parably injured himself. His whole life was devoted to one all-engrossing object—the establishment of his family upon the throne of Persia. To that one end everything else was made subordinate.
Perhaps the greatest piece of self-denial that could have been required of such an one as Aga Mahomed was to abstain from avenging the blood of his father, who was put to death by the chief of the rival branch of the Kajars; but he had the wisdom to see that a house divided against itself cannot stand, and, in order to secure the cordial support of the whole united tribe, he freely forgave the rival family, and throughout his reign continued to employ many of its members in some of the highest offices in the kingdom. This prudent conduct was productive of the best results; the example set by Aga Mahomed in this respect has been followed by his successors, and, at the present day,[1] the army of the King of Persia is commanded by the chief of the upper branch of the Kajar tribe. Aga Mahomed Khan found Persia in a state of anarchy, and he saw that it was only by a strong hand that order could be restored to his country. The first Kajar king was inordinately avaricious, but money was with him only as means to an end. The eagerness which he exhibited to become possessed of all the jewels that had formerly belonged to the crown can be well understood, as their possession by his heir would be likely to tend to the consolidation of his power. The activity and perseverance displayed by this extraordinary man throughout his long career merit a meed of praise, and the proof of his foresight and wisdom is to be found in the fact that the kingdom which
- ↑ 1864.
