The Russians in Central Asia : their occupation of the Kirghiz steppe and the line of the Syr-Daria : their political relations with Khiva, Bokhara, and Kokan : also descriptions of Chinese Turkestan and Dzungaria

ASIA

(Jfdcttell Httiuetatti} iltltara,

Ilibrarg

Jfrm ^ath

CHARLES WILLIAM WASON COLLECTION CHINA AND THE CHINESE

THE GIFT OF

CHARLES WILLIAM WASON CLASS OF 1876 1918

The date shows „ To renew ,..,.]


>

Introduction.

than Bokhara, a better

on the whole, more

is,

but sheep

soil,

still

fertile

form, as in past ages,

Kokan

the chief wealth of the community. cludes within

its

in-

boundaries a number of consider-

able towns, besides the capital of the (a

and of

same name

comparatively modern town), Khojend already

mentioned, and which

still

numbers

30,000

habitants, Andijan the former capital, a

Eastward of the present

capital,

little

in-

to the

Tashkend with a

population said to amount to 100,000, and others

doomed

dating from remote times, but

decay

to

beneath the constant warfare which has so long

Of the amount

devastated this region. tion

of popula-

under the sway of the Khan of Kokan,

it is

quite impossible to give even an approximate esti-

mate, owing to the uncertainty that prevails as to the Kirghiz and other armed tribes, but Nazarof

reckons the standing mihtia at

50,000 horsemen. but there trict

is

This

may be an

Syr-Daria

is

of.

least not

at

There

is

Kokan and

we have

The time occupied by

vans between Kokan and Bokhara

tween

than

exaggeration,

populated than the regions

already treated

weeks.

fewer

every reason to believe that the dis-

watered by the

less thickly

no

but

little

Little

is

cara-

about six

communication beBokhara, the

Thian

9

Our Limited Jcqi/aiulance with

Shan

interposing

an

Little

almost

Bokhara.

1

insurmountable

obstacle.

V. Little

Eastern Turkestan, Chinese Turkestan, or

Bokhara,

of

this

region, that with

which we have hitherto had the

least acquaintance.

Its

is,

all

Northern, Western, and Southern frontiers are,

we know

indeed, tolerably well defined, and as since about

the middle of

nominally belonged to the

may assume it

that

will gradually

its

century,

Chinese

Eastward

limit

merge

last

it

Empire,

is

has

we

indefinite, as

Mongolia, somewhere

in

that

still

further to the East than the great saline basin of the

The Northern boundary

Lob-nor.

is

Dzungaria,

which forms the subject of a separate chapter. The

Western

is

the Khanat of

Kokan

already described,

including the precipitous Eastern front of the table-

land of Pamir, and

and Thibet

it is

shut off from Little Thibet

Proper,, to the

South and South-East, by

the Eastern half of the Hindoo-Koosh, and the tern chain of the great

Wes-

Kuen-Lun, over which the

most frequented pass is that of Kara-Korum, 18604 feet

above sea

level,

connecting Ladak with Yark-

end by the headwaters of the Shayok, which, ing in a glacier not far from the pass

ris-

itself, falls

into the Indus after a Westerly course of 320 miles, just above the

town of Iskardo, 35° 10" N. 75° c 2

28' E.

20

Infnxh/ctioii.

The

entire territory of Little Bokhara,

assuming

it

to extend as far as the meridian of 90°, thus includ-

ing the great Lake of Lob,

but relieved by large and

common where

Of

it

in the extreme,

is sterile

oases

fertile

—

to the continuation of the desert eastward

becomes the great Desert of Gobi or Shamo.

the various oases, the most important

known

a feature

are those of Kashgar, Yarkend,

Of these the first-named hes

and best

and Khotan.

at thefoot of thesouthern

spurs of the Thian-Shan range, and consists of a

well-watered tract, on the principal river of which,

by the same name,

called

This was, for

many

pendent prince

;

the city of Kashgar.

is

centuries,

but,

the seat of an inde-

since the rebellion of 1826,

reduced by the Chinese authorities to

has been

a

secondary position in the district of Hi, of which

Yarkend also

is

the capital, and to which Khotan has

been attached.

Kashgar

and 74' E. (approximative) it is

situated,

;

city

and the

after a course of

in 39° 25' N.,

is

river

300

on which

miles, unites

with that of Yarkend to form the Tarym, which, after a further course of

great

Lake

famous

for

of Lob-nor.

250

miles, falls

Both these streams

the splendid specimens

of jasper

jade-stone which are found in their beds.

end

is

into the

are

and

Yark-

the capital of the Chinese district of Hi,

Physkal Features of Chinese Turkestan.

and

situate in

is

river (already

walled,

21

38° 10' N. and 76° 30' E. on a

mentioned) of the same name.

It is

but with extensive suburbs, and has a

population variously estimated at from 40,000 to

200,000. It has belonged to China since 1757, and is

governed by Mahometan and Chinese

alternately.

The environs

producing wheat, barley, there

is

name

Yarkend

to

is

of Ja-lo-Kiang.

the Eastward of Yarkend, and

by the Chinese

said

cultivated,

and

rice, fruits,

extensive pasturage.

the Chinese by the lies to

are highly

officials

silk,

known to

—Khotan an oasis

lies in

be about 1000

and

or

li.

350

m. in circumference, immediately to the North of the

Kara-Korum

number

Pass.

of streams,

the Lob-nor.

is

watered by a great

all

of which flow into

It

almost

It contains the six cities of

Yurun-Khash, Kara-Khash, hubin, each of which

is

Djira-,

Keria,

Khotan,

and Tak-

governed by a Hakim, whose

united votes constitute what

is

of Khotan.

see the discrepancies

into

have

It is painful to

called the Council

which even the most renowned geographers fallen as to the true

site of

this

town, which

has been variously stated as on any meridian be-

tween 75 E. and 84 E.

According to the most

reliable authorities, the city is situate in 37°

N. and

80° 35' E., a position which very nearly corresponds

22

Introduction.

with the

assigned

site

the N.E. of the

to

Kara-Korum

or Ho-taen of the Chinese, tain about

a

Pass. It

and

It

was

originally

foimded

but the magnificent

about the second century;

Temples

destroyed

by

the

portion

shadow, as

it

which

and

Monasteries

Mahometan

the

Chinese

acquisitions here after the

all

The

conquerors.

were, of the Ala-Tagh,

most

were

Bokhara, under

of Little

of Aksu, one of the into

the Th-tchi

is

colony, supposed to have been

Buddhist

to

supposed to con-

is

50,000 inhabitants.

Hindoo

northern

as immediately

it

fertile

the

the district

is

of the provinces

have subdivided their

The

of 1826.

revolt

products are various, consisting chiefly of

lentils,

wheat, barley, millet, apricots, grapes, and melons,

and cotton

The lat.

is

capital,

41^

kowski,

9'

is

viceroy.

are

of. the

grow here

same

of fair quality.

name,

situate

is

N., 78° 40' E., and, according to

in

Tim-

the seat of a Chinese ambassador or

The, population of the town

by Moorcroft district at

also said to

at

estimated

about 25,000, and of the entire

130,000.

renowned

is

The

natives

for their taste in

of the

district

dressing hides and

manufactiuring cotton goods, and

it is

stated that

there are mines of copper and one of rubies in the

mmediate neighbourhood.

CHAPTER

II.

Alridged Narrative of a Journey

to

Historical Particulars relating

during KJian,

The

the

to

Khiva,

voith

the Klianat

Government of Seid-Mohammed

1856-1860, by E. Kuhlewein.

Mission for Central Asia, organized in 1858

by the Russian Government, under the immediate, superintendence of General Ignatief,

on the 27th of rivers Ilek

May

of that year,

left

Orenburg

and crossing the

and Emba, passed through the Oren-

burg Steppe and along the Western shore of the Sea of Aral to Aibugir Lake.

was

determined to cross

At Cape Urga*

in native boats,

it

as the

previously selected route, via Kuhna-Urgendj, was

found to be inconvenient in many respects.

Erom Cape Urga to Aibugir *

4.3°

settlement, stretches

40' N,, 58° 10' E. (approximative.)

24

Travels in Central Asia.

the South-Eastern Tchink* of the Ust-Urt, which visibly diminishes

in elevation as

it

retires

the Sea of Aral, and in so doing loses

wild aspect, although long

for a

distance

continues

it

to

and

rocky

its

its

from

former

preserve

precipitous

characteristics.

Near Cape Urga the Mission was met by four deputies from the

Khan

Karakalpak Prince

Murad

bergen,

These were the

of Khiva.

Istleu,

the Kirghiz

Bey Az-

Bek, and a son of the Governor of

These envoys accompanied us to our

Kungrad.

camp, which was situated near Aibugir Lake, and pyramidal tower, erected

close to a four-cornered

by Prince Bekovitch

in

17l7.t

The passage over Aibugir Lake took owing

to the insufficient

number

three days,

of boats,

and the

tedious transhipment of the heavy baggage of the

Aibugir Lake

Mission.

* L'Oust-Ourt de

pieds

est

is

about eighty miles long

un plateau qui ii'a nuUe part plus de six cents du niveau des mers qu'il separe. termine en se dessinant circulairement par un

hauteur au-dessus

Cette haute plaine se

rivage escarp^ et tout boulcvcrsc, que les Kirghiz, nomuient Chink,

au has du quel s'eteud, en declinant, scription des

Kirghiz-Kaizaks

:"

la plaine basse.

(Lesvehine, "De-

Paris, Iiiipriinerie Royale, p.

15

Edition, IS-IO.)

f Prince Bekovitch was despatched by Peter sion to

with

Khiva

in 1717, in the course of

all his suite, in tlic

of Khiva.

town

of Porsu,

tlie

Great on a mis-

which he was massacred,

Ofi

miles to the

North-West

Passaye of Aibuyir Lake.

by twenty

in breadth at the part

The

the Amu-Daria (Oxus).

Bay

the lake occurs in the is

hemmed

in

by the

of

sterile

where we crossed

Laudan, a branch of

Its chief affluent is the

it.

greatest depth in

Ak-Cheganak, which

and precipitous rocks

The banks

of the Ust-Urt Chink.

25

are overgrown

with canes, which cover nearly the whole surface of

The water

the lake.

brackish, with a

is

muddy

bottom.

On

we were met by

the Khivan shore

the above-

mentioned deputies and a guard of honour, which

was to accompany the Mission

On

as far as

Kungrad.

the following day the deputies were accorded a

formal reception by the head of the Russian Mission, in a tent specially

arranged for the occasion.

This audience, however, only lasted half an hour,

and the conversation was

exclusively confined to

ceremonious compliments.

On

the

1

1th July, the Mission,

Khivans, started for Kungrad.

and small

villages

and the whole

by

canals,

fields.

of the

still

escorted

by

Cultivated patches

bordered this part of the road,

face of the

country was intersected

used almost exclusively

for irrigating the

Nearly the whole of the settled population

Khanat

of

Khiva

bank of the Amu-Daria.

is

concentrated on the

Each owner of the

left

soil

26

Ada.

Travels in Central

marks such

allotment with earthen walls, every

off his

enclosure

containing

generally

gardens, cattle, and sometimes a

owner

is

called a

Beg

About half-way Custom-House

to

little

cornfields,

factory

;

the

or Hodja.

Kungrad we were met by

who was

official,

a

the bearer of the

usual salutations from the Khan, and announced that he

had been sent

gage consisted

to inquire of

what the bag-

a rumour had evidently reached

;

Khiva of the embassy being provided with cannon. It

having been explained to him that the baggage

of a Mission to

is

be furnished

never liable to search, he requested at least

with a

list

of our effects.

Satisfied with an inventory of our heaviest things,

he took

his

departure, after being gratified

small present.

The other Khivan

leave of us here,

not omitting to

officials also

by a took

make repeated

inquiries during the day respecting the health of the

head of the Mission. near the garden

We

encamped

for the night

Kirghiz Bey, Azbergen,

of the

where a repast consisting of mutton, bread, and fruit

On

had been prepared the 12th July

for us.

we found

ing Kungrad.

In a small

of the town,

the

all

ourselves

wood within

members

approachhalf a mile

of the Mission put on

their uniforms, with the view of

making an impos-

pi

C

Eiitry into the City of

Kungrad.

27

As we advanced towards the town,

ing entrance.

the crowd gradually increased, and greeted us with incessant shouts of " Urus

TJrus!"

!

After traversing the narrow streets of Kungrad,

we stopped we were

at the gates of the

by Divan

received

specially appointed to

Baba,

an

official

accompany the Mission

to

In this palace apartments were allotted for

Khiva.

member

each

Khan's palace, where

of the

A

Embassy.

in

tent,

which

refreshments had been prepared, was erected in an

The Yesawul Bashi,* governor of

interior court.

the town, did not

He

ing.

did

all

ture. clear.

make

his appearance

till

was evidently alarmed at our

he could

Mission during

The town

of

Khan

and

behaviour was

for this churlish

received orders from the

own expense

provide at his

arrival,

to induce us to hurry our depar-

The motive

He had

the even-

its

for all the

Khan

to

wants of the

stay at Kungrad.

Kungrad extends along the

left

side

canal and the river Amu-Daria.

Be-

tween the right bank of the canal and the

river

of the

runs a broad earthen wall, about three miles in length,

and

at a short distance

* Chief Master of the Ceremonies. or armed attendant at a

means a guard into Russia,

and

is

off,

between

it

and

Yesawul, a Turkish word, court.

It has been adopted

there used to denote a major of Cossacks.

>'^

Travels in Central Asia.

the

river,

is

which abut on the river bank,

both extremities of

a second wall,

thus forming, with the

river,

These two walls

an oblong square.

Kun-

constituted at one time the fortifications of

grad, which town, so late as the beginning of this

century, was independent of Khiva,

by

own Uzbek

its

and governed

During the reign of

princes.

Mohammed-Rahim-Khan,

in 1814, the

and neighbourhood

under

Khans in

is

the sway of the

The most remarkable building

of Khiva.

Kungrad

fell

whole town

the palace of the Khan, which was

occupied by us diuing our stay.

On in

the folloM'ing day the whole ]\Iission started

boats

seven

up

the Amu-Daria,

being towed by four or

each

Our

Khivans.

five

gress

was

day.

In order to avoid falling

tedious, rarely exceeding ten

and sometimes

in

boat pro-

miles a

with Turkmen,

to shorten the journey,

our boats

were hauled through canals and branches of the river,

which had

at this season

These inundations occur twice

overflowed a year,

its

from

banks.

May

to

June, and again from July to August, a sure indication

that

among

the

The

the

sources

snowy chains

effect of these

various

;

some

are

of of

the

river

must

lie

Balkh or Affghanistan.

inundations upon the canals

is

choked with sand, while others

Bcrasfafioihs

are cleaned

the

hij

29

Tiirkiiicii.

and deepened by the pressure of the

water.

The transport

of goods

by water

is

preferable

throughout this region to their conveyance by land, not alone on account of the far lower cost,

but also because the camel-drivers refuse to follow the course of the river, owing to the swarms of

and other

gnats,

gad-flies,

harass,

and even prove

cattle,

as

damp, unwholesome

Almost

which induces ague.

which greatly

fatal occasionally to their

the

to

also

insects,

all

air

the villages and

towns were in a deplorable condition, presenting ample evidence of the devastations of the Turk-

men.

In

ruined "

the

Karakalpaks,

we

aiils

" or

camps

of

the

only found old people and infants

;

the whole of the adult population had been carried

away

to Khiva,

be sold as left

bank

and

The towns

slaves.

of the

with a similar

across the Persian frontier, to

of

Kipchak on the

Amu-Daria, and Hodjeil, had met

fate.

At

a distance of twenty miles

from the ruins of the ancient town of not

far

from the banks of the

town of Yany-Urgendj, after

Khiva,

is

the

Russian merchandise all

or

chief is

New

Giyaiir,

river,

and

stands the

Urgendj, which,

commercial

entrepot.

taken direct to Khiva, but

purchases of native produce are

made

at

Ur-

30

Travels in Central Asia.

All industrial pursuits, moreover, are cen-

gendj.

Gunpowder

tred here.

of the

vicinity

The

tovi^n,

manufactured in the

is

but in no great quantities.

principal seat of production of this article

Hazarasp, a

up the

further

little

The Khan had

Urgendj.

from

river, S.E.

Khivan

sent Darga, a

dignitary, to

Yany-Urgendj with a small

receive us.

He was

is

suite to

venerable old man, and

a

stood apparently high in the favour of the Khan, as his

Cashmere " khalat," or robe of

jewelled dagger, testified.

dignity,

and

In his suite were several

dancers and musicians.

On

the 28th of July

we turned out

Amu-

of the

Daria into the Shavat Canal, on emerging from

which we passed through the Kazavat and Palvan-

Ata Canals, and

finally

reached the capital by the

Tngrik and Chardgeh branches of the two former.

The Mission took up the gardens of

in

had assigned

it.

its

quarters outside the town,

Gumgumdan, which

Having no

horses,

Khan

the

we could not

present ourselves before the Khan, and therefore deferred

On

our audience until the 9th of August,

the day of our arrival, at five o'clock,

visited

we were

by the Shawul Bek,* chamberlain

* In Bokhara, the Shek-Kawaul

is

the

title

to the

of the functionarj, a

sort of diplomatic chamberlain, charged with the reception

commodation

of Foreign Missions.

and

ac-

Tedious

P((KS(if/iia.

The Kirghizes drink a Kumis, and

from

which they

spirit

which

with

they intoxicate

The con-

themselves on every available occasion.

The

erect

to

Horde, was the same thirty years

ago.

proceeded

however,

Government,

Russian

the

of

dition of the Ri\ssian Kirghizes, or those

^iiddle

distil

mosques and appointed Tartar Mullahs,

under whose influence the Middle Horde Kirghizes do not

now

natical Dervishes.

period

of

prayer

They and

It

would be

would be more

days'

beneficial to the Kirghiz Steppe, \^•itll

contemporary Tartar

Russia constitute a totally

in

world, having nothing in

perfect religious civilization

in a transition state,

scattered throughout felt

it

The Tartars Eastern

common with the

interests

among

is

and the Tartars who are are

making

must be observed that the

from the Tartars the

Horde

great Kirghiz

their influence

more and more with each succeeding

It

with

separate

The

of Russian nationality.

now

while

decide which

strong anti-progressive tendencies.

its

fast,

fa-

the

seclusive system of

difficult to

the former state of ignorance toleration, or

observe

regularly thirty

some have even introduced the the harem.

the most

yield in fanaticism to

less

farther

year.

we remove

fanaticism do

the Kirghizes, notwithstanding

we

find

that they

Predatory Hahits of Btirsuk. live

here under

and

rulers,

the influence of Central Asiatic

a country usually regarded as the

in

The Bokhara Mullahs

very focus of bigotry. in

my

87

much

opinion,

less to

are,

be dreaded than their

Tartar brethren.

We

passed nearly a month

menni Horde, roaming with

it

from place

and carrying on a constant barter

Our and

"Manaps"

;

he

in sheep.

vifas,

(the Kirghiz aristocracy),

no part

therefore took

tribes

to place,

did not. as already stated, belong to

host

the class of

the Dikoka-

vi^ith

in the councils of the

furthermore, very poor.

however, was aiming

Bursiik,

at securing the footing of

a

hereditary chief, and carried on a constant depre-

datory warfare, or " Baranta," with aristocrats,

obliged,

and

in order

from

positions

the

During the whole kept

the Kirghiz

himself.

He

was

consequently, to choose the most secure

inaccessible

distance

to enrich

all

close

in

for

general

his

auls,

camping

at

a

grounds.

of our sojourn

with him, he

the unapproachable

ravines of the

Muzart mountains, or among the swamps of the

Upper Tekes.

He

did not venture from his retreat

even when the other tents in the

tribes,

having pitched their

broad valley of the Kegen, made

general preparations for solemnly celebrating the

88

Travels in Central Asia.

nineteenth day after the death of the

My

Burambai.

and

host

High Manap,

nine

his

were

sons

In

during this time engaged in horse steahng.

Manap

1855, Burambai, High with 10,000

Begu

of the

took

of his followers,

tribe,

the oath

of

In the spring of the follow-

allegiance to Russia.

ing year. Colonel Khomentovski, with a company of

Cossacks, was despatched,

Kirghizes,

for

acquainted

the purpose

country they occupied.

of

and

them,

with

by

This

petition

of the

becoming

better

surveying

for

northern

part

Russian expe-

first

two months

dition succeeded in the course of

surveying the

of

the

Issyk-Kul,

in

and

constructed a map, on a scale of two versts, of the locality

along

northern

its

shore

to

the

River

Aksu, and along the southern, to the River Zaiiku.

Accompanying the aul,

and

where

I gathered

drew up

Kirghizes.

I

a

and during

traditions,

memoir on the Dikokamenni

tribes,

my

camping grounds origin

some remarkable

subsequently came into contact with

Buruts of other

The

expedition, I visited Burambai's

Sarabaguishes and Saltus,

present journey as far as

explored

their

Kashgar.

and history of

the

Dikokamenni

Kirghizes remain matter of dispute to the present day.

The majority

of sacuns,

who have

directed

Speculation as to the Origin of the Kirghizes.

89

their attention to the elaboration of these questions

from Chinese and Eastern

historical records, are,

however, of opinion that the modern Dikokamenni

Buruts are the Kirghizes of the Enisei, deported on the downfall of the Dzungarians in the last century to

new camping

on the strength of

history

Yuan

to be identical with the

dynasty,

dynasty.

Rashid

the

of

this,

Tau

Khakasis of the of the

grounds, and consider them,

Mongols,

and Kelikidzes Eddin,

classes

his

in

Kirghizes

the

with the people of the forests of Southern Siberia,

who

inhabited the region of Barkhudjin-Tukum.

The

appellation

of

Kem-Kemjut, which he and

Kem

Albu-Gazi give the Kirghizes, suggests the (Enisei)

and the River Kemchuk,

which they

as the locality in

On

probably then sojourned.

conquest of Siberia by the Russians,

the

the latter

found Kirghizes on the Abakan and Yuz, and maintained an obstinate warfare with them about the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth century. this

people

annals.

From

suddenly

Fischer

is

that time the

disappears

of

opinion

name

of

from Siberian

that

they

were

removed by the Khan-Taidsis of Dzungaria, and, relying on

tory

must

mere hearsay, considers lie

on the

their

new

frontiers of Thibet

terri-

and the

90

Travels in Central Asia.

Hindu Cush.

M. Levshin,

in

work on the

his

Kirghiz-Kaisaks, remarks that the Swedish officers

were the

and

to note this event in history,

first

maintains that their migration was the result of a special

stipulation

Government Chinese

and

with

But

Khan-Taidsis.

the

Russian

the

the Dikokamenni Kirghizes,

call

assert

on the part of

that

they

the

Buruts,

migrated to their present

encampments from the Kuen-Lun, where they

lived

under the name of Bulu, or Pulu, during the Tau dynasty.

Pere

tinguish the

Hyacinthe was the

first

to

dis-

Siberia from

Kirghizes of Southern

the modern Buruts, assuming the latter to be a

Turkish

and calhng them Kerghizes,

tribe,

tradistinction

from the

Ritter, in his

first.

in con-

" Erd-

kunde von Asien," unwarrantably confounds the Dikokamenni Kirghiz Buruts with the KirghizKaisaks,

and

takes

them

all

for

Khakasis, migrated from the Enisei,

Kilidsis

whom,

or

follow-

ing Klaproth and A. Remusat, he classes with the

Indo-Germanic family

—Mahomedanized

quence of an amalgamation of

With regard

in conse-

tribes.

to the deportation of the Kirghizes

from Russian-Siberia

in the seventeenth century,

Ritter says that, harassed

by

their neighbours, they

joined their kindred tribe, the Buruts, in Eastern

Traditions amon(/ the Kirghizes.

91

Turkestan, and in the Steppe to the south-east of the Irtysh

;

the original

he consequently considers the Buruts

nomads

of the country they at present

occupy.

Such

is

ing the

the present state of the inquiry regardof the contemporary

origin

Dikokamenni

Kirghizes.

In order,

if possible,

some additional

to throw

my

attention to

the study of local popular traditions,

and found

name

of " Diko-

light

on the question,

that the people

I directed

known under

kamenni, Black Kirghizes,"

the call

Kirghizes, or, as they pronounce appellation of Buruts, given

and Chinese, also

is

altogether

ascertained that

Adjan mountains

The

chi.

Prom

effect

unknown

to them.

I

the Kirghizes consider the

it

kamenni Kirghizes

Southern

among them, although

there

that in their wanderings from

the Black

far as

and Hangai, and eastwards this

The

them by the Kalmyks

South to North, they extended as Irtysh, Altai

" Krgyz."

a migration from

of

tradition

one to the

it,

as the cradle of their race.

Siberia does not exist is

themselves simply

to

Urum-

must be inferred that the Dikoare identical with

the

Enisei

Akazis or Kirghizes, pronounced KhUikizi by the Chinese.

A Chinese

writer,

contemporary with the

92

Travels in Central Asia.

Mongols, asserts that Khilikizi, in the language of the natives, signifies forty maidens, from Kyrk, forty

and Kyz, maiden or

girl.

This etymology

is

also

adopted by the present Kirghizes in explanation of their

name.

I further

imagine that the Kirghizes

spread themselves eastwards, to the limits of their present territory, at a very remote period, which conjecture traditions.

is

further borne out

by

existing popular

when

Their migrations only ceased

the powerful domination of the Oirats and Dzungarians sprang into existence.

The opinion

enter-

tained by the learned world, that the deportation of the Kirghizes in the beginning of the eighteenth century, from the Enisei to the Thian-Shan,

effected

was

entirely

by the Dzungarians, and, with the approval

of the Russian Government,

is

not quite consisteiit

with the additional facts I have obtained.

