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Suliman Khoja, the Shekhulislfm or "high priest" of Khokand, to re-assure and T.S.

conciliate Alim Cull and bring him in on a promise of pardon and kind treatment. But the wily and rough Kapchak refused to trust the " high priest's" promises, and turned a deaf ear to his honied words of persuasion ; and Khudayar in consequence

sent a force to coerce him under Mulla Sultan as commander. He seized Andijan and detached Abdulla Ycinsad (the author of the work I quote) to secure Shahrikhan whilst he fortified his own position. But on the third night Alim Cull took the fort by surprise and killed nearly a thousand of the Kirghiz and Kapchak, whilst Mulla Sultan escaped on foot and in disguise to Shahrikhan.

•   Khudayar immediately took the field to retrieve this disaster, but on arrival at Karawultappa he mistrusted his Kirghiz and Kapchak, and consequently sent

3,000 of them back to Khokand. He then advanced by Karâjighda and

Marghinan to Yacca Tût, where he was joined by Mulla Sultan and Abdûlla with their diminished force. Alim Cull in this interval had left Andijan and taken up

a position at Aska, and Khudayar, learning this from his scouts, left his main army standing, and with a small force advanced to attack him at Caba Shor ; but he was forestalled by his adversary who fell upon him with his whole force as he reached the ground. A severe fight followed, and lasted till sunset, with great loss on both sides.

Sultan Murad, the brother of Khudayar, fled the field and took the road to the capital, but was stopped by the army left at Yacca Tût; and the Khan, unable to

follow his example, set to work and fortified his position with carts and camp equipage

for the night. He was here besieged for three days when Alim Cull, failing to force his defences with his few men, retired to Marghinan to collect his Kapchak from

the hills; and Khudayar thus set free seized the opportunity and hurried back to Yacca Tût where he halted four days, and sent off messengers reporting a great victory and the flight of the enemy, for the satisfaction of his party at Khokand.

His couriers had no sooner started, however, than Alim Cull re-appeared with a fresh army and besieged Khudayar in his camp for forty days, and then making

a dash at Khokand seized the city ; here the priests and chief citizens coming out with curdn8 borne on their heads welcomed his arrival and set him on the throne as Khan.

Khudayar now in turn resumed the offensive, and following the usurper attacked him in the capital ; and here all the people again turned back to the side of their lawful

chief. Alim Cull, unable to hold the place against such a combination, quitted

the city taking with him seventeen cannons he found in it, and continued the war by besieging Andijan, which had been re-occupied on the part of Khudayar by

Kaadir Cull Beg. He held out eight days, and then surrendering the place joined the Kapchak leader who with his new ally then attacked Marghinan held by Mulla Sultan. He was killed in a sortie, and bis 111ingb6$kI, Mirza Ahmad, then abandoning the fort fled to Khokand. Alim Cull secured the place with a garrison and then went in pursuit of the fugitive.

In this interim Khudayar had sent his sister as wife to the Bukhara Amir with envoys to seek his aid. Muzaffaruddin married the lady, and then in 1863 set out

with a large army to the support of his new brother-in-law who was now hard-pressed

by Alim Cull besieging the capital, when the relieving army opportunely arrived at Khujand. Alim Cull's outpost pickets being driven in by the advancing army, he

raised the siege and retired to Dormanja to watch events, but finding that the Bukhara, army had entered Khokand he set out on the third day and retreated to Karasu.

After a week's delay Khudayar took the field in pursuit of the enemy, and his ally of Bukhara followed a march in rear. Alim Cull was defeated at Karasû

and pursued to Uzkand, whence he entered the hills and fortified a very strong position in the Kara Khoja Tar, or Defile." Khudayar followed him, but, frightened by difficulties of the country, hastily retired from the bills, and joined his ally who was devastating the plain country. Muzaffaruddin, after a feast to celebrate their success