INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 545
of the Ming dynasty had little power beyond the frontiers of China Proper, or at most beyond the territory of Kamil.' The western states remained subject more or less nominally to the Khans of the eastern branch of Chagatai, whose history has been briefly traced in a previous page of this book. The government of Kashgar had always since the days of Chinghiz been conferred on a chief officer of the Khan's court. Tughlak Timur, on his accession, bestowed it on the Amir Tulak, who was succeeded by Bulaji, both being brothers of Kamaruddin, who slew Elias the son of Tughlak Timur and usurped the Khanate. Bulaji was succeeded by his son Khuddidad, of whom we have already heard (supra, p. 525). This prince ruled for many years prosperously and beneficently, holding quasi-regal power over Kashgar, Khotan, Aksu, Bai and Kucha,2 devoting much of his revenue to pious objects, especially the redemption of Musulman captives carried off by the Mongols in their raids on Mawaralnahr. His rule
' The circumstance cited in a note at p. 275, supra, shows that, in 1419, the Chinese power did not extend to Turfan and Karakhoja. In 1605, as we shall see presently, it did not even include Kamil.
2 Mai and Kush," but I suppose the names in the text are those intended. For Kucha or Kuchia, see a note on Goes's journey fiuther on. Rai is a town at the foot of the Thian Shan, between Aksu and Kucha, 137 miles N.E. of the former, famous now for its sheep-farming and felt manufacture. It is identified by Hugh Murray with the Pein of Polo ; an identification followed by Pauthier, who however quotes Murray's remark, that it had " defied conjecture" (hitherto), without noticing that Murray had himself made the identification.
The mention of Bai here as a province coupled with Kashgar, Khotan, and Aksu, adds strongly, to the probability that it is really the Pein of Marco. There is a difficulty in the fact that the chief circumstance he notes about Pein is the production of jasper, i. e. jade, in its river; and I can find no notice of this mineral being found in the northern affluents of the Tarim, though Timkowski does mention wrought jade as a staple of Aksu. Hence Ritter seeks Pein on the road from Yarkand to the Karakorum Pass, where Izzet Ullah mentions a quarry of jade, near where there is a station called Terek-lak-Payin. The last word, however, I believe merely means " Lower," and the position scarcely can answer Polo's description. It is possible that the province or district of Bai may have extended south of the Tarim Kul so as to embrace a part of the jaspiferous rivers of Khotan (Murray's Polo, ii, 32; Panthier's, p. 145; Timkowski, i, 391; Ritter, vii, 382 ; Russ. in Cent. Asia, p. 160). Khatiyan and Bahi are mentioned in juxtaposition also by the early Arab traveller, Ibn Mohalhal, and probably indicate these same two provinces (see notes to Preliminary Essay) .
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