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THE

Historical Register,

Containing

An Impartial RELATION

of all TRANSACTIONS, Foreign
and Domeftick.

WITH A

Chronological Diary

OF ALL

The remarkable OCCURRENCES,
viz. Births, Marriages, Deaths, Removals,
Promotions, &c. that happen'd in this
Year: Together with the Characters and
Parentage of Perfons deceased, of emi-
nent Rank.

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Printed and fold by S. Nevill in the Old Baily,
near Ludgate, where compleat Sets and fingle Parts may be
had, at Is. each Regifter. Sold alfo by E. Nutt at the
Royal Exchange, R. Gofling in Fleet-ftreet, D. Browne win-
out Temple-Bar, C. King in Westminster-Hall, and at the Sur
Fire-Office behind the Royal Exchange,

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N. B. This Title is defign'd for

fuch Perfons as think fit to bind the laft Four Regifters in one Volume: And for the fame Reason is added a Table of the Principal Matters contain'd in them.

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T

PERSIA.

HE Revolutions in this Country, tho' far remote from Europe, having been forextraor dinary as to engage the Attention of cu rious Perfons, efpecially during the prefent pacific State of Chriftendom, we have inferted fuch Advices as we could meet with, relating to this Kingdom; tho' by reafon of the great Distance, fuch Informations muft by the Nature of Things be very im perfect. The following Piece is of a different kind; Containing an entire and continued Relation of fome part of the extraordinary Events that have happen'd in this great Monarchy; and the Particulars it contains being remarkable and entertaining, we hope our Readers will not be difpleased to meet with it here,

Extract of a LETTER from Perfia, giving an Account of what paffed moft remarkable in the Defeat of Sultan Efreff.

RINCE Thamas, third Son of Shah Huffein, late

his Efcape from Ipahan in the hotteft of the Siege, under a Guard of five hundred Men, he retired into the Provinces which preserved their Fidelity to the King his Father; but wherever he came, he found every thing in the moft dreadful Confufion. However, he raised what Forces he could, with whom he had Encounters with the Georgians, the Ofmanlous, and other Rebels, Subjeas of the Kingdom of Perfia; but for the most part with Difadvantage, tho' he fought himself at the Head

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of his brave Soldiers, till at last he was reduced to the Province of Mazandran, Part of Chirvan, and Part of Cora fan.

So many Rebuffs, capable of cooling the Courage of any one but Prince Thamas, ferved only, as it were, to whet his; and at a time when his Affairs feemed to be the most defperate, Heaven raifed him up a Deliverer in the Perfon of Thamas Koulikan. This Chan was a Lord of about forty Years of Age, bred up from his Infancy in the School of Arms, brave as a Hero, a Man of excellent Parts, frank and fincere, always rewarding those who behaved themselves like Men, and punishing with Death thofe that fled like Cowards, when it was their Duty to refift. He had always diftinguished himself by his Capacity, his Bravery, and Fidelity; whereby he had fo greatly infinuated himself into the good Graces of Prince Thamas, that that young King, entirely approving his Advice, refolved to purfue it, and to confide altogether in him. From this Time, that is to fay, in 1728, that young Prince's Affairs began to take a better turn. The Royal Army which Thamas. Koulikan had got together, was not numerous, but it was well paid, and well difciplined. The principal Officers and most of the Subalterns, were, Men of the greatest Valour, perfonally known to, and chofen by Thamas Koulikan; and it was with fuch an Army, led on by fuch a Genius, that Prince Thamas took the Field. He first marched against the Afdalis, of whom he won three Battles in Perfon. He retook Herat and Machat, and afterwards, in the Courfe of that Year, reduced all the Rebels of Coraffan and thereabouts. In thefe Expeditions, which were made in the Year 1728, all that were found in Arms were put to the Sword; but thofe who laid them down, and begged for the young King's Mercy, were fpared, upon Condition that they fhould ferve in his Troops, and that their Chiefs fhould fend their Families as Hoftages to guaranty their Fidelity. The Peace being thus fettled on that Side, it was refolved not to go upon any other Enterprize that Campaign, but to put the Troops into Winter-Quarters upon the Frontiers, that they might be ready to act early in the Spring against the Aghuans, whom it was determined utterly to destroy.

The Aghuans are thofe famous Rebels, who marching from Candahar, brought under the Yoke, and laid walle the greatest Part of the Kingdom of Perfia for almoft eight Years: It was thofe Rebels, who, conducted as it

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were by the Hand of Fortune, took the City of Ifpahan, dethroned Shah Huffein, and cruelly maffacred an almoft infinite Number of Perfians. It was they, who after they had beat an Army of 120,000 Turks, obliged the Porte to make Peace with them, and to fend them an Embaffy equally fandalous and folemn, to recognize their Chief Efreff in the Quality of King. And yet they were very far from being the brave Fellows they were reprefented to be; their Valour did not rife to the Standard of ordinary Men; and all their Policy went no farther than to murder without Mercy all the Perfians, of what Rank foever, that gave them the leaft Unea finefs: So that one would think their Succefs was rather owing to Miracles, than the Effect of a regular and well concerted Behaviour.

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The Rebels were fo flufh'd with fuch a Series of Succefs, that they fancied themselves the greatest Men upon Earth. Efreff would no more condefcend to take the Field, but lived at his eafe at Ifpahan, where he acted as if Fortune had been unchangeable; and all his Courtiers, by his Example, lived at the fame Rate. They had all intirely forgot their Original, and their vile Condition when they were Slaves and Camel-Drivers. The immenfe Riches, of which they had defpoiled the Perfians, the Beauty of the Women and Virgins they had taken from them, the flately Houfes they dwelt in, and the luxurious Way of living they were got into; all thefe, compared with their primitive Condition, were to them a Paradife of Delight in this World, like that which Mahomet in his Alcoran has promis'd his Followers in the other.

Efreff being informed of Prince Thamas's Victories, and of the March of his Army, gathered all his Forces together, and took the Field to attack that Prince, flattering himself the more confidently with Victory, in regard he had never known the Perfians ftand before him. Prince Thamas, who for his Part languifhed with Impatience to come to Blows with the Rebels, made the neceffary Difpofitions to give them a warm Reception. He advanced but flowly, however; affecting a Kind of Fear, on purpose to draw Efreff as forward as he could. At laft the two Armies met at Damguan, a little Town upon the Frontiers of Chirvan.. The Rebels began the Attack: The Battle was very bloody, and obftinate on both Sides; but at length the Rebels betook themselves to their Heels; and abandoning their Cannon and Baggage,

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