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

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Mûzârt Pass. The cities to the westward of Akstl had always from their position M.V.

shared a community of interests with Khokand or Audijân, anciently called Farghâna (which during the time of the Moghol Khans was included in the government of Kâshghar, as it was at an earlier period under the rule of the Bughra Khan family when Uzkand was the capital of one of their Princes), and the adjoining States of Mâwarânahar, and in them the Khoja influence had always been greatest.

But the eastern cities on the other hand from Kûchâ to Khâmil had hardly felt this influence, and were from their vicinity and common interests more in unison with the Chinese. This natural tendency the Chinese authorities encouraged by a conciliating rule, and the grant of princely titles, whilst the Emperor himself, to strengthen the bonds of attachment, married a Khâmil Princess.

The trading privileges enjoyed by the western towns enabled their people to maintain constant communication with their co-religionists to the west of the passes, and afforded them opportunities of intriguing with the Musalmâns there for the restoration of the Khoja rule, and the hatching of all sorts of sedition against the established government. To check the troubles and disquiet arising from this source, the Chinese in 1813 A.D. subsidized the Khan of Khokand with two hundred yczm6 _ 23,660 yearly to control the hostility of the Khojas, who since their conquest of the country had emigrated to his territory.

Amongst these was Sarimsak, the last descendant of the Afâc family. After

many years of wandering in Central Asia he settled in his old age at Khokand, to be near Kâshghar, whence he derived his revenues. He was here joined by many KarâtâghliIc discontents from the Chinese side of the border, who complained of the oppression of the foreign rulers, the violation of their wives and daughters by the infidel, and the suppression of their religious supremacy. These grievances, coupled with the fate of the two murdered Khojas, excited universal sympathy amongst Musalmâns, and to fan it, emissaries set out from Kâshghar in 1820 A.D., and spread themselves over Central Asia to enlist the aid of Islâm in a ghazci against the kâfi'r invaders.

As a first consequence Murâd Beg, the Ruler of Kundiiz, on the pretence of avenging the murder of the Khoja brothers on behalf of his relative, Sarimsak, conquered Badakshân, and deported its people to sicken and die in the swamps of his own country. And as a second Jahângfr Khoja invaded Kâshghar.

Sarimsak had three sons, Yûsuf Khoja, who lived at Bukhârâ, Bahaaiddin, and Jahângir who was born in 1783. A. D. On the death of ilmar Khan of Khokand in 1822 A. D., Jahângir fled from the city to the Kali, Kirghiz, and plotted against Kâshghar, where the devotion of the people to the Khoja interest and the weakness of the Chinese rule were well known to him. His hostility now was the commencement of those troubles which have ever since distracted the country till its conquest

by the present Ruler, Amir Muhammad Yâkûb Khan, Atâlik Ghâzf.

Jahangir first enlisted the aid of Sûrânchi Beg, Chongbaghish Kirghiz, who merely plundered the Kâshghar suburbs and was driven back. On this failure the Khoja went to the Sâyak Kirghiz of Bolor, and securing the adhesion of their Chiefs, Atantai and Tailak, made the summer resort of the Kirghiz camps on the upper course of the Nârin river his head-quarters. Here he assumed the character of a saint and miracle worker, and made many excursions against the enemy ; but without much success, till at last in 1825 A.D. a small party of Chinese who had pursued his raiders to the Nârin, and plundered the country up to Fort Kurtka, were surprized in a narrow defile on their return journey and slaughtered almost to a man.

This victory was at once noised in Khokand, and emissaries were sent to raise the Uzbak, Kazzâk, and Bûrût Kirghiz, many of whom with Andijâ.ni and Badakhshf. adventurers flocked to the green banner of Jahânghfr. In the following spring the Khoja marched against Kâshghar with a considerable force under the command of 'Isa Dâdkhwdk, lent to him as General by Muhammad Ali Khan of Khokand, and camped at Beshkirim in its northern suburbs.

The Chinese came out to attack, but were quickly routed and driven back to their citadel, whilst Jahângir entering the city amidst the acclamations of the people