The Rashīdī History 162.7

162.7

Although he had just taken many of them from the works, he gave them each horses and arms, saying: "If you prove to me your devotion and loyalty, I will again take you into favour." At this juncture, it was reported that the Khán had reached Tushgu. [Mirzá Abú Bakr] thereupon set out for Yárkand, giving his final injunctions [to the officers] in Yangi-Hisár. He promised the people that he would go and muster an army in Yárkand, and come to their relief. Upon his arrival at Yárkand he at once set about collecting forces. He filled the country with horses and arms. [There was a certain] Ustád Abdal Sháikh, who was a perfect master [ustád], and unrivalled in all kinds of work with hammer and anvil. After the fall of Mir Vali and Sháh Dána Kukildásh, Mirzá Abú Bakr had set up this Shaikh Abdál in the place of Sháh Dána, and I have heard [Shaikh Abdál] say that there were in the Mirzá's armoury 60,000 coats of mail [jirha] and 12,000 sets of horse armour [kebtún], besides other arms and accoutrements, the number of which may be judged by these figures. But the army itself was composed of peasants, artizans, gardeners, and cultivators of the soil. Upon those he judged the most capable among them, he conferred the rank of Mirzá. A hundred and twenty of them he made his own escort, and the rest all received horses and arms. [Three couplets.] (1) It takes many a year for the natural stone to become, by the sun's power, a ruby in Badakhshán, or an amethyst in Yemen.