In the

" Tarikhi Rashidi," or History of Kashgar, I found

evidence that the Kirghizes (Buruts) so early as the latter part of the fifteenth centin-y,

were roaming the

mountains near Adjan, while, during the

life

historian, in a.d.

1520, they wandered as

Lake Issyk-Kul.

In

of the far as

the Archives of the Central

Office of the Siberian Kirghizes at

Omsk,

there

is

a very curious document or " Act," relating to the

Khirgiz migration from Siberia in the

summer

of

Ori(/inal Coimiry

of the K'lrgldzes {continued^

In this ' Act "

1746.

men, with

93

mentioned that twelve

it is

and

their wives

.

children, asserting

them-

be Kirghizes, made their appearance at

selves to

Ust-Kamenogorsk, and declared that they formerly lived in Siberia between the towns of

Tomsk and

town of Krasnoyarsk

Eniseisk, opposite the

Steppe, and on the river

in the

White Yus, under the

sway of Tambyn-Batyr-Datji,

also

paying a tribute

in furs into the treasury of

His Imperial Majesty.

"

said they, " during the

Mfty years or more ago,"

life-time of the present

three

Kalmyk

leaders,

Khan,Taishi-Galdan-Cheren,

named Dunar, Sandyk, and

Chinbin, at the head of 500 armed followers, at-

'

when

us

tacked

smokes

'

numbering

.

three

thousand

on our camping-grounds, and carried us

away with the son

of our former

Khan-Tambyn-

Batyr-Datji-Chainish, to the Ziingar territory, ulti-

mately driving us to Urga, where we have remained ever

since,

paying

These strangers

tribute to

stated,

Galdan-Cheren."

furthermore,

that their

kindred and other Kirghiz Kalmyks lived in the Sagai Steppe, and were tributary to His Imperial Majesty.

In the following year,

Kirghiz Kalmyks,

had succeeded garia,

who were

viz.

1747, two

captured after they

in effecting their escape

from Dzun-

corroborated the above statement, adding

94

Travels in Ceiitrnl /kin.

that

two

leaders,

Kharta-Idash and his brother

Emgen-Mergen, camped about or

It

district.

Siberian

will

the Sagai volost

in

from

appear

this

that

Kirghizes, from their proximity

the

to the

Dzungarians and Uriankhaitsis, had become extensively intermingled with the

Mongols, and that the

Dzungarians did not carry away the whole

tribe,

but only to the extent of 3,000 kibitkas or

tents.

These most

probably became thoroughly amal-

gamated with the Dzungarians, and might have formed a Kalmyk tribe of Kirghizes, thus leading Pere Hyacinthe to suppose that

all

Kirghizes were of Mongolian origin.

then

what became

arises,

ghizes, a people powerful

the

Siberian

The question

of these Siberian Kir-

enough, during a whole

century, to have kept the towns of Siberia in a state of constant alarm

by

their inroads,

and to have

struggled with such formidable neighbours as the

Dzungarians, and Altyn In reply to

this, I

tion of their

Khan

of the Uriankhaitsis

would surmise that the

?

oblitera-

name might have been produced by

the same cause that has reduced the once powerful territory of the

Golden Khans, who received tribute

from the Kirghizes, to This formidable State

is

its

present insignificance.

now known

tributary State, on account of

its

as

the duo-

paying homage

Importance of an Etlmograpldc Inquiry. both, to Russia

and China.

known

Siberians give separate

all

that the

It

is,

95

besides, well

names

to

non-native tribes, and that the remnants of the

nomad

Siberian Kirghizes follow their their old grounds, but

Men

instincts

on

under new names.

of science have long since perceived the

importance for Ethnography of a study of such relics

of

national

illustrate

toms.

Now

marked

morals,

national

for antiquity

a

literature,

it

as

most

truthfully

and

manners,

so happens that profound regard

and an abundance of traditions forms

and

characteristic

nomadic races of Central tions are devoutly preserved tribes, either in the

heritage

Asia.

by the

These elders

in

ballads

the tradi-

of the

which are

perpetuated by a special class of bards.

words and locutions now

The

of

form of ancestral reminiscences

and genealogical legends, or

antiquity.

cus-

prove their

obsolete,

account

traditional

Many

of

Queen

Gulmalika having been the ancestress of Genghis

Khan

prevails

among

all

the Tartar tribes.

Thierry,

in his " Histoire d' Attila et de ses Successeurs,"

quotes this as a legend of Attila and the Huns.

The

story

Kirghizes

the

Dikokamenni

from a red grey- hound

(kizin-taizan),

of

the

origin

of

and a certain queen with her

forty

handmaidens.

Tran'h

96 of ancient

is

date.

Central

in

A

some

from

m. feature

characteristic

Central Asiatic traditions origin

./-s-

in

the derivation of their

is

According

animal.

the

to

testimony of Chinese history, the Goa-Gui (Kaotsche),

known

otherwise

people, sprang from a wolf

One

princess.

daughters

of

such

of

the

Chili

and a beautiful

Hun

Hun

the

Tele

or

as

had

princes

uncommon

beauty that

two he

determined not to marry them to any ordinary Building

mortals.

a

habited wilderness, he

them

left

" I pray Heaven to take

in

it,

old wolf,

who

exclaiming,

The youngest

them."

encouraged the

princess falling a prey to ennui, attentions of an

an unin-

tower in

high

whole year,

for a

night and day, prowled around the tower, and at last

made

princess,

his

lair

at

the

notwithstanding

foot

the

of

it

;

entreaties

till

the

of

her

eldest sister, married the wolf.

The Tugus

(called Dulgasses

by Pere Hyacinthe),

professed to derive their origin from a she-wolf,

and the Tufans (Thibetians) from a dog.

The

Chinese assert that Batachi, hereditary chief of the

Mongol Khans, was the son white hind,

(

"

Memoires

Klaproth, p. 204).

of a blue wolf

relatifs

a

1'

and

Asie," par

In like manner some of the

red-skinned tribes of North America pretend to be

Evidence of Genealogical Traditions.

descended evident,

from

beavers,

tradition in Central Asia,

&c.

tortoises,

from these instances, that

and even

97

this

It

is

kind of

in America,

is

the most ancient, and even seems to be regarded as a descent to

be proud

exalted tone of

The out-spoken

of.

yet

the Kirghiz legends, considered

indecent by the present generation of Kirghiz,

is

a strong proof that they have descended in their

The

original form.

tradition of the origin of the

ninety-nine Kipchak branches has been 'preserved

among

the Uzbeks and Kaisaks in such an indeli-

cate shape,

that

be possible

to present

it is

doubtful whether it

it

will

ever

to the general reader.

Genealogical traditions form a most important

The

section of their legendary lore.

relation of

one tribe to another depends on the degree of affinity

which

exists

between the

chiefs.

The

hereditary superiority of one branch over the other is

determined

by the right

of

primogeniture.

Traditions of this nature are in so far important, as they represent the extraction of the people,

the composition

of

society.

It

appears

and from

the genealogical tables of the Kaisaks, Usbeks, and

Nagais, that they are a medley of different Turkish

and Mongol

tribes,

formed

after the decline of the

Golden and Djagatai Hordes.

The genealogy of

;

98

Travels

Central Jsiu.

in

the Buruts indicates at the same time principal portion of the people

Turkish " Kirghiz "

two

is

that the

composed

of the

ultimately

tribe, recruited

by

alien sections.

Of

the

these,

Naimans and Kitais nationality

The

is

common

Kipchaks,

the

whose claims

;

expressed

is

having had one

who

comprises

first

Kirghiz

to

by

genealogically

chief placed

their

over them,

stated to have been the son of Kirghiz-Bai. or second section, though claiming

Tchilik,

a

common

is

not acknowledged by the other tribes.

division

in the

ancestor

Kirghiz-Bai,

son of

A

third

composed of the present Kirghizes,

is

On and

two wings,

divided into

In

Sol.

the

present generation these are split up into numerous

each

branches,

branch

being

again

and again

subdivided.

The

third

class

of tradition

formed of the

is

so-called " tales of olden times," or " Djir"

of the

Nogais.

These are in vogue among the Kaisaks,

Uzbeks,

Nogais and Kirghizes.

sumed all

the

that the

nomad

fourteenth,

is to

be pre-

Nogais comprehended originally

tribes of Central Asia,

Tartar language, extraction.

It

who were

The Nogai fifteenth

speaking the

of Tm'kish

and Mongol

traditions relate

and

sixteenth

to the

centuries

Heroic Tradilionn of they

and

rhyme,

head

the tions

tone

epic

interesting,

the

while

they

philosophical

mode are

of

These

and life

tradi-

the

of

the

of

ideas,

of those primitive

equally

and are

respects,

in

be classed under

expressions

as

mind,

native

99

sung

character,

should therefore

customs, morals, and ages,

Klrglihrs.

of colloquial literature.

are

of

an

of

are

f/ie

remarkable

in

devoid

of

not

historical interest.

Among the

Kaisaks, Uzbeks, and Nogais,

trace their origin

Horde,

are

from the Golden and Djagatai

preserved

founded on the

These are

several

exploits

Ir-Kokcha,

Edigei,

who

all historical

the

of

Urak,

Chor

personages

of Tamerlane's generals, and for his victory over Vitort

poetical

is

fables,

horde-heroes,

and

others.

Edigei was one

:

known

history

in

on the Vorskla

Urak, a

;

descendant of Edigei, was, according to tradition, a prisoner in Russia, cess,

on which point, however, there

evidence

;

mention

Chronicles

follows

:

"

is

made

attack

They

of

is

no

historical

the

reference

to

great

Tchora was a Tartar

statui'e

prince,,

Tsar

town of Odoev,

who

as

Kokcha,

also killed at this time

Tartar hero, of

prin-

of Ir-Kokcha in Nicon's

with

1423,

in

Kuidadada's

a

and married a Russian

and strength." relieved

H

2

Kazan,

100

and

Travels in Central Asia.

name

his

The manner

occurs in the annals of that town.

down from age for antiquity It

which these legends are handed

in

to age proves the tenacity of regard

among

the nomadic tribes of Asia.

mind

must, however, be borne in

poetical different

trace

them

all,

the

many

it

difficult to

M. Hodzko,

episodes out of the

their classical robber, Kor-Oglu,

Kaisak rhapsodies. traditions, legends,

in Lapland,

for

Idichi

Turkmen, who must have borrowed

either from the Kaisaks or Nogais

manner

of the

and the

other,

which renders

to their true source.

instance, heard

them

proximity

of the tribes occupying them, are

adopted by

from

the

roaming grounds to each

dialectic affinity

easily

from

traditions,

that these

Asia

and

rich

is

in

M.

fables.

heard narrated the

;

in like

figures in

wandering

Castren, while

myths concerning

Cyclops, Polyphemus of the Odyssey, &c., with some national and local adaptations, current Karelians.

The same

Kirghiz Steppe. giant

ogre,

fable

Cyclops

and a

is

is

among

current

in

the the

there called Alp,

Kii-ghiz

giant,

a

Batiir-Khan,

enacts the part of Ulysses.

The Dikokamenni Kirghizes able

epic,

period.

" the

possess a remark-

Manas," relating to the Nogai

Epic Poems current among

The "Manas" is an encyclopaedical the

Kirghiz mythological

101

the Kirghizes.

collection of all

and

tales

traditions,

brought down to the present period and grouped

round one person

—the

their

life,

geography,

morals,

It

is

a

The Kirghiz mode

species of Iliad of the Steppe.

of

Manas.

giant

and

religious

medicinal knowledge, as well as their relations with other tribes,

find

all

pendious epopee.

poem has

This

com-

this

in

illustration

evidently under-

gone recent modifications and additions, and concentration

"

Djumuks"

modem

one

into

The

prosaic

of

may probably be of very

(tales),

date.

out

whole,

its

"

Manas"

of

consists

many

separate episodes, having the form of a connected

Another

relation.

epos, the " Samyatei," serves as

a continuation of the " Manas," and

The Kirghizes

Odyssey.

but I

much time

is

of the

at

present

" Manas,"

and

required for the " Samyatei,"

an exaggeration.

this is in all probability

am

the Burnt

say that three nights are

insufficient for the relation

that as

is

engaged

in

translating

the

" Manas," and intend to compile a small dictionary, in order to

make

students

acquainted with a hitherto

of Oriental literature

unknown

dialect.

language of the Dikokamenni Kirghizes resembling

more

closely

than

any

is

The

Turkish,

other

that

Trncch

10:2

spoken in

Little

or scarcely

composed

an}',

Central

ill

In

Bokhara.

^lisia.

it

there are veiy few,

Arab and Persian words,

Mongohan and

principally of

being

it

primitive

Turk teims. At

this point I

wovJd

a few words on

fain say

the distribution of the Kirghiz race, tribes,

and

their present political condition.

The Dikokamenni Kirghiz Horde two

wings,

" Sol,"

i. e.

right

wing

right

and

consists of

The

is

:

divided into "

On

"

and

corresponding to the

left,

Borongar "

and " Tagai." it

already mentioned

as

"

Mongolian

principal

its

and

two

"

Dzungar."

divisions,

"Adgene," and with

latter is the largest,

must be classed the kindred but

The

hostile tribes of

Sarabaguish and Bugu, Sultu, Sayak, Cherik, Chon-

baguish and Bassyz— numbering eight in

all.

The

Bugus, since 1S55, 'have been subject to Russia,

and number eight camps.

They

follow agricultui'e

on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, and roam in

summer about

the upper courses of the

The Sarabaguishes, numbering ten

Tekes.

wander along the Chu

The

Issyk-Kul.

forming

fifteen

Chu, in the * This iiicnt,

Kegen and

fort

river

Sultu, the

camps,

tents,

and eastern part of

most predatory

tribe,

wander on the Talas and

vicinity of the Kokaniati fort of Pishpek.* was stormed

in October, 1862,

under Colonel Koljiakox

were caplured.

ski,

when

by a Russian delacli-

nine guns

and 600 men

Distribution of the Dikokamenni.

The Sayaks occupy

103

the upper parts of the

Narym

andDjungal; the Cheriks, the highlands

of the

Thian-Shan, south of Issyk-Kul theChon-baguishes ;

sku-t the

The

mountains to the North-West of Kashgar.

two

last

tribes of the

North

of

Tagai branch occupy the mountains

Namangan,

neighbourhood of

in the

Andijan and the upper

course

the

of

The Adgene Kirghizes pursue

gol.

The other

are very poor.

tribes

Djum-

agriculture in

the Ferganah Valley, near the towns of Margilan

and Osh, and pass the summer among the

Osh

tending from enjoy the same

rights

as soldiers in the fill

important

Kokan

to

Kokan.

These Kirghizes

Uzbeks

as the

;

Kokanian army, and

civil

and military

posts.

Alim-Beg-Dashkha,

Vizier,

hills ex-

is

they serve their chiefs

The present

a Kirghiz

Bey

of this tribe, and with his Kirghizes assisted the

Khan Mallya

ruling

The

left

wing

is

to gain possession of

formed

frequent the Talas.

Khan

of

tribes,

who

Their chiefs are related to the

Kokan, who

Kirghiz extraction.

of three

Kokan.

are,

The

on the female

country, peopled

side, of

by the

wandering camps of the Naimans, Kipchaks and Kitais, tribes

which have become incorporated with

the Kirghiz, stretches from

plateau to

Korum

Badakshan,

range

;

with

Osh along

and thence

them

rove

the Pamir

to the Kara-

likewise

the

T

104

I-

Itchkiliks

a c eh

and some

Central Asia.

ill

families of the

neighbourhood

the

All the Kirghizes in

Kashgar town of Tash-Balyk, of the Biigu,

who

Adjene

of

the

with the exception

Russian subjects,

are

tribe.

although

under immediate subjection to China, recognize the

power of the Khan of Kokan,

to

whom

they pay a

tribute of one horse out of every hundred.

For

governing the Kirghizes, the Kokanians have in the

roam

country they 44.° 10'

the

over,

forts

N., 74° 50' E., Merke, on the

of

Chu, 44° N.,

74° 10' E., Aulie-Ata (the ancient Taraz) Talas, 43° 44' N., 72° 3G' E.,

Pishpek,

on the

Kurtka and Truz, on

the Naryn, 41° 38' N., 76° 54' E.,

Ketmen-Tupc

and Djungale, on the

name, 41° 47'

N., 74° 10' E., and

river of that

Tash-Kurgan 4G°

17' F., 70°

E.*

In the latter part of August, the Kashgar mer-

having

chants,

concluded their

Horde, made preparations

for

affairs

with the

departure.

Our

Kirghiz friends advised us to join the Kashgarians, •.he

road, according to their account, being unsafe

for a small caravan.

The banks

Utah-Kapkak Pass were rendezvous.

liere,

of the Tekes at

fixed on as the place of

by the 27th September, were

collected sixty tents, or in caravan fires.

While the route

* These

latitudes

to

and longitudes

parlance, sixty

be chosen (there being it

must be

distinctly

understood

are simply approximative, as obtained from the most recent Russian

maps.

Serious Misunderstandivg several), for

stance occurred

A

105

Affray.

proceeding to Kashgar was being dis-

cussed by the seniors

plan,

—

of tbe

caravan,

circum-

a

which quite upset our

Kokan Yuz-Bashi

from Pishpek to

collect

original

(centurion) despatched

from the

tribute

Bugu

tribe,* arrived at the caravan with six soldiers,

demanded payment

of the

and why they were

being asked what dues,

manded ?

customary dues.

and

On de-

the Yuz-Bashi took offence, and forcibly

seizing three

hundred sheep, drove them up the

mountain, where he kept careful guard over them.

The Kashgar men, accustomed the

Chinese,

sticks,

and

themselves

on the Kokanian

fell

horsing them

armed

forthwith

to conflicts with

remarkable

with

soldiers.

Un-

dexterity,

they

thrashed the warriors so unmercifully,

remained insensible on the Kirghizes,

field

with

that one

of battle.

The

fearing to incur the vengeance of the

Tashkendians, declared that they would not allow the Kashgarians to depart before the recovery of the

wounded

soldier.

part in the affray,

we

As we joined

Tartars and Kashgarians,

* Althougli the Bugu, they, nevertheless, do not

Kokanians and Chinese.

did not take any

company with some

who had

also

as stated previously, are fail

remained

Eussian subjects,

on every opportunity to propitiate the

;

106

Travels in Central Asia.

neutral,

and started

with

the greater speed, seeing that

all

commenced

already

once on our journey

at

to

united caravan consisted of ten

number

of

men was

course of the Tekes

we

fires,

Our

and the

From

sixty.

snow had

mountains.

in the

fall

and

;

total

upper

the

two marches the

cleared in

San-tash mountain pass, presenting a level plateau

famed

for its

passing which tains,

level

we

From

and

valley

the

of

after

moun-

Djirgalan

our route lay along the

this point

fertile

Tamerlane,

crossed the low Kyzylki

and entered the

(happy).

about

traditions

Terskei

valley,

in

which we

observed half-naked Buruts employed in their cornfields.

At the Djity-Uguz friend Bursuk,

Kadyks,

we

river

fell

who had removed

in with our old

thither with his

for the ])urpose of gathering his harvest

same

also several aiils of the

tribe, subject to

Bin-

Samsal, and the renowned robber chief Djanet.

Taking leave of Bm-suk's himself as a safeguard,

we

INIaich the Zaiikti pass.

did not,

and accompanied by

entered on the ninth of

The presence

of

Bursuk

however, save us from the rapacity

the Kirghizes.

On

fragments

of

of

the 11th, as the caravan was

ascending the narrow

by

aids,

defile

rock,

which was obstructed

a deafening

shout

was

Encounter with the JBurats.

suddenly

and several small

raised,

We

simultaneously displayed.

107 were

flags

had hardly time

to

take up a defensive position, and to fortify our-

behind the natural barricades, v^hen

selves

wre

My

were attacked by a band of seventy Kirghizes.

comrades, actuated by the instinct of self-preservadisappeared under cover of their camels, and

tion,

did not show themselves again until the fray was

Our

over.

position of the caravan

succeeded

in

repelling

ment was limited to

Bursuk,

an

their effective weapons,

the

Buruts

to a few

whom we had

and

taking

The engage-

wounded on both

exchange of prisoners.

passage,

safe

and

one of their chief leaders.

prisoner

and

owing to the strong

servants, however,

sides,

The worthy

taken with us to ensure our

considering

himself compromised,

departed secretly without the promised present.

The Zaiiku pass

is

formed by the rapid course of

the Zaukii, and by the Zaukiichak, Kashka-ashu,

and some Dzungarian* also

form passes.

the course of the cates.

The

rivuleta,

which fall into it, and

route thus runs

chief river, after

Beyond the

junction of

first

which the

it

along bifur-

Dzungarian

* Mr. Semenaf was evidently not aware of the existence of this will appear from his remarks on Eitter's "Asia," p. 16,

stream,yias vol. ij|

1 08

Travels in Central Asia.

river,

Zauku

the

defile

becomes

steeper

and

narrower; forming terraces witli two Alpine lakes

between.

Fragments of rock,

boulders,

block up the passage.

nates

in a

The

huge, irregular

The

defile termi-

ledge of about 800 feet

precipitous

height.

in

in

skeletons of beasts

which strew the path, bear witness

burthen

of

to the difficulty

of the ascent.

The whole

of the

caravan could

in one day, and, therefox-e, the it

ascend

advanced portion of

bivouacked on a small marshy plateau, at which

Zauku

the

remained

The

pass terminates, while the other portion

abundant

wet

the bottom, at the old encampment.

at

of the ascent was increased

difficulty

more

yawning

Pive camels and

abyss.

My

in this way.

were quite distracted. beasts.

and with a loud

ricochetting,

fell

two horses perished

The

companions

Each was occupied with cries of the drivers, alterna-

ting with curses and abuse, Allah,

and

over the

and on more than one occasion, losing

stones,

own

by an

pack-horses,

especially the camels, often slipped

crash, into the

his

The

snow.

of

fall

their footing,

to

not

and devout appeals

Baha-ooddeen, Appak-Hodja, and other

Mussulman

saints,

shook

for ages

on the surroundinc;

bcratiiiL!;

echoes.

the

snow accumulated

hills

with their

I'ever-

CHAPTER On

V.

the Condition of Aliy-shahr, or the Six Eastern

Towns of

the

Eastern Turkestan three sides

:

Province of Nan-lu

Chinese

[Little Bokhara),

in

is

1858-59.

enclosed by mountains on

by the Thian-Shan on the Northern,

the Bolor on the Western, and

Southern.

Kuen-Lun on

the

These mountains belong to the highest

ranges of Central Asia, and form the natural limits of the

Western portion of the Chinese Empire. The

actual boundary, however, runs along the line of

pickets

stretching

through the

ranges on the Chinese side the territory

who

is

;

beyond

lower

this frontier

occupied by roaming Kirghizes,

recognize the authority of the

To

outlying

Kokan Khan.

the Eastward, Eastern Turkestaa

by the uninhabited sandy

is

deserts of the

bounded

Makhai

110

Travels in Central Asia.

and Kamul Gobi. between

plain

70° and 90°

West

consequently a

occupies

It

36° and

43° North

and

latitude,

longitude, from the meridian of

Paris.

Eastern Turkestan

occupies the centre of the

table-land of Eastern Asia

;

but Humboldt, guided

by the vegetable productions of these

parts, con-

Bokhara cannot

cludes that the plain of Little

have an absolute elevation of more than 1,200

and

calls

it

the

Tarym

Tarymgol (otherwise

depression, after the river

whose basin occupies

Ergol),

whole plain of Eastern Tarkestan.

the

Bokhara does,

feet,

Little

in fact, present the appearance of

a great depressed valley, resembling, in physical features,

an open

plain

receives confirmation

;

and

this

general view

from a consideration of the

course of the river Ergol, whose bed. slopes very gradually to the eastwards.

The

interior of this country

the peculiar features of which in

first

a sandy desert,

become

visible

the eastern slopes of an undulating range of

hills,

of no great width, between

Yarkend. it

is

From

this region it gradually

runs to the eastward, where

devoid of reservoirs

all

Yanyshahr and

it

widens as

forms the vast Gobi,

vegetation, though interspersed with

of brackish water,

and where the sand

Ill

Pliysical Fcafiires of the Desert of Gobi. is

heaped in such

give

lofty ridges that the inhabitants

them the name

of "

Gag

" (mountain).

are to credit native writers, this sand

the same

phenomena

of drifting

is

If

we

subject to

and regular

loco-

motion as the famed moving deserts of Africa, and occasionally buries w^hole at

lie

the foot

cities.

parts that

mountains have a clayey

of the

strewed with small stones, and in some places

soil,

impregnated with

The numerous

salt.

ning from the neighbouring the

The

artificial

rivers run-

means

hills afford

irrigation of the earth,

for

which would

otherwise yield but scanty and poor vegetation,

owing to the extreme dryness of the

air

;

and, at

best, there are but a few well-watered parts that

form

fertile oases.

These cultivated and peopled

patches form a ring round the base of the Thian-

The water system

shan, Bolor, and Kiien-hm.

the river Tarym, with interior of this desert,

fertility

tributaries, relieves the

its

by a narrow

land along the various

of

river

of the soil admits

strip

courses,

of fertile

where the

of a rude system of

cultivation.

Such

is

the general character of the territory of

the Southern

line,

which

somewhat monotonous

is

in

completely aspect,

level,

owing

to

absence of any mountain hues of demarcation.

and the

;

112

Trnveh in Co/trnl Asia.

The mountains surrounding Turkestan, on other frontier,

lie

beyond the

political limits of the

country, but are of importance to

and

roads

and

passes,

mountain roads

it

consequent

communication with the

rest

regards

as

facilities

through

for

The

of the world.

run

generally

its

defiles,

with many ascents and descents, or wind by paths or lead along the face

to a considerable height,

With regard

of dangerous slopes. cation, the

for

access.

