A History of Persia

Chapter I

INTRODUCTION
Population of Persia - Cultivated Portion of the Country very small - Supply of Water - Artificial Irrigation - The Elburz Mountains - Attachment of Persians to their Native Country - Persia inhabited by Men of various Races - The Wandering Tribes - The Turkish and the Persian Languages - Two Classes of People in Persia - The Persians a robust Race - The Persian Character - Estimate formed of it by Europeans - Persian Government - Checks on the Royal Authority - Court of the Shah - Education in Persia - National Religion of the Persian Army - Labourers and Villagers - Mendicants - Trade and Produce - Climate - Prospects of the Country

Chapter II

The Sefaveean Dynasty - Fall of Ispahan - Expulsion of Affghans from Persia 0 Nadir Shah - Origin of the Affghan Kingdom - Adel Shah - Ibraheem - Shahrukh Meerza - Rival Candidates for the Persian Throne - The Chief of the Kajars p Herat and Seistan added to the Affghan Kingdom - Kereem Khan - Azad Khan - Zends and Kajars - Zeki Khan - Aga Mahomed Khan - His Escape from Sheeraz - Ali Murad - Jafer, Chief of the Zend - His Son Lutf'ali Khan

Chapter III

Origin of the Kajar Tribe - Its three Branches - Its settlements - Astrabad Branch of Kajars - Upper and Lower Kajars - Astrabad - Unsettled Condition of that Province - Ak-kaleh - Rhages - Rhei - Tehran - Its early Condition - Aga Mahomed Khan - His Brothers - Cruel Testament to which Aga Mahomed was subjected - Kindness shown to him by Kereem Khan - Lutf'ali Khan - Cruelty of Aga Mahomed - Haji Ibraheem - His Defection from the Chief of the Zend - Decisive Battle - Siege of Kerman - Death of Lutf'ali Khan

Chapter IV

Relations between the Shahs of Persia and the Czars of Georgia - Interference of Russia in Affairs of the Caucasus - Campaign of Peter the Great in Daghestan - Taking of Bakoo and Derbend - Southern Coast of the Caspian Sea - Early Condition of Georgia - Mingrelia - Intolerance of the Georgians - Tiflis - Expedition of Aga Mahomed into Georgia - Fortress of Erivan - Annexation of Korassan to Persia - Death of Shahrukh Meerza - Missions to Persia from the French Republic - Murder of Aga Mahomed - His Character


Chapter V

Sadek Khan endeavours to make himself King- Is defeated at Kasveen by the Shah - Kasveen - Province of Fars - Sheeraz - Sadek Khan delivers the Crown Jewels to the Shah, and is pardoned - The Body of Aga Mahomed Khan conveyed t oNejjef in Arabia - His Assassins are put to Death - Fetteh Ali crowned at Tehran - Rebellion of Mahomed Khan - Ispahan - Rebellion of Sadek, Jafer, Kuli, and Mahomed Kuli Khans - Goorgeen of Georgia - Fresh Rebellion of Mahomed Khan - Rebellion of the Shah's Brother - Defection of Mahomed Veli Khan and Suleiman Khan - Celmancy of the Shah - Revolt of Ishak Meerza - Herat - Rebellion of Nadir Meerza - Mission from India - Khorazzan - Last Rebellio of Sadek Khan - His Fate - Mission of Captain Malcolm - Fall of Haji Ibraheem - Kashan - Fresh Rebellion of the Shah's Brother - Siege of Meshed - Fall of Nadir Meerza

Chapter VI

Abdication of Czar of Georgia in favour of Emperor of Russia, 1800 - Prince Alexander defeated by General Lazeroff - Captures of Genja - Battle of Etchmiadzeen - Seeseeanoff routs Persians, and lays Siege to Erivan - Nocturnal Attacks - Eiege of Erivan raised - Events on Eastern and Southern Frontiers of Persia - Bokhara, Nermansheer, and Seistan - Chief og Karabagh submits to Russia - Campaign on that Province - Russia Descent on Glan - Capture of Genja by Persians - Assassination of Seeseeanoff - Missions of M. Jaubert -Fall of Ibraheem Khaleed Kahn - Turko-Persian Frontier - Establishment of Russia Authority from the Caucasus to Moghan - War between Persians and Affghans - Embassies from Napolean and from the Talpoors of Sindh - Embassy from England - Treaty - Mission from India - Disaster to Persian Arms in Russian War = Capture of Lankoran - Peace of Gulistan, 1813

Chapter VII

The Sons of Fetteh Ali Shah - Tabreez - Rebellion of the Chiefs of Khorassan - Isaak Khan, Karai - Hassan Ali Meerza - Herat - Tribes of Hezareh and Feeroozkoh - Treaty between England and Persia - Yezd - Guebres - Their Temples and Customs - The Chief of the Assassins - Combination of Chiefs of Herat, Khorassam and Central Asia against Persia - Fetteh Khan, Barukzye - His Defeat by Hassan Ali Meerza - Dost Mahomed Khan - War between Persia and Turkey - Campaigns of Baghdad and of Turkish Armenia - Battle of Toprak-Killeh - Massacre pf Christians at Salmas - Nestorians of Persia - American and French Missionaries - Peace between Turkey and Persia - Invasion of Khorassan by the Khan of Khiva

