Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1 / Page 223 (Color Image)

0223	Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1

T. R. On the death of Toghlúc Tymúr his son, Ilyás Khoja, hastening up from Samar-
cand, as stated, succeeded to the throne at Almáligh in 1364 A.D. ; but, on his return
to Mogholistán in the following year from his disastrous attempt to recover Máwará-
nahar, he was seized and killed by Amír Kamaruddín, who had usurped the Govern-
ment and murdered all the descendants of Toghlúc he could lay hands on. Eighteen
Moghol Princes were killed by him in one day; but, Khizr Khoja, the youngest son
of Toghlúc, a boy of twelve years, and the only surviving member of the family,
was rescued by Khudádád, the Amír of Káshghar and nephew of the usurper, and
sent away by him with his mother, Mir Aghá, and some trusty adherents for conceal-
ment in the mountains of Bolor.
This Kamaruddín was one of five brothers who held district Governments in
Mogholistán as heirs of former Amírs originally appointed by Changiz. They were
Tolak at Káshghar, Bolaji at Aksú, Kamaruddín at Athásht, Shamsuddín, who was
present at the battle of Lée, and Shekh Daulat, of whom there is no trace. Tolak,
the eldest, was succeeded in the ûlús-begi by Boláji ; and he by his son, Khudádád,
who was seven years old when his father died.
Z.N.T. Whilst Amír Kamaruddín was thus securing his usurped rule in Mogholistán, the
Amírs Husen and Tymúr were contesting the mastery in Máwaránahar ; and, on the
final accession of the latter to the throne at Samarcand, his first care was to repel
the encroachments of the Jattah Moghol on the Táshkand frontier, as before men-
tioned. The submission then exacted did not prove effective, and the Jattah, taking
advantage of Tymúr's absence in the campaigns against Badakhshán and Khwáhrizm,
made repeated incursions across the border into Máwaránahar.
Whilst engaged in his first campaign against Khívá, Tymúr in the spring of
773 H.=1371 A.D. sent a force under Bahrám Jaláyr and Khítáy Bahadur to
repel the Jattah incursions. They drove the enemy across the border, and pursuing,
devastated the country up to Almátú or Almátí, where, defeating the Karait, they
concluded peace. It did not last long, however, and Tymúr, on his return from
Khwáhrizm, took the field with a numerous army against Kamaruddín, the Jattah
Chief. He took flight to the mountains, and Tymúr, after ravaging the country up
to Sikiz Aghach="Eight trees" in the vicinity of Isigh Kol, returned with innumer-
able captives and cattle.
Following this came Tymúr's second campaign against Khiva in 774 H.=1372
A.D., whence he brought away Súyún (daughter of Yúsúf Súfi, who died in the first
siege), whose marriage with his son, Jahángír, he celebrated on return to the capital.
Meanwhile the irrepressible Kamaruddín continued his incursions on the borders of
Táshkand. Consequently, Tymúr took the field on his third campaign against the
Jattah.
He set out from Samarcand on Thursday, 1st Sháhbán, 776 H.=1374 A.D., but
was forced to return after a few marches owing to the intensity of the cold, and loss
of men and cattle in the frosts, winds, and snows. He set out again two months
later with a recruited army, and sent Jahángír ahead with the vanguard by Syrám
to Kok-tappa, where Kamaruddín was camped. He drove the Jattah army from this
position, and pursued them to their stronghold, Barka Kurghán, a small castle in the
highest of three dark and deep glens, each of which was occupied by a swift and
copious torrent. Kamaruddín and his nomads, scared by the boldness of their
pursuers, fled during the night, and Jahángír then, plundering the country along
the Ayla River, took whole camps of the Jattah prisoners, and marched them off
under escort to Samarcand by order of Tymúr, who next sent him in pursuit of
Kamaruddín to Pac-tágh="Mountain Base."
The Chief escaped into the mountains, but his principal settlement at Úch-Burhán
or Úch Turfán, together with his treasures and family, fell into the hands of Jahán-
gír, who, returning thence, joined his father, after an absence of fifty-three days,
at Kará Kasmác, and rendered up his captives and plunder. Tymúr distributed these
amongst his soldiers, but reserved the prize of all,—the lovely Dilsháḍ Agha="Lady
a 10

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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