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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

He made Yárkand the capital of his kingdom, and greatly improved the city. T.R.
He built its fortifications which enclosed two hundred *man* of land (that is land capa-
ble of being sown by that quantity of corn, which at fifteen pounds the *man* equals
three thousand pounds), and had six gates, each protected by two bastions, and con-
necting walls one hundred yards in advance, a novel arrangement, by which the
approach was defended by archers on each side. Inside the city he laid out twelve
parks, with handsome mansions, and a hundred houses in each. He brought canals
into the city, and planted twelve thousand gardens in its suburbs. All these now
fell into the hands of Sáid, and were ravaged and plundered by his soldiery.

After settling Yárkand, Sáid returned to Káshghar, and there, in the winter
of 921 H.=1514-15 A.D., received a visit from Mansúr who had come from his
government of Jálish and Turfán. In the first month of the following year Sáid
went by Uch Turfán, where his brother, Ayman Khoja, was Governor, to Aksú which
since its devastation by Abábakar on the death of Ahmad had remained in ruins,
and at Báy met Mansúr for the return of his visit. He now acknowledged him as
his elder brother and independent ruler of Jálish and Turfán, and giving Aksú to him
returned to Yárkand for the winter.

In the following spring Sáid moved to Káshghar, and there collected his forces
to invade Andíján and expel Súyúnjúk. He was joined by Ayman and Bábájac with
their small contingents, and on arrival at Chádir Kul mustered his troops. His
brothers warned him that the army was unequal to the task undertaken, and proposed
that they should change the plan of the expedition, and limit it to a raid in the
hills. Consequently they spent a few weeks in the chase of wild horse and sheep, and
the plunder of nomad camps, and then returned to the capital.

After this Sáid set out on an expedition against the Sárigh Uighúr twelve days'
journey from Khutan, but on arrival at the latter place he was so prostrated from
the effects of a hard bout of debauchery that he was obliged to forego the meritorious
duty of converting them. He sent a force, however, to explore their country, and
it returned after an absence of two months without having found any traces of the
pagan enemy; whilst himself in the interim was borne back to the capital in a
stupid state of drunkenness.

He was roused from this ignoble course by the plain admonition of the Uzbak
master of Máwaránahar, and his warning against the unchecked hostilities of the
border tribes; and Sáid, alarmed lest the vengeance of Sháhibeg should fall upon
himself, at once set out on an expedition to Isigh Kul to check the inroads of his
Kirghiz there upon the lands of Turkistán, Syrám, and Andíján. He dispersed their
camps, and capturing their Chief, Muhammad Báy, carried him off prisoner to Yár-
kand in 923 H.=1516 A.D., and thus restored quiet on the border.

During the reign of Sháhibeg Khan, Badakhshán was divided between Khusro Sháh
on the west and Abábakar on the east. Sáid on taking Káshghar had given his share
of the country up to Sárigh Chopan in fief to Mír Beg, one of his nobles; but Mirzá
Khán, the Governor of Zafar fort, expelled him. Consequently Sáid marched against
him, and settling the difficulty peaceably returned to Yárkand. From this in the
summer following he went to Aksú, which had recently (923 H.) been recovered from
Mansúr by Ayman Khoja, who restored and resettled the place for himself. He now
removed Ayman to Káshghar, whence he went to Bábur in India where he died in
938 H.=1531 A.D., and installed Mansúr in the Government; and he reigned there
in peace for two years till 928 H.=1521 A.D.

In this year (926 H.) Mirzá Khan died, and his infant son, Sulemán, was put
on his throne in Badakshán. Sáid meant to have gone against him, but a revolt of
the Kirghiz pagans in Mogholistán prevented him. He sent his son, Rashíd, with
the liberated Muhammad Báy to quell them, and himself followed to their support in
the following year. He wintered at Kucheár, and being there seized with a fit of
piety and remorse for his many sins returned to Káshghar, and wished to abdicate in
favour of his brother Aymán. His priestly adviser, Tájuddín, aided by the persuasive