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

T.R. "thousands" of Badakhshán as far as Tang; and for twelve years this region, as far as
Sárigh Chopán, formed part of the Káshghar diván=demesne, till Sáíd, on conquer-
ing the country, gave this district to his General Mír Beg. He, however, was
opposed by Mirzá Khán of Wakhán, one of the hazarachi of the Badakhshán
hazáraját, the limit of which is called Durwazi Wakhán by the Badakhshi, and
Sárigh Chopán by the Káshghari. In the time of Sháhibeg, Abábakar invaded Andiján
and annexed Ush, and Mád and Uzkand. He subdued all Mogholistán, dispersed the
Moghol, and drove the Kirghiz to join Mansúr at Jálish and Turfán. And finally, on
the death of Alaja, he annexed Aksú and Uch Turfán.
He excavated all the ruins and mounds about Káshghar, Yárkand and Khutan
in search of buried treasure. This work was carried on summer and winter by the
labour of convict gangs of men and women in separate chains; they were so punished for
the most trivial offences with the worst criminals. Each gang consisted of from ten to
twenty prisoners secured together by a chain running from one to the other through
a collar fastened round the neck of each. They were ruled by merciless overseers
who for a slight default in discipline were themselves consigned to the gang, and were
fed on the scantiest fare.
By their toil Abábakar accumulated vast treasures from these ruined cities; for
nothing escaped him, even the dust being sifted for gems. In a vault in some ruins
near Khutan—which is described as a most ancient city, and remarkable for the
absence of the 'aka=magpie, which is common elsewhere in the country; and if per-
chance one should appear it is counted an ill omen, and the people turn out and drive
it away—were found twenty-seven khúm=jar, each capable of holding a fully armed
bowman, without his body touching its sides. Each khúm contained a copper aftába
=ewer, with an iron spout that projected to the level of its brim. Each aftába was
one and a half gaz=yard high, and when filled with water was as much as two men
could lift. As found each was full of gold dust, and the space between it and the
containing khúm was packed with silver bálish, each the size of an ancient brick and
depressed in the centre. Each bálish weighed five hundred mitheál. (The mitheál of
the present day weighs sixty grains). In each jar was found a paper with a Turki
inscription—"For the wedding of the son of Khumár Khátón," but who or what
she was nobody knows. All this wealth was deposited in Abábakar's treasury, and
now fell into the possession of Sáíd.
Abábakar was frightfully cruel in his punishments. He used to slay and muti-
late whole families for the offence of a single member, even if accused ten years after
its commission. When his troops captured Sháh Begum, and Mihr Nigár Kháním,
and Muhammad Sháh (the brother of my author), and other members of the family
of his own father and mother, as they came from Kabul to Badakhshán, he brought
them to Káshghar and treated them shamefully. He kept Muhammad Sháh amongst
his eunuchs till fifteen years old, and then staked him to a wall of his chamber by an
iron rod through the belly, and thus left him to die and rot. His own sister, Khan Sul-
táním, he shut up in a room and fed on nothing but raw spirits, and when tortured
by thirst and hunger her ravings were quieted by a fresh dose poured down by force,
till at last she died. Such are only two instances that bear mention of his treatment
towards his own nephews and nieces, and sons and daughters. The whole country
trembled at his foul and indescribable cruelties. When he invaded Andiján, he mas-
sacred three thousand people of Jagrák, Mád, and Uzkand on the pretence that they
had plotted against his life. He cut off the feet of thousands of his own subjects,
simply lest, malcontent, they should go to other countries and conspire against him.
Despite his unheard-of barbarities and merciless cruelties, Abábakar affected a
pious devotion to the Faith, and pretended a rigid observance of the Shariát. He
was always attended by priests and expounders of the law, to whom he used to appeal
for confirmation of his judgments; but if they dared disapprove, he straightway pro-
nounced them worthy of death, and in his clemency and respect for their profession
spared their lives, but imposed tasks worse than death itself.