E

82° 48'

,

communi-

Thian-shan affords the greatest

facilities

This mountain chain has three cha-

from the meridian of Kucha

divisions,

racteristic

to

to

its

intersection with the Bolor.

the East, from the transverse course of the to

Kucha, the

celestial

mountains

ing ridge, covered with feed enormous glaciers,

To Aksu

rise in a tower-

perpetual snoAvs, which

and are therefore

called

the Muzart, or Icy Mountains.

The

rivers rising in

these rock

and ice-bound

fastnesses have a transverse course throughout the entire

mountain

with coniferous

The

line.

trees,

but this

district

habited.

There

is,

,is

declivities are covered

and abound nevertheless,

only

Muzart mountains, which

in pasturages all

but unin-

one pass through the is

the Pass of Glaciers, and by

called

by the Chinese

Humboldt "Djeparlc."

Land of

Tdhle

Through

this pass there

118

Syrt.

a road leading from

is

Kuldja, 43° 54' N., 80° 58' E., to Aksu.

Although,

according to Chinese accounts, Djeparle presents very

great

difficulties,

ticable for camels.

against

it

prac-

nevertheless

is

The Muzart Pass

is

closed

crest

in

about

foreigners.

Its

lies

42° 28' N., 80° 38' E.

Westward

Aksu

of the

river,

as

the

as

far

meridian of Kashgar, the Thian-Shan merges into a broad table-land, called

by the Kirghizes " Syrt,"

about a hundred miles in width, and intersected

by transverse

tion.

" Syrt "

The

sea-level.

timber;

valleys considerably elevated above

soil

its

It is

is

utterly

is

quite

destitute

of

incapable of cultiva-

covered with a short but thick grass,

summer pasture-ground

and serves

as

Kirghizes.

There are many caravan tracks across

a

the " Syrt," which are

To

the

west

of

the

all

for the

available with camels.

meridian

of

Kashgar the

The

Thian-Shan separates into several branches. mountains of

this region are all well

valleys of the rivers,

are fertile

;

all

of

wooded

;

the

which have deep beds,

and the ascents become, consequently,

steeper at several points.

Over

this tract there are

several horse paths, but only one commercial road,

leading

from the

Eerganah valley to Kashgar, I

1

1

4

Travels

through

Central Asia.

iu

known

Terekty-davan Pass,

the

under the name of the Kashgar siderable trade

was carried

A

defile.

on, in the

to

us

con-

most remote

times, along this road, between Asia and China.

The Terektin road abounds with The

along

distance

Kashgiir

is

this

estimated

as

fuel

and

forage.

road from Kokan

to

caravan journey

of

a

eighteen days.

The Bolor mountains, otherwise

called Alai

by

the Andijans, are precipitous and inaccessible on

and form on the

their western face,

summer by

cold plateau, \isited only in the Kirghizes.

There

is

east a high,

only one caravan road over

the Bolor, ^vhich passes through Badakshan.

Badakshan road at

best,

I'oad

is

not

through

This

said to be very fatiguing, and,

is

Yarkend

to

to Bokhara, Balkh,

cai\'nans requiring sixty-fivo

The

on horseback.

practicable

Badakshan

Khulum, thence

the

leads

to

and Cabul;

days to reach Bok-

hara by this route.

The Pamir

is

by the Kirghizes

intersected ;

all

by roads well-trodden

of which lead to the

Khanate

of Kokan, or to Karategin.

Over the Kuen-Lun one pass

is

known,

that of

Kara-Korum, by whicli Eastern Turkestan communicates with Thibet

and India.

The

road,

as far

;

Vnrnrai) Roaih of

Emtcni

Tiirke-slan.

IJ.')

,as Thibet, leads through uninliabited places with

poor pastures, while from Thibet into India they

become

so

from

produce

Indian

that

difficult

Bokhara reaches Eastern Turkestan through the

The

Terektin

Pass.

Thibet

a journey of forty days,

is

Thibet

to

Cashmere

distance

;

from Yarkend to

and twelve from

horses and

yaks

are

the

beasts of burthen chiefly employed on this road.

The mountains rally offer

encircling Little

but few approaches; the

ShaUj from the Aksii to

its

Bokhara gene-

line of the

Thian-

point of intersection

with the Bolor, alone affording anything resembling facilities for

communication.

Of all the routes above named,the Terektin most frequented by troops it is

as well as

is

that

by caravans

enlivened by constant commercial

traffic,

and

not a day passes without the passage of a caravan over

it.

The

rivers of Little

Bokhara belong

to the river

system of Tarimgol, with the exception of a few which, rising in the Kuen-Lun range, faU into lakes or lose themselves in the sands.

The

chief rivers

forming the Tarimgol are the Aksu-Daria, Faizabad-

Daria (otherwise called the Kashgar-Daria), Yarkend-Daria,

Daria

is

and the Khotan-Daria.

formed by two

affluents,

The Aksuthe Aksii

viz. I

2

;

Travels in Central Ji^ia.

116

proper (the higher waters of which are

first

called the

Sary-Djas, then the Kopchagai, but receives the

name

best

it is

known by

and the Kakshal

which

its

The Aksu

river.

Khan

thern slope of

only in

lower course),

rises in the nor-

Tangri-ula, on emerging from

runs parallel to the meridian, bisecting the

it

Thian-Shan, in which

it

has excavated for

itself a

deeprocky channel. The Kakshal flows from the

hilly

elevations on the eastern side of the mountain-lake

Tchadyr-kul, and runs due east under the

name

of

Aksai, through an extensive table-land, on quitting

which

turns abruptly in a southerly direction,

it

descends the southern slope of the Thian-Shan and falls finally into

the Aksu, having a course parallel to

the base of the mountains, and a general direction

from N.E. to

The

S.W forming the Kashgar-Daria

rivers

the Thian-Shan and Bolor.

formed by the two the to

first

takes

rivers

its rise

the North- West

second,

the

Kizyl,

has

TheFaizabad-Daria

Kok-Tonn mountains,

Jjake its

Tchadyr-Kul

source

mountains, where the Thian-Shan the Bolor.

is

Tiimen and Kizyl-Daria

in the

of

in

rise

The Faizabad-Daria

is

in

the

;

the Altai

intersected

receives on

its

by

right

the river listen, or Khan-Aryk (marked YamaniarTlsten on Russian maps),

and the Yangishahr-Usten,

;

Rioer System of Eastern Turkestan.

and on its

left

The Artysh

the Artysh.

elevation of the Torgat, bordering

117

rises in

the

Lake Tchadyr-

kul on the South, and before emerging into the valley

is

called the Toin.

affluents

remarkable it

the

in is

mountains,

of wrhich

many

the most

the Terekty or Astyn- Artysh, joining

on the right

The

side.

niar, is the outlet of

of Pamir.

This river receives

Usten or Yama-

river

Lake Karakul

in the table-land

To the Kashgar-Daria system belongs

the

Yanyshahr-Usten, flowing from the neighbourhood of

Lake Sarikol and

on

its

right bank.

falling into the

The Yarkend-Daria

formed by the

Usten

is

which

rises

Kashgar-Daria or Yarkend-

Yarkend-Daria proper

out of Lake Sarikol, and

the river

Tynzap, flowing from the northern slope of the

Karakorum Pass

in the

Kuen-Lun mountains. The

Khotan-Daria also takes

its rise

in the

formed by the junction of two streams

hills,

and

the

Kara-Kash and Yulgun-Kash,

is

Y'^urun-Kosh by the Chinese). of the Aksti, Kashgar,

which

all

takes the

Karakorum

(pronounced

Below the junction

Yarkend and Khotan Darias,

unite nearly at the same point, the river

name

of Tarim-Usten,

and Tarimgol or

Ergol according to Chinese geography. the rivers falliug into the

Among

Tarim the most note-

worthy are the Muzart, Kucha-Daria and Khaidu,

118

Trncch

ill

Centra] Asia.

descending from the Thian-Shan andfalling into the

Tarim on into

its left

bank.

Lake Lob-Nor, This

Starry Lake. authorities, is

400

lis

The Tarim disembogues

signifying, in the Mongolian, lake,

in lenath

The neighbourhood abounds which play

by 200

lis

in width.

turbid springs,

in

like foimtains.

There are many lakes in lying along the borders

among

Bokhara,

Little

There

all

and

of the inner desert,

containing brackish water. current

Chinese

according to

a tradition

is

the inhabitants that their forefathers

sprang originally from the bottom of a large inland Eastern Turkestan bear,

sea.

All the rivers

more

or less, the character of mountain torrents in

their

upper courses, having an inconsiderable depth,

of

but a rapid current over a rocky bed.

In

July

and August the waters swell considerably from the melting snows, but they are fordable at seasons of the year.

They assume a

all

great depth

and breadth only on the junction of

several streams.

Perries exist over the Kizyl river,

between Kash-

gar and the Chinese

fort, as also

over the Faizabad-

Daria, (at the junction of the Tiimen

Although,

throughout,

the

and

Kizyl).

Kashgar-Daria

and

Yarkend-Daria are navigable when

full,

Tarim

whole course,

at

all

seasons and along

its

and the

Arrangemeiih for accomoduHiiy Cnravaus. 119 the natives do not take advantage of these

yet

admirable

for

facilities

rivers of Little

Bokhara, viewed either as convenient

communication or

for

light, are of the

inasmuch

as

The

intercommunication.

in a scientific or agricultural

utmost importance for

they diffuse fertiUty

this region,

inner

the

in

and convert the otherwise inhospitable

deserts,

a country suitable for the abode

plains into

of

man.

The roads

enough. all

between the towns of

and China,

Turkestan

Eastern

along

in the interior,

are

convenient

" Urtengs," or stations, have been built of

them by the Chinese, each

of which

is

occupied by fifteen or twenty Chinamen under

an

officer,

with

many Turkestan

as

sides these " Urtengs," there

are

families.

signal

Be-

houses

for the

speedy transmission of intelligence in the

event

of

war

accommodation of for

small

insurrections

or

;

travellers, forage

caravans

are

also

and,

for

the

and provisions

obtainable at these

stations.

The all

city of Aksii

is

the point of divergence for

the roads of this region.

centring at

Aksu

The

various routes

lead to China, IH, and

all

the

towns of Eastern Turkestan. All the roads leading from the interior of China,

Trdceh

12U

to

in

Central

Ada.

the Western frontiers, converge at the town of

Hun-Chanfoo, whence there

is

a road to Lian-Djeu,

where a large magazine of warhke

been

stores has

estabUshed for use in the event of a war in the

this

of 37 versts (24f miles) from

At a distance

west.

town, at the western extremity of the great

wall,

the

is

commands

From

the road.

which

Tzia-yui-Hiian,

of

fortress

this point to

Komula

extends a sandy steppe, uninhabited, and destitute alike of water, forage,

or vegetation.

granaries have been in like

the

Chinese

Komul.

at

Important

manner established by Farther on, the road

branches off in two directions, one, the " Northern

Road," leading

to

" Southern Road,"

Dzungaria,

the

other,

the

Turkestan.

The

Dzungarian road trends along the eastern

lateral

the

depression of

to Eastern

Thian-Shan,

Urumchi, and Hurkharasu to

Road

through Hi.

Barkul,

The Southern

takes a westerly direction through Pidjan to

Turfan, which latter town has direct comumnica-

Urumchi by way

tion with

Turfan, is

it

of Bogdo-tila.

leads to Kara-Shahr, which in

accessible

its

turn

from Hi by the rivers Julduz

and

Narat-Davam.

i\Iarshy

ward,

to

extend

necessitating

Beyond

an

the

swamps, stretching westsouth

earthern

of

Kara-Shahr,

embankment

at

the

Boute from Pekin

town

and the road,

of Buigur,

from Pekin

distance

more

level tracts of country,

steppe,

miles of the

however,

Khami

750

founded stations.

8844

at

versts

(497

versts

or less inhabited

terminating

oasis,

barriers of Tzia-yui-Hiian

of

calculate the

The Southern Road runs through

(25461 miles).

barren

Kuchi,

after passing

Aksii

to

121

Aksu.

The Chinese

Aksu.

finally reaches

to

and Khami,

remarkable

for a distance

The Chinese have and along

points

Southern Road, in mihtary respects, are 45° 18' N., 92° 14

'E.,

:

built

the

—Khamil,

where are magazines of grain

and arms, and Buigur. This town

lies in

the middle

and with a small force

of impassable marshes,

capable of defending the Southern Road.

four and a half and

84

within

settlements along this road,

The

a

between the

spreads

miles).

,•

five

months

is

It takes

caravans and

for

troops to traverse the road from Pekin to Aksu,

but the

journey

is

effected

in

one month by

special messengers.

Prom military

Aksvi to Hi (Kuldja), at which place the

and

civil

governments of the Western

region are concentrated, the distance at

615

versts

(407^

miles),

through very mountainous

the

localities.

is

road

reckoned leading

The famous

Djeparle, or pass of glaciers, occurs on this road.

132

A

Travels in Cetitral Asia.

quick

journey

days,

fifteen

is

over

road,

this

upon

looked

all

in

marvel

of

a

as

expeditious travelling, even with

completed

the advantages of

numerous

" Urtengs "

along

it.

The

Aksu

goes to Ush-Tmfan, 41° N., 76°, 20' E., and

at

Chinese high road from

principal

To Ush-Turfan

Yarkend.

mated

which have been constructed

the

distance

is

esti-

to

Yarkend

at

247

eighty miles, and

At a distance of 290

miles.

from Aksu, on the road

to

(192 miles)

versts

Yarkend,

lies

the

town

garrisoned by a Chinese force, and

of Burchuk,

provided with a

From hence

ferry.

there

is

a

direct road to Kashgar, the distance thither, from this

being estimated at about 240 versts

point,

(159 miles)

;

Aksu always

trading caravans from

proceed straight to Kashgar along this road.

main road from Yarkend leads Yanyshahr on to Kokan.

to Kashgar,

The

Yarkend and Yanyshahr,is 113

The

through

distance between

miles, andfifty-seven

miles from the latter place to Kasligar, the length

of the journey between

computed

at

Government

270

Kokan and Yarkend being

miles.

convoys

troops

and

Kashgar

and

Chinese

march

to

Khotan, through Yarkend. Besides these roads, there

Aksu

to

is

one direct from

Khotan, following the course of the Kho-

Various Caravan Routes

to

Yarkend.

123

tan-Daria, (along the banks of which caravans travel for eighteen days, or fifteen days in quick travelling),

and two others from Ush-Turfan to Kashgar. One of those between the latter places emerges

fourth station of the

which

Yarkend route

;

at the

after joining

proceeds to Burchuk, and thence to Yark-

it

end and Kashgar, while the other leads straight to Kashgar.

This latter road follows up the course

of the Kokshal, and, passing the military station of

Bokchan, reaches Altyn-Artysh.

Kashgar by

The road

The

this route is calculated

traverses

various

at

end, and

and the level

Aksu

233^

to Ush, Kashgar, Yark-

Khotan pass through populous

fertile

The

fuel.

localities,

last thjee follow the course of rivers

and

miles.

uninhabited tracts,

which, however, abound in forage and routes leading from

distance to

whose

banks, hardly rising above the

stream, present fine natural meadows, so that the

roads

winding along between the base of the

mountains

and the

channels of the rivers, pass

through densely populated regions. In former ages the Chinese communicated with the Western region through Hua-Chjeii (133^ miles

west of Tzia-yui-Htian) straight over the sandy steppe to Khotan is

;

altogether closed.

at present, however, this

There

is

road

likewise a road from

124

Travels in Central As.la.

Turfan to Khotaii via the Lobnor, but last

named,

it is

the

like

also closed.

Notwithstanding

enormous extent, Eastern

its

Turkestan possesses a remarkably uniform climate,

which can only be accounted ties

of

its

by the pecuhari-

for

The circum-

geographical position.

jacent mountainous districts are subject to climatic

which

conditions,

differ

materially from

Even

the Little Bokharian plain.

storms

are

mountains.

frequent

of

It is

cool,

whole of the season

summer snow among

occurrence

the

the

throughout the

indeed, in

;

in

those of

snow

the

valleys

remains on the ground until the months of

May

and June, while the mountain summits are covered with

perpetual

October

;

at all

snows.

Winter

events, a caravan

commences which

left

in

Kash-

gar on our arrival at that place (13th October),

was compelled defile

We

to return on account of the Terektin

having been blocked up with snow. shall

now speak

of the climate of the Plains,

dwelling chiefly, indeed almost exclusively, upon that of the " territory of the six towns."

ning then with our October,

own

observations

:

when we entered on the southern

the Thian-Shan chain, into the Terekty shores

of the

Terekty river

Begin-

on the 9th slope of

defile,

the

were clothed with

Ohservations

T/ifrmoi)i(4rical

in

Kashgar.

125

luxuriant trees and picturesque clumps of bushes.

The thermometer indicated 81°

.5

Fahr.

and on

;

entering Kashgar, our caravan passed through fruit

gardens where

down

women and

children

were cutting

the remaining vine branches, after gathering

the season's vintage, and the pomegranates were still

not

on the all

been got

various

The

trees.

and cotton crops had

Fresh greens and

in.

such

soils,

rice

quinces,

apples,

as

fruit of

pears,

peaches,

and

bazaar.

The weather from the 9th October

were exposed

figs

for

sale

and

clear.

The

November

the 22nd

fall,

while the water in the

canals was covered with a thin crust of

November

ice,

The

first

31st December, and continued of the following day

;

snow

falling

fell

on the

until the

the second

snow was on the 19th January, when all

and on

the water was stopped at the

" aryks," or aqueducts.

middle

about

;

the nights grew colder, and

the leaves began to

the 26th

till

warm

lowards the end of November was uniformly heat rose to 81° .75 Fahr.

the

at

it

fall

of

snowed

day and half the night, and again en the 24th

January

until the

morning of the 26th.

mometer generally stood falling only twice

the Bist

at 32° Fahr.,

The

and upwards,

below the freezing point.

December

it

ther-

On

indicated 14° Fahr., and on

126

Trmieh

Cpniral Axla.

in

the 28tli January 4° Fahr.

Tnmen

The

and

rivers Kizyl

did not freeze during the whole winter, but

the ponds in the town were covered with ice eight inches thick.

new

After the Chinese

year, from

which the natives reckon the commencement of spring, the weather actually

On

became warmer.

the 26th February water appeared in the canals,

and

nature

began speedily

beginning of March, pies

revive.

to

with the

filled

In

first

the

shoots

of vegetables were offered for sale as " delicacies of

the

season,''

and on the

several trees

21st,

the court yard of our abode were already in

During the

leaf.

\vhole

in full

time, until the departure

of the caravan from the open country, on the 29th

March, the weather was bright and warm. 26th and 27th of prevailed. ing,

this

Fogs and

warm N.E. wind

were,

generally speak-

of rare occurrence, usually

only, after which,

at

the

a

month

rain

On

intervals,

lasting it

two days

rained slightly.

During the middle of February, the weather was

N.W. winds predomi-

frequently windy, west and nating.

Relying

on

these

facts,

and

on

strength of the testimony of the inhabitants, certain that spring

of February, and

commences here

somewhat

ing Ferganah valley.

in

later in the

The summer,

it

the it

is

the middle

neighbouris

said,

is

"

Shupdor

driHid of

Thunder

127

Sloniis.

distinguished by great heat, and the air becomes insufferably oppressive from the heavy clouds of dust, the

more

so

by reason

of the great scarcity

The

inhabitants of Eastern

of rain in these parts.

Turkestan are particularly afraid of thunderstorms.

When

horizon

the

their pupils

vi^ith

clouded,

is

the " ahunds

all

walk out on the terraces of the

Mosques and read a prayer or "knut" loud voice prayers

a

;

and

it is

of an ordinary

a fact that they ascribe to these

of this intense apprehension

phenomenon,

the circumstance that

is

to be ascribed to

the earth,

becomes covered with

rain,

a

power of propitiating the threatening

The cause

heavens.

in

salt,

after

a

fall

of

which destroys

the harvest, and also to their houses being built of

mud, with fall

flat roofs,

so that in the event of a heavy

of rain, the towns of Little Bokhara would be

entirely

The

much

destroyed.

winter, according

all

accounts, has generally

the same character that

stay,

/.

e.

it

bore during our

the snow remains on the groimd not

longer than three or four days, and the rivers do

not

freeze

at

all.

When

along the shores, the winter one.

the rivers is

are

frozen

considered a severe

Intense colds prevail at the end of the twelfth

month

of Chinese computation, that

is,

in January,

1

2S

'Prareh in Central Asia.

and spring commences from the Chinese holiday of

new

the

name

in

which the Turkestans

year,

by

call

its

Mongolian, Chagan. This gradual transition

from summer to autumn, and the abrupt change from winter to spring, form climatic peculiarities

The

almost exclusively confined to this country.

change

seasons

the

of

accompanied by the

is

The

following variation in the \'egetation. tree

blooms

trees

in the

commence

middle of

budding

;

JNIarch,

apricot-

when

cultivated

other

meadows

become covered with

fresh blades of thick "

yu" and

and anemones then make their

grass, tulips,

appearance

the

in

In April the apricot-tree

fields.

begins to bear, and towards the end of

and the

berry, apricot, at maturity.

At

onions, turnips,

planted over

this

"

in

" djugara,"

May the mul-

zamuch " melon,

time barley

is

arrive

reaped, and

and other kitchen vegetables are

it.

Peaches and apples ripen between

Jime and August, while other gathered

musu-

August. (Javary),

cereals

and

fruit are

Hempseed, sesame,

rice,

maize and cotton are not

harvested until September and October.

The prevailing wdnds here

are Westerly

and

North-Westerly, which blow principally during the spring,

and

raise

dust and dense clouds of sand.

Yanyshar, Yarkend and Khotan are under nearly

GeHiaVity rnid Saluhriti/ of Climate of Kliofan. 129

same

the

conditions

climatic

Khotan the winter Aksu, and

more

is

no great heat

winter

snow

is

In Turfan,

Bai

and Sairam,

in

first falls

immediately

in

and more

summer, and the

become

rivers

the

to

but

frozen,

towards the end of January, melting this

;

prevails

The

severer.

at

yet milder.

especially

lying nearer to the mountains north,

Kashgar;

as

does not, however,

growth of pomegranates,

figs,

If

we

the

Emperor Kan-Si, and Pere

retard the

and cotton

Aksu.

at

are to believe the concurrent testimony of

Gerbillon, relative to

the cultivation of orange trees, Khamil must enjoy a more genial climate.

In the Eastern towns,

said, the winters are cold,

hot.

it is

and summers exceedingly

Yet Turfan and Khamil are famous

for their

vegetable productions, the latter in particular for its

melons, which are eaten at the Im.perial Court.

The climate the health

of its inhabitants

beneficial influence

on

are altogether

unknown

as

strangers,

Epidemics and

salubrious.

by

of Eastern Turkestan, judging

well as

by

its

must be very diseases

pestilential

to the Turkestani, with one

important exception, however, the small-pox, which in former times swept

drove

the

mountains.

away whole

panic-stricken

The

settlements,

inhabitants

ravages of this

disease

and

into

the

are

now

K

loO

Travels

Central Asia.

ill

stopped by the introduction of vaccination. withstanding the great consumption of

Not-

and

fruit,

the universal custom of smoking hashish, which

known

to

human

organization,

have a most injurious

is

on the

effect

very few of the Turkestani

ever suffer from sickness.

Venereal diseases, not-

withstanding the great depravity of the natives,

Throughout the town of

have not spread hither.

Kashgar,

we

disfigured

by them.

only

saw two

The males

strong, yet they seldom attain

women riage

become fifty,

own

and

twelve,

(at

are well built

to early

mar-

even ten years of age),

subject to various chronic complaints.

the Kashgar

and

The

a great age.

weak form, and, owing

are of

who were

persons

women

at seventy or eighty.

At

are as withered as our

Goitre

is

very frequently

met with

at

attribute

its

prevalence to the property of the water

and

also

it is

met with

Passing now

Bokhara, we

Yarkend,

first

natives

wealth of Little Bokhara is

washed out

riches

at the

is

very

this

metal,

and

;

of Little

The mineral explored.

little

Karja settlements in such

large quantities that the inhabitants in

which

point to the characteristic

productive features of this region.

Gold

of

Kokan. natural

the

to

shall

in

the

dispose

of

pay it

their dues

to

private

Gold Wasldny at Karja. " Lans"

Eighty

individuals.

of

131 gold

this

are

annually sent to the Court of Pekin from Khotan.

Copper

is

obtained at Aksii, Sairam, and Kuchi.

The copper

of Aksii

known

is

and contains, according

its

malleability,

to local accounts,

siderable admixture of the

method

for

precious

of extracting which, however,

a con-

metals,

not

is

the

known

to the natives.

Eastern Turkestan affords in abundance sulphur,

alum and

sal-ammoniac, soil

saltpetre.

around the town of Kuchi Stdphur

in these materials.

Turfan, in the Yarkend

Ush-Turfan, and Salt mines are

at

is

district,

volcanic

particularly

rich

obtained at Ush-

and

saltpetre

at

Sairam, 110 miles further east.

worked

tains, east of Aksii.

productions

mineral

is

The

in the

Yan-chi-Shan moun-

Among

the more remarkable

of

Tm-kestan must be

in-

cluded the oriental jasper, Nephrite, or Jade stone,

which

is

highly esteemed in China under the

name

of " Yer."

The Nephrite found here

kinds

from the mountains, called by the

:

natives

that

" Loucha,"

or

is

of two

" bish-bargan," which

is

found in the mountains of Mirdjai and Sutash, 74 miles from Yarkend, and the second obtained in the river

Ulgunkash (pronounced Yurunkash by the

Chinese), under the special supervision of a Chinese

132

Travels in Central Asia.

" gins"

officer.

