Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 17.7.2

17.7.2

and by their talents in the art of government, might have employed one hand in crushing the disturbers of the public peace, and the other in insuring the happiness of these regions. But what is singular, that chastisement, and that substraction, took place in the very lifetime of the founder and architect of that empire and family ; for it is certain that next to Aaly-verdy-qhan himself, his three nephews, those three persons best qualified for commanding to men, and for governing kingdoms, were Nevazish-mahmed-qhan, and Sayd-ahmed-qhan, and Zin-eddin-ahmed-qhan ; three men far superior in those respects to those three grandsons of his, Seradj-ed-doulah with his two brothers. Had any of the three former succeeded to their uncle, and taken full possession of the sovereign power, it is indubitable that the downfall of these once flourishing provinces, with the consequent depression and ruin of their inhabitants, would have not come to pass with so much rapidity and precipitation as we have seen ; but it being otherwise predetermined by the decrees of divine Providence, and the course of heavenly bodies producing another series of events, those three persons departed this world under the eyes of the very man whom they were to succeed ; so that, the sheets containing the diary of their lives were rolled up and set by in his very lifetime.