace treaty between the Ottomans and the Safavids. If it needs don’t spare any gold, money or other things. Do you hear? Don’t even miss the chance of using the French Markiz de Bonak! Do you hear?

– I hear, Your Highness!

– So it is from one side; from the second side try to achieve an agreement between the Ottomans and Russia in building a demarcation line passing through the territory of Azerbaijan. – He showed the seashore of the Caspian Sea on the map. – Because the troops of Russia could move forward to Mazandaran. Do you understand, Alexander Vasilyevich?

– I understand, Your Highness!

– Very well, if it is thus you may go…

Nepluyev went out of the room. Peter the Great took the bell and rang it for some time, and the master of ceremonies entered the room:

– Your Highness!

– Call the messenger of the Safavids!

– All right, Your Highness!

Peter the Great sat on his throne and continued thinking. After some time the high doors were opened again. The master of ceremonies hit the golden stick on the floor:

– The messenger of the empire of the Safavid, Ismayil bey!

A man at the age of about thirty, handsome, black-eyed, having black eyelashes, whose appearance showed he came from the East, an interpreter and a servant with a covered tray in his hand entered the sa lon. The man who entered first was Ismayil bey. Ismayil bey came forward and bowed to Peter the Great:

– I have brought you the regards of our Shah, Tahmasb Mirza! I wish you long life! – The interpreter began to trans- late the words of Ismayil bey. Peter the Great nodded his head as a sign of thanks. – Our Shah wants you to take this gift on behalf of his name, like the gift showing the symbol of friendship of a neighboring state.

Ismayil bey took the covering off the tray that the servant was holding. A sword was on the tray, decorated with precious stones and an atlas dressing-gown sewn with golden threads. Ismayil bey gave the tray to the servant who was standing near the emperor. The other servants went out.

– Our Shah ordered me to tell you that the Safavids always lived with the Russians in peace and friendship. Starting from now he wants to live in the same way.

Peter the Great looked firmly into the eyes of Ismayil bey and forthrightly spoke about the main purpose:

– What does your Shah want?

– Our Shah wants you, being a great emperor, to recognize him as the Shah; to assist our Shah in the troubled days of our state.

– Well, suppose we recognized Tahmasb Mirza as the Shah. What does Russia gain out of it?

– You may know this, Your Highness!

Peter the Great thought screwing up his eyes and then said:

– We shall agree with you under the following conditions:

– Darband, Baku, and their suburbs remain in the structure of Russia.

– The seashore provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran and Astarabad pass to Russia’s control.

– The state, which is our friend, becomes your friend; the state which is our enemy becomes your enemy too.

– Russian merchants can trade in your territory without paying tax and they can go to Delhi and other countries without paying tax.

With all these condi tions the Russian Empire undertakes the followings:

– Recognizes Tahmasb as the Shah of the state of Safavids;

 

The Russian state will assist in suppressing any revolts which happen inside the state of the Safavids.

The interpreter was translating slowly, without any pause, translating the words which the emperor said to Ismayil bey. When he finished translating the silence was broken by Peter the Great:

– Did the Shah of Safavid give you responsibility to dis- cuss all these problems and sign the documents?

Ismayil bey answered:

– Yes, Your Highness!

– In this case it would be interesting to know your attitude to these conditions.

For Peter the Great the third paragraph was important, because that paragraph didn’t allow the uniting of the Ottomans with the Safavids. If they signed a peace treaty, without fail the opinion of Russia was to be taken into consideration. Practically, Peter the Great made the Safavids fall into a political trap. Peter the Great supposed that the messenger would think a lot but would understand nothing. But Ismayil bey dispersed this supposition of the emperor:

– Your Highness, I agree with your conditions, but it is necessary to add one word to the responsibility from your side.

– Which word?

– In the second paragraph instead of the word of “military” there must be written “military and financial”.

Peter the Great had already gained a diplomatic victory over the Ottomans by means of the Safavids. Now whatever the messenger of Safavids wanted he would give. That was why he said with indifference:

– Let it be how you want, messenger of Safavids! – Tonight we are going to sign a treaty about “friendship and brotherhood”. After the official signing, tomorrow you may take the first financial assisiance- ten thousand pieces of Russian gold.

To get the unexpected assistance and by means of it to strengthen the army of the Shah made Ismayil bey rejoice:

– All right, Your Highness!

Peier the Great had achieved his main purpose. His main purpose was to turn the Caspian Sea into a Russian basin and not to let the Ottomans to the west of the Caspian Sea. That was why he became cheerful. In order to test the mind of Ismayil bey, he wanted to make him speak once again:

– Both the Safavids and the Ottomans are from the same stock. Why don’t you find a common language? Half of the world is under your control. You fight against yourselves. What can’t you share?

Ismayil bey answered without thinking:

– For faith and lands, Your Highness!

– I understood the meaning of faith, but why for “lands”?

– Both the Otiomans and the Safavids are the Oghuz Turks. Azerbaijan and Anatolia are the motherland of both of them. They say that Azerbaijan and Anatolia are their motherl and, but we say that Azerbaijan and Anatolia are ours and we have been living here for thousand years. They don’t want to agree with us…

Peter the Great smiled at the naive words of Ismayil bey and said nothing.

