The Rashīdī History 171: CHAPTER LIV. · TRANSACTIONS OF MANSUR KHAN.
The Tarikh-i-Rashidi (Elias, Ross) 171
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CHAPTER LIV. · TRANSACTIONS OF MANSUR KHAN.
171.1
The context here demands some further details of the life of Mansur Khan. He was the oldest son of Sultan Ahmad Khan, son of Yunus Khan. The experiences of Sultan Ahmad Khan's elder brother, Sultan Mahmud Khan (which have been touched upon in their proper place in this book, and will be mentioned, in detail in the First Part, are briefly as follows. [Sultan Ahmad Khan] dismissed the old Amirs of Yunus Khan, and set up in their places some mean persons [arazil] whose flattery suited the Khan's nature. To these men he gave up the management of all important affairs of State, and they, with their narrow-minded views and want of judgment, so worked upon the Khan, that he estranged his old friends — that is to say, the Uzbeg Kazak and the kings of the Chaghatai — and made new ones of his old enemies, thinking that they would be his true allies ; but these [in the end] ruined him.
171.2
Thus Shahi Beg Khan, after he had, with the assistance of Sultan Mahmud Khan, defeated the Chaghatai and conquered Mavara-un-Nahr, turned against Sultan Mahmud Khan and took Tashkand [from him]. [Verses] .... When Sultan Ahmad Khan heard of the helpless condition of Sultan Mahmud Khan, brotherly love began to glow in his heart. Seizing the skirt of fraternal affection with the hand of resolution, he, in the course of the year 907, set out towards Tashkand to the relief of his brother, leaving, in his own place, his eldest son Mansur Khan, with absolute authority and power over the whole of Chalish, Turfan, Bai, Kus, Aksu, and Moghulistan. The events that now followed in Tashkand have been already related. When Ahmad Khan returned, defeated and sick, to his capital Aksu, he was met in state by his son Mansur Khan. After entering the city, he became anxious about his illness, and sent Mansur Khan away to Turfan, where the latter remained till his father's death, when he returned to Aksu. But Sultan Mahmud Khan, despising the sovereignty of Aksu, left it and went to Moghulistan. [Verses] ....
171.3
Mansur Khan continued to dwell in Aksu, and Amir Jabar Birdi in Uch. This Amir Jabar Birdi was a Dughlat, and filled the post of Ulusbegi under Sultan Ahmad Khan, by whom he had been held in the highest honour and esteem. Indeed, he was a wise man and worthy of the rank he held; for he was without an equal as an administrator. [Verses]. . . . In those turbulent days he was of the greatest value. But Mansur Khan, for the reason explained above — namely, that heirs are not always able to estimate the value [of their inheritance] — purposed putting Amir Jabar Birdi to death, saying: "Until I have put him out of the way, I shall never feel safe on the throne." As a fact, the very reverse of this was true. When Amir Jabar Birdi [became aware of this design], though he lamented and bewailed the matter much, he exerted himself in every possible way to avert the impending danger. He continued to carry on the Khan's business and offered explanations [sukhwan guft]. But it was of no avail: he saw that nothing but his death would satisfy the Khan. He therefore set about planning his own safety, and sent a messenger to invite Mirza Aba Bakr to come.
171.4
Now this had been the Mirza's intention, independently of the invitation, so he marched at once and appeared, like a flash of lightning, at the head of 30,000 men. Amir Jabar Birdi offered him the best presents he could [command], and himself became the guide [yazak] of the army. He went in advance, while Mirza Aba Bakr followed after. Mansur Khan, being informed of these movements, took away as many men as he could muster and [started for Turfan], while the rest, together with some of the Amirs, stayed to defend the citadel of Aksu. Mirza Aba Bakr came up, and took the citadel by storm; then, forming a junction of his troops, with those of Amir Jabar Birdi, he conducted forays against Bai and Kusan. All the inhabitants of those districts were carried off to Aksu, so that the country became entirely depopulated.
171.5
Then Amir Jabar Birdi said [to Mirza Aba Bakr]: "It must be quite evident to you, that I have now gone to too great lengths ever to expect protection at the hands of the Moghul Khakans. For I have treated them as no one ever treated them before. I have scattered to the winds of perdition their throne, kingdom, and men: their wives and children. My loyalty now prompts me to go again, and utterly devastate Bai, Kusan and Aksu [and to carry off the inhabitants to Kashghar], while Uch must be defended by a light-armed [jarida] force. My household and family shall remain with you. You must give me leave to go to Chalish and the mountains around, and I will drive all the inhabitants into your hands, in order that I may make an end of the Moghul Khakans, and have no longer any cause to fear them." Mirza Aba Bakr highly approved of these plans, and having allowed Amir Jabar Birdi to depart, carried off his family, together with all the Moghul people. Thus did Amir Jabar Birdi make his wives and family a sacrifice for his own life; for, with the exception of two sons, he sent them all — though with many misgivings [ihtimal] — to Kashghar. He displayed so much energy in the whole matter, that he won the entire confidence of Mirza Aba Bakr, who, leaving his army with him, then returned.
