The Rashīdī History 155.1
The Tarikh-i-Rashidi (Elias, Ross) 155.1
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155.1.1
When Kushluk conquered Kashghar and Khotan, he changed from the religion of Jesus to the practice of idolatry, and the rest of the people he caused to abandon Hanifism and become fire worshippers. He changed the lights of the true path into the darkness of unbelief, and the service of the all merciful into the serfdom of Satan. . . . Thus far, I have copied from the Tarikh-i-Jahan-Kushai. After Chingiz Khan had subjugated the whole of Kashghar, he went and set his mind at rest with regard to the affairs of Iran and Turan — nay, rather of the whole world. He then returned to his capital and divided all his kingdoms among his four sons. We learn from the Majma'u-Tavarikh of Rashidi and from the Guzida (the former entering into detail, the latter giving it in brief), that the whole of the Dasht-i-Khizr and [Dasht-i]-Kipchak, whose boundaries are Rum, the ocean [Muhit] Mavara-un-Nahr, and Moghulistan, was given to his eldest son, Juji Khan. Moghulistan, Kara Khitai, Turkistan and Mavara-un-Nahr to Chaghatai Khan. To Tuli he gave the whole of Khitai, while his original seat of government, that is to say Karakorúm and the Kalmák [country] he entrusted to Uktai. In the same manner he distributed his army and his Amirs; and in that division, the Dughlát fell to the lot of Chaghatai, who entrusted to them Mangalái Suyah, which means "facing the sun" [Aftáb rui]. This country is bounded by Shásh, Chálish, Issigh Kul and Sarigh Uighur;
155.1.2
and on the confines of these four limiting provinces are situated Kashghar and Khotan. The particular Dughlát who was established in this kingdom, was Amir Bábádughan, in whose family it remained, from father to son, until the time of Mirza Abá Bakr. The Jám-i-Giti Numái says that Kashghar is the most important town of the Turks, and goes on to describe several objects in it, of which now no trace remains. Among other things it says is, that people used to carry clothing of ermine [Kákum] and squirrel [Sinjáb] from Kashghar to all parts. But nowadays there are no such [animals] to be found there.
155.1.3
Káshghar is bounded on the north by the mountains of Moghulistan, which stretch from west to the east, and from them rivers flow towards the south. Those hills extend from Shásh, on one side, to beyond Turfan [on the other], their extremities reaching into the land of the Kálmák, which quarter none but the Kalmák themselves have seen, or know anything about. I have questioned some of those who have seen something of that country, but I can recall nothing of what they told me, which would be worthy of mention in this book. Moghulistan will [afterwards] be described shortly. From Shásh to Turfan is three months' journey. On the west side of Kashghar is another long mountain range, of which the mountains of Moghulistan are an off-shoot [munsha'ib]. This range runs from north to south. I travelled on those mountains for six months without coming to their extremity. They also shall be presently described, in the account of Tibet. From these mountains, rivers run from west to east, and to these rivers Kashghar owes its fertility [ábádáni]. The whole of the countries of Khotan, Yarkand and Kashghar lie at the base of these mountains.
155.1.4
To the east and south of Kashghar and Khotan are deserts, which consist of nothing but heaps of shifting sands, impenetrable jungles, waste lands and salt-deserts. In ancient times there were large towns in these [wastes], and the names of two of them have been preserved, namely Lob and Katak; but of the rest no name or trace remains: all are buried under the sand. Hunters, who go there after wild camels, relate that sometimes the foundations of cities are visible, and that they have recognised noble buildings such as castles, minarets, mosques and colleges, but that when they returned a short time afterwards, no trace of these was to be found; for the sand had again overwhelmed them. On such a scale were these cities of which, nowadays, neither name nor vestige remains! In a word, the habitable districts of Kashghar and Khotan lie along the western skirts of these mountains. On the frontier of Kashghar is the district of Artuj; from there to the confines of Khotan, at Kariya and Jariya, is one month's journey. But as for the breadth of fertility of the cultivated region (from the foot of the western range to the eastward) by travelling quickly one can leave all cultivation behind in a day or two. On the banks of every stream that comes down from that range, corn is sown and the land is cultivated. The first of these is the River Tuman, which comes from a mountain standing between Kashghar and Farghana.
