Since the swift courser of the events-traversing pen has made some strides afield and has borne the words to their goal, let it now return to the track and resume its long journey. A brief account shall now be given of the finally victorious progress to Khurāsān and ‘Irāq which came to pass to his Majesty Jahānbānī, and of his passing, with Providence for guide, through waterless deserts (fayāfī), saharas, and wastes.

When his Majesty, in accordance with the ordinance of the Eternal, planted his foot in the valley of resignation and took the path of the perilous wilderness (cūl), he honoured the attendants on his auspicious stirrup by the title of Cūlī.* By the infinite goodness of God, Malik Hātī Balūc, captain of the banditti, did homage in this howling wilderness (cūl-i-pur-haul), and conducting his Majesty to his abode, exerted himself in his service. He also became his guide out of that dread valley and brought him to the territory of Garmsir (i. e., the warm region). Though Mīr ‘Abdu-l-ḥai, the magistrate (kalāntar) of that territory, owing to unbefitting cautions, did not himself come forward and obtain the grace of service, yet he was assiduous in the performance of the rites of hospitality.

Khwāja Jalālu-d-dīn Maḥmūd* had come to that quarter to make collections of revenue on behalf of M. ‘Askarī. His Majesty sent Bābā Dōst Bakhshī to him to guide him aright and to bring him into his service. The Khwāja recognised this as a great opportunity and hastened to accept service. He poured out every thing he had in his store, in cash and in kind, among the troops. His Majesty Jahānbānī received him with favour and committed to his prudent judgment the duties of the mīr-sāmānī-i-sarkār-i-khāṣa.* His Majesty spent several days in this region giving charming counsels and instructions to his faithful followers, and showing by heart-touching argument the world's faithlessness and the instability of external circumstances. He turned back their secular spirits from the pursuit of such things and directed them to the true goal and to the real point which it behoves the student of the masters of mind to pay attention to. His Majesty's lofty soul was engrossed by the thought that as the things belonging to detachment and seclusion increase day by day, he should seek some lonely corner, and withdrawing himself, outwardly and inwardly, from other matters should give himself up to God alone.

But his nobleness and humanity did not allow of his saddening the hearts of the followers of his fortunes by such mortification of desires. Nor did this faithful band withdraw their hand from ser­vice on account of these occurrences nor permit such a perfect per­sonality, worthy of the true khilāfat, and whose like as a superin­tendent of things external and internal it would be hard to find in the course of revolving cycles, should restrain his arm from the world and amputate the series of everlasting sovereignty. All the aspira­tions of this family (abaqa) are, inwardly for truth, and outwardly for humanity, and so it works for the production of universal concord. God be praised! the Unique Pearl of that abounding ocean, his Majesty the king of kings, to wit, hath attained such sway in full measure. In spite of the cares of conquering and upholding the visible world, he hath attained complete immersion in the billowy ocean of the empy­real and divine universe. And the step of his genius on the towering ascents of sublimity is firm and assured.

In fine, his Majesty determined, in accordance with the Divine will and his native nobleness to write a loving letter to the ruler of Persia and to turn the reins of intent towards that country. Should the ruler of Persia recognise hereditary right and show love and liberal­ity, he would again give his attention to mundane matters and secure the hearts of his faithful band. Should it turn out otherwise he would in the liberty (ikhtiyār) of a hermitage, devote himself with­out liberty (bī-ikhtiyār) to his generous nature. Accordingly on Thursday, 1st* Shawwāl, 959 (28th December, 1943), he sent a letter by Cūlī Bahādur* to the effect that by order of the superintendents of destiny, who have attached so much deliberation and knowledge to every act, an urgent cause had arisen for procuring a speedy interview. After a brief sketch of his adventures this line was written under the cover.

Verse.

What has passed over our head, has passed,
Whether by stream, or hill, or wilderness.

