The Rashīdī History 109.2

109.2

As long as Sultan Ahmad Mirza remained in the bonds of this life, Shahi Beg Khan stayed in the service of Abdul-Ali Tarkhan. The Mirza and Abdul-Ali Tarkhan died at about the same time, after which Shahi Beg Khan went to Turkistan and sought the protection and favour of Sultan Mahmud Khan, who did not deny him what support and assistance lay in his power to give, till finally, by means of the aid afforded him by the Khan, Shahi Beg Khan took possession of Samarkand and Bokhara. Then the number of his troops rose from two or three hundred to 50,000; or rather to 60,000. From the time of his going to Turkistan, by the help of Sultan Mahmud Khan, his power had increased daily. All the Sultans and Amirs, and other adherents of Abulkhair Khan, who had been wandering aimlessly in the wastes of the Dasht-i-Kipchak, now joined him; and thus he arrived at power. After the reduction of Samarkand and Bokhara, he turned against his own benefactor. Thus was the protector undone by the dependant. When news of this reached the ears of Alacha Khan, he set out from Moghulistan to his brother's aid. The result, as has been briefly related above, was that he captured and set at liberty the Khan [Mahmud], and took from him as many of the Moghuls as was possible. Thus to his Uzbeg army there were added 30,000 Moghuls. [Verses] ....