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

P. By sunset the Kúchá army was in full retreat from Khánarie, leaving 3,000
dead on the field, and nearly double the number of prisoners who were unable to
follow their fugitive brethren. Amongst these last were 1,000 Tungáni who,
having lost nearly 500 men in the battle, now asked quarter, and tendering
submission sought service with the victor. Yákúb Beg pardoned them all, and
enrolling them amongst his own troops shortly afterwards employed them in the
siege of the Yángíshahr. To the remaining captives, with whom he knew not
what to do, he extended a like clemency, and mounting them double on stray horses
running about the field sent them after their retreating comrades. After the battle
the runaways with Buzurg joined the camp; but the troops now looked to Yákúb Beg
as their real master.
Three days after their return to Káshghar from the victory of Khánarie, Mír
Babá Iludáychi, the messenger to Alím Culí with the offerings sent from Yángi
Hissár, arrived at Mingyol from Khokand. He was accompanied by Yákúb Beg's
son, Khuda Culí Beg, aged sixteen years, and his mother, and by Cází Ziauddin and
Kádir Culí Dádlkhwáh as envoys on the part of Beg Muhammad Mingháshí and
Mirzá Ahmad Parwáuchi to seek his protection for the Kirghiz and Kapchák. Yákúb
Beg approved their request and sent back a messenger to inform them that "if
Khokand were too small for them, there was ample room in Káshghar, and that his
own prosperity was bound up in theirs."
Just about this time, too, news came from Yárkand that the enemy defeated at
Khánarie had passed on to Kúchá without coming to the city, and that a governor
was wanted to maintain order. Yákúb Beg consequently sent Mír Bábá with the
rank of Dádlkhwah to secure and settle the place. With the aid of Nyáz Beg he
established himself in the Orda there, and conciliating the chiefs who welcomed him,
soon succeeded in winning over the Tungáni who held the Yángíshahr to come and
pay their respects and tender submission to Yákúb Beg.
Yákúb Beg now pressed the siege of Yángíshahr with redoubled vigilance,
impatient to get possession of it as a starting-point for the career he had in view.
The Kho Dáláy, or Commandant of the Khitáy troops, had as his Musalman agent
and interpreter one Tokhta Ishkí Beg, "Great Lord," who, under the Chinese rule,
held the Artosh village in fief. Some of the spies employed by Yákúb Beg got into
correspondence with this Tokhta, and as a co-religionist appealed to him to surrender
the fort. The faithful man, however, declined to betray his confiding master; but
being persuaded that they could not much longer hold out in the fort, he pointed out
to the Kho Dáláy the extremity that threatened them all; for during the two years
of siege by the Kirghiz and Andijáni successively, their accumulated, and from time
to time as opportunity offered, replenished stores, had become exhausted. He showed
him that nothing remained for them now but death by famine or the sword, except
the one way of escape by surrender and safety through Islám; and this one way
he urged on him to adopt. The Kho Dáláy agreed to the proposal, and sent Tokhta
to bring Yákúb Beg's assurance of protection on those terms. On his return with a
favourable reply, the Kho Dáláy informed Cháng Táy, the Ambán, of his decision;
but he refused to accept any terms, and at 10 o'clock that same night, the
first Thursday in September 1865, just a month after the victory of Khánarie, set
fire to his palace and with his family and dependents perished in the flames.
Yákúb Beg, informed of the conflagration, at once came out to the assault, but
first sent Abdulla with a number of touchi, or "interpreters," to offer the garrison quar-
ter on unconditional surrender. These shouted out their message under the walls, and
were answered by Tokhta from a turret over the gate; and presently the Kho Dáláy
with his son and three daughters and a number of attendants surrendered to Abdulla
and received protection. But in the confusion the troops assembled for the assault—
Andijáni, Kirghiz, Kapchák, Badakhshí, and Afghán—all rushed in to the work of
destruction, and during eight days massacred, sacked, and plundered. Three
thousand Khitáy families, however, escaped, and on accepting Islám were granted
quarter. After this guards were set at the gates and order was restored.