His Majesty desired to spend some days in the Garmsir but Mīr ‘Abdu-l-ḥai of Garmsir sent to represent to him that it was rumoured that M. ‘Askarī had despatched a large force, and that possi­bly—which God forbid—they might come there, and things thus become irretrievable. If he went to the country of Sīstān, which belonged to the King of Persia, he would be protected from that reckless crew. His Majesty reflected on the paucity of the sincere, and the plurality of the lords of opposition and discord, and recognised the fact that to stay in that country was to act carelessly, and so he proceeded towards Sīstān. He crossed the Hīrmand (Halmand) and halted at a lake* into which its waters flow. Aḥmad Sulān Shāmlū, the governor of Sīstān, recoguised the advent as an unex­pected blessing and tendered acceptable service and showed alacrity in offering hospitality. His Majesty spent some days in that pleasant country, the arena of the cavaliers* of fortune's plain, in the sport of catching waterfowl.* And in order to comfort his faithful comrades he busied himself with worldly matters and was a spectator of the wonders of destiny. Thence he proceeded to (the city of?) Sīstān.* Aḥmad Sulān sent his mother and his wives to wait on her Majesty Maryam-makānī, and tendered all the revenues (amwāl) of his district as a present. His Majesty accepted a little of these in order to do him pleasure, and returned the remainder. In this halt­ing place Ḥusain Qulī M. the brother of Aḥmad Sulān, who had come from Mashhad to pay his respects to his mother and brother, in order that he might bid adieu to them before he went on pilgrimage, was honoured by an audience.* His Majesty questioned him about religion and faith. He submitted that he had long studied the creeds of the Shī‘as and Sunnīs, and had perused the books of both sects. The Shī‘as maintained that the reviling and cursing of the Companions was meritorious and a means of religious progress, whereas the Sunnīs held that to blaspheme the Companions was an act of impiety. After consideration and meditation he had satisfied himself that no one can become impious by thinking he is doing right.* His Majesty much approved this remark, and with great kindness and con­descension offered him the honour of service. As he was about to go on pilgrimage and had made his arrangements accordingly, he was debarred from this boon. Here also Ḥājī Muḥammad (son of) Bāba Qāshqa, and Ḥasan Kōka left M. ‘Askarī and joined the noble army. They recommended that his Majesty should proceed towards Zamīn Dāwār because Amīr Beg, the governor, thereof was coming to serve, and Calma* Beg, governor of the fort of Bast, was also solicitous of the honour of employment; (and said also) that soon many men of M. ‘Askarī would separate from him and enter his Majesty's service; and that Qandahār and its territory would come into the possession of the royal servants. When Aḥmad Sulān heard that they were giving this advice and were deterring his Majesty from going to Persia, he came to his Majesty and submitted, out of well-wishing and affection, that the expedition to Persia was worthy of his genius and that the faction which was dissuading him from going, was only actuated by fraud and treachery. As Aḥmad Sulān had by his devotion and sincerity established himself in his Majesty Jahānbānī's heart, his representations were accepted and acted upon. The Emperor deter­mined to proceed to ‘Irāq. On account of this affair Ḥājī Muḥ. Kōka was for some days excluded from the presence. Aḥmad Sulān attended on the stirrup, and wished to be a guide for the road, by way of Tabas* Kīlakī. As his Majesty had set his heart on visiting Herāt, he took the road by the fort of Ūk.*

When the loving letter of his Majesty Jahānbānī Jannat-āshyānī reached Shāh ahmāsp, he regarded his Majesty's auspicious advent as an unlooked for blessing and felt delighted. He wished that the glorious shadow of the auspicious humā (humā-i-sa‘ādat-i-humāyūnī) might fall on the crest of his own fortune, and that the experience of this grace might form the inframing border for the record of the splendour of his family.* In acknowledgment of the blessing he bade the drums of rejoicing beat for three days in Qazwīn.* And he wrote a reply full of respect and veneration and of wishes for his Majesty's speedy arrival, with thousands of lands and encomia, and sent it along with various gifts and rarities by his special courtiers. This verse was written on the border (‘amwān) of the letter.