I praised the ambassador for his ability and ingenuity, Syed Abū al Berkāt was also lavish in his praise, and pronounced that as long as I persevered in such conduct, I should be triumphant and successful; ignorance, irreligion, vice and tyranny being ever the cause of the ruin of a government. At this council I gave the government of Samerkund to Amyr Daoud, and conferred the insignia of the standard and kettle drum on Amyr Jakū and several other Chiefs; I made Hussyn Berlās, President of the Council. I gave charge of the large seal to Ayk Timūr, and disposed of all the other appointments among my friends. I also ordered that no revenue or taxes should be collected from the inhabitants of Samerkund, Bokhara, or their dependencies, and issued a public edict that they were to be exempt from all claims. ----- Footnote 104: See Davy’s Institutes, page 231 and Sequel. Also page 305. Footnote 105: Here, as in some former instances, the royal author leaves us in doubt of the result. CHAPTER IV. The first disagreeable circumstance which occurred in the commencement of my reign, was the rebellion of the chief Zindē Khushm, and which required all my exertion to quell. It has been before mentioned, that when Amyr Hussyn was killed, I confirmed all his governors in their posts, one of the most important of these situations, was the government of Shyrghān, held by Zindē Khushm; but as he was suspected by my ministers to be unworthy of confidence, they had advised me to remove him; I replied, “I have promised safety and security for three years to every person, whether friend or enemy, provided they behave properly;” but Zindē Khushm soon raised the standard of opposition by taking under his protection Amyr Musā, formerly Hussyn’s Commander-in-Chief, who had come over to my party; and when I marched against Balkh, had accompanied me the first day’s journey, but had again deserted at the second stage, and fled towards Tūrkistān; but hearing of the death of Amyr Hussyn, he had sent me an apology for his conduct, and solicited my forgiveness, in consequence of which, I sent him an assurance of safety; but as he was a deceitful fellow, and suspicious of others, notwithstanding he had suffered much in wandering about the deserts, and had been frequently routed by my troops, still he had the impudence to refuse the edict I sent him, accompanied by a promise of safety, and his heart not being clean, he again made battle, but being a second time defeated, he fled on foot with his family, and took refuge with Zindē Khushm, who at his instigation, now raised the standard of rebellion, and began to act improperly.