About

nephrite,

and the whoie of the quantity got out of

ten

the Yurunkash river,

Pekin

where

;

its sale

of

are annually

and disposal

mountain

the

despatched to

one of the

is

most rigidly enforced monopolies of the Chinese

We

Government.

are not aware of silver, iron

and

coal having been discovered in the " territory of the

worked

—

at all events

no such mines have been

in Little Bokhara.

Mention of silver mines

towns/'

six

in the vicinity of cles,

Khamil

but to what extent

Two

made

in Chinese chroni-

this is true

we cannot

which occur on the route from Kashgar to

are not

now

As the

causes.

in operation,

owing

is

and

despatched to the mint at Aksii,

quirements of the inhabitants in these fall

to political

greater part of the mineral wealth

of this region goes in tribute to China,

copper

say.

smelting works, one for copper the other

for lead,

Kokan

is

very far short of being satisfied.

and wrought,

lead, copper,

and

latten

all

the

the reproducts,

Iron,

cast

are received

from Kokan, to which place they are brought, either in

a natural or manufactured state,

Russia.

The very

limited

acquaintance

from

of the

Turkestani with metallurgy, and their ignorance of the simplest forms of mining, prevent them from deriving any benefit from the mineral wealth which

Mineral Wealth and Gold Mines of Khokan. 133 the bowels of the mountains siixrounding

Little

Bokhara must yield in abundance.

The Kokanians,

it is

said, obtain a considerable

quantity of gold by washing, in the upper course of the Syr, which takes

and lead mixed with hills

its rise

silver is also

to the east of Andijan.

rich in minerals.

in the

Gold

Thian-Shan

;

procured in the

The Bolor is

particularly

in nuggets forms the staple

of trade betwen Karategin

and Kokan, and

slaves

[Lapis Lazuli), turquoises and rubies constitute that

Kirghizes forms,

The Pamir

Badakshan and Yarkend.

between

bring rock-crystals,

jasper

in various

and gold nuggets to Yarkend and Kashgar.

Huen-tsang, a Chinese traveller of the eighth century, states that the

Pomola (Pamir) country

gold of a fiery colour. tions have as yet

but of

it

may be

rich

No

mineralogical investiga-

been made in the Kuen-Lun range,

taken for granted there

metallic lodes

worked

in

it.

The

is

no absence

river

for gold, rises out of these

which

is

tains,

and the name of Zar-Afshan

which some

yields

rivers flowing out of

it

Karia,

moun-

(auriferous),

bear,

together

with the tradition throughout Central Asia to the effect that the ruler of the

Gildits keeps concealed

in his cavern bars of gold, tends to strengthen the

foregoing inferences.

134

Trfivi'lxn, Cnitral Asia.

The

natural

vegetation

of

Bokhara

Little

The character

poor and undiversified.

is

of the flora

of these parts bears a general resemblance to the

The northern

steppe vegetation of the Hi valley. slope of the Thian-Shan,

impending over the

of the Issyk-kul, has a rich alpine flora,

luxuriant

meadows

of thick grass

flowers of bright colours

and presents

diversified

by

the declivities of the

;

mountains are covered with the Siberian

silver-fir,

mountain ash and dwarf medlar fCotoneaster floraj,

valley

vuilti-

while along the banks of rivers are found the

barberry, honeysuckle, alpine currant,

Above the

coniferous

and

&c.

zone, the juniper (Juniperxti

" Chiliga,"

or

wild

(Carof/nnd jubataj are met

vidth.

sabinaj,

brier,

southern

wood

The southern

slope of the Celestial mountains, descending to the plain of Little

Bokhara, west of the meridian of

Aksvi, consists of argillaceous schist rate,

and conglome-

while the less lofty auxiliary ranges in front are

formed of layers of laminated clay

The exposed

rocks of the Southern slope are either dotted here

and there with where

this is

these the

isolated patches

of rank grass, or

not the case, are perfectly bare.

Knghiz goats and sheep with

food for themselves in the autumn.

Aksu

the mountains

ai'c

Among

difficulty find

Eastward

of

co\ered with coniferous

Vegetation on the Thian-Shan Range.

trees (silver-fir),

The

135

and present rich mountain pastures.

table-land of the Syrt, excepting the valleys of

the rivers Atbash, Arpa, and Naryn, cultivation,

through

from timber, and covered

free

with fine thick grass.

On

the plains of the Atbash

and Arpa, the Kirghizes millet.

not suited for

is

barley,

and

also devoid of trees

and

sovc wheat,

These plains are

bushes, being covered with fine grasses, such as the feathergrass and of the is

wormwood. The deepened course

Naryn forms

a fertile valley, whose elevation

The banks

equal to that of the Issyk-kul.

the

Naryn

are bordered with the

CHipophce rhamonoidesj rieties

of the

and

willow, poplar,

,

" Chiliga"

of

" Oblepikha"

or wild southern

va-

wood

fCaragana jubataj, while the mountain slopes are clad with dense forests

of

and

coniferous trees

plants natural to the alpine zones of the northern slope.

That part of the Thian-Shan which abuts on

the Bolor

is

typified

by

spiraea, the juniper,

dwarf medlar fCotoneaster

multifloraj.

The

plant, as well as different liliaceous types,

and

latter

such as

tuhps and a species of wild garhc, form the chief characteristics of the also

Bolor

flora,

abounds in rich pasturages.

which,

it is

said,

The Kuen-Lun,

according to Thompson's evidence, has but a poor

and

limited

flora;

its

crags

are

clothed

with

130

Travch

prickly plants,

in Cctilral Ania.

amongst which the astragal

is

the

most common. The landscape and the vegetation of the plain of Little Bokhara

and is

with

still

more dreary

of the country

with

the

" Saksaul"

inevitable

(Anabasis

or of bare illimitable wastes impregnated

fsa.raulj,

The most

salt.

fertile

spots are considered to

between the sandy plains and the base of the

mountains.

month in

are

interior

one vast desert steppe, consisting either of sandy

dunes

lie

The

sterile-looking.

When we

of October,

we

arrived at Kashgar, in the

perceived that the vegetation

the neighbourhood was very scanty

the cha-

;

racteristic plants were the " Yantak" (camelthorn),

tamarisk, artemisia, and different graminecB peculiar to a

and

sandy -argillaceous

soil,

such

as the

" Chi"

Iris augustifolia. In consequence of the extreme

dryness of the atmosphere, and the nature of the soil,

vegetation

localities.

is

entirely confined to well-watered

The courses

t^o narrow

marked by

of the rivers are

parallel belts

of verdure

and

consisting of different species of bushes

The

native inhabitants

" Djengels." are called "

Orenburg have

a

call

forest,

and

these littoral

trees.

woods

River-side clumps of this description

Uremis"

region.

in Siberia

The jungles

and throughout the of Little

Bokhara

character of their own; in the upper courses

Vegetation of Little Bokhara.

of the various rivers in

the

Iovf

137

bushes of the

Hlpophce rhamonoides, by tamarisks in the ThianShan, and by copses of dwarf medlar in the Bolor.

Wherever a

river about mid-course enters

upon a

plain at the base of the lovpest lateral spurs running

down from more

a mountain range, the jungle becomes

diversified,

tree bearing red rose,

yellow

and the poplar, willow, barberry

and black

caragan

wUd

sweetbriar,

fruit,

(Caragana frutescensj, and

other papilionaceous bushes CHcdimodendron argenteurri)

appear in this

its

course

;

the

abundant dwarf-medlar ceases to be

elsewhere found,

portion of

and the Hipophce rhamonoides

attains

a

lofty growth. In the lower part of its course, from the

increasing pressure of the water, each river becomes

broader and forms moist meadows and cane-brakes all

along

its

banks, while the jungles border the

shores in a dense and broad belt, in which forms,

such as the

{Mmagnus-augnstifolid)

hawthorn are

and

found in

wild

new olive

abundance.

After the confluence of the Little Bokharian rivers

with the Tarym, the jungle disappears, and the

banks of the main stream are formed into broad

and marshy swamps thickly overgrown with reeds and cane.

Owing

to careful irrigation

and the long

culti-

138

Travels in Central Asia.

vation which

the

has undergone, the agri-

soil

Bokhara are

cultural productions of Little ciently

and

The

diversified.

villages

producing

and pomegranates.

figs

and the moist parts are sown with

The vegetable productions

hara are the following cereals rice,

javary, red

extent, millet

plants for

and black oats

;

dyeing and

—Wheat,

barley,

and, to a small at

Of

all.

—cotton (belonging

viz.,

hempseed, sesamum

and water-melons,

Bok-

Little

manufacturing purposes.

the graminaceous variety,

madder, and tobacco.

of

grown

not

are

:

lentil,

Eastern Turkestan produces

ceiim),

Plantations

meadows cover extensive

artificial

areas of land, rice.

the towns

surrounded with shady gardens,

are

and

of cotton

outskirts of

suffi-

to

Gossypimn herba-

{Semniion orientale),

Several varieties of melons

of exquisite flavour, are likewise

grown, as also carrots, radishes, beet-root, onions, mint, peas {cicer Ariellnxiii), poppies, and

Cucumbers

The

various

willow,

poplar

belong to the kind called Chinese.

gardens

are

planted

{Poj)/ihis pruinosa),

wild

mulberry,

with

the

pyramidal silver-leaved poplar,

olive

(ElcBagnus

" chiliani " the two latter yield ;

like

the

saff'ron.

are only occasionally to be found, and

date,

and a glue

is

hortensis),

fruit

which

and

tastes

extracted from the

Decline of Ayrieidture

The

first.

mot, peach,

Grapes are grown principally of two

fig.

" Khuseini,"

delicious flavour

and dark are

white,

a

elongated

sorts

variety,

:

of

and " Sakhibi," of a round form

;

The foregoing

colour.

common

and

pomegranate,

quince,

apricot,

berga-

pear,

apple,

are

fruit-trees

Bokhara. 139

Little

in

trees

and plants

to the whole of the Little Bokharian

valley,

with the exception of those grown on the

hills

peaches, pomegranates, and

;

figs, for

instance,

do not grow in Sairam and Bai, while grapes and Prunes,

cotton are successfully cultivated there.

and walnuts

cherries,

inhabitants

Yarkend

of the

district,

are

grown

of Kargalyk,

village

The

in Yarkend. in

the

occupy themselves exclusively

with growing nuts, which form the staple of the trade of this place.

From

that the vegetation of Little

and that agriculture

is

this

Bokhara

in

Without taking

into account

under the same

latitudes,

terized

by the

tropical

richness

it

a

will

very poor,

is

state

be seen

of

decline.

European countries

and which

are charac-

and variety of the semi-

zone, the flora of Little

Bokhara

is

even

poorer than that of Central Asiatic countries under the same parallel of latitude.

The vegetation

of the

mountains of the Dzungaro-Kirghiz Steppe presents a

much

greater variety of natural forms.

In the

140

Travels in Central Asia.

neighbourhood of Fort Vemoe, ther north,

and apples grow wild, and

apricots

the leafy trees are

while

the

grass

distinguished

vegetation

notwithstanding the

Central Asia. coniferous

bushes fruit

;

rich,

walnut

yield almonds

all

pistachio

cidtivation

no small portion

contribute

in Little

part of

and

groves

and agriculture and the

trees

and

the winter

the most fertile

In addition

trade of this region.

grown

remarkably

mountains are covered with

Its

trees,

size;

The neighbouring Ferganah

considered

is

is

for their

severity of

great depth of snow. valley

degrees fur-

five

to

the

to

the

of

fruit

Bokhara, the gardens of Ferganah

and plums.

Bokhara, although

it

presents the appearance of a fertile island amidst

an ocean of sand, has more cultivated vegetable forms than Little Bokhara.

Eastern Turkestan of meadow-land,

wood and the The cause

is

characterized by the absence

by bad

sterility of

agriculture,

scarcity

of

the surrounding mountains.

of this paucity of vegetation

must not

be attributed to the elevated nature of the region, as vegetation in this zone can flourish at a con-

siderable altitude

—

as

evidenced by the ripening

of grapes and peaches on the shores of the Issyk-

kul

—but

to

the character of the

soil,

which

is

Animals

indit/eiioiis

and

never moistened by

rain,

tillage of the land.

With regard

productions

of this

to the insufficient to the vegetable

we must

country,

141

Bokhara.

to Little

state,

in

conclusion, that the sugar-cane referred to in the

Chinese chronicles of the

first

century of our era,

and to vfhich Ritter would have particular tion drawn, does not of Kashgar.

We

grow anywhere in the

vicinity

should imagine that the Chinese

comprehended under

historian

atten-

this

name

either the

sweet " sorgho " or the javary, the stalks of which contain a sweet juice

much esteemed by

the native

children.

The animal kingdom has varieties

;

in the

several characteristic

mountains there are multitudes

of wolves, foxes, jackals, lynxes, bears, and white-

breasted

martens;

also

mountain goats

Tartarica) and sheep {Ovis

argal'i),

the mountain summits.

The deer hide

forests.

{Cajjra

which frequent in

the

Alpine marmots burrow in the south-

western slopes of

all

the high table-lands of the

Thian-Shan, and rats are plentiful in the marshes

about the sources of

rivers.

It is said that

herds

of wild asses [Equus onager), and " djeirans " {Antelope suhgutturosa),

roam over the sandy Steppes.

Chinese works very often speak of wild camel hunts, which formed one of the amusements of

142

Travch

hi

the rulers of these

cities in

standing

chronicles

that

the

As in.

Ci^ntral

Notwith-

past ages. in

our possession

corroborate this remarkable fact, the natives could

not give us any information regarding

we

it

and

;

are, therefore, driven to conjecture that these

wild camels must be entirely annihilated, or have

been scared away to the inaccessible wilds of the

The wild animals

Sahara of Little Bokhara.

indi-

genous to the plains are the Caragan fox {Cania

and Corsac fox {Canis Corsac).

Melanotits)

Tigers,

wild boars, and grey hares, abound in the jungles. Birds

of prey are

found in the mountains,

which those best known to us geayer

{GypcBtos

to Chinese

condor falcon,

{J'altiir

fuJvus),

hawk, and

size

eagle

The

others.

the lammer-

according

attaining,

harbafiis),

accounts, the

are,

of a camel

{Aquila eagle

of

is

;

the

nobilis),

the only

bird employed by the native nobility in hunting the fox and mountain goat, for which purpose is

chiefly got

are procured

the

Aksu

Falcons and hawks

from Khotan.

from the thick

district,

by the Kokanians.

forests of coniferee in

and are trained

Of

it

for the chase

the (jallinacem foimd on

the mountains are the " ular," of the size of the capercailzie,

red circles

of an ashy grey plumage,

round the eyes;

and with

and the "kiklik,"

.

Grain found

hi

Kokan and

148

Turki-stan.

about the size of a partridge, also of a grey colour,

but with black marks over the eyes, and black

and red

of

and the

A

The

Asia.

delicate,

These birds are

stripes over the breast.

also indigenous to the other flesh

mountainous regions

of the

" ular "

tender,

is

and highly esteemed by the Kokanians, of the " kilkik "

flesh

more curious and

which the

less

is

equally palatable.

purpose for

justifiable

latter bird is in request, is to train

it

for

custom with gamecocks

in

fighting,

as

was

England

in

bygone days.

the

Pheasants and quails

are found in considerable abundance in the jungles.

Pigeons of the Steppe {Syrrhaptes paradoxus, fly in vast flocks

over the plains

;

while crows, rooks,

magpies, sparrows, starlings, &c.,

affect

and on the mountain lakes the

common, more

especially

the Tarym, and on Lake

Lobnor, where swans,

sleep on feather beds.

Eastern Turkestan

is

not

are so numerous,

Chinese accounts,

the inhabitants manufacture the

and

and geese are

the lower course of

in

and other water-fowl

according to native and

localities

rarer water-fowl

are singularly scarce, though ducks

geese, ducks,

the streets

In the better populated

of the towns.

Illig.)*

down

It is

visited

* Teiras paradoxus.

Pall.

that

into clothes,

remarkable that

by the

stork,

Trareh

144

m

which

Ckniral Asia.

in

Western Turkestan builds

nest on the

its

mosques, and struts in the streets in

common

^^ith

other domestic animals.

The

of

rivers

and those de-

Bokhara,

Little

bouching into Lake Lobnor, contain an abundance

The Chinese

of fish.

when coming

to Korlo (a settlement in the

Kuchi

on business, ahvaj's carry with them a

district)

supply of

fish for their

any

cannot eat

general

consumption, because they

character

of the

Judging by the

it.

productions of

natiu-al

the fish here will, in

region,

Turkestans

other

food;

other

abstain from

almost wholly

this

Lobnorians

relate that the

all

probability,

be found to be the same as those which natm'alists have already discovered in the rivers of the Balkhash system.

The

Bokhara

sandy-clay

of the

fissures

numerous venomous

shelter

of

soil

Little

insects of the

spider family, such as scorpions, phalangia, and tarantula;

and there

;

We

of lizards. said they

are

is

more

especially a great variety

did not see any snakes rarely

;

encountered, and

but

it

cases

is

of

persons being bitten by them have scarcely been

known flies,

to occur-

gnats,

places,

Li

summer

there are

and moths, particularly

overgrown with reeds.

Of

many in

useful

gad-

marshy

members

—

Domestic Animals of Little Bokhara. of the lowest there

Little Bokhara,

in

is,

animal kingdom,

of the

division

reared only in Khotan and

145

but the

silk-worm, It is said

its vicinity.

that near this city the silk-worm

found in

is

its

natural form.

The domestic animals

of Little

Bokhara are of

the same species with those bred in neighbouring

The

countries.

which are of the Kirghiz

horses,

are obtained from the

breed,

kamenni Hordes.

It

is

and Diko-

Great

only the rich, and those

engaged in the transport of goods, who have large studs,

owing to the

as,

of grass,

scarcity

the

animals must be fed the whole year round on dry

In

provender.

imitation

of

Chinese,

the

native nobles prefer the Kirghiz steeds.

Turkmen

the

Hence

horses are not numerous, and being kept

only by the Khotanians for the saddle, they are of pure

either

"karabairs." fashion,

blood-

The Begs,

employ mules

Mussulman

countries

animals, breeding light

— "topchaks," are

mixed

the

Chinese

which

in other

following

in harness,

or

regarded

as

them being considered

of a grievous sin.

The camels

unclean in the

are of the

breed so extensively diffused throughout MongoKa,

and

the

employ them

Chinese

Government

stores

;

in

transporting

they are also used by the tea

146

Travels

Central Asia.

in

caravans, and occasionally

by the Khotanians. The

occupy themselves merely in rearing

Turkestani sheep, yaks,

and

asses.

when

In order to avoid repetition the topography of the towns

we

Eastern Turkestan,

treating of

and settlements here

shall

of

indicate their

general features.

The and

external aspect of the towns

dull.

The

mosques

monotonous

is

Bokhara

Little

in

being universally built without minarets

kend alone there

a

is

tower over the

(in

Yar-

ancient

Registan mosque), and the houses being low, with fiat

roofs,

the traveller approaching a town sees

mud

only the

walls,

which are of the same colour

as the ground, usually relieved

barred towers, of Chinese

somewhat by small

architecture,

at their

angles.

All the towns of Eastern Turkestan are

encircled

by a wall diminishing

the top,

about eight fathoms thick, and reaching

sometimes

eight

in

breadth towards

and more fathoms

in

height.

Counter-forts are erected at the gates and angles.

The

gates are

made

of planks,

and

are generally

threefold.

Moats of three and more fathoms

depth are

dug round

thrown over them.

the

walls,

The houses

with

in

bridges

are likewise built

Exterior Jspect of a Li I tic Bok/iarian Toion.

of

147

mud, not even excepting the palaces of the

rulers

;

they are

rounded by a

roofed,

flat

The

wall.

and each

interior usually

sur-

is

embraces

an open square, with a water basin in the centre,

shaded by a few

trees, the domicile itself, a stable,

and occasionally a garden. and small apartments most

part,

tinuous

open

bench

;

There are both large

the former being, for the

at the top.

of

common

Inside these a conclay,

overhung with

drapery, runs round the walls, and serves in lieu .

The inner rooms have

of furniture.

slender

branches,

with

apertures

a roof of

the

for

light.

Fires are kindled in stoves, but in winter char-

The

coal is burnt in braziers in the rooms.

rich

have the inner walls of their houses stuccoed, and the

ornamented with

niches

many paper

their

windows a

arabesques, la

Chinoise.

while

The

walls of a house closely adjoin those of its neigh-

bours on either side

and

doors

are

;

alone

mosques, medreseh

but from the street walls visible.

(colleges),

It

is

only the

and other public

buildings, that have a fa?ado to the street, the exterior of

glazed

which

tiles.

The

is

ornamented with coloured

streets

are irregular

and very

narrow, even the two-wheeled araba being only able

to

pasr,

through the principal ones.

l2

The

148

Travels in Central Asio.

refreshment houses, and barber-shops, are

stalls,

situated on both sides of the larger streets leading

from the gates to the market-place,

Some

of the town.

The

in at the top with mats.

or " Aitga," adjoining which called " Charsu."

One

or

two

water freezes in the

from

canals, filled

avenues

of trees,

In winter, when the

through the town.

pass

" Registan "

the market-place,

is

ponds and lined with

several

town

centre of the

generally near the chief mechet,

is

in the centre

of these streets are covered

canals

stopped, the natives draw

it

and the supply

is

from the ponds

either

or river.

The Chinese armed

are

fortresses,

like

manchens occur between them sides of

as

"

the ]\Iussulman

converted into a

Such

at

on both

Hai-Chan."

Yarkend and Khotan

a weekly bazaar.

and

serves

Turkestani settlements or

consist of scattered habitations

a wall,

fields,

street,

streets are called "

apart from each other.

by

If the

close to a native toM'n, the space

is

Hai-Chan "

villages

towns.

which are Chinese houses of refreshment

and shops.

The

manchens, or " gulbai,"

Each house

is

standing closed in

and surrounded by gardens and cornseveral such connected

mulberry and

olive trees,

by avenues

form a settlement.

of

In

;

149

Description of City of Kasligar.

more thickly-populated grouped

closer,

houses are

the

villages,

The Chinese

but have no walls.

the large settlements towns, but the natives

call

term them " Yasy," or

With

villages.

respect to

the local administration of the six "Western towns of Eastern Turkestan, they form departments or districts,

independent of each other

;

and

as the

Chinese do not exercise any immediate influence in

their

we

government,

here

shall

adopt the

native division. 1.

Kashgar

largest

District.

— Kashgar

is

towns of Eastern TurkeStan;

16,000 houses,

is

clay wall six fathoms

high, about ten arshines thick at five at

versts)

It is

The town has two

and South-Western

sides

" Suv-Davsa," the second

Owing

its

foundation,

the top, and about eight miles (twelve

in circumference.

towers.

contains

it

situated between the rivers Kizyl

and Tiimen, surrounded by a

and

one of the

;

defended by six

gates,

the

on the Eastern

first

called

is

"Kum-Davsa"

(sandy).

to the constant dryness of the atmosphere,

the streets are clean, but irregular and narrow

two-wheeled arabas can pass only through the two principal

ones.

The houses

are

excepting four religious colleges ("

one sepulchral chapel,

built of

medrese

"),

clay,

and

which are externally coated

150

Traveh

with glazed

town

is

1838.

" Kune-Shahr,"

or

The The

the

mosque

Hakim-Beg by.

;

is

new one

position.

chief

by the

town

old

nence, while the

close

The

after the Chinese fashion.

tiles,

" Yany-Kurgan," founded in

Central Asia.

divided into two almost equal parts

town,

old

in

;

the

and the new, or ruler

Zurund-Beg

situated on an emi-

much

occupies a

town

centre of the

in front of

lower

a plain, with

is

the palace

of the

while the market-place, " Aitga,"

The old town

is

is

divided into two

quarters,

" Charsu " and " Ambar-ichi ;" and the

new one

into four

—

" Urda-aldy,"

" Ustan-bui,"

" Yumalak-shahr," and " Andijan-kucha."

In Kashgar, there are seventeen "medreseh" or rehgious

seminaries, seventy schools ("mekteb"),

eight caravansarais,

and two other market places

("

Aitga" and " Charsu ")

is

in front of the chief

old town.

Two

;

the first-named of which

mosque, the second in the

principal streets lined with butcher,

cook, and barber-shops and artificers'

stalls,

lead

from the two gates to the centre square or Aitga.

The road from Aitga Square in

by an awning, and

to

Charsu

is

covered

constitutes a mart or bazaar.

Foreign merchants occupy the shops in the Sarai, of

which the more famous

are,

—

1, Jnd/Jan-Sa,rai,

largest, situated in the central square,

and

in

the

which

Municipal Buildings of Kashgar. the

Kokan custom-house

clearance of foreign goods

151 for the

is

established

2,

Kunak-'^wdA, within

;

a short distance of the former, in the street lead-

ing from the Sand-Gates to Aitga

;

principally

it is

occupied by Margilans, merchants from the town

Of other

of Shakhrizebza and Afghans.

situated in the above streets, the best

the " Urtu-tin "-Sarai, occupied Urtii-tin Tadjiks, the

Sarais

besides

;

all

Akstl,

there

"

of cotton,

Gundan

called

are

" Pakhta "

and Jewish

are

bazaars held near the " Sand-Gate," sale

known

by Bokharians and

Yarkend,

which

Sarais, all

constant

one for the bazaar,

and

" for the wholesale disposal of " Daba."

Cattle are sold at the " Gaichan," outside the walls at the Sand-Gates.

There tion,

a " Tynsa," "

is

and a

jail

in the

Dynsa," or police

town,

as

also a

sta-

further

evidence of civilization, in the shape of a barrier, or toll-gate at the "

Daba

is

collected.

and places of

Gundan,"

at

which the tax on

Besides these public buildings

resort,

there

are

two ponds and a

canal (Usten) running through the whole town.

pond

lies

opposite to the house of the

One

Hakim-

Beg, and the other in the Djen-Molak-Shahr quarter.