Addition:

On June 24 in 1724 as a result of the efforts of the ambassador of Russia in istanbul, Nepluyev and the ambas- sador of France, Markiz de Bonak, a treaty was signed between the Ottomans and Russia about the division of the north and west parts of the state of Safavids. According to that treaty a straight line from the place where Kur and Araz joined till Hamadan, from the south part of Dagestan including the east part of Shamakhy were considered the borders of Russia and the Ottomans. According to the document, the Ottoman and Russia empires would recognize Tahmasb Mirza as the Shah. If the Shah recognized that treaty, they would assist him in restoring orders in the state of the Safavids.

But Tahmasb Shah didn’t accept such a shameful treaty and the conditions shown there. That was why under the leadership of Ahmad pasha, the Ottomans firstly occupied Khoy, then Hamadan, then Nakhchivan and Irevan. The Ottomans who were not able to conquer Tabriz entered Ganja. Tahmasib Shah returned to Ardabil when the second attack on Tabriz was successful.

“…I knew that the situation was worse. My beauti ful Azerbaijan was conquered by the Russians and the Ottof mans; there began a revolt in the empire which had been left to us like a heritage. Now the ruler of each city behaved like the Shah. Be fore my eyes I was losing my country. “What must be done?” – That question always made me think. It was necessary to put an end to this lack of overall control. In order to join Azerbaijan and other lands in unity Tahmasb Shah made more efforts, but there was no result.

I made up my mind that it was necessary to create a strong army. Firstly, in Kalat I gathered one group of troopers about two thousand, consisting of the Avshars. I began to teach them the tactics of fighting, the ways to go forward, to retreat. To my mind, I achieved my purpose. Within a short time, I was able to create a group of regulated troopers. It stimul ated me to other great fights. Kalat was between the trenches like hills and valleys. It was my first fortress. It was necessary to test the fighting ability of the group by leaving Kalat. We attacked Khorasan. The fighters exactly fulfilled all my orders. We plundered Khorasan and returned Kalat with much plunder. At that time, Melik Mahmud Sistani didn’t miss the chance because of lack of control in the country. He occupied Meshed and declared him self an in de pend ent ruler.

Tahmasb Shah couldn’t get back Isfahan from Ashraf khan. Though he attacked the city with Fatali khan, Ashraf khan made them retreat.

One day a man by the name of Nasir agha came to me. He was originally Kurd. After greeting me he explained the purpose of his coming:

– Nader khan, I have come to you like a representative.

– Please, I am listening!

– It is necessary the Kurds and the Avshars are combined and become one troop or if they remain separate Melik Mahmud will make us surrender…

He was speaking wisely. I didn’t hide my thoughts and said:

– Nasir agha, I also think like you… – If there is no uniting they will kill not only us but also they will destroy our motherland…

He was glad to hear my words as if he didn’t expect me answering thus.

– It is right, Nader khan! In such troubled days we must unite. We discussed this and then decided that you must be the warlord of our fighters.

I thought for a while.

– Aren’t you mistaken in choosing me? – I asked in order to make sure.

– I think that we are not mistaken. Firstly, within a short time you will be able to introduce proper order between the fighters. Secondly, your name, bravery and courage are spoken by all the people.

I didn’t want to arrive at a decision in a hurry:

– Nasir agha, I may accept your proposal. In that case your group must obey my orders without reserve and must fulfill my orders unconditionally.

He didn’t think long:

– It will be how you said, if God pleases!

I agreed with Nasir agha, but I felt that he wanted to say something more. After some hesitation, he said:

– In order to do away with Melik Mahmud we have one mea sure.

– Please, Nasir agha, what did you decide?

Nasir agha made me take an oath on Imam Rza not to speak to anybody about his words.

– You know that the Kurds also serve to Melik Mahmud in his palace. We are obliged to be near him. After a week a traditional horse-race will begin in Meshed. In this horse-race both Melik Mahmud and you also will take part as before. If in that race you pull the horse of Melik Mahmud by the bridle, it will be a sign to us and we shall attack and kill him…

It wasn’t a bad idea. I agreed with Nasir agha about it. But I didn’t trust him much. In such kind of days any betrayal could be expected from men. In an underhand way, I learned that during the execution of Melik Mahmud they wouldn’t miss the chance to hurt me and to do away with me. I didn’t refuse taking part in the horse-race. But I behaved as though I couldn’t pull the bridle. So, the horse-race finished, Melik Mahmud didn’t doubt. Then I knew that Melik Mahmud was aware of that plan and together his with two courtiers they had a plan of their own. I took those courtiers to hunting and asked them to tell me all what they knew.

One of the courtiers said to me that the idea had been decided by Melik Mahmud himself as he wanted to do away with me in that way.

– Why? – My relations with Melik Mahmud aren’t bad.

– Melik Mahmud isn’t afraid of Tahmasb Shah but you. By removing you he will get rid of his most dangerous enemy.

– Was Nasir agha aware of what you told me about?

– No, we showed ourselves to Nasir agha as though we were dissatisfied with Melik Mahmud and we would be able to make him believe us.

I killed the courtiers of Melik Mahmud and sent their heads to him…

…In 1725 near Khabushan the troops of Melik Mahmud and my troops came face to face. By fighting, I made him to retreat to Meshed. It was impossible to continue that fight till the end, because we needed cannons to encircle the city. I didn’t have cannons at that time. I made up my mind that instead of blockading Meshed it was better to take control of the stocks in the province of Daragoz who were enemies to me. I did what I thought. In that way the number of my fighters reached six thousand.

17Judgement of a Muslim jurist.
18The head of the beys.
19A sacred war

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