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

> > > >
Color New!IIIF Color HighRes Gray HighRes PDF   Japanese English
0256 Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1
Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1 / Page 256 (Color Image)

New!Citation Information

doi: 10.20676/00000196
Citation Format: Chicago | APA | Harvard | IEEE

OCR Text

 

( 176 )

are gathered from the Tazkira Hidciyat, written by Mfr Khaludddfn of Yarkand shortly T.H. aft* the Khoja's death :-

, (hoja Hidayatulla, usually called Hazrat Afak = " Most High Presence," was the son of Khoja Muhammad Yisuf, the son of Khoja Muhammad Amin, the son of Hazrat Makhdimi Azam. He held entire dominion, spiritual and temporal, over the Moghol States of Kashghar, Yarkand, Khutan, Aksi, Kicha, and Turfân, and had many disciples in Khita, Bulghar, Uris, and Hindustan. He held a fifth part of Mogholistan in jdgir = demesne, and received tithes from his disciples in foreign lands ; from Kashmir and Badakshan, and the Tungani in Khita notably.

Amongst the people of Kashghar he was held as a Prophet second only to Muhammad, and in his miraculous powers of healing the sick and restoring the dead he was reckoned the equal of Hazrat Isa = " Lord Jesus." His bearing exercised a marvellous effect upon the people, and his appearance amongst them produced the most extraordinary manifestations of fascination. Some wept with jo–, some sang with delight, others danced and leaped and whirled around, and others again fell senseless to the ground, whilst all were irresistably attracted to him by an ecstatic devotion of spiritual love. His miracles are said to be countless ; yet in his early career scoffers and unbelievers were not wanting.

Abdurrashid, the Ruler of Yarkand, was his enemy, and appointed a partizan, one Mulla Abdulla, to the office of Cazi in the city. He took every opportunity to destroy the Saint's growing influence, and in his Court of Justice used to denounce Afak as a hypocrite and rogue who, in the garb of a darvesh, took the property of the people to keep his retinue of slave boys in gilded crowns, and to deck his concubines innumerable in silks and brocades. The speech of the bold tongued Cazi was reported to Afak, but he merely remarked with meek resignation that God would in due time visit him with due reward. Shortly after this the railer was present at an entertainment given by the object of his vituperation, and was choked by a bone sticking in his throat. His friends fell at the Saint's feet, and offering all his wealth, and the sinner's repentance, implored him to save the man's life.

Afak bid his neighbour hit the Cazi a blow on the throat, and as he did so the bone was ejected to the dying man's relief. Of the company some laughed, some wept, and others fainted, but the scoffing Cazi recovered, and through very shame retired into private life at Aksi. From this he afterwards returned as a partizan and favored servant of the Saint's son and successor.

Mirza Shah Mahmid, a Jara.s noble of Yarkand, was another prominent scoffer. He was a debauchee and opium-smoker, and reviled the sanctity of Afak, saying " were he really a man of God he would have cured me of my evil ways." His brother, Ghazi Beg, was an equally infidel railer. But both very soon met a just retribution. The one died from an overdose of his favorite drug, and the other of a severe colic whilst out hunting even before they could carry him home. It was by such miracles as these that Afak's sanctity was proved and established. During his reign Afak warred twelve years with the Kirghiz and Kalmak before he acquired the sole sovereignty. Attended by Mulla Alim of Yarkand he accompanied Yolbars Khan on his fatal campaign against Khita, and gained many disciples amongst the Tungani there.

In his time Muhammad Amin Khan, Ruler of Yarkand, went against his brother, Khudabanda, at Aksi. He fell sick on the way, and was brought back in a jvrghdl = " horse litter," but died before reaching his home. His friends at once took the body to Afak, and the Khan's mother, Begum Padsha.h, falling at the Saint's feet, presented twenty thousand tango = four thousand rupees in cash, and promising ten thousand more implored his intercession to restore her son to life. Afak was at breakfast at the time, and taking a spoonful of gruel from his bowl applied it to the mouth of the defunct. A perspiration presently broke out over the body, the limbs began to move, and on the third day the dead man was riding about as usual. It was such miracles as this that gained for Hazrat Afâk the reputation of a second Hazrat isa.