The Rashīdī History 196: CHAPTER LXXVI. · LAST VISIT OF THE KHAN TO MOGHULISTAN. THE MOGHULS ARE BROUGHT TO KASHGHAR FROM MOGHULISTAN; AND SOME OTHER CONTEMPORARY EVENTS.
The Tarikh-i-Rashidi (Elias, Ross) 196
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CHAPTER LXXVI. · LAST VISIT OF THE KHAN TO MOGHULISTAN. THE MOGHULS ARE BROUGHT TO KASHGHAR FROM MOGHULISTAN; AND SOME OTHER CONTEMPORARY EVENTS.
196.1
As Rashid Sultan remained in Moghulistan, he made Kuchkar his winter quarters. Now Tahir Khan was in Uzbegistan, but some events occurred there which obliged him to retire to Moghulistan. He therefore came [and settled down] near Kuchkar, where he was joined by half the Kirghiz, to whom he gave protection in his own territories. On this account Rashid Sultan became alarmed, and in the depth of winter fled from Kuchkar to At-Bashi. On learning this, the Khan, towards the end of that same winter, repaired to At-Bashi, and joined his son at [the] Kutulish of At-Bashi. [Rashid's] followers were [thus] reassured.
196.2
In the [following] spring, the Uzbeg penetrated to the eastern quarter of Moghulistan, which is called Khass and Kunkas. All the Kirghiz who had remained with Rashid Sultan, were anxious to unite with those Kirghiz who had joined the Uzbeg. The Khan ordered me to accompany Rashid Sultan, and [we] having driven the Kirghiz out of Jumghal and Kuchkar, brought them to At-Bashi. The Khan himself went to Kashghar, in order to gather all the people together, and to see if any agreement could be brought about between them and the Uzbeg. He left me in Moghulistan to ensure law and order among the inhabitants. I accompanied Rashid Sultan, until the Khan returned from Kashghar with his family and rejoined our people ; then he sent me off to the Kashghar [province] to bring Sultan Nigar Khanim into Moghulistan, that she might mediate with Tahir Khan for the settlement of a peace [with ourselves]. So I went to Yarkand, and conveyed the Khanim back to Moghulistan. The Khan was at Aksai. Before I arrived, he learnt that the Kirghiz had separated from the Uzbeg. On hearing this, he thought it advisable to go and subdue the Kirghiz, and started from Aksai [for that purpose]. When they had gone one stage, Rashid Sultan fell ill. Bandagi Hazrat Khwaja happened to be there, on an excursion. When he arrived, he was able in three days, by means of his Christ-like healing power, to change sickness into health.
196.3
Having delivered the Khanim into the hands of the people, I hastened on to join the army, and came up with them the same day that they left that stage. I had the felicity of kissing the stirrup of Khwaja Nura, who then turned back. The Khan [at the same time] pushed forward, and in twelve days accomplished forty days' journey. The details of the matter are as follows. When we reached Ak Kumas, the Khan sent me with 5000 men to accompany Rashid Sultan against the Kirghiz, who were then in Arish Lar. On arriving at this place, we found their camp and their tents left standing. It was clear that they had fled and got away. Some of their arms and baggage were lying tumbled about. We concluded that they got news of [our approach]. As we proceeded, we came across some dead bodies, and several horses, wounded or killed by arrows, besides many broken arrows. After careful search, we discovered a man who was half-dead, from whom we learnt that Babajak Sultan had come from Kusan, and attacked the Kirghiz; that three days previous to our arrival a fierce battle had been fought, resulting in the defeat of Babajak Sultan. The Kirghiz, having despatched their families towards the Uzbeg, had then gone in pursuit of Babajak Sultan.
196.4
Advancing yet further, we lighted upon some 100,000 sheep of the Kirghiz, which we drove along with us. As the Kirghiz had united with the Uzbeg, we were unable to offer them further opposition, so we turned back and rejoined the Khan, for the original object of this expedition was to punish the Kirghiz, and not to attack the Uzbeg. This campaign got the name of Kui Jariki, or the "sheep-army." Now at that time Tâhir Khân had a force of 20,000 men, but his fortune was on the decline; for his army had formerly counted a million. He began to increase his violence and severity, and on this account he was abhorred of the surrounding Sultâns and men of note. He had a brother named Abul Kâsim Sultan. The people were able to judge of him by the violent treatment he meted out to this brother, whom he suddenly put to death; they therefore all at once fled from him, so that none remained but he and his son. These two hurried forward and joined the Kirghiz. This news reached the Khan when he had arrived in Kashghar.
196.5
The reason for his going there, was that the Moghuls had represented to him that the Kirghiz had united with the Uzbeg, and these latter intended to settle down in Moghulistan, while he knew that he had not strength sufficient to cope with the numbers of the Uzbeg. It would therefore be dangerous for them [the Moghuls] to remain in Moghulistan that winter. For those reasons, the Khan brought Rashid Sultan, and all the Moghuls of Moghulistan, to Kashghar. Here they learned the news of the rout of the Uzbeg. At the end of the spring, it being difficult to return to Moghulistan, they remained in Kashghar. It was about the beginning of spring that Tahir Khân joined the Kirghiz. He carried off all the Kirghiz who had been left in At-Bashi, together with the droves of horses which the Moghuls had left in Moghulistan.