Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1 / Page 198 (Color Image)

0198	Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1

Gorkhén marched to Balásághún on his invitation, But he took the place for R.S.
himself, and subjugating the offending tribes to his own rule, appointed the Afrásyáb
Malik or King to rule over the Turkmán people. Gorkhán next subdued the Kirghiz,
and, taking the cities of Beshbáligh and Almáligh (the present Almáti or Almá Atá,
as it is written in books), extended his conquests over Káshghar and Khutan, which
were then at mutual hostility, and brought the adjoining province of Farghána under
his rule.
At this time the Kará Khitáy nomads, who wandered over the country to the north V.B.
of Khokand, now occupied by the Kará Kirghiz and Kapchac, appealed to Gorkhán
against the heavy taxes exacted by Sultan Sanjar.
According to the Tabcáti Násiri, the Kará Khitáy were a people who, having T.N.
revolted against the King of Tamgháj, came to the cities of Cubáligh and Balásághún,
and pastured on the Islamite borders, where the Musalméns were ruled by Afrásyáb
Princes descended from Iylik Márzi, under subjection to the Saljúk Kings. They at
first paid tribute, but, on getting strong, revolted, and were attacked by Sultan
Sanjar, whom they defeated, and whose wife, Turkán Kháton, they captured under
their leader Táynko Taráz, who restored her on peace being made. The Sanjar power
declined after this defeat, and the Turkistán Princes, being distracted and weakened
by wars amongst themselves, sought the aid of the Kará Khitáy, who came and took
the government for themselves, and kept it for eighty and odd years. Their rulers
were in succession Ayma, and Sangam, and Arbar, and Tana, and Táynko, and then a
queen who was succeeded by Gorkhán. His army invaded the country repeatedly, and
conquered all up to the Jyhon, including Talicán, Balkh, Amúy, and Tarmiz, and made
Khwáhrizm and Khurásán too, excepting only the Sultáns of Ghor and
Bámyán. Gorkhán was deposed by the Shúncár Tártár, Koshluk, and with him ended
the rule of the Kará Khitáy. Before him Táynko Taráz was defeated and captured by
Sultán Muhammad Khwáhrizm Sháh, at whose hands he accepted Islám. He had won
forty-five battles before, and had never been defeated, till on this occasion Sultán
Muhammad assailed his banga="fortified camp" three several times, and finally cap-
tured him and his whole army.
When, as abovementioned, the Kará Khitáy nomads on the Khokand frontier V.B.
complained to their King of the exactions of the Sanjar Governors, he took up
their grievances and demanded redress, but failed in obtaining satisfaction. Conse-
quently Gorkhán, in 536 H.=1141 A.D., assembled his forces, and, being joined by
the Chiefs of the country, invaded Máwaránahar, whence he drove out Sultán Sanjar
across the Oxus to Andkhúy, where he died a lunatic not many years later. He N.
destroyed the fugitive King's army, and appointed Aymantakin as his Governor of
Bokhárá, from which he then pushed on to Khwáhrizm, where he made its King,
Atsiz, tributary in 30,000 diram yearly. The diram may be reckoned as equal to
about six pence.
A couple of years later, Háshim Araba attacked Bukhárá, drove out Carácha
Beg, the Governor of Gorkhán, and killing his Wazír, one Shahab, plundered the city
and destroyed its fortifications. They were restored in 560 H.=1164 A.D. by the
Kará Khitáy Governor of Gorkhán, who was in turn ousted by Muhammad bin
Sultantakin Khwáhrizm Shah in 564H.=1168 A.D., who re-built and improved the
fortifications. Finally they were destroyed in 616H.=1219 A.D., when Changiz
took the place.
On the death of Sultan Sanjar, his nephew, Mahmúd, succeeded, and reigned V.B.
for six years, when he was blinded by Bughra Khan of Káshghar, or one of the
family of that name, to whom he was related on the mother's side. And thus the
Saljúk empire fell to pieces; the Khwáhrizm King dividing Khurásán with him of
Ghor, whilst Máwaránahar and Farghana fell to the hands of Gorkhán. With this
division of the eastern portion of the Saljúk empire ended the first Turk dynasty
in Máwaránahar, where the Persian literature and culture still flourished, the
Turk element forming only the military class.

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

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