Nader Shah. Historical novel. Yunus Oghuz

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      – During the period of Shah Abbas II, gift of money used to be sent to the Lezgis of Dagestan for them not to leave the mountains and to obey the rules. After Shah Abbas II the Viziers of Sultan Husain appropriated the annual money gifts and the Lezgis of Dagestan, seeing that the money gift had stopped, destroyed Shirvan and Georgia. As if that was not enough, the mullabashi6 got the permission of the Shah and began to kill the Sunnite people, and burnt the Sunnite mosques. The people of Darband called the Russian Shah for help…

      I didn’t know that the khan had such comprehensive information. I directed all my attention to his words so as not to forget any small detail.

      The khan was continuing his conversation in a low voice:

      – The Ottomans wanted to requite for the loss in Balkans. Istanbul, which had finished the war with Russia, turned towards the East. Duru Efandi was sent to Tehran and demanded Azerbaijan and Georgia including Tabriz and Shirvan.

      I had no patience:

      – My khan, how do you know all this information?

      – If I didn’t know all this information I wouldn’t be able to be the khan of about twenty thousand families of the Avshars. – The khan continued his conversation. – In the east, the Baluchs attacked Kirman and Lor. They destroyed the city of Bender Abbas at the Kanger gulf. Anxious news was heard from Kurdustan and Luristan. The ruler of Turan, Shah Melik Mahmud had renounced his power. He had sent into retirement his only talented warlord Lutfali khan.

      – Why?

      Because the Shah was not able to rule the country. See, as a result of the policy of Shiite and Sunnite (adherents of the Mos- em sects) pursued by the Shah, Shirvan revolted and appealed to the Ottomans. Istanbul appointed the head of the Shirvan rebels, Haji Davud to be the khan of that province. Using the absence of Lutfali khan, Mahmud khan of Qandahar attacked Shiraz and Isfahan. Shah Sultan Husain ran to Julfa and not being able to stay there he returned back to Isfahan. After all that had happened the wives and eunuchs decided that the Shah had to give up the throne. The Shah gave up the throne in favor of his elder son Sultan Mahmud. But the young Shahzade, because of al t ways remaining alone, ran to the harem and gave the crown to his middle brother Safi Mirza. Safi Mirza also immediately refused the power. Then they announced the third son Tahmasb Mirza to be the successor to the throne. The other sons were younger still. Mahmud khan of Qandahar, who had encircled Isfahan, didn’t think about moving of Sultan Husain, who had no way out, decided to give himself up. He put the crown on the head of Mahmud who was waiting for him at the door of Isfahan. Mahmud entered the city ceremonially and declared himself the Shah.

      – But where was the successor to the throne at that moment?

      – Three months before that event, the successor Tahmasb Mirza ran to Qazvin from Isfahan together with two hundred people of Tabriz. It was the only safe place in that situation.

      The khan stopped for a while. I felt that he would tell the main purpose for his talk.

      After a short time Baba-ali khan broke the silence himself:

      – I told you at the beginning of my talk. The stocks of the Avshar always served the realm of the Safavids. Now they have the same opinion.

      – How? – I asked.

      – You must help the successor Tahmasb Mirza. I decided that the Avshars must support the lawful successor to the throne. It is true, the lying Shah had sent his representative to me, but I didn’t receive him.

      I lived well in the palace of Baba-ali khan. It is true; at times I used to rob. I attacked the Afghan and Uzbek villages and plundered there. During all my life I robbed only twice. Then Baba-ali khan forbade me plundering and I gave up robbing. But then the khan wanted me to be much closer to the Shah.

      As if he knew what I was thinking about:

      – It isn’t the end of my talking!

      After two days, Baba-ali khan whom I respected as my father and who had defined my fuiure life, died. Let him sleep in peace! After one month Sona Beyim died ill-fatedly because of her illness. I consulted the respected adults of Avshar and it was decided that there was no need to bring a new mother for my son Rzaqulu. The second daughter of the khan – Govhar Shad could be a real mother to my son… I married her.”

      CHAPTER II

      Isfahan, June, 1722

      …The barber was sharpening the razor in his hand. He did so willingly as if he was going to cut someone’s head. Then he put the razor on the stool. He poured the hot water into the faience bowl which also was on the stool. He sliced the pieces of the soap into the water. The soap was brought from Europe. He took the brush made of the tails of a horse and began to mix up the soapy water. After some time white suds were seen in the water. The barber mixed up the water a bit and said to the man who was sitting on the other stool:

      – It is ready, Your Majesty! May I begin?

      The man who was comfortably sitting on the stool answered:

      – Yes, you may begin.

      The barber took the sheet and tied it round the neck of the man. Now there was seen nothing except the head of that man who had little hair. The sheet was covering the man to his feet. The barber took the faience bowl and once more mixed the soapy suds and began to soap the head of the man sitting on the stool. Then he began to cut his head with the razor.

      …That place was the Shah’s palace in Isfahan. Though the palace didn’t maintain its magnificence during the time Shah Abbas II, it looked splendid outwardly. Once the officials and rulers came to that palace to solve problems, those who were gathering tax used to render an account, those who were appointed to a new post left the palace in delight, but those who were freed from posts left sorrowfully. In that palace all was directed towards the ruling of the state. Somebody was sentenced to death there, somebody was forgiven. In the palace a number of messengers were received, a lot of treaties were signed or war was declared on another counfry. Yes, that palace was like a beating heart of the state during the period of Shah Abbas II. But now it looked like a mill the water of which was over. Because of the cunning of the women, perfidy of the eunuchs even the stones had ear to hear the talking. Thus, everybody wanted to be aware of what was spoken in the palace. Those who came for some work wanted to leave the palace as quickly as they could, because the last decision was given not by the Shah but either by the women or by the eunuchs. If they whis- pered into the ear of the Shah, the request was either adopted or re fused. The rulers of the provfnce and the heads of the stocks wanted to lose the power of the Shah. Seeing that situation they wanted to become independent. As a result, in each place of the country objections and revolts began.

      Even the representatives of foreign countries brought precious gifts to the women of harem or to the eunuchs in order to solve a probl em positively. Shah Sultan Husain didn’t go out of the harem for days and he had a good time all day long. The sons of the Shah were brought up in a closed, confined way. The Shahzades met with no one except the women and eunuchs. After Shahzade Tahmasb Mirza was announced the successor to the throne, the head of the stock of the Qajar, Fatali khan, had found a way to see him with the help of eunuchs and was able to take him once to Tabriz. Fatali khan tried СКАЧАТЬ