National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

~

T.R.

( 157 ) '

On the death of Wais Khan, the government of Mogholistan became divided. The northern States of Zûnghir fell successively to his sons Eshan Boghi and Yûnus, whilst the southern States of Kashghar fell to Syad Ali (whose capital was at Aksû), the Minister of Wais, and to his successors, heirs of the Amir Khudadad. As the events occurring in these regions during the rule of these rival governors has not been hitherto published, so far as I am aware,- I here introduce an abridged record of them as gathered from the Tarikki Ra8Md(

Wais left two sons, Yûnus and Eshin Boghi, each of whom was supported by

his own faction in claiming the succession. The nobles who favoured Yûnus, then a lad of thirteen years, carried him off to Ulugh at Samarcand to gain his 'recognition and support ; but he, in 832 H.=1428 A.D., sent him out of the way to his father at Herat. Here Shihrukh placed him under the charge of Mauling, Sharifuddin Ali, Yazdi, the most celebrated scholar, poet, and divine of the time, to be educated. Yûnus remained under his tuition for twelve years, till the great teacher's death. And then during another twelve years, after travelling in Persia and Arabia, he settled at Shiraz.

Meanwhile Eshin Boghi ruled the Moghol tribes amidst a scene of unmiti-

gated disorder, ushered in at the very commencement of his reign by the murder of Tym ir, Uighûr, his Governor of Turfin. He was torn to pieces by the nobles, who then, terror struck at their own rash barbarity, fled the country. In this disorder Syad Ali, the grandson of Amir Khudidad, and Wazir of Wais—who, for his services in the wars with the Kalmik, had been granted by the latter the country of Khutan in fief—seized Aksû from his brothers, Adil Momin and Syad Muhammad, both of whom he killed, and, bringing Eshan Boglhi from Mogholistan, established him in it as the capital of his government, with himself as Minister.

From this Syad Ali waged a predatory warfare against Ulugh on the boxders

of Turkistan and Farghina, and ultimately succeeded in recovering for himself all the country under his grandfather's government, which, during the fourteen years since his departure, had become divided amongst his descendants, and partly annexed by Ulugh to Samarcand.

When Ti lugb Beg, on ' the death of his father, came to the throne at Samarcand,

in 850. H.=1446 A.D., he confirmed Amir Khudadid in his hereditary government, and the Amir appointed his son, Syad Ahmad, to the charge of Kasbghar; but on his deposition by Rhoja Sharif, as has been before mentioned, Ulugh appointed, one Sultin Malik, Doghlit, to the government on the part of Samarcand. He was in turn succeeded by, first, Haji Muhammad, Shiysta, and then by Pir Muhammad, Birlas, the nominees of Ulugh. Syad Ali, the son of Syad Ahmad, now attempted to recover the city from the Hiji with a force of only seven thousand men, but, suffering an ignominious defeat at the hands of the Bukhiri troops, fled back in disorder to Äksû. He renewed the attack in the following year during harvest time, and, laying waste the country, plundered the suburbs, and hastily retired before he could be brought to action by the Samarcand Governor. Owing to his remissness on this occasion the Shaysta was replaced by a Birlas, one Pir Muhammad, surnamed Band from his constant intoxication by the drug called bang (the resin of the hemp plant) ; and, Syad Ali again appearing under the walls during the third harvest, the citizens, to avert the famine threatened by another destruction of the crops, seized the worthless Bangi, and delivered him to the invader, who at once executed him, and took possession of Kashghar, to the joy of the populace who had been greatly oppressed by the foreign governors.

Syad Ali now restored order, and, during a rule of 24 years, proved a just

and popular governor. The people prospered and multiplied, and cultivation and cattle increased with amazing rapidity. He left three sons and two daughters, and the share of heritage falling to the lot of one of the former, Muhammad Hydar, the grandfather of the author from whom this account is derived, included one hundred and twenty thousand sheep.

•

• p