1 The Shah on the
2 banks of the Jhelum.
3 His march to Sindh,
4 1739.
5 Zakaria Khan, the
6 LaAhore viceroy, sum-
7 moned.
8 The Shah's gifts to
9 his army.
10 Departure for
11 Kandahar,
12 Grand display at
13 Herat,
14 The Talhti Nadtri.
15 The decorations of a
16 royal tent prepared.
17 208 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB. “
18 In spite of the heavy rain which fell almost incessantly, the Shah, by
19 a succession of rapid marches, reached the banks of the Jhelum. In the midst
20 of the swollen river a camel, laden with gold plates, slipped and fell off the
21 bridge-of-boats with its load, and was drowned. Here the Persian Shah
22 sent back Muhammad Shah’s artillery, and made the gunners a present of
23 the gold plates that had sunk in the river. The men tried their best to re-
24 cover the lost property, but only wasted their time and energies, as nothing
25 was found except a brass basin and an ewer. Marching along the borders
26 of Réwalpindi, the king passed Hasan Abdal, and, after subduing the
27 Afghans of Eusafzai, proceeded by quick marches to Jallalabad, and arrived
28 at Kabul on 20th November, 1739, a.D. The same year, he marched his
29 army into Sindh, which he subdued, reducing Khudaydr Khan, the governor,
30 to great straits. At Sindh he summoned Nawdb Zakaria Khan, the gover-
31 nor of Léhore, to help him in conducting the campaign against the Biltchis,
32 He celebrated the festival of the New Year at Larkanah in Sindh, with great
33 pomp and splendour, and bestowed considerable presents on ‘his army. To
34 the officers of the first rank he gave five hundred mohurs each, to others
35 from one to three hundred mohurs, and to every private soldier two mohurs.*
36 After these transactions, Zakaria Khan was sent back to Lahore, and Nadir
37 Shah, at the head of his troops, proceeded to Kandahar.
38 After his departure from Sindh, Nadir waged war against Tartary,
39 which he completely subdued, and successfully fought against several other
40 eastern countries. He had taken witb him a band of musicians and dancers
41 from Delhi, in order to instruct the people of his own country in Indian
42 music, which he much admired. He was bountiful in his rewards, and had it
43 proclaimed through all the provinces of Persia that his subjects were ex-
44 empted from the payment of taxes of all kinds for a period of three years.
45 He made a grand display at Herat of the curiosities he had brought from
46 Hindostan, and several days were spent in pageants, shows and entertain-
47 ments. He wasso pleased with the peacock throne of Shah Jahan, that he
48 ordered his jewellers to make another after the same pattern, and of like
49 splendour, together with a pavilion equally rich and magnificent. He called
50 this the Takhtt Nadivi, or “ Throne of Nadir,” and placed it in his Diwdn-
51 khana, or public hall, at, Herat, with the peacock throne brought from Delhi,
52 and various beautiful and costly thrones of other monarchs subdued by him.
53 His wealth of jewels enabled him to make arms of every description, richly
54 inlaid with precious stones, as well as harness, chairs and other articles
55 ornamented with jewels. By his express orders his Moabir Bashi (quarter-
56 master-general) had a large tent prepared by the best workmen that could
57 be procured. It was lined with green satin, but the jewels with which it
58 was decorated did not appear to advantage, and by the king’s orders it was
59 taken to pieces and a new one made, the top of which, for convenience of
60 transport, was separated from the sides, The new tent was displayed to his
61 majesty on his return from the Turan expedition. The outside was covered
62 with fine scarlet ; the linings were of violet-coloured satins, on which were
63 representations of birds and beasts, trees and flowers, the whole made of
64 pearls, diamonds, rubies, amethysts and other precious stones, the tent-poles
65 being decorated in like manner. On either.side of the tent was a screen
66 on which were the figures of two angels in precious stones. The tent-
67 pegs were of massive gold, and the whole tent, with its walls and poles,
68 formed the burdens of seven elephants. This magnificent specimen of
69 oriental grandeur was displayed at all festivals in the Diwankhana at
70 * The mohur was a Hindosténi coin worth Rs. 24.—Afemoirs of Khwdja Abdul Karim.
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