The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-22
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had little chance agains: the veterans of Nsdir.
The engagement commenced by party of
six Thousand Kurds. who began to pillage the
baggage Of SAadt Khan's division, on the ex-
IRENE right Of the Indian army. Devren Khan
led his men up to strengthen Ssadit, and Nadir,
advancing at the same time with thousand
chosen horse, the action became warm; but
the Indians, by the udicious arrangement of
the Persian, were also attacked In ank. their
brigade Of elephants was routed by the clever
contrivanoe of placing stages full of blazing
tow on the backs of camels, and panic seized
their army. In the thick of the fight, Devran
Khan was MORALLY wounded, and fell back
senseless on his elephant.
Night put an end to the strife, but only q
small portion Of TIE Indian right wing had
been engaged, and the Great Mogul was desi-
rous of renewing the battle on the following
day. But the cowsrdly or treacherous counsel
OF Nizam DOL Nook prevailed, and the Emperor
of India submitted to the terms Of the rude
conqueror.
Mohammed Shah, the following day, was
conducted TO Nadir's tent by the Persian vizier
Tahmasp Khan; where he was received with
courtesy, but upbraided for having given the
conqueror the trouble to march so far to chas-
tise him. The Mogul listened with silence and
shame, and the next day the melancholy march
to Delhi commenced.
The Great Mogul was attended By twelve
thousand Persians, followed by Nadir with the
bulk of his army, and in six days the disgraced
monarch found himself prisoner in his own
capital. On the following morning, Nadir Shah
made his entry into the city, where every house
was closed, and proceeded straight to the pal
ace. Here the Indian lords, with true oriental
servility, We'd with each other in obseuuious
hattery Of their new master. Saadit Khan
alone preferred a dose Of poison.
Next day, Iahmasp cent some Persian cav
airy to open the granaries, which caused the
assemblage Of mob, and several Persians
were killed. Nadir issued out of the palace TO
suppress the tumult, but moderation only in.
creased the insolence of the cowardly Indians
and at length the fierce warriors wrath was
kIndled. DE ordered the whole city to be
given up to pillage and massacre, and, drawing
his sword, stationed himself on the roof of a
mosque, with three gilded domes, near the CEN
tire OF the city, whence he overlooked the work
of destruction in grim and sullen silence He
had ordered that in any street where the dead
body OF Persian was found, no soul should
remain alive. Neither age nor sex was spared
rivers of blood flowed through the streets, and
every house, from the palace to the hovel, was
filled with mourning.
AT length the wretched Emperor threw him
self at Nadi.'s feet, ard implored him to spare
his people. The cruel conqueror answered.
that the MoguPs prayer was granted He
sheathed his sword, and the massacre ceased
1t had lasted from eight A. NJ. to three p. NJ.
and not less than one hundred and twenty
thousand souls, Or according to another ac-
count, two hundred thousand, had persisted
while many women bad suffered most Infamous
treatment before they we're relieved By death
Next day-under threat CT punishmeut-all1
persons were ordered 10 pursue their usual en-
ployments. and q festival celebrated the be
trothal of Nadir's second son to a niece of the
Great Mogul.
The etiquette Of the Imperial Court required
that the bridegroom should prove seven gene
rations Of noble ancestry
Tell them" said Nadir, " that he is the son
of Nadir, the son of the sword, the grandson
of the sword, and 80 on for seventy-iostead Of
seven-generations, if they like"
The fallen monarch was satisfied with the no.
bility of this terrible pedigree.
Tshmasp Khan, the Persian vizier. was com.
missioned to inspect the collection of the treas
ure to be extorted from the Court and people OF
Delhi. The contributions were exacted from
high and low, with the utmost rigcr; no cruel.
ties were LETT unpracticed and at length an
enormous SUN was amassed. The Jewels taken
from the Mogul himself and his mobiles amount
ed to forty-two million FIVE hundred thousand
pounds; the famous peacock throne being
alone valued at eleven million two hundred and
nifty thousand pounds. Gold and silver plate.
melted into large ingots, came to thirty-seven
million five hundred thousand pounds. and
other spoiis, consisting of rich furniture. can
non, and warlike stores, Brought the amount Of
the spoils up to the gigantic sum Of eighty
seven million five hundred thousand pounds.
Another account gives it at seventy million
pounds; aud the lowest estimate is considerably
above thirty millions.
This wholesale spolistion gives some idea of
the splendor Of the Court of Delhi, previous to
the ruinous invasion of the Persiaus.
Before leaving Delhi, Nadir Shah replaced
the crown on the head of the great Mogul with
his own hand, and gave him q long lecture on
the government of India, concluding with these
alarming words:
If necessary, I can be with you, myself, in
forty days, from Candahsr. Never reckon me
far off,"
On the fourth of May, seventeen hundred and
thirty nine, the conquercr mustered his army in
the gardens OF Shaiimar, On the north side Of
DELHI, with vast train OF camels, horses. and
elephants. laden with the spoils, and the follow.
ing day he commenced his march tovards Per.
sia.
1t is estimated that, besides the treasure
taken away, the Indians lost thirty mill;on
pounds by damage done to houses burnt and
fields laid waste. At least two hundred tbon.
sand human beings perished In this terrible via.
itation; forty thousand between Peshawur and
hurnaul, one huEd:ed and ten thousand in the
massacre, and fifty thousand by famine caused
by the ravag of the invaders.
1t would have been well for the fame Of tho
once mighty family of Timour, if Mohsmmed
Shah had fallen. sword In hand OF K,r,,o,,l
instead of lingering on disgraced existence in
his ruined capital. His pitiable descendants
ranked lower and lower, first in the power Of
Afghans and Mahrattas, then az pensioners Of
the British Government; and now the represent
alive OF the mighty Timour, the accomplished
Shah hokh, the brave and learned Baber, and
the magnificent Aurungzebe, has become the
miserable puppet of that gang of inhuman mia.
creants, who await their doom in the city of
Delhi.
Nsdir Shah returned to Persia with his vast
treasure, and deposited it in the castle of Kelat
close to the place Of his birth and Meshed. The
capital of his native province of Khorsssap.
became his capital. But the robbery of the
riches Ct Delhi proved q curse to him. From
the time OF his return, he became avaricious.
and so unjust and cruel, that his tyranny at
length became intolerable.
In the year l747, be encRmped his army on
the plains of Sulan Meydsn, about davis iour.
ney northwest of Meshed; where he meditated.
with the assistance CT his Unbeg and Toorkman
forces, the massacre of all the Persians whose
fidelity he suspected.
But The plot was overheard, and recoiled
upon himself. At dead of night, an officer
named Saleh Beg passed the guard, and, hav-
ing discovered Nadir's tent, cut him with sa-
bre while asleep. The tYrant sprang I'D but,