GLADWIN, Francis (trans.).

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A Narrative of the Transactions in Bengal; First editions. The author of the second work travelled in the retinue of Nader Shah throughout the Middle East, culminating in a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina and a return to India via Jeddah. He documents his journey from Baghdad to Mecca in detail, and gives his observations on the customs of the people of the holy city.Khwaja Abdul Karim Kashmiri first encountered Nader Shah in Delhi, when he presented himself to the royal court in order to get a visa to perform the hajj. The Persian emperor was so impressed by his intelligence that he appointed Abdul Karim to the court in Iran, from where he was sent to the Ottoman Empire as a diplomat. He was then sent to Baghdad before being allowed to take his pilgrimage. The memoir is mostly dedicated to the life and conquests of the shah, spanning from his toppling of the Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad (Delhi) in 1739 through to his murder in 1747. The middle chapters are devoted to Abdul Karim's travels from Baghdad to Mecca. He trekked through Mosul, Aleppo, and Damascus, recounting details along the way. This includes how, under Ottoman regulations, the Pasha of Damascus was required to act as Amir Al-Hajj, providing central government protection to the caravan and enforcing rules among the pilgrims to prevent conflict. He also wrote about Mecca itself: "The women of Mecca wear green apples around their necks, and think them very ornamental. Masoud, the present Shereef, is a man highly

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