marched for the purpose of restoring Shah Shooja to its throne, it will
be necessary to go back to the early part of the last century, when
Nadir Shah had raised himself to the throne of Persia. His name having
become formidable as a conqueror, he turned his thoughts to the conquest
of India, and, assuming sufficient pretexts for breaking the relations
of amity which he professed for the monarch of that country, he
determined to invade it, and for that purpose began his march in 1738.
Taking with him some of the chiefs of Afghanistan, he crossed the Punjab
and entered Delhi. He there raised enormous contributions, and seized
upon everything worth taking away; amongst other things the far-famed
Peacock throne, in which was the renowned diamond called "The Mountain
of Light." The spoils with which he returned to Persia were valued at
nearly seventy millions of pounds sterling. It is not necessary to
follow the history of Nadir; it will be enough to say that, amidst the
confusion which followed his death, Ahmed Khan obtained possession of
part of his treasure, amongst which was the great diamond. He escaped
with it into Khorassan, where he made himself master also of a large sum
of money which was coming to Nadir from India. Ahmed was a brave and
intelligent man, had been an officer of rank under the Shah, and, being
in possession of the treasure necessary for his purpose, he proclaimed
himself king, and was crowned at Candahar "King of the Afghans." Ahmed
was of the Suddoozye family, which were but a small tribe; but he was
greatly assisted by the powerful Barukzye family, whose friendship he
justly valued and made use of to his advantage: of this latter family
Hajee Jamel was then the chief. Ahmed knew how to conciliate the
independent spirit of his Afghan subjects, and by making frequent
incursions on his neighbours, kept alive that spirit of enterprise which
was congenial to their feelings; but from the time of his death the
royal authority began to decline, as Timour, his son and successor, had
neither the sense nor enterprise necessary to uphold it. Affairs became