155.1.5
This river flows between the ancient citadel of Kashghar, which Mirza Aba Bakr destroyed, and the new one which he built, on the banks of this river, as has been related. Part of Kashghar is fertilised by this same river. The second river is the Kara Tazghun. In the dialect of Kashghar, Tazghun means a river. It flows about three farsakhs to the south of the above mentioned fort. The greater part of the province of Kashghar is watered by it. At a distance of three farsakhs from it, is a third river called Kusan Tazghun, on the banks of which is the town of Yangi-Hisar, and its dependent districts. The town is supplied with water by this river. The distance from Kashghar to Yangi-Hisar is six statute [shari] farsakhs. At about six farsakhs from Yangi-Hisar is an insignificant hamlet called Kara Chanak, in front of which flows another stream called Shahnaz, which waters several [other] places. The valley of the Shahnaz lies in the western range, and the [high] road from Kashghar to Badakhshan runs through this valley. On the road from Kara Chanak to Kilpin Babat, is a resting place [manzil] for those coming and going [on the road]; the distance between Kilpin Babat and Kara Chanak is five statute farsakhs. Farther on is another halting place — a monastery [langar] — which is called Kush Gumbaz, an excellent stage [manzil] watered by the Shahnaz.
155.1.6
It has both cultivated grounds and gardens [baghat] which all form a part of the foundation [vakf] of this "langar." Travellers enjoy the advantages which the "langar" offers. The next stage is a village called Kizil. The water there is brackish, and nobody stops there who is not obliged to. It is considered the halfway stage between Yangi-Hisar and Yarkand. It is about ten farsakhs from Kizil to Kuk Babat, and from Kuk Babat to the edge of the district of Yarkand, which is called Babatchi, is by measurement seven statute farsakhs. Between Babatchi and Kara Chanak there is but little inhabited country, except for the stages that have been mentioned. Yarkand was formerly a very important city. The old town was dug out by Mirza Aba Bakr; it was among the excavations [kazikha] which we have spoken about, and much treasure was found [in it]. It is not known whether the old town was called Yarkand, or whether it had another name. In the days of my ancestors, Yarkand was a companion city to Yangi-Hisar. Mirza Aba Bakr made Yarkand his capital. He introduced streams [into the town] and laid out gardens; and it is generally reported that these numbered 12,000, most of which were in the city and its environs. But I cannot imagine that this figure is correct. Mirza Aba Bakr built a citadel which, in most places, is thirty statute gaz in height. The inside of the citadel is roughly about a hundred tanab, and in it has been built a very high fort [ark].
155.1.7
The citadel has six gateways, which are devised for great strength. The gates themselves are placed about a hundred gaz within [the walls] and on either side are two towers near together, so that should any one wish to enter either of the gates, he must [first] pass between these two towers. If an enemy attack the interior, he is assailed with arrows and stones from front and rear, as well as from right and left. This system is to be met with in very few forts. In the fort [ark] of this citadel, magnificent buildings have been constructed; but to describe them would be tedious. In the suburbs are about ten gardens, in which are erected lofty edifices, containing about a hundred rooms each. All these rooms are fitted with shelves and recesses in the wall [tâk and tâkcha bandi], they have ceilings of plaster work, and dados of glazed tiles [kâshi] and frescoes. Along the public roads are avenues of white poplar [safidâr] so that one may walk for a statutory [farsakh] and a half on every side of the city, under the shade of these trees. Streams run by most of the avenues. The water of Yarkand is the best in the world. Every praise which doctors have bestowed upon any water is true of this. It comes down from the mountains of Tibet (a month's journey distant), which are covered with snow and ice;
155.1.8
it flows swiftly over a stony and sandy soil from south to north, and when it reaches Sárigh-Kul, which forms the extremity of the hilly country of Káshghar, it rushes on, with like rapidity, from rock to rock, leaping and tossing, for seven days [journey] in an easterly direction, until it arrives at the level ground. Here it continues its rapid course over a stony bed for two days more, and when it reaches the bed [majra] of the river of Yarkand, in which there are few stones, the current in some degree abates its speed. A curious fact concerning this stream is, that in the early part of the spring it becomes so small that one might almost cross it, in some places, by stepping from stone to stone. In the season of Leo, [Asad] it swells so much that it becomes, in places, nearly a statutory mile [mil] in breadth, [while its depth is then nowhere less than four gaz] and for a distance of one karuh it is no less than ten gaz in depth. Jade [Yashb] is found in this stream. Most of the country and districts of Yarkand are irrigated by it. At a distance of about seven farsakhs flows another stream called Tiz-Ab, which waters the rest of the country. For about three days' journey, at a medium pace, from Yarkand [in the direction of Khotan] are well populated towns and villages ; the farthest of these is called Lahuk. From this place to Khotan is ten days' slow marching, during which time, excepting at the halting places, one meets with no habitations [ábádáni].