The Rashīdī History 135.5

135.5

The whole of the victorious army now assembled in Hisar, when further help arrived from Shah Ismail, besides bodies of men from all the surrounding tribes, so that the entire force amounted to 60,000 men. They next marched out of Hisar and proceeded to Karshi. Most of the Uzbeg Sultans were in Samarkand, while Ubaid Ullah Khan had fortified himself in the castle of Karshi. All [the Emperor's] councillors (and they were those who solved the difficult questions of State) were against laying siege to Karshi. "It would," they argued, "be far wiser to push on to Bokhara. For if Ubaid Ullah keeps himself strongly fortified and garrisoned in the castle of Karshi, Bokhara, which is devoid of troops and full of fools, will fall easily enough into our power. He has nothing to gain by staying in Karshi. [God forbid that, fearing to remain there,] he should abandon the fort and come out." The Emperor agreed with these opinions, and passing Karshi, went and encamped [at a distance of one stage beyond it]. Scouts came, in rapid succession, to report that Ubaid Ullah had come out of the fort of Karshi and was on the road to Bokhará. At that same hour the Emperor mounted his horse, and set out with all speed in pursuit of the Uzbeg. He marched night and day until he reached the city. The pursuers drove the Uzbeg out of Bokhara into the deserts [chul] of Turkistan, plundering as they went.