Every Friday a bazaar of the

is

held, at

which the natives

surrounding villages and the townspeople

—

152

Traced

In

Central Asia.

Of

exhibit the fruits of their weekly labour.

the

settlements pertaining to the Kashgar district, the following 1

A

.

lie

along the system of the river Artysh

at

17 miles N. of Kasghar

a small settlement,

Kashgar Artysh

Sultan

63 miles

(190

Aryn,

;

N.E.

lis)

Saaran, on the Termechuk rivulet

;

;

of

Astyn-

Altyn-Artysh

(Lower Artysh), otherwise

40 miles N.E. of Kashgar, distinguished

(golden), for its

JJstiin- Artysh

group of settlements called

(Upper Artysh),

:

tomb and mosque erected over the grave

Mussulmen

devout

whither

Sutuk-Bagrakham-Hasi, repair on a pilgrimage

of

Kol-Tailak at

;

the confluence of the Artysh and Faizabad-Daria,

88 miles E. of Kashgar

;

BisMerim, 8 miles N.E.

of the

same town, between the Artysh and Tumen

livers.

Along the banks of the Tumen

ments, Mushi, 47 miles

N.W.

of

lie

the

Kashgar

settle-

Samen

;

and Toyuztash, or Dchan-Yan-Kurgan, faubourgs around Kashgar, the on the

W.

side

;

on the

N.W.

the second

Djinchke and Abhat, 8 miles E.

of Kashgar, on the tan,

first

left

bank

of the

Tumen

;

Shap-

on the right bank of the Faizabad-Daria, below

the junction

of the

Tumen

with the Kizyl, 28

miles E. of Kasghar, Avhere there bad, a large settlement at a

on the

S.

is

a ferry

;

Faiza-

distance of 35 miles,

bank of the Faizabad-Daria

;

Yanshbat^ on

;

Tombs of Mussulman Saints near Kashgar. 153 the S. bank of the same river, opposite Koitoalaka,

The

10 miles below Faizabad.

settlements along

the Kizyl, are: Tuguzak at 17 miles the right bank of the same river,

The Khan-Aryk

Kashgar.

6 miles

settlement

of the Alene-Akhund,

abode

Tuzgum, on

;

who

S.

is

of

the

considered

is

the head of the Black-Momitaineer party, 27 miles S.E. of Kashgar, on the river Ussen (Khanaryk,

The

or Yamanyar).

and Tashmalyh

Tlfal,

W.

tains, is

of Kashgar.

settlements

of

Burakhatai,

at the foot of the

lie

To

moun-

Taslimalyh, the distance

estimated at 120 miles and to Burakhatai 40

miles.

Of the

all

the settlements in the district of Kashgar,

most

2,000

extensive

houses

Ustiln-Artysh

1

by Hakims

Ahunds

;

are:

Khan-Aryk

,000 houses.

(rulers),

containing

Faizabad,

number

the

same

They

are all governed

and have

their

own Alene-

or Spiritual Chiefs.

A bazaar Mondays

;

is

at

held at Faizabad once a week, on

Khan-Aryk twice a week, on Sun-

days and Tuesdays. of Kashgar

In the neighbourhood several

tombs of

saints,

much

natives and other Asiatics.

Hodja

is

there

are

reverenced by the

The tomb

of

Appak-

the best building throughout the whole

;

154

Travels in Central Asia.

of the Kashgar district

N.E. of the town, on

bank of the Tumen

the. left

of burnt brick

situated at 4 miles

is

it

;

and decorated

it is

built

and

internally with coloured tiles

;

externally

the cornices are

composed of the horns of the moimtain sheep, goat,

and deer brought

as sacrifices, while flags

entrance

standards decorate the

and

and the crypt

A

large mosque, with spheroidal cupola of

handsome

proportions, has been erected close to the

itself.

tomb by one

The tomb lies

of the sons of the Hodja.

of

Ak-Mazar and Pojakhom-Hodja

on the road to Artysh,

Kashgar.

In the town itself

razyk-Kazi-Hodja,

at seven

the

is

among many

miles from

tomb

of

we have mentioned are the most conspicuous. Chinese Manchen the right

bank

lies

4i miles

S.

Ab-

others, but those

of

The

Kashgar, on

of the Kizyl river, surrounded

by a

wall like that of Kashgar, with two gates on the N.

and

S. sides.

2.

Its garrison

Yavyshahr

8000 houses, and

Disiricl. lies at

the south of Kashgar. wall, has

main

two

street

gates,

numbers 5,500 men.

— Yanyshahr

numbers

about forty-seven miles to

It is

suiTounded by a stone

and two caravan-sarais.

The

runs from the Yarkend gates to the

house of the Governor, facing which

is

a

pond and

—

Bescriplion of Yanyshahr and Yarkend.

155

All the shops, the places of public enter,

canal.

tainment, and the two sarais are in this street.

weekly bazaar

is

held on

Sundays,

the

outside

The most

town, in front of the Kashgar gates. notable villages of this district are

The

Laba, at a

:

distance of ten miles from Yanyshar to the South,

and Terektek, celebrated

The notable holy

duces.

the hashish

for

and

in the

road to Yarkend there

same

is

The Chinese town

the Westward, and to

its

at the

On

direction.

the

a garden belonging to

Mazar-Bygim, with a pond grows.

in the South-East,

and Mazar-bygim

at a distance of ten miles,

distance,

pro-

places in the neighbour-

hood of Yanyshahr are, Chilan-lyk

same

it

which the lotus

in

about a mile to

lies at

garrison,

said,

it is

amounts

2000 men,

Yarkend

3.

of first

Eastern

District.

—Yarkend, the

Turkestan,

of the Khans,

town.

town

residence,

and then of the Hodjas, stands

which flows out of the

resides in

the

formerly

between the branches of the

intent of the

largest

Yarkend-Daria,

The

Sarikul.

Southern road

the Chinese

river

—

^the

fortress

chief super-

Amban-He-be,

commanding the

Yarkend has 32,000 houses.

The town

is

surrounded by a wall eight fathoms in height and

156

Travels in Central Asia.

seventeen miles in circumference, with four gates. It

has four sarais, seventy medreehs, or religious semi-

and one

naries,

Ti/nsa (police station) near the great

Registan Mosque.

All the shops, taverns, sarais,

and the Charsu market-place are situated

in the

chief street leading from the gates of Altyn-davsha

The most noted

to those of Kabagat.

quarters of

the town are those of " Urda-Aldy-Soka-Kul," the place of residence of the Cashmerians and Hindoos,

and the " Aksakal," or quarter inhabited by the

The most remarkable

Badakhshans and Andianis.

buildings are the Palace of Hakim-Beg, near the

Khotan

gate,

and the Eegistan, an ancient mosque

A

with a minaret. seven

o'clock,

in

is

held every evening at

street

that runs from the

bazaar

the

Registan to the pond of

The

Nas-Hodja-Kul.

weekly bazaar, on Fridays, takes place between the Quite a street has

Chinese citadel and the town.

sprung up between the Altyn gates and those

lately

of the Chinese citadel,

where houses of refreshment

have been established; and indeed mercial activity of the place

all

may be

the com-

said to be

concentrated in this single quarter.

The chiefly

foreigners

who

Badakshanis,

and carry on a trade

reside in

who have in

their

Cashmere

town

this

own

slaves.

are

elder,

Amongst

—

1B7

Settlements in the Province of Yarhend.

the inhabitants there are besides

a

Little Thibet,

who

class

many

from

Baltis

hire themselves out to

labour, and comprise nearly all the drivers

and water-

camera.

The neighbourhood

many

Yarkend

of

by

liberated slaves of the mountain Tajek tribes

of Chitral and Vakhan,

who

the general appellation of

important villages

or

boundary

Northern are

infested

is

are

known

the

The most on

lying

settlements of

here under

" Bofiz."

Yarkend

the

district

:

Burchuk, at two hundred and fifty-seven miles

from Yarkend,

at the confluence of the

Daria with the Tarim Dolons,

who

;

Yarkend-

and Marcd-Bashi, peopled by

are governed

by

their

own Hakim-

Beg, with a Chinese garrison of 300 men. the

West

of

Yarkend

lies

The

near Lake Sarikul.

the village

(rf

To

Sarikal,

elevated nature of this

district,

and the cool atmosphere which always

prevails

here,

are

favourable

breeding of Thibet cows.

the

to

successful

To the South,

at the

base of the Kuen-Lun, near the point of which the

Tyznab

issues from

among

the mountains,

settlement of Yangi Chunjjah.

Khotan

to

Yarkend

is

On

situated

is

the

the road from

the

well-known

trading settlement of Guma, at one hundred and

—

1

5S

Travels

i/i

Central

M

sia.

thirty-three miles from Yarkend.

It

numbers two

hundred houses, and has a bazaar every Saturday.

Kuen-Lun mountains

In the lower ranges of the

are the village Sanchja and liilyan, in high repute for

their

Tyznabu

Yularjjk,

are

river

and Kargalyk,

Of

Hakim-Begs.

establishments

of

The settlements occurring along

Mongolian cows. the

breeding

extensive

all

these

-.

Taghui,

Kitl'yar,

of which have their villages,

Kargally, has three hundred and

Kargalyk,

fifty

own or

houses, and

grows a great quantity of walnuts, a thousand of

which may be purchased English.

among

for

about one shilling

There are several tombs round Yarkend

others, that of

Hodja Mahomed-Shirif

;

Pir,

and the temple of the holy hair

Altyn-Mazaz,

(Mui- Mubarak), together with the highly venerated sanctuary, of

Aftu-Moodan, situated

inside

the

town.

The Chinese

fortress lies to the

West,

at

about

one mile and a half from the Mahomedan town it is

surrounded by a wall, which

and higher than that of Kashgar. consists of 2,200

4 Khoian

is

;

both thicker

The gamson

men.

District.

—Khotan,

ding to the Chinese,

lies

or " Iltsa," accor-

between the Karakash

Statistics

of KJiotan Bistricl and Trade.

and Yurunkash

rivers

suxrounded by a low

is

it

;

159

wall, and has eight sarais, of which three are occu-

pied by foreign merchants, the others being used

by traders from

The number

of houses

The Chinese town it,

Karakash, and Yurunkash.

Ilchi,

computed

is

at I3 miles to the

lies

is

West

of

The neighbour-

with a garrison of 1,400 men.

hood of the town

18,000.

at

embellished with gardens, and

the space between Khotan and the Chinese town is

A

very thickly peopled.

that at Yarkend,

all

the trade

from the one to the

"mashru,"

A

" darai." best,

is

"biazi,"

fine

and

the

are

:

IleJd,

extremity of the district;

and

others.

population,

material

a silk

river

despatched thence to Pekin.

famous

is

manufactures of thin called

stuff

called

considered the

of nephrite,

species

obtained in

settlements

Khotan

semi-sUked

a

carpets,

concentrated, leads

is

other.

for rearing silkworms, for its felts,

road in which, like

Yurunkash, and

The most remarkable

adjoining

Eastern

the

Karakash,

Yurunkash,

These settlements have a considerable

and

are

well-known

as

places

of

commerce. 5

Aksu

District.

—The town

12,000 houses; and

is

situated

of

Aksu

at the

contains

confluence

J

60

Travels in Central Asia.

of the

Aksu and Kokshal.

wall considerably smaller

It is

surrounded by a

circumference

in

tlian

that of Kashgar, but has four gates.

In

Aksii

" Charsu"

there

are

The

caravansarais.

six

Square forms the centre of the town,

whence the chief

lined

streets,

houses of refreshment,

with shops and

Westwards

lead

to

the

Teinurchi gates, and Eastwards to the Aksil gates.

There are

five

held twice Aksii

is

medreseh

noted as being the centre point of the

no

is

general claims,

and

Daba"

leather,

important in military

less

main roads from Central China

as the

and Hi meet within

tion of "

Aksu of a

its

is

well

good

Besides

walls.

known

for its

these

produc-

quality, called " Shisha,"

both of which are exported to Khotan,

Yarkend, and Kashgar.

To

belongs the settlement of Bai

137 miles distant

Aksu

the

(in

district

Chinese, " Pai"),

to the North-East,

sheep-farming and manufacture of houses.

A bazaar is

town.

on Thursdays and Fridays.

a week,

Chinese trade, and respects,

in the

famous

felts

;

it

for its

has 500

Twenty-seven miles East of Bai, on the

frontier of the

Kuchi

soned by Chinese. to Aks^, the

district,

Of

the

most important

lies

Sairam, garri-

settlements are,

nearest

Kum-Bash and

161

Ush-Ti/rfaji Difttrid described.

A

Chinese

with four gates,

fortress,

situated at

is

A great

about two-thirds of a mile West of Aksu.

many Chinese merchants from

the

province

of

who

are

Shansi live at Aksu, besides camel-drivers, for the

most part Chinese Mussulmen.

The

garri-

a

small

son consists of 600 men.

6.

Ush-Turfan District.

—Ush-Turfan,

town, or properly settlement, consists of scattered habitations It is said to

possessing neither walls nor fortresses.

;

have forty Yuz-Begis, or centurion

consequently about 4000 houses other

Sundays.

It

Ush-Turfan

is

A

6000.

sources

chiefs,

but according to

;

bazaar

on

held

is

has neither mosques nor medresehs.

known

the excellent tobacco

for its trade in cattle, it

to the Kirghiz Hordes.

town has acquired a

produces, which

is

and

for

exported

In historical respects, this

celebrity from the fact, that in

1765, during an insurrection,

all

the inhabitants

were murdered, and 500

families

native towns settled in

who were compelled

become

it,

labourers

agricultural

from various to

A

{to)-onchi).

Chinese citadel occupies the centre of the Mussul-

man

settlement

;

it

has four gates, and

on the North side abut on a rock strongly fortified,

and

is

;

it is

its

walls

considered

garrisoned by 800 men.

M

CHAPTER Altyshah r.

The as

Historical Bevieiv.

natural features of Eastern Turkestan, exposed,

we have

by

—

VI.

colossal

just seen,

hemmed

on the East and

in

mountain ranges on the West, have

materially influenced the historial

march

of events,

and given a distinct character to Turkestan nationality.

From remote the

times, as far back as the period of

Tan dynasty, which

centuries before the

flourished

Christian

Tsian,

or

Djan-Kian,

region,

up

to the

era,

discovered

China two

in

when the

Djan-

Western

present time. Eastern Turkestan

has been under continual subjection either to China, or to one or the other of the wandering

Hordes who

time being dominant in

Mongolia.

were

for the

Early Introduction of Buddhism.

On

hand

other

the

succumbed

never

it

political influence of its

1(53

to the

Western neighbours,

even to the celebrated conqueror of Asia,

— not

—Tamer-

lane,

who, although he marched victoriously through

the

country,

did

not

succeed

in

subjugating

it.

Eastern

Turkestan

adopted the rudiments of

religious vrorship, first

from the South and

after-

wards from the West. The date of the introduction of

Buddhism

fixed it

into this country cannot be definitely

according to the evidence of Chinese writers

;

akeady existed there during the Kan dynasty.

In A.D. 140 the towns of Eastern Ttukestan formed

independent

states

Huen-Chan,

who

dynasty, a.d.

and

visited

them during the Tan

629, found that

prevalent there, and

Buddhism.

professed

generally

religion

propounded

in

temples by

priests and " Arans," or holy hermits.

tinued to hold

when

it

its

own

It con-

until the ntuth

century,

was driven out by Islamism, which spread

from Mavero-Innahar through the Bolor and Thian-

The

Shan.

became laws,

social institutions of Eastern

naturally

imbued with the

spirit

Turkestan of Islam

but ovsdng to the force of counteracting

causes,

these institutions did not assume an ex-

clusively religious character.

Islamism has never-

M 2

1

64

Drivels in Central Asia.

theless

influence over the

exercised considerable

political fate of the country.

studying

its

only by closely

introduction and development, that a

proper appreciation of the signification

It is

of the

spirit,

present

organisation,

political

and

factions of

Turkestan can be obtained, and a true cause

as-

signed for the moral influence of the Hodjas, who,

even in It

weight.

exile, retain their political

was only natural that

after so long

a pre-

dominance of Buddhism, the doctrines of Mahomet

They penetrated

should not speedily take root.

into Eastern Turkestan during the eighth century,

when Arabian merchants region, but

it

is

first

began to

visit this

a notable fact in the history of

this particular religious

movement

that the Arabs

encountered great opposition in the towns, and that their

first

converts were

among

the

nomad

population.

The Chinese make mention carried on

by the Arabs

the eighth century. sert that

of a sanguinary

in Eastern Turkestan during

Mussulman

Shamar, the

war

first

Arab

historians also as-

ruler of

Mavero-

Innahar, was killed in a war with the Chinese.

In

the

preachers,

ninth

century

or religious

several

propagandists,

Mussulmen

among

the

most renowned ofwhomwere, Sheikh-Hassan-Bosri

165

Islamism introduced in Eastern Turkestan.

and Abunassart-Samani, succeeded to Islamism the

Khans

in converting

of the wandering Hordes,

then in possession of the towns of Eastern Tur-

and who had not long before overthrown

kestan,

the dominion of the Samanides.

These converts, animated with

all

of

new

inculcating sword

in

hand the teaching

believers,

commenced by

the enthusiasm

The tombs

Mahomet.

of

the Turkestan rulers of that period the

title

preserve

of " Hazi," or Warrior for the Faith.

of these,

One

Sutuk-Bukhra-Khan, who died in the

year 429 of the Hegira, a.d.

1051,

into Turfan

Hazat, or religious war,

The

still

of

carried the

and Komul.

extensive grounds near Khotan, used exclusively

for putting to death the

gion, as also those

professors of the old reli-

between Yarkend and Yanyshar,

locally called " Shaidan," or resting places

happy, bear mournful testimony to the here as everywhere

ism was

else,

fact that,

the establishment of Islam-

accompanied with the most merciless Nevertheless

carnage.

of the

its

domination was long

confined to the Western towns.

According to

the evidence of Marco Polo, the inhabitants were idolators in the eighth century.

period,

an

independent

state

About the same was

founded

in

Eastern Turkestan, under the sway of Mongolian

166

Travels in Central Asia.

Khans

Pagan element again Hfted up

whom

under

of the Djegatai dynasty,

the

head.

its

Although Tugluk-Timur-Khan, a descendant of

Ghenghiz-Khan, who possessed the country from Hi to the Bolor and Kuen-Lun, embraced Islamism at the

hands of Seid-Rasheddin,* anno 754 of the

Hegirto, or a.d.

1376, and induced

and Uigur Emirs

was

still

many Mongolian Buddhism

to follow his example.

the prevailing form of religion, during the

succeeding century,

in all

the Eastern towns.

The

embassy sent by Shah-Rok a son of Tamerlane, China in 1420, found

in

Khamil a heathen temple

adjoining a magnificent mosque. fore

the

finally

century

sixteenth

to

It

was not be-

Mohammedism

that

succeeded in expelling Buddhism from the

confines of Eastern Turkestan.

The Mussulman

religion

must be considered

have been predominant in the Western part of region since the fourteenth century. sors of

The

to

this

succes-

Tugluk-Tiraur-Khan were zealous Mussul-

man, and granted to the descendants of Rasheddin special honours

and

privileges,

bestowing on them

likewise tracts of rich land.

The fourteenth and important, in the

fifteenth

history of

centuries

became

Central Asiatic

* Seid-Sheik, a descendant of

Mahomet.

Is-

Rise of the Power of the Hodjas.

many

lamism, by the appearance of

167

teachers

who

acquired the reputation of saints, or workers of

Samarkand

miracles.

and Bokhara were

the

centres of the religious learning of the East, and

the casuistry that sprang up there at last reached

One

Kashgar.

of

the

descendants

Seids,

of

Mahomet, Hodja-Makhturmi-Aziam, gained great celebrity,

Bokhara,

in

as

a

On

theologian.

was received with great

arriving at Kashgar, he

enthusiasm, and was presented with rich estates

by the Kashgar Khans.

After

death,

his

his

Imam-Kalian and Hodja- Isaac- Vali, enjoyed

sons,

the same respect, and became the religious heads of the

Mussulmen

Erom

this

of Eastern Turkestan.

time the Hodjas commenced to grow

in the estimation

of the people.

from the Khans, and were profoundly

honours

Each

respected by the natives. of

They received

of the

two sons

Hodja-Makhturmi-Aziam was surrounded by a

crowd of Suffis

disciples, as well as

by numerous

(Naibs), Duvans (Dervishes),

fanatical

and

pupils.

In this way two parties were gradually formed, differing not so

the

character

much on

and

doctrinal points, as in

qualities

of

their

respective

heads.

The

Ishkias,

and those of Isaac- Vali styled themselves

followers of

Imam-Kalian were

called

168

Tfftrvlx

Central Asia.

ill

Subsequently the

Isakias.

appropriated to

first

White

themselves the

name

Mountaineers

and the second, Montenegrins, or

;

of

Mont- Albanians,

or

Black Mountaineers, which distinctions have survived to the present day.

Soon

after the formation of these parties, inimi-

up between them, which

feelings sprang

cal first

at

when

partook of a religious character; but

the adherents of both parties increased in numbers,

and

the population split into

all

two

to religious dissensions there naturally

added a struggle openly declared the

for political

rians,

was speedily This rivalry

when Hodja Appak, head

itself

Mont -Albanian

power.

camps,

rival

party, assisted

of

by the Dzunga-

acquired supreme secular power, and thereby

ultimately

deprived Eastern Turkestan of

its

in-

dependence.

The Dzungarians and Chinese, taking advantage of

the

dissensions

of

the

contending

parties,

adopted the policy of supporting one against the other,

and

thus

eventually

succeeded

in

sub-

jugating the whole country.

Appak- Hodja people

;

was

much esteemed

by

the

the high reputation of the teacher and

saint attracted to

of the East,

Kashgar the Mussulman youth

who were

eager to follow his foot-

169

Parti/ Politics in Turkestan.

steps in the path of sanctity

of

;

and many

rulers

Mavero-Innahar even were numbered among

His tomb

his scholars.

many

attracts

name

own

their

as

in

pilgrims from various

from

day

Mussulman

moments

peculiar patron, call

Black

upon

his

of peril.

The Kashgar Khan of the

this

and the Eastern Turkestani, who regard

countries;

him

Kashgar to

at

Ismail, a zealous supporter

Mountaineer party,

his native country; the

Hodja

drove

Appak

retired to Cash-

mere, whence he proceeded into Thibet, where he so ingratiated himself with the Dalai-Lama, that

the latter despatched him with a letter to Galdan of Dzungaria, requesting the latter to re-estabhsh

the authority of

Galdan, Little

Appak

seizing

Bokhara

in

viceroy, with

his

family

of

the

in

Kashgar and Yarkend.

this

opportunity,

1678,

Yarkend

conquered

and appointed Appak

Kashgar Khan was carried

Galdan into captivity in the Hi region, and in the

The

for his capital.

Mussulman town

The Dalai-Lama was

by

settled

of Kuldja.

so satisfied with the obe-

dience of Galdan, that he conferred on him the title

oi Boshektu (Blessed).

From

this

time Little Bokhara, until

quest by the Chinese, was ruled by the

its

con-

Dzun-

170

IVavels in Central Asia.

who

garians,

did not interfere with the internal

administration of the country, but limited themselves to receiving a tribute of

The

per month. period,

with

from a remote

was carried on by the same heirarchy

present

at

government,

400,000 tiangas

an

notchis,

each town had

;

or

Islikaga

The

&c.

of parties

its

or ruler,

Haz-

Shanbegis,

assistant,

internal strife

continued, with

still

Hakim

as

and dissensions the result that,

although the Black Mountaineer Hodjas were very

and powerful, they were nevertheless obliged

rich

and take up

to leave Yarkend, rarily in

abode tempo-

Cashmere.

Hodja-Appak,

in

good opinion

the

their

order to reinstate himself in of

the

Mussulmen, who now

regarded him as the betrayer of his coimtry, had secular power.

to renounce his his

brother,

He summoned

Khan-Ismail-Muhamed-Emil,

from

Ush-Turfan, proclaimed him Khan, and prevailed

on him

Emil

to attack the

fell

retm-ned

Dzungarians.

on the Kalmyk with

Muhamed-

" ulusses " or camps,

30,000 prisoners of both

and a great quantity of

cattle

and booty

afterwards so frightened at his

own

;

and

sexes,

but was

intrepidity,

that he fled to the mountains, where he was killed

by one of

his

own

guides.

Wars of

the

Rival Factions.

Appak then resumed

171

the temporal power.

On

widow, Khanym-Padsha, a woman

his death, his

of determined

and ambitious character, wishing

to

secure the supreme authority for her favourite son,

Mekhdi, enlisted

and

vishes,

in

killed

her cause some fanatical der-

Appak's eldest

Hodja

son,

Yakhia, whose infant son, Ahmed-Padsha, sought refuge in the mountains.

Khanym-Padsha

was murdered

by the

shortly after

Taking advantage of the discord Appak, Akbash

—another brother

—made himself Khan

herself

dervishes. in the family of

of the late

of Yarkend,

and

Hodja

recalled the

Black Mountaineer, Hodja Daniel, from Khodjend,

where he

resided.

The Kashgarians, who were

firm adherents to the White Mountaineer cause, invited

Ahmed- Hodja among them, and proclaimed

him Khan.

An

obstinate

and sanguinary struggle now broke

out between Kashgar and Yarkend. garians, assisted

The Kash-

by the Dikokamenni Kirghizes, be-

sieged Yarkend, with the object of seizing

Ashem-Khan,

Hodja.

of Yarkend,

a

Sultan by origin, totally defeated them

;

Daniel Kirghiz

but was

himself soon afterwards forced to withdraw to his Steppe, in

Hodjas.

consequence of the intrigues

The

of the

secular government of the towns of

172

Travels in Central Asia.

