"When the Emperor was approaching, as we ourselves are of a Turkoman
family, and Mahomet Shah is a Turkoman and the lineal descendant of the
noble house of Gurgan, we sent our dear son, Nassr Ali Khan, beyond the
bounds of our camp to meet him. The Emperor entered our tents, and we
delivered over to him the signet of our empire. He remained that day a
guest in our royal tent. Considering our affinity as Turkomans, and also
reflecting on the honors that befitted the majesty of a king of kings,
we bestowed such upon the Emperor, and ordered his royal pavilions, his
family, and his nobles to be preserved; and we have established him in a
manner equal to his great dignity.
"At this time the Emperor, with his family and all the lords of
Hindustan, who marched from camp, are arrived in Delhi; and on Thursday,
the 29th of Zilkadeh, we moved our glorious standard toward that
capital.
"It is our royal intention, from the consideration of the high birth of
Mahomet Shah, of his descent from the house of Gurgan, and of his
affinity to us as a Turkoman, to fix him on the throne of the empire and
to place the crown of royalty upon his head. Praise be to God, glory to
the Most High, who has granted us the power to perform such an action!
For this great grace which we have received from the Almighty we must
ever remain grateful.
"God has made the seven great seas like unto the vapor of the desert,
beneath our glorious and conquering footsteps and those of our faithful
and victorious heroes. He has made in our royal mind the thrones of
kings and the deep ocean of earthly glory more despicable than the light
bubble that floats upon the surface of the wave; and no doubt his
extraordinary mercy, which he has now shown, will be evident to all
mankind."
The facts stated in this letter are not contradicted either by Persian
of Indian historians; though the latter find reasons for the great
defeat of their countrymen suffered at Karnal, in the rashness of some
of their leaders and the caution of others; and they state that even
after the victory the conqueror would have returned to Persia on
receiving two millions sterling, if the disappointed ambition of an
Indian minister had not urged him to advance to Delhi. But it is not
necessary to seek for causes for the overthrow of an army who were so
panic-struck that they fled at the first charge, and nearly twenty
thousand of whom were slain with hardly any loss to their enemies; and
our knowledge of the character of Nadir Shah forbids our granting any
belief to a tale which would make it appear that the ultimate advantages
to be obtained from this great enterprise, and the unparalleled success
with which it had been attended, depended less upon his genius than upon
the petty jealousies and intrigues of the captive ministers of the
vanquished Mahomet Shah.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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