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Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

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THE PERSO-AFGHAN QUESTION 443<br />

son <strong>of</strong> the Asaf-<br />

young Kajar Khan known as the Salar,<br />

u-Dola, had rebelled. He had induced many <strong>of</strong> the<br />

chiefs <strong>of</strong> Khorasan to join him, but they deserted and hewas<br />

forced to seek refuge among the Turkoman together<br />

with Jafar Kuli Khan, chief <strong>of</strong> Bujnurd. Shortly afterwards<br />

the two rebels returned to Khorasan and reoccupied<br />

Bujnurd. Again they were attacked and again they fled,<br />

Jafar Kuli Khan taking refuge on this occasion with Yar<br />

Mohamed Khan <strong>of</strong> Herat.<br />

The death <strong>of</strong> Mohamed Shah gave the Pretender his<br />

chance, and before long, owing to hatred <strong>of</strong> the Turks,<br />

almost all the chiefs <strong>of</strong> Khorasan had joined the young<br />

Khan, whose personality was attractive and courage undoubted.<br />

Yar Mohamed Khan brought two thousand<br />

sowars to Meshed as a reinforcement for Hamza Mirza,<br />

the <strong>Persia</strong>n Governor-General, who had promised him<br />

in return for his<br />

twenty guns and two frontier posts<br />

assistance. But the forces <strong>of</strong> the Salar were too strong,<br />

and Meshed was evacuated, the Governor-General retiring<br />

in the direction <strong>of</strong> the Afghan<br />

frontier. Meanwhile a<br />

force <strong>of</strong> six thousand infantry under Sultan Murad Mirza<br />

reached Khorasan from Teheran and, mainly owing to<br />

the desertion <strong>of</strong> the Bujnurd chief, the Salar was driven<br />

to shut himself up in Meshed, where he was besieged for<br />

eighteen months. Finally the citizens <strong>of</strong> the Sacred City<br />

entered into negotiations<br />

with the besiegers, and surrendered<br />

Meshed and the Salar. The Pretender was<br />

tortured in barbarous fashion to make him reveal his<br />

treasure, and was then strangled.<br />

He was buried in the<br />

shrine <strong>of</strong> Khoja Rabi, close to the city.<br />

The Bab. Among the latest religions<br />

to which Asia<br />

has given birth is that <strong>of</strong> the Bab. Its founder, Sayyid<br />

Ali Mohamed, 1 born in 1820, was the son <strong>of</strong> a grocer <strong>of</strong><br />

Shiraz, who evincing<br />

a religious disposition was sent to<br />

Kerbela, where he studied at the feet <strong>of</strong> celebrated doctors<br />

<strong>of</strong> law and gained distinction for the austerities he<br />

practised and for his love <strong>of</strong> learning.<br />

At the age <strong>of</strong><br />

1<br />

These sections are based on The Episode <strong>of</strong> the Bab, The New <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Bab, and<br />

the article in the Encyclopedia <strong>of</strong> Religion and Ethics : in each case the author is Pr<strong>of</strong>. E.<br />

G. Browne. A brief account <strong>of</strong> the sect is also given in The Sword <strong>of</strong> Islam by Sir A.<br />

Wollaston.

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