Yarkend and Khotan then

into the

hands of

who had

not been

fell

Daniel-Hodja.

At

this

time the Kalmyks,

able until then to resent the inroads of the garians,

arrived at

Kash-

Yarkend with a large

force.

Daniel, with the view of gaining the favour of the

Dzungarians, joined their troops, with

all

endians, and the united forces forthwith

upon Kashgar.

After

to

Yark-

marched

encounters,

several

Kashgarians were obhged

his

open their

the

gates.

The Kalmyks appointed a Hakim-Beg, chosen by the

and led away the Kashgar Hodja

people,

Ahmed,

their

own

ally,

Daniel-Hodja, and the

milies of both, prisoners to the

fa-

Ili.

In 1720, Tzaban-Raptan restored Daniel to his native country,

towns.

On

and made him

his arrival at

ruler over the six

Yarkend the Hodja ap-

pointed governors over the towns entrusted to him,

and fixed

100,000

his

own revenue

tiangas, that of

at the

modest rate of

Appak having been 1000

tiangas from eveiy hundred of his subjects. eldest son, Djagan,

His

was a hostage with the Dzun-

garian Khans, and Daniel himself paid occasional visits to Ili.

Galdan-Chirin, on succeeding to the throne, con-

firmed the Hodja Daniel in the enjoyment of his

History of the Jirovement for Independence. 173

former Little

The

privileges.

Bokhara

vs^as,

immediate

therefore,

as

sway

over

the next result

of these changes, transferred to the descendants of

other vrords, the Black

Moun-

After the death of Daniel, Galdan-Chirin

—with

Hodja Isaac

or, in

;

taineer party.

the view of dividing the government of Little Bokhara, issued sealed patents to his children, appor-

tioning

Yarkend

to

the

eldest,

Kashgar to the second, Yusuf

Ayub

;

and Khotan

;

;

Aksii to the third,

to the youngest, Abdullah.

most celebrated of these was Yusuf, gar,

Hodja-Djagan

ruler of

The Kash-

whose mother was the daughter of a Kalmyk

Noyon, with

whom Yusuf

spent his childhood, in

Dzungaria, and thereby acquired a thorough mastery over the

Kalmyk

language, which he spoke and

much facility. who had been

wrote with Yusuf,

compelled by the

Khan

Davatsi to reside in the province of Hi, seeing the dissensions that at that period convulsed Dzungaria,

determined to take advantage of the weakness of his oppressors,

and to

liberate his country.

Under

the pretence that Kashgar was threatened by the

Dikokamenni

Kirghizes, he

obtained the

Khan

Davatsi's permission to return to his native place.

Here he put

forth all his energies for the purpose.

174 first,

Travels

of

raising

fortifying

Central Ami.

ill

town

tlie

;

and secondly,

and organizing an army with

Bogd-Khan

plied to the

Hakim

for troops, to

The Kalmyks had

Dzungarians.

Begs, on whose fidelity

and who were bound ambition.

Two

to

possible

all

when Amursana

This was in 1754,

speed.

them by the

tie

ap-

subdue the

latterly

they

of

appointed

could of

rely,

common

of these, Abdul- Vakhab, of Aksu,

and Khodja Sybek, of Ush-Turfan, acquainted the

Kalmyks with the

real cause of the warlike prepa-

rations at Kashgar.

Beg, islihaga Artosh, to

of

fall

They

Kashgar,

and Absatar-Beg, of

upon the Hodja, and put him Mechet

death, while at his devotions in the this plot

was discovered, and

Hudoyar-Beg, executed.

Hudoyar made

Hudoyar-

also incited

its

to

but

;

chief instrument,

Absatar and the son of

their escape to

Hi

;

and, appearing

before Davatsi, declared that the

inhabitants of

Kashgar and Yarkend had thrown

off the

Dzun-

garian yoke, and that the

Hodja had put the Ishkaga

to death for his fidelity

to the Dzungarians.

Kalmyks had posal,

not at that

time a force at their

and Davatsi therefore determined

The design formed by the Kalmyks, in

dis-

to send an

emissary to ascertain the true position of

Hodja

The

affairs.

of seizing the

Kashgar, was thus frustrated

;

but

at

175

Outbreak of the Revolution.

Yarkend, assisted by the Hakim, Hazi-Beg, they succeeded

Hodja Djagan,

arresting the

in

after

having enticed him into the Hakim's house. This inteUigence was received with outburst

indignation

of

now

Yusuf

Kashgar.

at

them

assembled the people and informed the time had

a violent

arrived

for

that

shaking off the

thraldom of the unbelievers, and represented

them the hopeless condition

of Dzungaria.

appeal was received with enthusiasm.

to

This

Timbrels

were sounded over the gates of the town, and the Kashgarians swore to remain true to

their de-

termination of reconquering the lost liberties of

The Hodja Yussuf,

their country.

as an

Mussulman, proposed to the people should convert three hundred

who

lay

encamped

Kalmyk

ardent

that

they

merchants,

in the vicinity of the tovni, to

Islamism, and ordered them to be slaughtered in case they refused to adopt

it.

A

small

number

of "

acted as police officers or " kazakans

Olots,

who

in the

towns of Little Bokhara, were sent back to

their country to acquaint the

Kalmuk

men

envoy,

carry off the

in

to

of Dzungaria

Yusuf then despatched

with what had occurred. one thousand

Khan

Burchuk, to attack

case

the

he should attempt

Hodja Djagan

to Hi,

and

also

to

made

170

Travels in Coiiral Asia.

preparations for sending a large force to Yarkend.

Hodja Sadyk, son of Djagan, who had eluded capture, gathered together at

Khotan

7000 men

body

and, joined by a

;

He

marched against Yarkend.

in

two days,

of Kirghizes,

him

carried with

the family of Hazi-Beg in chains, intending to put

every individual of

harm

father.

Hazi-Beg, learning their

decided

steps

befal his

and

fate,

the

and death should

to torture

it

taken

was thoroughly distracted; and all

the

more

critical

by Yusuf,

that the Yarkendians

exhibited their discontent

at

was

his position

his

openly

His

conduct.

only alternative was, therefore, to ask pardon of

Hodja Djagan, an extremely kind and weak man.

With he

tears in his eyes

appeared

had transpired

permission to retinue,

and

him,

his head,

easily obtained

Hazi then informed Djagan of the

forgiveness.

events that

before

and the Koran on

and

kill

at

Kashgar, and asked

the Dzungarian envoy and his

The

to raise the standard of Islam.

Hodja answered

that an unbeliever could only be

killed in

and ordered the Kalmyks to be

battle,

escorted out of the town under a strong

warning them never

Yusuf

in the

guard,

to visit the country again.

meanwhile

Kokan and Bokhara,

sent,

to acquaint

ambassadors those

cities

to

of

Subjugation of Bziaigaria by the Chinese. their emancipation

177

from the Dzungarian yoke, and

He

to request assistance.

hkewise appealed to the

Chiefs of the Andijan Kirghizes, at the head of

whom was

Kibat-Mirza.

The independence, however, was not of long duration.

of the three towns

Events occurred at this

time in Dzungaria, which exercised an important,

indeed decisive influence over Little Bokhara.

1775, Amursana appeared

In at

the head

of

Dzungaria,

in

Chinese troops,

before

whom

Davatsi, unable to offer effectual resistance,

with three hundred to

Ush-Turfan.

men through

The governor

Hodjam-Beg, delivered him up which

service

In this

fled

Muzart pass

the of

that

town,

to the Chinese, for

he was created a prince.

manner Dzungaria,

after

having been for

so long a time the terror of the neighbouring States, as well as a source of

danger to the Chinese, was

subdued by them without any opposition.

The after

troops of the

the

first

Celestial

campaign, leaving behind at

their General, Bandi, with five

to organize a

co-operation established

new system of

Empire returned

at

hundred Manchurs,

of government with the

Amursana.

himself

Ili,

Ili,

subjugating the emancipated

Amursana, thought

having

of

again

towns of Kashgar

N

17S

Travels

ill

Central Asia.

Yarkend, and Khotan, but as he was not able to

send against them a large body of troops, the

and Hodja Sybek of

ruler of Aksii, Abdul- Vahab,

Ush-Turfan, suggested that the children of Ahmet-

Hodja

of Kashgar,

employed

who were

then at Hi, should be

They

for this purpose.

said that

Ahmed's children were sent with

of

detachment,

and with

made

should be

rulers,

promise

the

surrender,

as

particularly attached their

adherents

in

a

small

that

they

Kashgar would be taken

without resistance, that the likewise

one

if

other towns

were

Hodjas, and

to these

other

the

would

Kashgarians

the

towns

that

were

numerous.

With

the consent of the Chinese General, Bandi,

the sons of

who riety

Ahmed, Burhaneddin and Khan-Hodja,

subsequently

obtained

Chinese

in

history,

a

melancholy noto-

were

summoned

to

Kuldja from Iren-Habargan, ^Yhere they lived in

The

exile.

eldest of these, Burhaneddin,

marched

with an army consisting of Olots, Turkestani, and a small

number

youngest, Hi.

of Chinese, to Aksii

Khan-Hodja, remained

Burhaneddin reinforced

and proceeded

to

his

as

while the

;

hostage

army

at

at

AksA,

Ush, where he was joyfully

received by the inhabitants.

Preparation for Battle by both Sides.

The news

179

of the military preparations that were

being made by the Black Mountaineer Hodjas, so frightened Burhaneddin and his

confederates, that

they delayed their farther advance. consisted of

5000 Musselmen from Kucha, Kksh,

Turfan, and Dolon

;

1 000

Dzungarians,

by the Zaisan Dan-Chin, and headed by Turuntai-Dajen. ficient to

Their force

commanded

400 Chinese,

of

These were not

suf-

combat the numerous armed bands of Yark-

end, Kashgar, Khotan, and Yanyshahr, which were

strengthened by the neighbouring Kirghiz Hordes.

In the meantime the news reached Yarkend of the arrival of the troops at Aksii.

The

inhabitants of

the former town thereupon resolved to despatch strong

against

force

them.

Yusuf-Hodja,

a of

Kashgar, had abdicated his power, and lived then in

Yarkend.

He

strenuously endeavoured to dissuade

the Yarkendians from their intention, urging that

Burhaneddin would not attempt ther,

and that

to

in case the expedition

proceed

were defeated,

which, seeing the Mont- Albanians might prove

and the Kirghizes could not be very far from improbable,

—the

far-

relied on,

false,

was

enemy would be

encouraged to attempt more daring and important enterprises.

by

The Yarkendians, however, stimulated

a love for their Hodjas, burned with impatience

N 2

180

Travels in Central Asia.

AksA,

to marcli to

seize the town,

and

to stifle the

machinations of the White Mountaineer Hodjas in the bud.

A

kendians,

and Kirghizes, commanded by Hodja-

numerous

force of Khotanians, Yar-

Ahi, the eldest son of Djagan Huda-Berdy, as also

Shanbegi

of Yarkend,

and the Kargalyk

Mirgus-Beg, accordingly directed

its

ruler,

march towards

Yanyshahr, and being joined there by further forcements, proceeded through Artysh along

rein-

the

route to Ush.

The death meantime.

him

of

Hodja occurred

Yusuf

in

the

Hodja Abdulla was chosen

to succeed

Kashgar, under the

of Pasha-

as ruler of

Hodja, after having been

lifted

title

on a carpet, accord-

ing to the custom of the country, and at once pro-

ceeded

to

command

despatch of

his

Kashgar troops under the

brother,

Hodja-Mulin, to the

assistance of the Yarkendians.

The united end,

and

forces of Kashgar, Yanyshahr, Yark-

Khotan,

Kakshal, reached Ush-Turfan

town.

Aksu

and

and beseiged

that

passing through

The Black Mountaineer Hodjas

putation to the besieged, calling on

name

of the Koran,

tors, to forget all

and of

their

animosity, join the

and march altogether

to Hi.

sent a de-

them

common common

in the

ancescause,

To Burhaneddin they

Defeat, by Treachery, of the Allied Forces. 181

promised to yield possession of Kashgar, Aksii, and Turfan rights.

and the Begs were

;

hereditary

offered

The deputation found Burhaneddin

rounded by Chinese, Kalmyks, and by Begs, native writers have

He

stigmatised as

'

impious

told the deputies to advise the Black

aineer Hodjas to repair to Hi

the

of the viceroy of

Amursana.

There

sur-

whom '

men.

Mount-

and seek forgiveness

Emperor

of China,

were many

of

the

and of

White

Mountaineer party in the camp of the besiegers, particularly

among

the

While negotia-

officers.

tions were being carried on, these into

The

secret

communication

Kirghizes,

went over afterwards

in a

latter entered

Burhaneddin.

with

in the first action that

body

followed

to the

by

was fought,

enemy, and were shortly

the majority of the

with the troops under their command. it

was with great

Begs

Ultimately

difiiculty that the leaders alone of

the expedition escaped capture

by the Kirghizes

to the

very

;

they were pursued gates

of Kashgar.

Burhaneddin, encouraged by the completeness of this

unexpected success, pressed forward to Kashgar.

The to

inhabitants of that

town issued out

in crowds

meet him, and refused to obey the Black Moun-

taineer

Hodjas, to crown whose misfortune, the

Andijan Kirghizes,

summoned under

the leadership

182

Travels in Central Asia.

of Kabat-Mirza to defend the town, declared that

they would not fight againt Burhaneddin.

Under

circumstances,

these

the

Montenegrin

Hodjas were obliged to evacuate Kashgar; leaving

which they hastened

Hosh-Kaifiak,

Hakim-Beg

tisan of the Black

to

on

Yarkend, while

of Kashgar,

and

a par-

Mountaineer cause, emigrated to

The Mont- Albanian Hodja was thus admit-

Kokan.

ted into Kashgar without oppposition and greeted

with the joyful cries of the populace, who, in honour of the event, sounded city

gates.

drums and trumpets over the

Burhaneddin

Yarkend, having

first

advanced

then

appointed

Kirghiz

the

His army con-

Kabada, Plakim-Beg of Kashgar. sisted only of

600 Kalmyks, and 200 Chinese.

Montenegrin Hodjas, perceiving

to

all

The

the danger of

their situation, resolved to quit their country, and,

under pretence of a pilgrimage to Mecca, made preparations for departing with their families.

Hodja Djagan was

a benevolent

man, and encouraged learnmg.

and an upright

His reign

is

com-

pared by a contemporary writer to that of MirzaHussein.

The Yarkendians were nearly

Black Mountain this ruler

When

faction,

and the private

all

of the

virtues of

endeared him to them more strongly.

he declared

his

iu+ention

of leaving

the

Fatally facile Tmiper of Hodja-JDjagan.

him with

country, the people besought

abandon them

their eyes not to

juncture, and last

tears

such a

in

critical

swore to defend themselves to the the infidels and the impious Mont-

against

They only asked

Albanians.

at

183

dismissal

for the

of

Hazi-Beg, the Hakim, and of Niazi the " Ishkaga," as the former

had already proved himself untrust-

worthy, while the latter was an avowed partizan of the enemy. facility of

Djagan consented

to remain,

but from

temper and softness of character, allowed

Hazi-Beg and Niazi

to retain their posts.

The Mont- Albanian Hodja, appearing imder the walls of Yarkend,

composed of

sent a deputation to

several Begs,

and a Kalmyk Zaisan.

the town

Chinese Mandarin,

a

They were presented

the Hodja Djagan, having been

first

to

obliged to go

through the degrading ceremony of licking the threshold of the palace.

To

Biirhaneddin's sum-

mons, in the name of the Bogdo-Khan and that of

Amursana,

to surrender

and place himself under the

protection of China, he answered that, as an inde-

pendent Mussulman prince, he would

listen to

no

" terms, but would wage against them a " Hazat or religious war.

The

letter

which conveyed the

terms of Burhaneddin he ordered to be torn and

thrown into the

fire.

1

^4

Travels

The seige

city

in.

Central As la.

was thereupon invested, and during the

which ensued, the beseiged were always suc-

cessful in their sallies,

and maintained

ground until the Ishkaga Niaz offer of the

—

their vantage-

allured

by the

governorship ofYarkend, andHazi-Beg,

chief of the Hodja's courtiers, formed a daring

dangerous conspiracy, which, notwithstanding

and

its dis-

covery and the indignation of the people, was allowed to fall

through without leading to their

arrest,

owing

to the Hodja's infatuated clemency.

The defence was maintained longer

;

for

some time

but Ynayat, one of the Hodja's sons, being

kUled in a

sortie,

the Governor, Hazi-Beg, at last

resolved to carry out his long- cherished scheme of traitorously delivering the

He

the enemy.

town into the hands of

entered into secret negotiations

with Burhaneddin, and received from him a pro-

mise that he should be made hereditary Beg in

Yarkend. necessity of

The

traitor

urged on the Hodja the

making a general

sortie,

on the ground

that the townspeople were suffering severely from

a want of provisions.

The Hodja, who did not

penetrate the designs of the Beg, called on inhabitants,

cause of the

both young and Hazat.

In

old,

to

answer to

arm

all

the

in the

this appeal,

40,000 Yarkendians issued out of the town and

185

Flight of Bjagan-Hodja.

drove the enemy from their position. critical flight,

moment, dropped

Hazi, at this

and took to

his standard,

producing general consternation among his

The

followers,

ending in a complete rout.

ghizes, led

by Kaborda, who had remained in

fell

reserve,

on the retreating Yarkendians with these fresh

troops,

and the

Buruts,

who were crowded man under the spears

The remaining

lost heart after this

town

while Hazi-Beg

still

The Hodja Djagan had

between putting him to death or

town himself: he preferred the

quitting the

During the

of the

inhabitants of the

disaster,

continued his intrigues. to choose

at the

latter,

gates, fell almost to a

now

Kir-

night,

all

the Hodja families

latter.

left

Yark-

end by the Mahazar gates, and proceeded along the Kargalyk road to the mountains, on

their

way

to

India.

On

the following day, the Yarkendians, finding

that the Hodjas

had

fled,

opened the

gates,

and

Hazi-Beg, exulting in his treachery, led Burhaneddin in triumph into the town.

The new Hodja

immediately despatched a body of 500 the fugitives,

who were

men

after

overtaken just as they were

preparing to cross the river Zarafshan.

The Hodjas

defended themselves desperately, and one of them, Erke, son of Yusuf Hodja, was killed in the conflict.

186

Travels in Central Asia.

At length they but

effected their passage over the river,

so exhausted a condition

in

that

they were

Only one young

unable to prosecute their journey.

prince of this family, Nazar, reached India with

two companions

;

the remainder surrendered.

them

Kirghizes, after plundering

The

of everything they

had, brought them to Yarkend, where they were

put to death a few days

all

after their arrival.

Such were the sanguinary means by which the

Mont- Albanians once more acquired the ascendency. Subsequently, in 1758, Burhaneddin, assisted by his brother,

which

Khan-Hodja, rose in insurrection, of

the circumstances are to be gleaned from

all

Chinese historians.

which lasted three

After an obstinate struggle,

Burhaneddin and the

years,

Hodja Djagan, defeated by Chaokh, the Tzian-Tziun of Hi, fled to Badakshan, where they were slain by

order of Sultan-Shah, niler of that place, and their

heads sent to the Chinese camp.

Of

all

the family of Appak,

Burhaneddin,

—

four

were

prisoners

From

—Sarym-Sak, killed

in

or Saali-Hodja, escaped,

battle,

by the Chinese and sent this

only one son of

and two

taken

to Pekin.

time Little Bokhara has continued a

province of the Chinese Empire.

The Chinese,

in

order to consolidate their conquests in the Western

Clunese Policy of Colonisation.

187

founded in 1764 the town of Hoi-Yuan-

region,

Cheu, on the river Hi.

Dzungaria having been

depopulated by the massacre of half a million of Olots,

was

by Chinese from the province of

settled

Khan-su, and to

increase

the

population,

converted into a place of exile for criminals. the protection of the country,

Manchur

was For

soldiers

of the green banner were also transferred thither,

and colonies established, of Daurs, in the Hi

sulman

were

families

agriculturists,

Sibos,

Solons,

and

Seven thousand Mus-

district.

forcibly

converted

into

and the remnant of the extirpated

Dzungarians were country to roam

allotted

a certain

extent

The Government

in.

of

of

the

country was confided to a Tzian-Tziun, with three lieutenants gatai,

;

the residence of one being at Tarba-

and that of another

The Chinese showed of the country, as great

its

in

Little

Bokhara.

great caution in the treatment

population had fought with

determination in the attempt to assert their

independence.

The

internal government

on the same footing, and

it

was only

was

left

for maintain-

ing the peace of the country that Chinese garrisons

were

stationed

in

the

most important towns.

Pickets were also posted in such localities as were best

suited

to

guard the

frontier,

and

stations

188

Travels in Central Asia. travel-

were established for ensuring rapidity in ling.

This successful subjugation of Dzungaria and Little

Bokharia infused into the Chinese a military

and

spirit

thirst

for

During

conquest.

the

Government of Tzian-Lun they apparently desired to re-enact the scenes of the

years

Tan dynasty.

In the

1756, 1758, and 1760, bodies of Chinese

troops entered the territories of the Middle Horde.

The

fall

of Dzungaria, once so powerful as to be a

perpetual menace to every country adjacent, and the conquest

of

Little

Bokhara, caused a panic

throughout the whole of Asia, and strengthened a curious

Mussulman

superstition, that the Chinese

would one day conquer the whole

globe,

there would be an end to the world. diate result

of the

general uneasiness

when

The immewas that

Ablai, the head of the Middle Horde, Nurali of the Little

Horde, and the Burut chiefs hastened to

negotiate with the Celestial conqueror.

Ablai, in

1766, acknowledged himself a vassal of the Bogdo-

Khan, and received the

title

sent an embassy to Pekin.

of prince.

The

Edenia-Bi, in 1758, and after

ruler of

him

Nurali

Kokan,

his successor,

Narbuta-Bi, likewise recognized the protectorate of the

Son of Heaven.

Apprehemmis Notwithstanding Asiatics

were

The general

when

in

excited by the Chinese.

189

this apparent submission, the

a

of

state

dissatisfaction

chronic

reached

agitation.

height,

its

some Chinese mandarins,

at the

head of 130 men, presented themselves

before

in

1762,

Sultan Ablai

and

Middle Horde,

them

Abdul-Mahmet-Khan,

that Tzian-Lun

the

purpose of acquainting

the

for

of

intended

the

hi

ensuing

spring to send an army to Turkestan and Samarcand,

and had therefore

sent

men, horses, oxen and sheep Erdenia-Baty,

requisitions

for

for the troops.

who had then

seized possession

of Tashkend, the ruler of Khodjend, Fazyl-Bi, and

the independent Kirghiz letter

to

Ahmet-Shah

Sultans,

of AfFghan,

despatched a the

greatest

potentate of the East, imploring him to save the

Mussulman world from son of Burhaneddin

and the Kashgar emigrants

travelled through all the for

similar

Mussulman The

assistance.

States, asking

fear

inspired

the Chinese was indeed so great, that tral Asiatic

rulers

The

the invading infidels.

the

by

Cen-

buried theu' mutual animosity,

and formed a common

league,

at

the head of

which was Ahmet, ruler of Candahar, the founder of the Turan dynasty.

Affghan troops

arrived

in

1763,

and were

1

90

Travels in Central Jsia.

stationed between saries

man

Kokan and Tashkend.

Emis-

were despatched by Ahmet to the Mussul-

States, caUing

on

true believers to join the

all

" Hazat," or fight for the faith.

between

intercourse

ttie

Chinese Mas broken

off,

Central-Asiatics

demand

to

The embassy

the restitution

was badly received

Turkestan,

and

and the Kirghizes were

pressed to follow this example.

by Ahmet

commercial

All

of

Eastern

Pekin.

at

sent

The

Turkestani yearning for freedom, solemnly avowed to attempt their

own

liberation.

of Ush-Turfan, calculating on

1765

rose in in

in

The

inhabitants

jMussulman assistance,

open insurrection, and the town

consequence of

this

was completely destroyed.

The AfFghan Shah was unfortimately engaged this period in a

war with the Sikhs

Asiatic rulers, unless supported

;

at

and the other

by him, dared not

openly resist the Chinese.

The

league,

results,

Chinese

though unattended by any

practical

had, however, the effect of deterring the

from

attempting

fmiher

conquests.

Badakshan, alone, consigned to the curses of

Mussulmen,

for the

murder there

incurred the wrath of the faithful.

all

of the Hodjas,

An

Affghan

detachment, consisting of 16,000 men, devastated this

territory,

and

its

ruler,

Sultan Shah,

was

;

Confederacy acjainst Chinese

executed in

191

Eivfe/n^ion.

His previous treatment of

retaliation.

the Hodjas brought on

all

the misfortunes that

weigh over the country even to the present day.

The extension

of Chinese dominion to the

ward was limited by the

natiiral

West-

boundaries of

Eastern Turkestan, and was further kept in check

by

a jealous confederation of the native rulers.

On

the North-West, the Chinese frontier adjoined the

camping-grounds of the Kirghizes and Buruts, and

The

presented but few natural barriers. tical inhabitants

on the North-Westem confines

voluntarily sought the protection of the

Somewhat

later,

viz.

the Kirghizes, the licence to

less fana-

in

Bogdo Khan.

1763, on the demand of

Bogdo Khan gave them formal

roam over the lands formerly occupied

by the Dzungarians, namely, the Steppes between Lake Balkash and the Dzungarian Alatau range.

