The Rashīdī History 78: CHAPTER LI. · ACCOUNT OF THE MIRZAS OF KHOTAN.

78

Khotan is one of the most famous towns in the East. In the Second Part, I have given all that I have been able to learn from histories, and other books, concerning Khotan. When the Amirship [Imarat] of the Dughlats descended to Amir Khudaidad (upon whom be mercy), he divided all the dependencies of the Dughlats among his children and his brothers. Thus to his youngest son, Sayyid Ahmad Mirza, he entrusted Kashghar and Yarkand. Amir Khudaidad had two maternal brothers [umm-walad], Ilyas Shah and Khizir Shah by name. To the former he gave Aksu, and to the latter Khotan, making them both subordinate to Sayyid Ahmad Mirza, to whom he granted the power of their dismissal or appointment. These two, like all his other officers, used to come and wait on the Mirza yearly, and then, when they were granted leave, they returned to their respective provinces. This practice was observed until the time of Amir Sayyid Ali.
When Amir Sayyid Ali gave Aksu to Isan Bugha Khan, there was, in the service of the latter, one of the grandsons of Ilyas Shah Mirza, who was also named Ilyas Shah, and who, till the time of Dust Muhammad Khan, had the command of the fortress of Aksu. But after Amir Sayyid Ali, there were in Khotan two brothers, descendants of Khizir Shah Mirza; the name of one was Khan Nazar Mirza, and of the other Kul Nazar Mirza. The former reckoned himself equal in strength and power of the arm, to Mirza Aba Bakr, nay even to Amir Sayyid Ali. He showed a spirit of independence, and threw off the old allegiance to Kashghar. Mirza Aba Bakr begged permission of Muhammad Haidar Mirza to go and conquer Khotan, on the ground that Khan Nazar and Kul Nazar had sought to deviate from that high-road of obedience, which was one of the conditions of their inheritance. Muhammad Haidar Mirza, being himself displeased with these two [governors] granted the demand, and encouraged him [in the undertaking]. Thus Mirza Aba Bakr acted freely in the matter of Khotan.
Khan Nazar Mirza had made himself an iron club, which no one but he could lift with two hands; he, however, could wield it with one hand, and whatever he struck with it, were it a horse or a cow, inevitably fell. But his younger brother, Kul Nazar Mirza, was a young man of great modesty. These two brothers aimed at becoming kings.