for such a statement I can find no authority. When, however, Haji Ibraheem was accused to the king of harbouring the design of displacing his master from the throne, it must have weighed heavily against him in the mind of Fetteh Ali that he had once shown himself to be sufficiently powerful to displace a Zend prince from his government, and to substitute a Kajar in his stead. His treason to Lutf'ali Khan was now to be avenged by the heir of Aga Mahomed. But Haji Ibraheem was too powerful to be openly attacked. Nearly the half of Persia was governed by his sons or other relatives, who would at his command have at once raised the standard of revolt against the Shah. An order was therefore issued that, on a given day, the prime minister and all his kindred should be seized or put to death. Two of his youngest children were brought from Sheeraz to Tehran, to share the fate which had overtaken the other members of their family. Of these one was a handsome and spirited boy, and when his life was interceded for, the stipulation was made that he should be reduced to the condition of an eunuch: the other child was considered to be so little promising that his life was conceded without its being thought necessary to take the same precaution as in the case of his brother. He lived to perpetuate the race of the king-maker of Persia; and is at the present hour the guardian of the shrine of Imam Reza, at Meshed.
Fetteh Ali Shah determined to send a mission to India, in return for that which had recently visited his court. Haji Khaleel Khan was selected as his envoy; but this nobleman was unfortunately killed at Bombay, in a scuffle between his servants and the guards who were appointed to attend him. This event, which caused