The Chinese,

in return,

demanded

of the Kirghizes

one out of every hundred head of horses and

and one sheep out of every thousand. ments were annually sent to

two from

Hi,

respectively.

cattle,

Detach-

collect this tribute

and one from Tarbagatai and Kashgar

One

of the Hi detachments

through Karatal to Ayaguz, where

from Tarbagatai

;

the

second,

Santash, proceeded along the

it

marched

joined that

passing

over the

Northern shore of

1

92

Travels in Central

Lake Issyk-Kul, turned

its

As KJ.

Western extremity, and

then traversing the Zaiiku pass, ascended the course of the left

Naryn

bank the

to the place river

where

it

on

receives

its

Shar-Krat-ma, where a bridge

existed.

The Kashgar detachment,

clearing

after

the

Terekty pass, ascended the Aksai plateau, emerged

through the Bish-Bilchir mountains on the

river

Atbash, and then gained the Naryn by way of the pass formed by the

course of the Shar-Krat-ma.

These were accompanied throughout almost entire

their

campaign by Chinese merchants, who bartered

their goods for cattle.

The Chinese opened

a trade

with the Kirghizes at Kuldja and Chuguchak, and the

Bogdo Khan used

Khans

in their authority

Tian-Tziun bore the of the

the

Kirghiz

to

confirm

by

special patents.

title

The

of Commander-in-Chief

generation of foreign

Khans

;

Chinese regulations respecting foreign

and

in

the

relations, a

paragraph was added, determining the order of sending Kirghizes and Buruts to Court, and pro-

nouncing the penalty of death against

all

nomads

creating disturbances.

After the frightfiil vengeance taken for the insurrection at Ush,

Eastern Turkestan was obliged to

submit to the Chinese, and to bear the imposts

Appearance of Russia in Central Asia. exacted from until

193

This state of things continued

it.

1825, when the authority of the

simultaneously began to

Chinese

be weakened in

Little

Bokhara and among the Buruts and Kirghizes.

The appearance rivers

of Russian troops

on the seven

and on the Bogu camping-grounds, destroyed

their influence over the Kirghizes

and Buruts, and

the insurrection of Djengir Hodja, a descendant of

Sarym-Sak, in Little Bokharia,

sufficiently

proved

to the- Central Asiatics that the Chinese were not so

formidable as they had previously been supposed to be.

From

the foregoing sketch

it

will

be perceived

that the towns of Eastern Turkestan, situated to the

Eastward of Kuchi, did not take part political

in

any of the

disturbances that agitated this

country,

dominion of the Hodjas.

especially during the

In

consequence of their close proximity to China, they

were exposed to the immediate pressure of that Empire.

Chinese

there during the

Turkman

state,

Han

military

settlements

existed

dynasty, and subsequently a

called

Oi-Hor,

was created

in

Turfan and Khamil, under the dominion of China.

During the Yuan dynasty, Khamil and Turfan to the share of Hubelai, while the other Little

Bokhara passed

fell

towns of

to the children of Djegaiat.

194

Travels in Central Asia.

Afterwards,

when

Bokhara

Little

enjoyed

independent government, the Eastern country was

this

of

Min

of

under subjection to the house

still

was only towards the

it

;

portion

an

close of this

own

resources

and became subject

to the Dzungarians.

During

the

Government of the Manchur

dynasty that

first

was abandoned

it

years of the

dynasty,

the

Beg

Khamil acknowledged the

of

supremacy of China,

and the Emperor Kan-si visited

The inhabitants

that town in person.

with

Beg,

their

to its

Amil-Hodja,

of Turfan,

by the

despoiled

Dzungarians, threw themselves under the protection

them

of the to the

Emperor

who

Yun-Chen,

towns of Ansi-Cheu and Sha-Cheu, in

the vicinity of the Chinese wall, and

1755 their

was only in

it

that they were aUoAved to retiu-n

own

reason,

showed

The

country.

had not extended this

deported

therefore,

a preference

influence of the Hodjas

these

to

parts,

that

for

again to

the

and

it

for

Chinese altvays

Turkestani

the

was

of the

Eastern towns, to the extent even of granting them exclusive privileges.

The rulers

Khamil received the hereditary (princes),

of Ush-Turfan and

titles of

Tziun-Vans

and the Emperor Tzian-Lun, with the

view of acquiring fresh claims on the allegiance of the natives, married a

Khamil

princess.

Merciless Secerities of the Chinese-.

Although

this policy

1

95

on the part of the Chinese was

attended with success in the Eastern portion of Eastern Turkestan, the Western towns, having formerly

enjoyed greater

liberties,

could not adapt themselves

to Chinese thraldom. Inspired by a love of freedom familiar with warfare,

fanaticism,

and imbued with rehgions

hatred towards the Chinese.

proved to China in

its

a

bore

the inhabitants

The

deep-seated

XJsh rebellion

insecure tenure of these towns

which peace could only be preserved by constant

intimidation,

and by stringent enforcement

most merciless

police regulations.

of the

Distrusting the

population of the Six Towns, the Chinese appointed natives

of

Khamil and Turfan, on

whom

they

could rely, to the highest local posts, and began to

The

maintain powerful garrisons in the country. terror inspired

by the massacre

of Ush-Turfan

of the inhabitants

and a wide-spread

belief

in

the

invincibility of the Chinese, deterred the population

of

the

Six

Towns from

rising in

open revolt

against their oppressors, whose severity

and

extor-

tion tried their patience severely. In this deplorable state

of

affairs

the

people regarded the

Hodjas with particular veneration. still

exiled

These were

enabled to maintain some sort of correspond-

ence with their native land, as the Chinese, although o 2

196

Travels in Central Asia.

introducing with their rule a system of exclusiveness,

were nevertheless obliged to throw open the frontier

towns of Little Bokhara

Central

six

purpose of

Buruts and inhabitants of the

trading with the other

for the

Asiatic

The

States.

privileges

accorded to foreign traders prove that the Chinese

were aware of the advantages, and

alive to

necessity of commercial intercourse.

The Chinese

tariff

was so framed that

the

one-thirtieth of the cattle

brought by foreigners was exacted in kind, while the Turkestani and

nomad

subjects of China paid

one-twentieth.

The

right

trade was not extended to

of free

Khamil, Tarfan, Karashahr, and Kuchi, an dious

distinction

which

their

population

more

only

seemed

effectually

to

invi-

bind

to the exUed

Hodjas. Affairs

IS 25.

continued in this state up to the year

The Turkestani

veiled their strong discon-

tent,

and patiently bore

until

1816 that

displayed.

In

their

fate.

their dissatisfaction

that

year

the Montenegrin party, of Tashmalyk, one

Ziaveddin,

who

It

was not

was openly

Ahund

of

lived in the settlement

hundred and twenty miles from

Kashgar, raised the standard of ing into the mountains,

made

revolt,

and

retreat-

repeated raids against

Ineffectual Bisinffs of the Native Factions.

the

Chinese,

in

which he was

Notwithstanding

Kirghizes.

cution, the insurrection

Ashriab-Beg,

was

carried on

who being likewise made

long experienced the same

by the

assisted

bis capture

and exe-

by

his son

prisoner, ere

Subuheddin, the

fate.

infant son of Ziaveddin, was sent to Pekin,

put to death on attaining

not attended with any important results, as

as

having been the

Mountaineer

patriotic party, but selves

who

had

then

represented the

subsequently attached them-

to the Chinese on the appearance of the

White Mountaineer Hodjas throne

it

only remarkable

it is

outbreak of the Black

last

faction,

;

and

This rising was

full age.

not been headed by a Hodja

197

claimants for the

The Black Mountaineers,

Kashgar.

of

as

although they hate the Chinese, regard the White

Mountaineers with aversion, as

is

for

many

among more

gar,

life

in

Kokan,

after

years through the different

in order to

whence he derived

grins then

and

civilized

The Hodja Sarym-Sak,

territories of Central Asia, settled

of his

animosity

greater

the custom

people and nations.

wandering

still

commenced

towards the end

be nearer to Kash-

his revenue.

The Montene-

to emigrate to

Kokan, and

Central Asia was gradually overrun by Kashgarians.

They gave exaggerated

descriptions of the misfor-

198

Travels

ill

Central Asia.

tunes of their country, and of the injustice and oppression of the Chinese, and complained that the infidels carried off their

wives and daughters, and

observance of

prohibited the free

their

religious

rites.

The unfortunate and sanguinary

fate of the

two

Hodjas of Kashgar, had always excited the symIn the beginning of the

pathies of the Asiatics.

year 1820 the question of independence was agaiij agitated throughout Central Asia.

became the objects of imiversal

contributions for the projected

The

the amount

Mussulman

effect

;

of the offerings,

rians in the

light of

exploits

it

collecting

" Hazat," or holy

drew

in

Public recitation from the

which that Sovereign

against

youthful generation that into

tears, increased

and placed the Kashga-

the

forbidden at Bokhara, because

forays

their

martyrs in the ejes of the

population.

book of Abu-Musmil, his

and

description of the fate of their country

produced the desired

lates

respect,

town to town

emissaries proceeded from

war.

The Kashgarians

it

unbelievers, it

re-

was

so excited the

induced many to make

Persia for attaining the pious distinc-

tion of a " Hazi," or meeting a meritorious death as

" Sheids," who, according to the

transported

straight

to

Paradise.

Koran,

are

Bokhara was

Insurrection of Djenffir-Hodja in 1822.

then

peace

at

with Persia, but

this

199

infatuation

threatened to produce a rupture.

The re-conquest the

Emir

of

of Badakshan

by Murat-Beg,

Kunduz, who deported the inhabitants

of this beautiful country to his

own

morasses, was

undertaken, as the Asiatics affirm, out of respect for

memory

the

Hodjas,

of the

as

Murat-!6eg was

Sarym-Sak had three sons:

related to Sarym-Sak.

Myat-Yusuf-Hodja,Pahaveddin-Hodja, and Djengir-

whom

Hodja, of

the eldest resided at Bokhara.

After the migration of the Hodjas to Kokan, the Chinese,

By means

Khan.

opened negotiations with

1813,

in

of rich gifts, the emissaries of

empire induced him to maintain a

the Celestial

watch over the Hodjas,

strict

its

for

which

service

they engaged themselves to pay an annual subsidy of

200 yambs (£3660

?)

Djengir-Hodja was born in 1783.

of the weak-

Chinese, and knowing

the devotion

of energy

ness

of the

to rise in

Omar

Kokan

sense.

arms.

Profiting

by the death

Khan, in 1822, Djengir escaped from

to the

Kirghizes,

paign

and

population to his family, he deter-

of the native

of

was a

Aware

man

mined

He

camping grounds of the Dikokamenni

and made preparations

against

Kashgar.

for

a

cam-

Djengir thus laid the

Travels in Central Asia.

2 (JO

foundation

disturbances

those constant

for

that

They

distract the country to the present day.

are

regarded as rebellions by the Chinese, while by the Asiatics they are

termed " Hazat," or holy wars.

out hawking near

T\T3ile

formed

the

resolution

Kokan,

Djengir

first

of attacking Kashgar, and

proceeding straight to the Dikokamenni Kirghizes, prevailed on

them

to

him

assist

in the attempt.

Suranchi, head of the Kirghiz tribe of Chon-Bagysh,

marched

to the town,

where he plundered the ad-

jacent villages, but was speedily forced to beat a

After the miscarriage of this enterprise,

retreat.

Djengir wandered in the mountain

territories of the

the Kirghiz " Ulusses," until he

Bolor,

and among

fell in

with the Kirghizes of the Sayak

influential chiefs,

ardent supporters.

tribe.

Its

Atantai and Tailak, became his

The upper course

of the Naryn,

the place of gathering of the Kirghiz camps, be-

came

the

permanent place of residence of

Hodja, and he

the

succeeded in gaining, among the

nomads, the reputation of an inspired

saint.

The

Kirghizes of the Thian-Shan have always taken a lively

interest in the

from

quired

Hodjas

;

its

aflFairs

of Kashgar, and ac-

inhabitants

a respect

for

the

they are mostly adherents of the Mont-

Albanian party.

Important Successes of Bjengir-Hodja. with

Djengir,

several forays

to

make

partisans,

on Kashgar, but they

One

successful.

marauding

his

201

made

proved un-

all

encouraged him

event, however,

and increased the num-

further attempts,

ber of his followers.

The Chinese, with a view his inroad at

Solons

and

Amban,

to

and above

under the command of

make

an

a sudden attack on Atantia's camp,

to secure

designed with great

detachment up the to the

stop to

one blow, despatched a body of 500 Sibos,

all

of putting a

Djengir.

craft.

The plan was

Kirghiz guides led the

river Toin, across

Chadyr-Kul,

banks of the Naryn, somewhat below Fort

Kurtki, where lay the

encampment

The Chinese marched only by night, proach was

of

Atantia.

so that their ap-

Djengir was then

not discovered.

fortunately absent from the camp, and the Chinese, after

plundering everything they could, marched

On

what had occurred on

his

return, Djengir, at the head of the Kirghizes,

who

back.

learning

had been away with him, pursued the Chinese, and overtook

them

in

a

retreating

narrow

defile.

Bi-Chebyldy, of the Basyz branch, attacked them

with such vigour, that only one Chinese succeeded in

making

his escape

;

the others were slaughtered

with their General on the spot.

This victory was

202

Travels in Central Asia.

regarded as a miracle, and Djengir began to adopt

more the

Khan

cess,

He hastened

decisive measures.

of

Kokan and

to acquaint

other rulers of his suc-

and sent emissaries

to the different

camping

grounds of the Uzbek, Kaisak, and Burnt

The whole year

of

1825 was passed

in hostile pre-

Kokan

Kashgar emigrants,

parations.

tribes.

Sepoys,

Uzbeks, Kipchaks, Turks, and other Mussulmen warriors,

and mountain Tadjiks

in their picturesque

black garbs, hastened to range themselves under the

banner of the Appaks, while many Kokanians, even including

officials, left

to take part in

their posts

the " Hazat."

In the Spring of 1856, Djengir with his troops,

commanded by

Isa-Dakhta,

governor of Andijan,

formerly

encamped

military

at the village of

His army having been reinforced by

Bishkirim.

the inhabitants of the Kashgar villages, he attacked the Chinese

who had marched

to

meet him under

the leadership of the Hi Tian-Tziun, and entirely

routed them on the plain of Davlet-Bakh, on the right

bank

of the river Tiimen.

In this engagement the mountain Tadjiks fought

with

uncommon

bravery

clothing gave rise to the

had been

present.

;

their black rather scanty

rumour

that

Enghshmen

The Chinese shut themselves

Entry of Bjen^ir

up

in their citadel,

into

203

Kashgar.

and the Hodja entered Kashgar

amidst the joyful plaudits of the populace.

assumed the

title

pointed

and military

civil

of Seid-Djengir-Sultan,

of Kokan. Isa-Dakhta

Min-Bashi, and

all

turban.

similar to those

officers

was raised

to the rank of

;

but the Chinese caps with

and feathers were substituted

ball

and ap-

the Kashgar Begs were suff'ered

to retain their posts

the

He

for

the

The Governor of Kashgar, Miat-Seid-Vaun,

a native of Khamil, was condemned to death by a council of

Ahunds

for

having circulated defamatory

reports affecting the Hodja,

The towns

of the people.

and

for his oppression

of Yarkend, Yanyshahr,

and Khotan next rose against the Chinese, cut the garrisons to pieces, razed their fortresses to the

ground, and organized armed contingents for the service of the Hodja.

In the month of June, the thirsting for glory

pan I'or

in the

Khan

of

Kokan,

and wishing to take an

struggle,

arrived with 16,000

active'

men.

some unknown reason Djengir received him

very discourteously, and the Khan, thrown on his

own

resources,-

against

the

which he

lost

after

making

several

attempts

Chinese fortress of Kashgar, before

1000 of

returned to his

his soldiers in twelve

own dominions and

days,

there contented

Travels in Central Asia.

204

himself with striking off coins on which he styled

himself " Hazi " or holy warrior.

Djengir in the meantime continued the siege of the fortress, which the Chinese, deprived of water

and

provisions,

the seventieth suicide,

and the

were compelled day.

to the

surrender on

The mandarins

committed

rest of the garrison, after escaping

were overtaken in the mountains

in the night-time,

and put

to

sword, with the exception of 400

Tungens and Chinese who adopted Islamism. One account

states

the Chinese garrison to have con-

sisted of 10,000,

command

the

and another

of

8000 men, under

of I-Ya, Tian-Tziun of Hi.

The

Hodja, after this success, sent agents to Kokan while the 400 converted Tungens and Chinese were distributed

between

Khiva and the wandering

Balkh,

These emissaries

tribes.

even reached the Great Horde. assistance from the

Kunduz,

Bokhara,

Expecting further

IMussulmen of Central Asia,

Djengir did not take advantage of his success, and

by

this fatal

time

for

marched

temporising policy gave the Chinese

collecting direct to

fortress, the

their

Aksd

forces.

after the

Had

Djengir

capture of the

whole of Eastern Turkestan would,

to

a certainty, have fallen into his hands, and even

Kuldja would most probably have submitted to him.

Conciliatory Policy of the Hodja,

By

his lenient

Djengir

won

and moderate

205

policy,

however,

over the staunchest adherents of the

many

Chinese government, and

of the Begs, from

a sentiment of devotion to his person, subsequently

shared his misfortunes

was and continued at the

to

and with the people, he

;

be a universal

same time courted the good

by conferring

tenegrins

Kalmyks,

said,

it is

offices

became so

favourite.

He

Mon-

will of the

The

on them.

disaffected that the

Chinese ceased to employ them against the Hodja, they

as

him

deserted to

Mussulmen population

in

The

large bodies.

of the towns

still

the Chinese, and even that of Kiddja,

held by

also

began

of emancipating themselves

to entertain thoughts

from the Chinese yoke.

Numerous and the

conspiracies

were brought to hght,

plotters exiled to the Southern

of China, whilst on the other

the

Khan

of

Kokan

Governments

hand the

intrigues of

occasioned disturbances

among

the troops of the Hodja, which resulted in obliging

the latter to

Min-Bashi.

deprive

Isa-Dakhta of the rank of

The continued

inactivity of the

Hodja

rendered his former successes completely nugatory.

The Chinese had time began to concentrate fresh campaign.

to recover themselves, their forces at

Kuldja

and

for a

206

Travels

army numbered 200,000 men, imper-

Djengir's fectly

Central Asia.

i?i

" zemburaks,"

tured from the Chinese, and some

Mying

mounted on camels.

guns

or

artillery cap-

armed, with a few pieces of

d(!tach-

ments of Kirghizes were employed in intercepting the

man

of

who commanded

Atantai, a

convoys

Chinese

of great

forage.

these detachments, was

influence in the

Hodja, who conferred

and

provisions

on

him

Council of the in

marriage a

daughter of the former Hakim-Beg. In

the

month

arrived at Aksu,

of

September, 70,000 Chinese

commanded by Djun-Tan, one

of

the highest Chinese dignitaries. They remained stationary there until February, and their

new

it

was only

after

year that they advanced to Kashgar.

They were encountered by the formidable

con-

tingents of the towns of Kashgar, Yarkend, and

Khotan, by a mixed body of volunteers, by the

Dikokamenni forces of

Kirghizes,

and

by the

auxiliary

Kunduzes, Urj'atups, and Tadjiks.

The

Chinese advanced in regular order, and met the

enemy with

a discharge from their artillery.

The

troops of the Si-Chuen province, wearing turbans

and

long

" khalats "

with Djengir's

among

them.

militia,

The

or robes,

got

intermixed

occasioning great disorder

Kokanians,

panic-stricken.

Capture and Ewecution of Bjengir.

were the

first

army

of the

to

fly,

207

whereupon the whole body

The Hodja with

retired in confusion.

escaped to the mountains, surrendering

difficulty

his power, after a rule of nine months.

The

despatched

Chinese, elated with success,

a strong force in pursuit of Djengir, which, on

approaching the town of Ush, reminded the Kokanians

The Khan

end of the world.

of the

assembled his army, and

all

the inhabitants were

seized with a fanatical terror.

Djengir meanwhile

gathered a large force of Dikokamenni Kirghizes, and,

engaging

the

Chinese

another

in

action,

signally defeated them.

Issak-Van, a wily native a

Ush-Turfan, and

of

devoted supporter of the Chinese,

By

appointed Governor of Kashgar.

money among

the

Dikokamenni

brought some of them over to his

had been distributing

Kirghizes, he

side,

and assured

Djengir, through his agents, of his loyalty and of his readiness to

assistance of a

ceeded

m

deliver

up Kashgar.

Chon-Bagysh

and

after a

put to death as a

the

Issak-Van suc-

treacherously securing Djengir,

he dehvered up to the Chinese. to Pekin,

Bi,

With

whom

Djengir was sent

few years was barbarously

rebel.

Djengir's rebelHon, which terminated in 1828,

208

Travels in Central Asia.

although

it

lasted only nine months,

importance in

its

He

results.

was of great

gave his attempts

the lawful colouring of those of a Sovereign ruler

endeavouring to regain his hereditary rights, and,

by

the

calling

insurrection a

" Hazat,"

or holy

war, he awakened the sympathies of the fanatical

Mussulman tion

had been crushed,

Chinese, vincible rent.

who had by the

all

the impotence of the

hitherto been

considered in-

became

glaringly appa-

Asiatics,

The Kashgar

spirits of

After the insurrec-

of Central Asia.

patriots

raUied the broken

the natives by inspiring

them with

fresh

hopes of a return of the independence of their country.

Naturally,

therefore,

people

the

of

Eastern Turkestan, M'ho had suffered so patiently

under the oppression of the Chinese of their their

own

ever

protectors,

was

and

ready with arms in their

hands to defend them against the It

officials

Begs, looked up to the Hodjas as

at this

infidels.

time that the Kokanians obtained

that political influence which they enjoy even to

the present day.

Noyan-Chen, the Chinese

pleni-

potentiary, entrusted with the pacification of the

Western

region,

adopted

stringent

precautions

against the recurrence of similar outbreaks.

the weight of these repressive measures

fell

All

on the

Prohibition hy the Chinese of Trade with Kohan. 209

who were put

poor natives,

to death, their houses

demolished, and their entire property confiscated.

Aware

of the traitorous conduct of the

Kokan, and to chastise him

Khan

of

for his participation

in the late rebeUion, the plenipotentiary ordered

the arrest

of

all

Kokanian merchants

and the cessation of

Among

all

as

communication with Kokan.

their

of

all

nations

Noyan-Chen,

relations

considered

therefore,

Kokanians of

the

he erected

view,

with

China.

by

that

de-

advantages he

these

would be punishing them most this

the

that

whomsoever depends on

commercial

having

priving

own

exaggerated notions of their

other

importance, the Chinese are convinced welfare

rebels,

With

severely.

custom-house barriers

at

the villages of Tuguzak, within fourteen miles of

Kashgar, and

Yarkend.

at Liangar, twenty-seven miles

On

the approach of a caravan to the

military picket, soldiers

number

it

under an

was met by a party of Chinese officer,

who

took a note of the

of people accompanying

it,

the quantity

of goods brought, &c., and conducted caravansarai

;

here another

oflScial

was

it

to the

stationed,

under whose superintendence the goods were the merchants

During the

saje,

were

watched

strictly

from

;

who

sold.

attended

it

and, oh the termination of p

210

Travels in Central Asia.

the barter, the caravan was escorted

Chinese

lines,

beyond the

under guard of the same

men who had met

on

it

these rigorous measures

Chinese invited trade with them

its

officer

To make

arrival.

more keenly

still

and

felt,

the Bokharians and Kunduzes ;

the to

but these merchants, on respond-

ing to the invitation, found themselves subjected to

same

the

inconveniences

as

the

Kokanians.

Although the Dikokamenni Kirghizes deserved the

same punishment

as

the Kokanians, the Chinese

were obliged to show them clemency, owing to the scarcity of cattle in the region of " the Six

Towns," to which they even despatched envoys to

beg them

relates

A

for their herds.

that,

during the

Russian merchant

struggle with

ruled so high at Aksu, that

prices

paid a

yamb

(£18.

(Ss.)

for

the Chinese

two sheep,

scheme had the anticipated

which

of increasing

trade and suppressing that of the natives.

All Central Asia

with

effect

for

The Chinese

they paid but £4. 175. at Kashgar.

their

Djengir^

tea,

and Afghanistan were supplied

which found

its

way through Kashgar

and Kokan. In 1829 their exclusive system of commerce be-

came

so

insupportable, that

the,

Kokanians

solved to open a trade for themselves

arms.

by

re-

force of

Maddi-Khan.

Rebellion of

At the head of

Kokan.

of this enterprise

Notwithstanding

luxurious and sensual

211

was Madali, Khan his

youth,

and

he had the good

habits,

sense to choose most able confederates, such as the

Min-Bashi, Hak-Kuli, an Uzbek of the Yuz tribe

and the Kush-Begi, Liashkar,

;

originally a Persian

bondsman, raised by Madali- Khan to the highest offices,

and afterwards appointed Governor of Tash-

With

kend.

the assistance of these two viziers,

Madali subdued

the

mountain

petty

states

of

Karategin, Darvaz, and Kuliab, and extended his

power over

all

the Burnt races, over the Great

Horde, and even to some extent over the Kirghizes

The

of the Middle Horde. of this

Khan was

history of

make

the

Kokan, and

first

most

half of the reign

brilliant period in the

his successes induced

him

to

preparations for a war with China.

Anticipating opposition to his schemes on the part of the Central Asiatics, rally

who were then

indisposed towards the

Kokanians, and to

secure, if possible, their assistance, secretly prevailed

Yusuf, to resided,

Madali-Kahn

on Djengir's elder brother, Med-

leave Bokhara,

and

gene-

to join

him

where he permanently at

Kokan.

The Khan

next issued a general proclamation to the inhabitants of the Khanat, in which he set forth that, as

p 2

a

Central Asia.

