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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
( 186 )
In 1845, on the accession of Khudayar Khan to the throne of Khokand, the P.
relations with Kâshghar were violated by marauding bands of Andijâni and Kirghiz; and the Khojas, taking advantage of the anarchy on all sides, and the internal strife
distracting parties in Khokand, banded together and collecting a small force invaded
Kâshghar in the autumn of 1263 H. (1846 A. D.), and laid siege to the city and the Chinese Ma'ngsh an, four miles to the south. The city held out for thirteen days under
its Governor, Kasim Beg, who, on its surrender to the enemy through the treachery of the citizens, then fled out by the 'Yuman River gate and effected his escape to the Chinese fort.
This invasion is known as the revolt of the Haft Khojagc n, or " Seven Khojas," as it was conducted by that number of the members of the Afâk family. The eldest
of these was Eshan Khan Khoja, commonly called Katta Tora, " Great Lord;" and amongst the others were Buzurg Khan, Wall Khaan, Kichik Khan, and Tawakkul Khan, all of whom subsequently figured in the conquest of the country by Yakizb Beg Atalik Gbâzi.
Katta Tora now assumed the government in Kâshghar, and appointed the others to the surrounding towns and settlements. Here these worthies pillaged the houses
of the government officials appointed by the Chinese, and, seizing their wives and daughters to stock their harems, at once abandoned themselves to a course of unbridled licentiousness and debauchery ; their troops the while besieging the Chinese garrison shut up in the liangshsn.
Their reign of oppression, however, did not last long, for in seventy-five days after the fall of the city, about November, the Jung ling of Ila, the Jiing ling of
Orizmchi and Changtay, the Dowc'ng of Karâshahr, and the Dowâng of the Kalmak,
each having collected his troops of Mancha, TtzrgiIt, Sibo and Solon, amounting to 12,000 men, including 3,000 Champan, or «criminal exiles" marked with a scar on
the left cheek, arrived at Maralbashi to quell the revolt. On this Katta Tora set
out from the capital to secure Yarkand, but was intercepted and brou;ht to action by the Chinese at Kok Rabat. After a fight of two hours his army was
routed, and he fled back to Kâshghar; but here the citizens having had enough of his rule, and disgusted at the Khoja licentiousness and the oppression of the Andijan soldiers, closed the gates against him ; and he and his confréres escaped back to Khokand with only a few followers, carrying with them the curses and jeers of those they left behind.
The Chinese again took possession of the city without opposition, and restoring order dismissed the Ambân and Kho Darin who held the Mcingskin; and Zuhûrud-
din, the Musalmân governor of the district on the part of the Chinese, was similarly
reduced for having allowed the city to fall into the hands of such a worthless crew ; and their places were filled by new nominees. The Icing Jing of Ila then executed
a number of principal men who had joined in the Khoja revolt, and slew many of the people in revenge for the massacre of the Chinese traders and settlers in the city, and finally, after reinforcing the several garrisons, returned to his own government.
On the re-establishment of the Chinese rule, the former trade and political relations with Khokand were at once renewed ; and K.hudayar Khan appointed as his representative at Kâshghar an active partizan, Nu r Muhammad Khan, who had already given proof of his devotion to the Khoja cause by delivering the city over to them in the recent revolt. And he now protected the Andijâni residents, and fostered the Khoja influence. During bis tenure of office the Andijan element acquired a consider- M.V.
able numerical accession by new immigrants from Khokand, who were encouraged to buy land, marry, and settle in the country. With this increase to the strength of their
foreign supporters, the Musalmân population of the towns daily became more arrogant in their demands, and more independent in their bearing under the rule of their conquerors, till in another decade their restiveness under the Chinese yoke culminated in the last of the Khoja revolts under Wall Khan in 1857.
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