The Rashīdī History 10.2.5

10.2.5

Of the five remaining sons of Rashid Sultan nothing is related; the names of three only are mentioned, as Yūnas Sultan, Arif Sultan, and Adul Rahim Sultan. From this meagre account, little can be gathered regarding the course of events during the forty-four years that followed on the close of Mirza Haidar's work. The only two points that seem clear are, that there was much contention with the Kirghiz and a tendency towards subdivision of the Khanate. At length, however, we come to a ray of light (though, alas, too late to be of great value) shed by a European traveller; for the next glimpse we get of the Moghuls and their State is from the narrative of the Portuguese missionary Benedict Goes, which was mentioned, in the last chapter, as having been partially rescued from oblivion by Father Matthew Ricci of the Jesuit mission at Peking. Goes, in seeking a road to China, from Agra and Lahore, passed through Afghanistan and over the Pamirs, and reached Yarkand towards the end of 1603. Here he remained for about a year, paying, during that interval, a brief visit to Khotan. After this he proceeded, with many delays, eastward, through Aksu, Chalish (the modern Karashahr) Turfan and Kamul, to Suchou on the western frontier of China, where he died in April 1607. He speaks of Yarkand as the capital of the kingdom of Kashghar, and it was there that resided "the king" whose name was Muhammad Khan.