Tadhkirah i Anand-Ram “Mukhlish” 1.1

1.1

March of the Emperor of Persia to Hindustan, and the consequent slaughter and devastation in that beautiful land. Strange events occurred after the capture of Kandahar. Before setting out from Ispahan, Nadir Shah had despatched a messenger, named 'Ali Mardan Khan, to Hindustan, with full powers to arrange with Muhammad Shah, the ruler of the land, certain matters of a nature peculiar to troublous times, and such as it becomes Emperors to settle amicably with one another. Nádir Shah reached Kandahár; but Muhammad Shah, it is probable, broke faith, and did not fulfil his promises, although a second messenger, named Muhammad Khan Turkoman, was sent to him; this messenger moreover never returned. The train had long been laid, and from these negociations sprang the spark that fired it. Nádir Shah was moved to anger; he resolved on the invasion of Hindustan; but though the apparent motive has been given above, the true cause was the weakness of its monarchy. Accordingly, on the 8th of Safar, in the twentieth year of Muhammad Sháh's reign, A.H. 1150, the Persian Emperor set his face towards Kabul, where he arrived about the end of the month. * *