The Nāṣirī Generations 258.4.5

258.4.5

Muhammad, Khwarazm Shah, who was then [encamped leaving them to shift for themselves, and violence, wickedness, and sedition, reigned supreme. Petis de la Croix, who quotes “Mirconde,” that is to say, Mirkhawind, the author of the Rauzat-us-Safa, makes the astonishing statement in his “Genghizcan the Great,” that the Gur Khan used to reside in Kashghar, which was the capital of their Turkistan possessions, and sometimes called Urdu-kand. That the Musalman religion prevailed there is, undoubtedly, correct—and had prevailed for centuries, it may be added—and the Nestorians had churches there, but that, “at this time the capital is Hyarcan, which is the same place as Caschgar was,” shows that De la Croix’s geography was a little at fault. Yarkand is just 100 miles S.E. of Kashghar. He moreover states, quoting, apparently, the same work, that the people of Caschgar refused to acknowledge any other sovereign than the Gur Khan’s son, and that “the siege lasted long,” and “the city was at last taken.” In the last para. of the account of the Gur Khans, I have noticed what has been said respecting the survivors of that family, but, although it is very probable that the last Gur and the former ones too, may have had descendants, they are not specified, nor is a son mentioned in any author that I am aware of. The statement as to “Gushluk” having killed “the sovereign” of “Kashgar,” contained in the Mongols Proper, is without any real authority, I fancy, and would be difficult to verify.