Capturing of Saadat Ali Khan by Qizilbashes (Ghulam Husain Khan Tabatabai, [1780] 1789)

Capturing of Saadat Ali Khan by Qizilbashes

Meanwhile Saadet-qhan was still in the field of battle, and those of his men that had escaped the slaughter had formed into a body, and surrounded him on all sides, when the Cuzzel-bashes forming a general attack, one of them who was a young Turk, from those about Nishapur,⁽²⁸²⁾ and of course a townsman of Saadet-qhan’s, having forced his passage, stood intrepidly before him, whilst the latter was shooting on all sides his bow, and having recollected his features he cryed out to him, “Mahmed-aamin, against whom art thou fighting? and on what soldiers dost thou reckon? Art thou mad?” Saying this he fixed his spear in the ground, alighted, and making his horse fast to it, he got hold of one of the elephant’s ropes, and mounted into the Häodah⁽²⁸³⁾, were he presented his poniard to the other’s throat. Saadet-qhan who knew the customs of Iran, made a sign of submission and surrendering to the man, was seized as prisoner by the claws of destiny and carried to Nadyr-shah. That Prince spoke a few words to him, and used him with much kindness; and it growing dark, he quitted the field of battle, and retired to his camp.

⁽²⁸²⁾ Nishapoor or Nei-shabor sapores his shrub, from the rosy shrubs he found the ground beset with when he was rebuilding in Qhorassan, a town which had been ruined by Alexander. There are Afshars in Qhorassan as well as in Ader-báy-djan, a province at the western extremity of Persia. The Afshars are a Turkish tribe, as are the Qhadjars in Mazenderan, and the Fehlies, and Zendies, &c., &c., elsewhere.

⁽²⁸³⁾ The Häodah is the throne or sedan on the elephant. It may admit two men, and with difficulty, three. It is made of boards, and often cased with iron or brass, and so high, as to cover a man's breast. The ambary is lower, and with a ceiling, and is for parade only.

A Translation of the Sëir Mutaqherin; Or, View of Modern Times, Being an History of India, from the Year 1118 to the Year 1194 (this Year Answers to the Christian Year 1781-82) of the Hedjrah, Containing, in General, the Reigns of the Seven Last Emperors of Hindostan; And in Particular, an Account of the English Wars in Bengal, with a circumstantial details of the Rise and Fall of the Families of Seradj-ed-Döwlah, and Shudjah-ed-Döwlah, the last sovereigns of Bengal and Owd: To which the author has added, a critical examination of the English government and policy in those countries, down to the year 1783. The whole written in Persian by Seid-Gholam-Hossein-Khan, An Indian Nobleman of high rank, who wrote both as Actor and Spectator. ― Calcutta: Printed by James White, 1789, pp. 336—337.