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

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T.R. "thousands" of Badakhshan as far as Tang; and for twelve years this region, as far as Sarigh Chopin, formed part of the Kâshghar cdivân=demesne, till Said, on conquer- ing the country, gave this district to his General Mir Beg. He, however, was opposed by Mirzi Khan of Wakhin, one of the hazarachz of the Badakhshan hazârajât, the limit of which is called Durwazi Wakhân by the Badakhshi, and Sarigh Chopin by the Kishghari. In the time of Shahibeg, Ababakar invaded Andijan and annexed Ush, and Mid and Uzkand. He subdued all Mogholistân, dispersed the Moghol, and drove the Kirghiz to join Mansur at Jilish and Turfan. And finally, on the death of Alaja, he annexed Aksii and Uch Turfin.

He excavated all the ruins and mounds about Kâshghar, Yarkand and Khutan

in search of buried treasure. This work was carried on summer and winter by the labour of convict gangs of men and women in separate ehains; they were so punished for the most trivial offences with the worst criminals. Each gang consisted of from ten to twenty prisoners secured together by a chain running from one to the other through a collar fastened round the neck of each. They were ruled by merciless overseers who for a slight default in discipline were themselves consigned to the gang, and were fed on the scantiest fare.

By their toil Ababakar accumulated vast treasures from these ruined cities ; for

nothing escaped him, even the dust being sifted for gems. In a vault in some ruins near Khutan—which is described as a most ancient city, and remarkable for the absence of the 'aka=magpie, which is common elsewhere in the country; and if per.. chance one should appear it is counted an ill omen, and the people turn out and drive it away—were found twenty-seven khûm=jar, each capable of holding a fully armed bowman, without his body touching its sides. Each khûm contained a copper aftdba =ewer, with an iron spout that projected to the level of its brim. Each aftdba was one and a half gaz=yard high, and when filled with water was as much as two men could lift. As found each was full of gold dust, and the space between it and the containing khûm was packed with silver bâlish, each the size of an ancient brick and depressed in the centre. Each bdlish weighed five hundred mithcc'l. (The mithccil of the present day weighs sixty grains). In each jar was found a paper with a Turki inscription—" For the wedding of the son of Khumar Khitôn," but who or what she was nobody knows. All this wealth was deposited in Ababakar's treasury, and now fell into the possession of Said.

Ababakar was frightfully cruel in his punishments. He used to slay and muti-

late whole families for the offence of a single member, even if accused ten years after its commission. When his troops captured Shah Begum, and Mihr Nigar Khanfm, and Muhammad Shah (the brother of my author), and other members of the family of his own father and mother, as they came from Kabul to Badakhshan, he brought them to Kâshghar and treated them shamefully. He kept Muhammad Shah amongst his eunuchs till fifteen years old, and then staked him to a wall of his chamber by an iron rod through the belly, and thus left him to die and rot. His own sister, Khan Sulti,nf m, he shut up in a room and fed on nothing but raw spirits, and when tortured by thirst and hunger her ravings were quieted by a fresh dose poured down by force, till at last she died. Such are only two instances that bear mention of his treatment towards his own nephews and nieces, and sons and daughters. The whole country trembled at his foul and indescribable cruelties. When he invaded Andijan, he massacred three thousand people of Jagrak, Mid, and Uzkand on the pretence that they had plotted against his life. He cut off the feet of thousands of his own subjects, simply lest, malcontent, they should go to other countries and conspire against him.

Despite his unheard-of barbarities and merciless cruelties, Abibakar affected a

pious devotion to the Faith, and pretended a rigid observance of the Shartat. He was always attended by priests and expounders of the law, to whom he used to appeal for confirmation of his judgments; but if they dared disapprove, he straightway pronounced them worthy of death, and in his clemency and respect for their profession spared their lives, but imposed tasks worse than death itself.