Machine transcription
—55—
survive and to have their records of misdeeds condoned. The fact
was that the lust of personal power and interest that this king and
his son had, they did not pay the slightest attention to any and all
protest that had been made in connection of their appalling activities.
Shah Mahmud considered that all his misfortunes had been
inflicted upon him due to the activities of his son Kamran, wanted
to have all power into his hands; but Kamran, who had tasted to
luxuries of being an heir to the throne of his father had another
idea: thus Shah Mahmud fearing that his son might imprison him,
in the year 1235.A.H. left the city of Herat in fear of his life.
In the years of 1820.A.D. and 1821.A.D, the son and the father
had to measure swords in the neighbourhood of Herat. The king
sought help from the people of Bad-Ghaiz, Ghurjistan and Emaq;
and the prince sought assistence from the officers of the Kachars
of Persia and Meshed. Till atlast the nobles terminated this ridiculous
battle between father and son; and persuaded the king to retain
the title and prestige of royalty; and that all administration was to
be handed over to his son, Kamran. The position, thus was this that
whereas the entire country of Afghanistan was in the hands of
the Barakzai Brothers, and Sikhs were inroading from the eastern
regions; and they were "wretling" against these Sikhs; the Saduzai
princes found an opportunity to continue to rule in the north-west
of the country. The trouble which was going on between the father
and the son in Herat area amongst the Saduzais, was contemporary
of the time when the Anglo-Russian imperial penetration and rivalry
had reached its higt in degards to Central Asia. The Kachars took
advantage of this weekness frequently attacked Herat.
The first fact which interfered with the position of Shah Mha-
mud and Kamran from Western Asyab was the factor of the attack
of Firozuddin in the year 1822. A.D. Haji Firozuddin, who as the
brother of Shah Mahmud for sixteen years had acted as an in-
dependent governor in Herat-from 1800. A.D. to 1816. A.D,-and af-
ter the collaps of Kandahar when Kandahar had been taken by Pur
Dil Khan' had gone to Meshad, with the help and co-operation of
Khali Khan Tayamni attack Herat; but his helper was killed and he
himself was taken prisoner. In the year 1823. A.D. with the conni-
Roughly two thirds of characters agree with a modern printed edition of the same text. Much of the disagreement is editorial, not misreading. Treat the transcription as a finding aid and read the page image before quoting. How this was measured.
