Historical Reference |
Lutf Ali Khan |
Lutf Ali KhanIn 1789 Lutf Ali Khan with the aid of the vizier Hajji
Ibrahim succeeded to the throne of the Zands. Lutf Ali
was only twenty years of age, brave, handsome, and
magnanimous,—in fact a perfect knight-errant, but
wholly lacking in the qualities of a ruler. His brief
reign was filled by a constant struggle with Aga
Mohammed, who was in every way his antithesis—a
cold, remorseless, but very able tyrant. In 1790, while
on his way to attack Teheran, Lutf Ali was suddenly
deserted by Hajji Ibrahim, who went over to Aga Mohammed
with most of the army. This act of treachery forced Lutf
Ali to abandon Isfahan and Shiraz, where the gates were
closed against him by the intrigues of Ibrahim. Deserted
by all but a few friends Lutf Ali did not lose courage
but, rallying a small force, laid siege to Shiraz and
routed an army sent against him. Aga Mohammed now
advanced in person with 30,000 men to raise the siege,
but Lutf Ali with a handful of followers made a night
attack on his camp and threw the whole army into
confusion. Only the wonderful coolness of Aga Mohammed
saved his army from utter rout. He remained in his tent
throughout the night and in the morning ordered the
muezzin to call the Faithful to prayer as usual. The
troops of Lutf Ali were filled with astonishment, and
thinking the whole Kajar host had returned took to
flight. Aga
Mohammed entered Shiraz in triumph, appointing the
traitor Ibrahim as his vizier, while Lutf Ali fled to
Khorasan and thence to Kandahar. But even then the
undaunted chief did not abandon the contest. Gathering a
few men he crossed the frontier in 1794 and seized the
important city of Kerman in eastern Persia. Here he was
besieged by Aga
Mohammed , who finally took the town by treachery.
Lutf Ali, after fighting in the streets till all hope was
gone, cut his way through the Kajar forces with three
companions and escaped into Seistan. Enraged at the
escape of his rival, Aga Mohammed gave
up the city to plunder and massacre. The eyes of 7000 of
the inhabitants were brought to him on a platter, 20,000
women and children were carried away into slavery and the
city was reduced to ruins. Lutf Ali did not long survive
this disaster. He was soon after betrayed into the hands
of his enemy and put to death just six years after his
accession to the throne. His fall left Aga Mohammed
master of all Persia, save Khorasan, where the blind Shah
Rukh still maintained a shadowy overlordship. |
|
Barry O'Connell's Notes Main Index See also Persian Rugs the O'Connell Guide |
|