PREFACE.
It was suggested to me to continue the history of Persia from the period at which Sir J. Malcolm's work ends to the present time; but it appeared to me to be desirable to include in this volume a résumé of the leading events which paved the way for the establishment of the Kajar dynasty. As, however, I can throw little or no new light upon the events of that period of Persian history, I have not devoted much space to it; and refer the reader to the eloquent pages of Sir John Malcolm for fuller details.
From the death of Aga Mahomed Khan to the present time—an interval of about seventy years—the history of Persia has not, I believe, been written (excepting by Persian chroniclers) in any continuous form, although the events of certain periods have been described with sufficient accuracy and fulness.
With regard to some portions of the history of modern Persia, I have had to trust to such information as was to be derived from Persian sources. The English reader may be disposed to look with mistrust on information coming from such authorities; but in all that refers to what has taken place in Persia in relation to any European state, I have availed myself of every opportunity of testing the accuracy of Persian statements by comparing them with the accounts given by European authorities.
With regard to the incidents of the wars between Russia and Persia, I have preferred to trust to the impartial statements of Europeans who took no part in the struggle, but who derived their information from Russian officers and Russian prisoners as well as from the Persians.
Those portions of this narrative which rest solely on Persian statements, refer to the internal affairs of the country, and to the dealings of its government with the Affghans, the Oozbegs, and the Turkomans.
Having indicated in foot-notes the authorities upon which I have chiefly drawn, I need not enumerate them here; but in acknowledging my obligations to those writers, and to others whose names I may have omitted to mention, I also beg to express my thanks to Mr. Glen, British Vice-Consul at Tehran, and to Meerza Ibrahim, for the assistance they have kindly afforded me in preparing this work.
ST. JAMES'S CLUB, LONDON, October 20th, 1865.