Chapter VIII

Vague Terms of Treaty of Gulistan - District of Gokcheh claimed by Russia - It is occupied by that Power - Excitement throughout Persia - War breaks out - Persians at first successful - They advance to the neighbourhood of Tiflis, and are defeated at the Zezam, and again near Genja - Avariciousness of the Shah - Division in his Council - Negotiations for Peace - The Russians checked on the Araxes - Erivan besieged - Siege raised - Abbassabad taken by General Paskiewitch - Defeat of the General Karkoffski by Persian Commanders at Asterick - Final Siege and Capture of Erivan - Invasion of Azerbaeejan by Price Aristoff - Tabreez falls into his Hands - Renewed Negotiations - Treaty of Turkomanchai

Chapter IX

Provisions of the Treaty of Turkomanchai - Alteration of the Treat between England and Persia - General Confusion in Persia - Supineness of the Shah's Government - M. Grebaiodoff - Murder of the Members of his Missions - Terror of the Shah - Embassy to Petersburg of Prince Kosroo - Severe Earthquakes in Persia - Campaign of the Crown Prince in Khoroassan - Fall of Ameerabad and of Kabulshan - Assault on Serrekhs - Origin of the Affghan War - Death of Abbas Meerza - The Kaim-makam - Last Days of fetteh Ali Shah - His Character - Burial Place of the Persian Kings

Chapter X

Three Aspirants to sovereign Power - Mahomed Meerza marches from Tabreez to Tehran - Submission of the Zil-es-Sultan - Mahomed Shah crowned at Tehran - Defeat of Hassan Ali Meerza by Sir ery Bethune - Capture of the Firman - Firma - Ardabeel - General Revolt in Khorassan - Fall of the Kaim-makam - Haji Meerza Aghassi - Ambitious Designs of the Persian Government - Expedition against Herat - Seistan - Prince Kamran and Yar Mahomed Khan - Reasons of Dost Mahomed Khan for distrusting the Government of India - Cruelty of Mahomed Shah - His Failure before Herat - Rival Influences in his Camp - The Siege of Herat raised

Chapter XI

Demands of her Britannie Majesty's Government from King of Persia - Evasive Answers of Haji Meerza Aghassi - Suspensions of Diplomatic Relations between England and Persia - Advance of Russia in the East - British Expedition to the Persian Gulf - Hussein Khan - Firmness of Lord Palmerston - The Shah yields - Rising of the Chief of the Assassins - His Success and subsequent Failure - Bunpoor - The Belooches put their Families t oDeath - Affairs of Kurdistand - Unsettled State of Turko-Persian Frontier - Commission appointed for its Delimitation - Persians# Sufferings at the Hands of Turkomans - Massacre at Kerbela - Banishment of the Asef-ed-Dowleh - War in Kohorassan - The Bab - Death of Mahomed Shah

Chapter XII

Flights of Haji Meerza Aghassi - Rival Parties at Tehran - The Queen mother Presiden of the Council - Serious Risings in the Provinces - The Salar - The Ameer-i-Nizam - Measures of Reform adopted by him - mutiny of the Garrison of Tehran - Seizure of Kotoor by the Turks - Ascendancy of the Belooches in Seistan - Persian Claims to that Province - Proracted Siege of Meshed - Blman Merrza - Prince Sultan Mraud presses of the Sege of Meshed - Foreign interference offered for the Pacification of Khorassan - Ravages of the Turkomans - Surrender of Meshed - Death of the Salar

Chapter XIII

Rising of the Followers of the Bab - Mode of carrying out Capital Punishments in Persia - Seizure of Zinjan - The Bab put to Death - Tenets of his Followers - Hopeless Contest to Zinjan - Reckless Braver of the Babis - Courage of the Women - Terrible Cruelties - Exhibition of Fanaticism at Tabreez - Results of the Administration of the Ameer-i-Nizam - Occupationof Ashorada by Russia - The Caspian Privinces - Fall of the Ameer-i-Nizam - Conduct of the Wife of the ex-Minister - The Ameer's Death - Remembrance of his Administration

Chapter XIV

Conspiracy against Life of the Shah - His Escape - Persecution of Conspirators - Ministers of State ac as Executioners - Firmness of Followers of the Bab - Jealous of European Interference at Persian Court - Alliance of the Shah sought by Russia in 1853 - Tempting Offer made to Persian Government - Alternative placed before the Shah - His Alliance declined by the Western Powers - Neutrality distasteful to Persian Government - Angry Discussions between Sedr-Azem and the British Minister - Meerza Hashem - Arrest of his Wife - Conduct of the Sedr-Azem - Diplomatic Relations suspended between England and Persia - Mr. Murray quits Tehran - Persian Expedition against Herat - War against Persia declared at Calcutta

Chapter XV

Policy of the Sedr-Azem - Embassy of the Ferrukh Khan to Europe - Fall of Herat - Rules to be observed in carrying on English War Against Persia - Singular Instance of Persian Levity - War against Infidels proclaimed at Tehran - The Sirkisikchi-Bashi - Occupation of Karrack by British Troops - Capture of Reshire - Surrender of Bushire - Sir J. Outram - Expedition to Burazjan - Action at Khushab - Bombardment of Mohamra - Defeat of Persians - Expedition to Ahwaz - Restoration of Peace - Terms of Treaty of Paris - Sultan Ahmed Khan - Murder of Price Mahomed Yoosuf - Fall of the Sedr-Azem - Conclusion