Page:Historyofpersiaf00watsrich.djvu/152

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132
A HISTORY OF PERSIA.

him to be governor of Ispahan, he proceeded to that city, and assumed the authority which was made over to him by the former governor. By these means he made himself master of the provincial treasury, and extracted much money from the citizens. He then shut up his treasure in the fortress of Ispahan, and proceeded to the Bakhtiari mountains, to endeavour there to raise an army.

When the report of these proceedings reached Tehran, the Shah took immediate steps for crushing this new rebellion. Leaving his son at the capital, the king proceeded to Ispahan, travelling almost incessantly, and performing the march of 250 miles in the exceedingly short space of four days. There he detached one of his officers for the purpose of reducing Ispahan, while he himself set out in pursuit of his brother. It would appear that such prompt measures had not been anticipated by the prince; for the Shah, on reaching Gulpaeegan, received the intelligence that his brother was making for Kermanshah, with the purpose of reaching the Turkish dominions. Upon this the king despatched one of his generals, with orders to proceed to Kermanshah by forced marches, and to throw himself between the frontier and the followers of the prince. This movement, which was promptly executed, had the desired effect of driving the rebel into submission. He fled to the sanctuary of Koom, where, upon the Shah's arrival, he placed a drawn sword upon his neck in token of repentance, and once more received the royal forgiveness. This was his last attempt at rebellion; and he soon afterwards died in retirement, in the vicinity of Tehran.

After the suppression of this revolt of his brother, the Shah once more turned his attention to the affairs of