1 Sn • CHARACTER OF SILVUH ZEMAUN. . CAnma.
2 fiithei^s admuustration, and restored thd ■ DoorauniM afidn to'the tmfai'iB
3 which they were left by Ahmed Shauh.
4 Notwithstanding some defects in his character, and some erroneous mnxtms
5 in his policy} Shauh Zemaun would probably have fulfilled theiie expecta-
6 tion^ if he liad resolved to govuru ibr liinuieli'; but by committing the whole
7 of fafls poven and duties to an' unworthy favourite, he invohwd hiiiwdf in •
8 ejniem of meeauies' whidi ww niinoufl'to^his o^-fitttanea and to llie peoa^
9 perity of his nation. « >
10 The first object of his attention ought to have been to secure the support
11 of his own tribe, on wliicli so much depended in the original plan of the
12 monarchy t liad lie succeeded in this particular, the internal quiet of his
13 country would liave been at once secured. In his Ibreign policy, his first
14 nhjcrt might tn harr hnrn tn dnftmd ffhnT—ann The'pover of Beraieima
15 nowxpoBolidated in tiie handa an active prince^ 'who had akeady turned
16 hia attontion to the.oonquest of that pro\ince ; and sooie eicertioa on the
17 pmt of Shauh Zemaun was obvious^ requifed to check hiapfagieaB } such «
18 course was indeed nece^sarc to the j«nccess even of his eastern expeditions.
19 India was as much altered as Persia since the time of Alnned Shauh, and
20 nothing was to be gamed Uiere, but by long and unmturrupted operations.
21 There were no longer treasures ait DeUy to reward a mardi to that city ; and
22 the mote demnble ohject of xedudng llie Punjaub, was. not to be aooam-^
23 plished by a' hatty incursion, . The plan-oppoeed by the Stka to Ahosed
24 Shauh, which was to evacuate their countr)' on his approach, and return
25 when his army was withdrawn, could only be baflied by keeping a force in
26 the country Hnfficient to retain possession ; and that measure could only be
27 accomplished, when the western frontier was secure.
28 . The plan, actually adopted by Sliauh Zemaun was almost the reverse of
29 that which has been sketched. He widened the breach between the Doo-
30 rauneea and the court : he made no serious efibrt to save Khonssann ; and
31 his ill-directed and ill-timed attempts at Indian 'ooiqitesC^ tended oolyto
32 frustrate that favourite object of his ambition.
33 The source of all his errors was his choice of Wuiiadar Khaun for the
34 office of vizier, and the implicit confidence which he reposed, in that minister.
35 Wufiadar was a Suddozye who had gradually gained the King's confidence
36 by his ii9|ile and ioafaiuatnig manners^ and had need his ascendancy to ofwerw
37 ijun the power of 8ix«fi(niz'B3iann, 'and all the -gieat oAcets of the aiilqy
38 and state; he seems to have pctftctly understood the dkpoaitaon of hb
39 Digitized by Google