Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1 / Page 200 (Color Image)

0200	Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1

thousand of their clergy, and demanded a summary recantation of their false R.S.
doctrine, and on their refusal to deny their "Pure Prophet," he executed their chief
priest, Sheikh Jaláluddin, by suspending him head downwards from the bough of a
tree in front of the principal mosque ; whilst he let loose his soldiery amongst the rest
to slay and torture, and finished with the destruction of their mosques and desecra-
tion of their tombs.
Whilst Koshluk was running this violent career in the south-west of the
Uighúr country, another Budhist chief, Aydy Cút, Tártár, had risen to power at
Balásághún in the north-east of the same region, and with only less violence perse-
cuted the Muhammadans up to the Táshkand frontier, and destroyed their town of
Kásán belonging to the province of Farghána. (Abúl Fidá).
At this time the growing power of Changíz had made itself felt on the Uighúr
border, and Aydy Cút, alive to his own interests, tendered an early submission to the
rising conqueror. He was in consequence highly favoured, and Changíz gave him
one of his daughters to wife. Koshluk, on the other hand, mistrustful, and continu-
ing the old antipathy, did not so submit. Changíz, consequently, sent a strong force
of his Moghol, under Jattah Noyán, to exterminate him and his Náymán.
The Moghol invaders fell upon and slew all the Náymán troops they could lay
hands on at Káshghar, where they found them scattered amongst the peasantry, from
whom they had taken forcible possession of their houses ; and then followed in the
track of Koshluk to Khutan, subjugating and settling the country as they went
on.
Koshluk, on hearing of the destruction of his army and the approach of his
dread enemies, abandoned Khutan, and fled in haste with only a few attendants into
the mountains of Badakhshán, and the Moghol, pursuing, got some Wákhí or
Wákhán huntsmen, amongst whom he was concealed, to deliver him up to them.
They straightway killed him, and sent his head to Changíz, who then annexed
Káshghar and Khutan, and the country up to the Syhon.
This brings us to the period of the Moghol invasion under Changíz, and that P.
occupation of the country which has given to it the name of Mogholistan ; just as
in anterior ages a similar irruption from the north, under Ayghúr Khán, gave to it,
and the adjoining region to the west, the name of Turkistán, from the designation of
the main division of the great Tártár invaders of that period, after whom the whole
of the Central Asian plateau takes the general name of Tartary. To understand this
it is necessary to go back to the early history of these peoples. The oriental version
as given by Mir Kháwind Sháh, the Mirkhond or Khondemir of European authors,
whose opportunities of acquiring reliable information on the traditions of the country
were, from his position at Herat during the glorious reign of the great Sultán Husen
Mirzá in the latter half of the fifteenth century, probably as good as those of other
historians, may be briefly summarized much as follows :—
Yáfath or Japhet, which signifies "ancestor" was the forefather of the Turk race. R.S.
When the ark rested on the mountain Júdi, Noah sent forth Japhet to the countries
of the east, and gave him the gada-tásh = jade stone, which signifies "rainstone," for
by its possession was secured a timely rain for the crops in their seasons. From him
sprung the following peoples :—
Chín. He was the inventor of painting, silk culture, the art of weaving, and
many other useful arts.
Scláb. He warred with Rús, and Kharz, and Kamárí for the possession of the
land, and finally settled in the country bearing his name. It is in 64° N. Lat. and
beyond the haft iclím, where, owing to the intensity of the cold, the houses are
sunk underground.
Kharz or Khazar. He settled on the River Amil = Volga, and built the city of
Khazar there, and cultivated the soil.
Rús. He settled on the tracts adjoining Khazar ; introduced punishment by fine
and confiscation, and heritage by daughters, the sons receiving only their fathers'
weapons of war.

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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