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0290 Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1
Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1 / Page 290 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000196
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of that place, who had bought over the Ambân with a bribe of eight chdrak of gold, P. equal in weight to a hundred and sixty pounds. Afridtin Wing, on being deposed, returned to his home at Lukchun, near Turfân, and there joining the nascent Tungani revolt came back to Kticha, and took au active part in setting Râshuddin Khoja at the head of affairs there. He subsequently submitted to Yâkûb Beg, who squeezed him of all his wealth, for he was one of the richest men in the country, and made him reside at Kâshghar; where the decrepid old man died, and left two sons in poor circumstances. Afridtin was thoroughly Chinese in his interests, and aided Râshuddin to found a Tungâni government under Khoja leaders of his own family at Aksti, Yarkand, and Khutan, in opposition to the Khokand party who had got possession of Kâshghar. But his efforts failed owing to the jealousies dividing the Tungâni, the Khoja, and the Musalmân Chinese officials parties, and he finally succumbed to Yâktüb Beg, who rose on ruins of this house äivided against itself.

Rustam Beg on assuming his dear bought office at once commenced to recoup his outlay, and squeezed the people by severe punishments, fines, and exactions of sorts. They endured his tyranny for three months, and then rose in riot to expel him from the city. He at once called in the aid of the Ambân, who marched a party of Chinese soldiers from the adjoining Yângishahr Fort into the city; but quiet was not restored till Rustam Beg was deposed, and Nyâz Beg, a candidate put forward by the citizens, was appointed in his place.

Following this, an ill-feeling arose between the Musalmân Tungâni and their Budhist Khitây comrades in the garrison, and many quarrels broke out amongst them. Just at this time, too, the Ambân received secret tidings of the Tungâni mutinies in the eastern cities. He kept the news secret for some time, and then his communications with the head-quarters at Ila being cut off by the rebels, he held a private council of his principal officers, and by the consent of all it was decided to disarm all the Tungâni troops. Some delay and hesitation occurred in carrying out the decision, and in the interim the intention was secretly conveyed to the Mâh Dâl~y who commanded the Tungâni by one of his spies; and he determined to be beforehand with the Ambân, aid set a strict watch upon his palace.

Shortly after, a second private council was held by the Ambân, and the Mill Dâ1ây, learning that the morrow had been fixed for the disarming of his men, immediately took his measures to frustrate the decision. Accordingly, that same night he summoned a number of his officers privately to his quarters, briefly informed them of the Ambân's design against them, and told them to go off to their quarters and at once inform their men of the part they were to act in the plan he had arranged to prevent its execution, and to seize the government for themselves. Having done this, he left his quarters with some 50 men, surprised the Khitây guard sleeping outside the fort gate, and cut the throats of all as they lay more or less drugged with opium. By this time he was joined by about 400 others who, according to instructions, had followed in his track, and he then set fire to the gates and dispersed them inside the fort to rouse the garrison with the alarm of fire.

The Khitây and Tungâni troops were quartered together in the outer part of the fort, whilst the inner part or citadel was occupied by the Ambân and principal officers and their Khitây guards. And this inner fort was shut off from the outer by walls and gates of its own. As the garrison in the outer fort was roused by the alarm of fire, the men, Tungâni and Khitây, came running out of their quarters together, but for very different purposes. The Tungâni were all armed, and each now, according to his instructions, slew his Khitây comrade as he issued from his quarters.

By this stratagem the Tungâni killed 2,000 of their Khitây brethren before the day dawned, when those in the inner fort, being roused by the tumult, attacked and expelled them from the Yângishahr.

The Mill Dâlây and his mutineers then entered the city just as the gates were opened with the rising sun, and with white scarves tied round their heads and drooping in lappets over the shoulders dispersed through the bazars, calling on the