reaching that city. With the death of Azeem the royal authority was
extinguished. The king fled to Lahore, and lived under the protection of
his conqueror. Herat alone remained in the possession of one of the
Suddoozye family. The brothers of the late vizier seized his son, and
deprived him of his treasure and his power. The kingdom was then divided
between them. Cabool fell into the hands of Dost Mahomed; Peshawur and
Candahar were held by two of his brothers; the Sindeans threw off their
yoke, and refused to pay tribute; Balk was annexed to the dominions of
the King of Bokhara; the richest portion of the provinces having fallen
into the possession of the Sikhs. In seventy-six years from the time
that Ahmed Shah was crowned at Candahar, the Dooranee monarchy again
ceased to exist.

As I have given the character of Shah Shooja, it will be interesting to
quote that of Dost Mahomed, from the same author. "He is unremitting in
his attention to business, and attends daily at the courthouse, with the
Cazee and Moollahs, to decide every cause according to law. Trade has
received the greatest encouragement from him, and he has derived his own
reward, since the receipts of the customhouse of the city have increased
fifty thousand rupees, and furnished him with a net revenue of two lacs
of rupees per annum. The merchant may travel without a guard or
protection from one frontier to another, an unheard-of circumstance in
the time of the kings. The justice of this chief affords a constant
theme of praise to all classes. The peasant rejoices at the absence of
tyranny, the citizen at the safety of his home, the merchant at the
equity of his decisions and the protection of his property, and the
soldier at the regular manner in which his arrears are discharged." "One
is struck with the intelligence, knowledge, and curiosity which he
displays, as well as at his accomplished manners and address."