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

( 173 )

T.R.   Whilst here messengers arrived from Rashid summoning Iskandar to Yarkand,

and informing Hydar of the execution of his uncle and all his family, and prohibit-

ing his return to the country. They consequently marched at once to Maryol, and

arrived at its capital, Cala Shiya, in twenty-five days, and taking possession of the fort, halted for stragglers to rejoin. The season was mid-winter, and the loss in men

and cattle from the intense cold was severe. In the early spring Iskandar with seven hundred men set out on a foraging expedition to replenish the exhausted supplies of the army. He plundered all the country of Rang Shigar, and after an absence of two months returned to Maryol.

By this time the messengers sent by Hydar with presents and congratulations to Rashid, and an appeal to revise his decision of banishment for the sake of their early friendship and service together, now came back with peremptory orders for the return of Iskandar with the troops, but a strict prohibition against the return of Hydar, or even his stay in Tibet. On this the army dispersed and took their way back to Yarkand as best they could in small parties straggling all over the country.

Iskandar and Hydar were soon left with only fifty adherents. And with these they set out in the ensuing winter to make their way to Badakshan by the route of Ta.ghdumbash, Janie, and Sanic, and Pamir. The party was reduced to twenty-seven men by sickness and death by the time they reached the Karakoram, which they crossed in Sumbul=September—October. Here Iskandar with four men parted from his companion and friend, and took the road to Yarkand ; whilst Hydar with the remaining twenty-one, following an unknown track, wandered for three days over a desolate waste of mountains and snows, on which they shot several cola's= wild ox (bos grunniens) of huge proportions for food, and finally arrived at Rashgam, a populous little valley at seven days' journey from Pamir. Here the people (who, it would seem, were Musalmans) welcomed the wanderers with hospitality, fed and clad them, and forwarded them on to Badakhshan, where Hydar found shelter with the King, Suleman Shah, who was the son of his maternal aunt. Here he was soon after joined by his family from Yarkand, and by Iskandar, who was at the same time expelled the country by Rashid.

In the autumn they all set out together by way of Kabul to join Kamra.n, the son of Babur, at Lahore. From this Hydar proceeded to the Court of Humayûn, and was by him equipped and sent to conquer and govern Kashmir. He entered the country over the passes on the 22nd Baja 948 H.=1541 A.D., and it was in its capital that he wrote the Tdrikhi Rashidd from which these details are derived.

Said, entitled Sultan Said Khan Ghazi, was considered a generous, just, and mild prince, and pious during his later years as a disciple of Khoja Khawind Mahmûd of the Hanafi sect. His son and successor, Rashid, was the child of a slave girl who, when seven months pregnant with him by Said, was carried off prisoner by the Uzbak when they invaded Andijan. Said recovered her and the infant when he returned to the country by the aid of Babur, who was his uncle's son. At this time Mirza Hydar's sister, Habiba Sultan Khanfm, arrived in Andijan from Samarcand, and

Rashid aged three years was in 915 H.=1509 A.D. made over to her to be educated. At the age of thirteen years Rashid accompanied his father in the expedition against Mogholista.n. He was on this occasion taken prisoner at Akhsi by Janfbeg,

but was recovered on his expulsion from Farghana. He was subsequently sent to

govern in Mogholistan with Mirza Hydar as his Wazir, but returned to Kashghar on the invasion of that region by the Kazzak and Uzbak. At eighteen years of age he

was sent with Hydar on a ghazdt against the pagans of Bolor in 934 H.=1527 A.D.,

and on his return thence was sent to the government of Aksû. After six months' stay with him there Mirza Hydar joined Said's expedition into Tibet as Wazir to his son Iskandar.

On accession to the throne Rashid Sultan allied with the Shaiban Khans, and killed and banished all his father's faithful adherents. Mansur twice attacked him to recover Aksû, but was each time repulsed with loss.