on good terms with each other all went well; but at length Ali Mercian issued orders for the arrest of Kereem, and on the same day he was himself assassinated by one of the many admirers of the young Zend chieftain. After this event Kereem assumed the sole direction of affairs, and by his justice, moderation and activity, he soon acquired the confidence of the people. The harmless grandson of Nadir was now left undisturbed in his principality, while the three rivals, Kereem, Azad, and Mahomed Hassan, proceeded to settle, by means of the sword, the question as to which of them was to be the sole master of Persia. A three-sided war then ensued, in the course of which each of the combatants in turn seemed at one time sure to be the final conqueror. Kereem, when he had arranged matters at Ispahan, marched to the borders of Mazenderan, where the governor of that province was ready to meet him. After a closely contested battle victory remained with Mahomed Hassan; who, however, was unable to follow up the foe, as he had to return in order to encounter Azad. That leader had invaded Gilan, but, on the news reaching him of the victory which the governor of Mazenderan had gained, he thought it prudent to retrace his steps to Sultaneeah. Kereem re-united his shattered forces at Tehran, and retired to Ispahan to prepare for a second campaign. When he again took the field, it was not to measure himself once more with the Kajar chief, but to put down the pretensions of Azad. That wary Affghan, however, shut himself up in Kasveen, a position from which he was enabled to inflict much injury on the army of Kereem, while his own troops remained unharmed
