Page:Historyofpersiaf00watsrich.djvu/62

42 under the necessity of trusting once more to the chances of battle. Meer Alum Khan and Jafer Khan, two chiefs who commanded respectively a corps of Arabs and one of Kurds, joined together for the purpose of overturning the newly-constituted government. On gaining a victory, they consigned the king once more to prison, and deprived the regent of eyesight. But it was not to be expected that the two victorious chiefs would long continue on friendly terms with each other. A fierce battle was fought between them, and Meer Alum remained master of the field, and caused the eyes of his enemy to be torn from his head.

The supreme power in Persia, in those times, when once obtained was anything but secure, Two enemies in opposite directions were prepared each to contest with Meer Alum the prize; to lose which was, at the same time, to lose the light of day. One of these two was Ahmed Shah of Affghanistan, who, after having conquered Seistan, laid siege to Herat towards the close of the year 1749. Shahrukh had sent Yoosuf, his general, to the relief of this place, and it was while absent on this expedition that that chief had heard of his master's defeat. By his retirement, Herat fell into the hands of the Affghans, whose king advanced from thence to try with Meer Alum the fortune of battle. The event of the contest was decided by a lance which transfixed the breast of the Persian, and the Affghan king forthwith laid siege to Meshed, a place which was defended by a garrison of nearly 8,000 Sheeahs.

During this time there was in the field in Mazenderan, at the head of a considerable force, another pretender to power, whose name demands especial notice.