Khan, had lately been the ally of the governor of Meshed. Amongst the Khorassan chiefs who joined his standard was the surviving son of Isaak Khan, Karai.
The governor of Meshed lost no time in making the Shah's ministers aware of the extent of the danger which threatened the Persian power in the East, and in their turn the Shah's ministers lost no time in carrying into effect such measures as seemed to them to be best fitted for meeting the emergency. Meerza Abdul Wahab Khan, the Moetemed-ed-Dowleh, was in the first place sent to Khorassan with instructions to spare no effort to win back to the interests of the Shah some amongst the warlike chieftains of that country. In the next place, such troops as were at hand and could be spared were pushed forward to Meshed, and the Shah prepared to follow them in person after the celebration of the annual festival of the Nowrooz. At the same time the king endeavoured to add security to the foreign relations of his country by sending an ambassador to the Sublime Porte, from whence the same envoy was to proceed to the courts of Vienna and Paris, on his way to England, which was his final destination. On the arrival at Meshed of the reinforcements from Tehran, Prince Hassan Ali Meerza found himself in a condition to take the field at the head of a body of 10,000 men. He was, however, at a loss as to the direction to which he ought to turn his arms. The Khan of Khiva had advanced with a powerful force to Serekhs, and the prince could not but be certain that if he should lead his troops against him, Fetteh Khan, who, with 40,000 men, was on the border of Khorassan, would advance to the city of Meshed. Under these circumstances, he determined to