171.6
Amir Jabar Birdi drove the inhabitants out of all the towns, districts, open country, and uplands. The owls were left in possession of the cities and villages, while the plains were made over to the antelopes. It would be impossible to give an idea of the numbers of the flocks and herds, and the quantity of treasure that he took in those countries and cities, all of which he carried back to Kashghar. Mirza Aba Bakr entered Kashghar in great pomp. Mir Jabar Birdi having conducted countless forays with Mirza Aba Bakr's army, at length left it: he himself going into Moghulistan, while the army returned to Kashghar, driving the flocks before them. Meanwhile, Mansur Khan repented of the designs he had entertained against Amir Jabar Birdi, and saw that prosperity was impossible without such men as he. So he sent a person after him, with apologies and entreaties to return. Mansur Khan was born of Mir Jabar Birdi's sister. Mir Jabar Birdi knew that Mansur Khan was sorry for what he had done; he therefore made an end of the quarrel [az niza barkhdsia], for he saw that if he did not go quickly, the effect of separation would be the entire destruction of Mansur Khan. So having accepted apologies and strengthened matters by concluding a covenant, he set forth [to visit Mansur Khan].
171.7
There is a story current at the present time, which is very appropriate, and which I give here. Talkhak died in Tirmiz. Before dying, he expressed a wish that he might be buried at a certain cross-way, that his tomb might be high, and that on it might be inscribed in large letters: "Every one who passes by here and repeats the Fatiha for my soul, may he be cursed; and if he do not repeat it, may his father be cursed!" Those who were present laughed, and asked: "But how can one avoid both these curses?" [The dying man] replied: "There is one means of escape, and that is to keep away from Tirmiz." This saying applies to the situation of the Moghul Khakans and Dughlat nobles. For [they reasoned], if they imitated Mir Jabar Birdi [in his behaviour towards Mansur Khan], they would save their own lives, but would be accused of ingratitude and disloyalty; if, on the other hand (following the example of my uncle), they remained faithful, and stood round the tomb of the late Khan, wailing and weeping, their heads would be struck off then and there: though it might be said of them that they were incapable of a cowardly action. The result of remaining in the service [of the Moghul Kháns] will in the end only be to gain the name of cowards or traitors. [Therefore, it may be said, the only way to avoid these two bad names, is not to remain in the service of the Moghul Kháns, nor to go near them.]
171.8
As my maternal uncle Mahmud Khan has said [couplet in Turki] ....: "No one ever met with fidelity from the world or its people. Oh, happy that man who has nothing to do with the world!" [Verses.] . . . But the pearls of these intentions found no place in the shell of the Moghul Khákán's ears. . . . Thanks be to the Most High God that this servant has at length found the means of avoiding them. It were also preferable to abstain from further words on this matter. To return to the thread of my narrative. Mansur Khán, having given him every possible assurance of safety, took Amir Jabár Birdi back into his service, and after the return [of the Amir], the Khan's affairs began again to improve. From the year 910, which is the date of [the commencement of] Mansur Khán's disturbed and turbulent reign, to the year 922, the date we have now reached in our history, Mansur Khán lived in Chálish and Turfán. During this period many important events occurred. In those times the brothers [of the Khan's family] quarrelled among themselves, and everybody in the Moghul tribes was rebellious. On this account, Mansur Khán dismissed the Arlat—an ancient order of Amirs—and, bringing the Kirghiz into his power by stratagem, put many of them to death. He once went to war with the Kálmák, and won a signal victory over them.
171.9
After these events, his government began to assume an orderly shape, which was due to the wisdom and tact of Mir Jabár Birdi. Towards the end of this period, Bábáják Sultán separated himself from Mansur Khan, and together with his following, proceeded to Kusán. Mansur Khán pursued him, in person, and besieged him. His object, however, was not to destroy Bábáják Sultán, so he sought terms of peace. The answer he received was: "Aiman Khwája Sultán was also [your] brother, and him you killed like a stranger. What reliance can I place in you, that I should make peace?" Now Aiman Khwája Sultán had devised treasonable plots, and on this account Mansur Khan had ordered Yaraka Ataka to put him to death, but [instead of this] Yaraka Ataka had hidden him in an underground place, as has been already related. When Babajak Sultan mentioned the affair of Aiman Khwaja Khan, Yaraka Ataka saw the Khan was much distressed, and represented: "I had the presumption to disobey the order, [and did not put him to death]." Thereupon Mansur Khan fell to commending Yaraka Ataka, and Aiman Khwaja Sultan was brought out. After this, Babajak surrendered, and peace was made. Mansur Khan then returned, while Aiman Khwaja Khan went to Kashghar, as has been mentioned already. Babajak Sultan stayed on in Kusan, where he is to this day.
171.10
After this occurrence, negotiations for a peace ensued between the Khan and Mansur Khan. Mansur Khan came forth from Turfan, Kusan, and Bai, and sent Mir Jabar Birdi in advance. The meeting, which shall be described below, took place in the plains of Arbat.