Travel-'^ hi

21:3

Mussulman

ruler,

he could not remain a passive

spectator of the tyranny of the infidels,

who im-

posed unjust taxes, and violated the chastity of the

and daughters

virives

of

Mussulmen.

For

the

stronger enlistment of their sympathies, he further

added the

fact,

improvised for the occasion, that the

Chinese desecrated the Mussulman sanctuaries, and prevented the

performance of the ceremonies of

Lending an

their religious faith.

ear,

therefore, to

the lamentations of the faithful Kashgarians,

whom

he wished to liberate from bondage, he declared his intention of seating

Hodja Med-Yusuf on the throne

of his ancestors.

Med- Yusuf-Hodja took

In September, 1830,

the

with an army of 20,000 Kokanians, 15,000

field

Tashkendians, and 2000 mountaineers from Kara-

making

tegin,

cluding

about

a total force

3000

artillery consisted

on camels. the

of 40,000 men,

Kashgar

often

The whole

force

His

emigrants.

" Zemburaks,"

in-

mounted

was commanded by

Min-Bashi Hak-Kuli, brother-in-law

of the

Khan by Miad-Sharif Liashkar, and the Kush-Begi ;

of Tashkend.

The Chinese, hearing

of the warlike

preparations of the Kokanians, marched to attack

them with 3000 men, but were completely defeated near the

little

village of

Min-Yul.

Hak-Kuli,

dis-

Withdrawal from Kashc/ar of Med- Yusuf.

213

comfiting the Chinese afterwards in another action,

took Kashgar, and placed the government in the

hands of Med-Yusuf-Hodja.

Kush-Begi Liashkar

then gained possession of Yanyshahr, Yarkend, and

Khotan, crossed the Aksu, putting to the sword

who opposed as the

all

him, and scoured the country as far

The Chinese

Muzart pass.

troops were con-

centrated at Karashahr, and delayed their advance.

In Kuldja, the camels of the Kalmyks were forcibly taken by the Chinese, and the Torgouts were compelled to

furnish

2000 men, who marched very

imwillingly under the oppressor's

command.

In the meantime, the hostile attitude of the Emir of

Bokhara obliged the Khan of Kokan

Hak-Kuli, who of Kashgar,

and

returned home.

to recall

was besieging the Chinese citadel in

November the Kokanian

troops

Med-Yusuf, perceiving that he

could not hold his ground without support, and

being of a peaceful disposition, also returned to

Kokan,

his rule

During

this

having endured just ninety days.

war 70,000 Kashgarians migrated

Kokan, where they

settled

below Khodjend, in the

to

on the river Syr-Daria,

village

of Dalvas

;

and

in

Tashkend, where they founded another settlement

named Yanyshahr. Ml these Kashgarians received a ten years' immunity from all taxes. The Kokanians

214

Travels in Ceritral Asia.

in this

war seized 500 Chinese, a largo

collection of

arms, and a considerable quantity of tea and

Western China

in

An

rassed state.

this year

was

in an

silver.

embar-

insurrection broke out in

the

province of Shan- Si, and the insurgents operated

with success.

dan

rebels,

Barkul was taken by the

and

its

Mahomme-

inhabitants were killed.

It

was

not before January that the Chinese began to concentrate their forces

in Hi,

at the

time when the

Kokanians evacuated Kashgar. In the spring of 183] the Kokanians commenced ,

a

war with the Dikokamenni Kirghizes.

scattered the " Ulusses,"

Kuli, with 7,000 sepoys,

or

Hak-

camps of the Sayaks, on the Upper Naryn, took

their chiefs, Atantai

turned with booty.

many

and Tailak, captives

The Kushi-Beg

prisoners,

and

and much valuable

of Tashkend, at the

time, pursued the Bogus,

settle-

of Sibo.

These events forced the Chinese to

hne of

policy.

Kokan detained

three

of them,

the fourth with an agent of his

Kokan

alter their

In the spring of 1831, four Chinese

envoys arrived with proposals of peace. of

same

and pushed beyond the

boundaries of the Hi district to the military

ment

re-

plenipotentiary

own

The Khan

and sent back to Pekin.

The

was Alim-Patcha, a mer-

Treaty between China and Kokan.

chant, rights

who and

215

secured for his Sovereign the following

privileges

:

—

1

.

That the dues on mer-

chandise brought by foreigners to

the Six

Towns

of Eastern Turkestan, Aksii, Ush-Turfan, Kashgar,

Yanyshahr, Yarkend, and Khotan should be appropriated by the Kokanians.

That for the

2.

col-

lection of these dues, the Kokanians should have in each of these cial agent,

tor,

towns an " Aksakal," or commer-

under the authority of a Kashgar inspec

and who would

also

tive of his country.

be the

3. All

•

political representa-

arriving in

foreigners

the above towns should in every respect be amenable to the

to

Kokan

agents.

The Kokanians, on

their part,

watch the Hodjas,

in order to prevent their leav-

ing

the

territories

to imprison

them

in

in

which

bound themselves

they

and

dwelt,

case they attempted

to

do

so.

In 1832, the same Alim was appointed Aksakal of Kashgar, receiving this office on lease, as

is

the

custom in Kokan. In this way, commercial and political relations

between Kokan and Western China were established.

The

influence of the Kokanians once

extended, and taking advantage policy of the

of the

more

amicable

Chinese, they gradually appropriated

21(5

Travels in Central Asia.

to themselves

different

As

privileges.

people

a

ignorant of the laws that should regulate national intercourse, their conduct

marked by a

is

brutal

which the Chinese bear with astonishing

audacity, patience.

The

insurrections of Eastern Turkestan in

and 1830, were severe blows the Chinese Empire, which

the

present

day.

The

1825

the prestige of

to

has not recovered to

it

military frontier

has not

been visited by them since 1825, and a new route has been chosen for the passage of their troops over the Muzart pass.

The Kokanians,

ing the Dikokamenni

there,

1832,

in

Naryn,

and, a

the

little

threw out

Kirghizes,

frontiers so as to include

Khotan

fortress later,

after subjugat-

itself,

of

their

and founded

Kurtka on the

another

on the Pamir

Plateau, called Tash-Kurgan.

The Kokanians of

Eastern

are no less powerful in the towns

Turkestan, as

under

the population

is

acquired such

political

nearly one-fourth of

their rule.

Kokan having

weight,

interest lay in

its

preventing the outbreaks of the Hodjas, accordingly kept under

the year

1

strict

surveillance.

846, Eastern Turkestan

peace under the Hakim-Beg,

who were Until

enjoyed perfect

Zurdun, who proved

himself a just ruler, and protected the interests of

;

Recent Disturbances in Kokan. the

He

inhabitants

against

Chinese

the

217 officials.*

favoured trade, and was well disposed towards

the Russian Tartars, lish direct

whom

relations with

dun-Beg that Kashgar and

tion of its walls

he encouraged to estab-

Kashgar.

It is to

Zur-

indebted for the construc-

is

the

of

new

quarters of the

town. In the year 1845 fresh disturbances, which were reflected in Kashgar, broke out in

elevation of the youthful

Kokan, on the

Hudoyar to the Khanship

under the protectorate of the all-powerful

The Aksakals were being con-

Mussulman-Kul. stantly changed,

courtier,

and even one of

Abdul-

these,

Afur, recalled to Kokan, was summarily hanged.

The

Dikokamenni

Kirghizes

continually

through the Chinese frontier-pickets in large

and the Aksakals stop

of

them from doing

broke parties,

Kokan, while promising so,

to

accepted bribes for shut-

ting their eyes to these constant infractions of the treaty.

* In 1830, Zurdun-Beg had removed to Kokan, whence he made way to Petropaulovsk on. the Siberian frontier, and thence to Kazan, and returning through Semipalatinsk to Kuldja, presented

his

himself before the Tian-Tziun.

Zurdan said that he had escaped

from imprisonment in Kokan, and on the strength of received the office of "

Hakim-Beg.

"Ishkaga"

this

statement

of Kashgar, and ultimately that of

218

Travels in Central Asia.

The Hodjas

also profited

by these

disorders,

and

with a small force, composed principally of Kashgar

and Dikokamenni Kirghizes, ap-

emigrants

peared under the walls of Kashgar in the autumn of

The governor

1847.

of the town, Kasim-Beg, re-

solved to hold out until the Hodjas

Chinese

In one

fortress.

hold, the Chinese were

the Hodjas

sally

had taken

from their strong-

beaten, and flying before

who pursued them, were

all

drowned

The Hodjas apprised the town

in the river Kizyl.

of their victory by sounding trumpets

but the

;

Begs would not surrender, and forced the tants to

man

the

the walls.

Named-Khan,

inhabi-

a Tashkend

merchant, succeeded in communicating with the

Hodjas outside, through a subterranean passage,

and by

his treachery, the gates

opened to the besiegers

early

of

Kashgar were

one morning

in

Hakim-Beg, Kasim, and the

the second week.

other Begs escaped to the Chinese

"Manchen"

or

citadel.

This event

is

known

as the insurrection of the

seven Begs, from the circumstance that ried out by seven

The

eldest,

members

of the

ruler,

was

Appak

Ishan-Khan-Tiiria, better

Katta-Khan, was proclaimed

it

car-

family.

known

as

and the other

Hodjas were appointed governors of the surrounding settlements.

219

Excesses of the Seven Hodjas.

Vali-Khan-Turia, the same rection of 1857,

who headed

the insur-

was governor of the town of Yani-

shahr, where he signalized his administration

unexampled

The

ferocity.

commenced with

rule of the seven

by

Hodjas

the pillage of the Begs' houses,

and with the estabhshment of a large harem. Educated at

Kokan they avoided

the observance of the

customs of their coimtrymen, and surrounded themselves with Andijans.

Named- Khan,

Aksakal

the

raised to the rank

of

was

Kokan,

of

Katta-Khan,

Min-Bashi.

generally speaking, did not secure the affections of his people,

The only

nor yet did he inspire them with

man

fear.

in this insurrection

was Tavekel-

Hodja, also a descendant of Mahomet.

This active

able

and very brave man, had commanded the army

when

besieging Kashgar, with the rank of Batyr-

Bashi,

and was afterwards sent

to Aksii.

At Kuldja, preparations were being made

for

war, and immediately on receipt of the news of the insurrection, a force

was despatched

to suppress

it,

but the departure of these troops seriously weakening the garrison of the town, they were recalled before they

had reached

their destination.

An army

intended to operate against Kashgar was expected

from Urumchi and Lan-cheu; upon the

arrival of

220

Travels in Central Asia.

which vance.

in

November, It

was

it

was composed of

churs, soldiers of the

at

once ordered to ad-

several

hundred Man-

Green Dragon, of Sibos and

Solons, and re-inforced

by one thousand Torguts,

and three thousand Chashpans,

i.

criminals trans-

e.

ported from the Southern Governments, who, before leaving Kuldja, attested

the justice of their

sentence, by pillaging the shops

This army was

commanded by

and private houses. the Tian-Tziun Jo,

and entered into winter quarters at Maral-Bashi. Before the

arrival

of the

Chinese, the Hodja

Katta-Khan made a move against Yarkend, which city

The Chinese

he was bent on securing.

birds, disobeying the orders given them,

advanced divisions of the Khan's

fell

on the

and

utterly

Katta-Khan then hurried

routed them. gar,

forces,

jail-

but the inhabitants of that place,

to Kash-

dissatisfied

with the preference he had shown for the Andijans,

and enraged

at

the heavy taxes which he had im-

posed on them, closed their gates.

After a few

more desultory engagements with the Chinese, the Ilodja

fled

to

Kokan, and the enemy occupied

Kashgar without any opposition. forces amounted,

it is

said, to

The Chinese

64,000 men, and

was affirmed that further reinforcements were vancing on

Kuldja.

The above

figure

is

it

ad-

exagge-

of the Inhabitants o/Kashgar.

Sufferinffs

rated, probably,

and

it

is

more

likely that another

account, estimating the troops from

4000,

from

Kuldja

at

Lian-Cheu,

6000,

Urumchi

and

20,000,

those

On

nearer the truth.

is

221

at

of

the occu-

pation of Kashgar by the Chinese troops, 20,000 individuals of both sexes fled from the town, the

whom

majority of frosts,

Terekty

the

in

perished from exposm-e to severe

bleaching bones

still

mountains,

where

their

strew the pass.

In the same year, on the proposition of the Chinese,

political

and

were again renewed with

commercial the

relations

on the

country

The Kokanians, now thoroughly

former footing.

acquainted with the weakness of the Chinese, and feeling their

own

a firm hold on

ment

of the

superior strength, besides having

all

the Hodjas, treated the govern-

Bogdo Khan with very

Named- Khan, who had Hodjas,

and was

delivered

Min-Bashi to

little

ceremony.

Kashgar the

to

Khan

Kokan, again became Aksakal of Kashgar. the Kokanians

who had been

faithful to the

the of All

Hodjas

in the last rising,

remained unmolested and enjoyed

his protection at

Kashgar.

The Kokanians now accorded

greater liberty

to the Hodjas, as they did not thereby their relations,

endanger

but on the contrary increased their

222

Travels in Central Asia.

influence

the

in

1855 and 1856,

In

country.

Kicliik-Khan-Ture and Vali-Khan-Tiiria attempted several inroads, but

ness

of

owing to the numerical weakthey

troops,

their

did

not

succeed

in

penetrating through the frontier pickets.

The

last insurrection

occurred in 1857.

In the

spring of that year, on the day after the termination of the fled

Ramadan

Hodja Vali-Khan-Tiiria

from Kokan in company with seven Kashgar

They arrived during the night

emigrants.

Kokan Ush

fast,

fort of Oksalur, situated

at the

on the road from

to Kashgar, the garrison of which, after kilHng

commander, the Hodja

the

He

himself.

likewise

several soldiers

persuaded to

join

succeeded in gaining over

who had been

by Nar-Mat-

sent

Datha, Aksakal of Kashgar, to collect the "Ziaket"

Chon-Bagysh

or tribute from the Kirghizes of the tribe, at that

He

fort.

along

all

time encamped in the vicinity of the

further

stationed

guards

and scouts

the roads leading to Kashgar, to prevent

Kirghizes from giving the alarm, and despatched emissaries to raise an

armed Kirghiz

Kashgar Begs, sent by the Chinese of

Ush

force.

Several

in the direction

to collect information respecting the Hodjas,

were taken prisoners and brought before VaU-Khan,

who

immediately cut off their heads with his own

VaJi-Khnn-Tiiria surprises Kashgar.

Having passed the night

hand.

at

223

the ford over

the Kizyl, he reached, on the next, an outlying

There were no sentinels on the

Chinese picket. walls,

and one of

opened the

his followers having scaled

Vali-Khan-Triiia entered, sword

gates.

in hand, with his retainers,

and put to death

who were peaceably

the Chinese soldiers

and smoking opium Kashgarians

in

who chanced

all

reclining

barracks.

their

Some

to be at the picket at the

moment, shared the same

Having

fate.

Hodja

effectually silenced the picket, the

the morning

them,

thus

at four in

appeared before the South- Western All was

gates of Kashgar.

still

in the town.

The

Hodja's followers collected the wood that had been

brought

and

for sale

kindled a large

fire

;

left

outside the walls, and

with the powder they had

captured at the picket they endeavoured to blow

The peace of the town, however,

open the gates.

was not disturbed by these proceedings, and none of the inhabitants were aware of ring. ja's

When

what was occur-

at last the gates fell in,

band galloped through the

exclaiming — "All * Buzmk-Khan

is

one of the Hod-

streets of the

town

hail to Buisruk-Khan-Tiiria !" *

the only son of Djengir.

yet ventured on a " Hazat."

He

is

the KashgaVali-Khan made use of his

rians,

who

name

to gain the sympathy of the inhabitants.

expect him as a deliverer.

This Hodja has not

much beloved by

224

The

Travels in Central Asia.

The inhabitants

was magical.

effect

multuously to arms,

and " looted"

welcomed

at the

all

the Chinese,

and shops.

The Hodja,

massacred

their houses

gates

rose tu-

by the Kokanian Aksakal,

The

entered the town in triumphal procession.

who

palace of the Hakim-Beg,

effected his

escape

through another of the city gates to the Chinese town, was hurriedly got ready, and Vali-Khan-Turia installed himself in

it

the sound of trumpets

to

who had

and gongs.

All those Begs

in escaping,

were seized by the loyal inhabitants

not succeeded

and brought before the Hodja, who indulged

his

savage nature by hacking several of them to pieces

with

his

On

own hand.

inhabitants

the following day, the

of the Artysh and Bishkarim settle-

ments,headed by a powerful Mont-Albanian, Sheikh-

Ahund and

his

two Begs, Halyk and

Tair, joined

the successful Vali-Khan. All the Begs vice,

who had

and had not fled

entered the Chinese

to the

ser-

Chinese citadel, were

murdered, together with their children, while

their

wives and daughters became the prey of the diers

of

the Hodja.

But

the

sol-

two above-named

Begs, from the Artysh settlement, although they

had

also accepted

sented

themselves

office

under the Chinese, pre-

fearlessly

before

Vali-Khan

Mapid Spread of

225

the Insurrection.

because they had been at the same time in constant

communications with the Hodjas, and

secret

nished them with large

sums of money

fur-

for the

support of a " Hazat." Vali-Khan-Tiiria immediately conferred the rank of

Min-Bashi on Nor-Named, Aksakal of Kokan,

Kokan

while returned fugitives from

received dif-

ferent posts at court.

The

insurrection

spread

Hodja found himself of 70,000

or

foot

so

rapidly that

in a short time at the

the

head

mounted horsemen, and 4000 sarbazes

soldiers

;

and

he

had,

furthermore,

a

large force of volunteers, raised in the surrounding

towns and

These troops

villages.

wei-e dressed in

uniform, and arms were provided by the Hodja,

who

divided them into banners, with

under each, commanded by Pansads.

dam up

The

spades and

tants proceeded daily with

the river Kizyl in order to divert

against the walls

of

Chinese

the

foreign merchants were also

500 men inhabi-

shovels to

course

its

The

fortress.

armed and forced

to

take part in the siege works.

The of

Hodja proceeded

organizing

artizans

of

his

actively

and employed

troops,

Kashgar

Horses were impressed

with the work

in

all

manufacturing

from

the

natives,

Q

the

arms.

and

226

TraceJx in Central Asia.

person as

foreign merchants compelled to serve in

well as furnish

forth

Fresh taxes were daily imposed.

formed a park of

army.

the

for

requisitions

The Hodja

also

guns, which,

artillery of eighteen

The guns were

however, did but Httle execution.

Kashgar mider the superintendence of an

cast at

According to the testimony of an eye-

Afghan.

witness, the troops of Vali-Klian were

armed and organized than those Bokhara, whose army

.serves

as

much

Emir

of the a

better

model

the

for

The Chinese attempted

whole of Central Asia.

of

in

several sorties to stop the progress of the siege, but

were on every occasion repulsed with at last confined themselves

ants

They

loss.

to firing at the assail-

from their guns and matchlocks, while the

Solons and Sibos

galled the besieging

army with

showers of arroAvs from the lofty walls.

The town the Hodja.

of Yanyslialir

He

next

was soon

after

despatched his

taken by favourite,

Tilya-Khan, son of a Yanyshahr emigrant, to invest

Yarkend, who, to further the success of the enterprise,

of

was

falsely given

out as a Hodja.

Yarkend was formally commenced

of June. their "

in

The the

siege

month

The Chinese, who had marched out

Mancheu," or

citadel, at that

Tilya-Khan, were defeated.

of

town, to meet

Notwithstanding

this

Ferocious CrueUij of Fali-Khaii-Tliria.

reverse, the inhabitants of tlie

The

defend themselves. rians,

town

still

iil

resolved to

local Begs, the

Bokha-

Badakshanis, and Baits, urged the people

who

were favourable to the Hodjas, not to participate in the insurrection,

them

assuring

that

Tilya-Khan

did not belong to the order of Hodjas, but was the

son of a Yanyshahr butcher.

Beg

which,

in

made

of Yarkend,

regardless

Ismail-Van,

Hakim-

a speech to the inhabitants, of

presence

tlic

of

the

Chinese, he declared that, should the real Hodja arrive, he, Ismail- Van,

would not presume

to oppose

him.

Notwithstanding the material forces that supported the authority of the Hodja, great

it

also required a

amount of patience and devotion on the

part

of the Kashgarians to suffer the cruelty and injus-

From

tice of the tyrant.

the continual smoking of

hashish, Vali-Khan-Tiiria was reduced to a state of

savage frenzy, in the paroxysms of which he gave full

His mania was

scope to his brutal passions.

a thirst for blood,

and not a day passed without

men being

slaughtered in cold blood, either

several

by himself

or in his presence.

On

human

skulls,

rise of a

monu-

the Kizyl, he erected a pyramid of

and anxiously watched the gradual

ment so worthy

of

him.

The

the banks of

heads of fallen

Q 3

i2S

Travels in Cpniral A^iii.

Chinese and parts,

and added

influence

fell

collected from

Mussulman were

Many men of Among ferocity.

the pyramid.

to

victims

to

his

him without any cause were

those executed by

Named-Khan, who had

several times occupied the

post of Aksakal of Kashgar, and

Kokan

Halyk-Beg of Artysh, one

who had

his

way

to

from

of his bravest supporters;

This latter was

and, lastly, an European traveller.

making

fled

Hodja; the

of the

the service

to enter

all

Kokan, and, wishing to present

himself before the Hodja, author, Naman-Bai,

who is

desired a friend of the related to the Hodja, to

procure some Indian gold lirocade and Cashmere shawls as

gifts for

Vali-Khan.

European gave himself out sent

from'Bombay

Hodja demanded

him to

to

the

It is said that

to be an English agent,

Khan

his papers,

them

they were addressed.

sufficient to seal

the

doom

of

The

Kokan.

but the traveller told

that he could only deliver

whom

this

to the

person

This answer was

of the poor Eeringhee.

Judging from the date of the occurrence and the intelligence received subsequently in Europe, safely

it

may

be assumed that the European executed

at

Kashgar in 1857 was no other than the learned Prussian

Hindoo at

traveller,

servant

Yarkend.

Adolphe Schlagintweit.

who accompanied

him,

still

The

resides

Fiendish Murderi^ committed by the Hod^a. 2:29

The trated

ferocity of this

Hodja may further be

by the following story

:

illus-

—A Kashgarian who

had made some sword-blades, brought them to the Khan, accompanied

the

sw.ords

whether

into

which the maker answered

to

and with one blow he struck " Yes, if

this

man

It is

a

oflF

head of the

the

a good blade," he said, " give

is

Khlat

'

Hodja inquired

" Let us see," said the Hodja,

in the affirmative.

boy.

Taking one of

his son.

hand, the

his

was sharp,

it

by

'

(robe) of

honour

!"

on one

also related of Vali-Khan-Tiiria that,

occasion, he invited to his palace the

able personages of

Andijan merchants,

most respect-

Kashgar, together with several

and

according

custom called in some musicians.

to

Kashgar

During the

entertainment the stentorian voice of the

Hodja

" Executioner !"

His

was heard

to

cry

out,

trembling guests sat stupefied and aghast. executioner entered, his

finger to

his

body

before

guests and

and the Hodja pointed with

one of the musicians

prudently yawned.

The

who had

im-

His head was severed from

the eyes of the horror-stricken

taken away

to

be

placed

on

the

pyramid.

Men

as well as

women, Montenegrins, Montalba-

nians, adherents of the

White and Black Moun-,

230

Travels

in

Central Asia.

taneer parties, soldiers and mullahs alike

fell

victims

to the sanguinary predilections of the Hodja.

prisons were crowded,

at length

till

The

Kashgar from

one end to the other presented the appearance of a vast slaughter-house strewed with

national customs of Kashgar,

corpses.

differing

The

from those

of Kokan, were distasteful to the Hodja,

and per-

The

was pro-

secuted by him. hibited

;

the

national costume

women were

ordered, in imitation of

the Andijans, to cover their hair with a white kerchief

and not to venture out unveiled.

also forbidden strictly

to plait their hair,

enforced by the police.

and

Tor the

of this regulation the fair offenders

They were this

was

infraction

were shorn of

their tresses.

The males from the age wear a turban and gularly, to

to

of six were obliged to

frequent the mosques re-

which the Kashgarians were not accus-

tomed. It

may

easily

be imagined,

after all this,

intelligence of the advance of a

why

numerous body

the of

Chinese from Hi was hailed with universal delight.

Speedy release from such an all-paralysing terror

was anxiously and impatiently awaited, and moreover the Kashgarians

ment of Andijans

felt

aggrieved in the appoint-

to all the highest

ranks in the

Jealousy of the Official Appoint me iih.

army

and

at

231

Nor-Mohammed, former

court.

Aksakal of Kokan, was now Min-Bashi

Mohammed-Rahim was Mehter; Med-Karim-Kari was Hasnatch

Satykul, a Kipchak, was chief of the court

;

functionaries grant,

and Mussa Pansat, a Kashgar emi-

;

was general of the body guard

Kurshi was

Kokan.

the office of

;

by Essaul-Tokhtar, a native of

filled

The

respectively

different divisions of the

army were

commanded by Abdulla-Khan-Hodja,

a Sheikh, and

by

the forces sent

a former

to

Aksii

Chalgurt-Tokhta-Manju, adventurer, and

who

;

mehrem

in his expedition to

a

and

notorious robber

Margilan

butcher,

Khotan succeeded

ing possession of the large settlement of the road from Yarkend to Khotan.

had once been transported

;

and Khotan were under

obscure

an

of Tillia-Khan

in tak-

Puma

on

Tokhta-Manju

to the Southern govern-

ments of the Chinese Empire

for the

murder

Chinaman, but made

his escape thence to

in the disguise of a

Manchur

officer,

of a

Kashgar

where he

common soldier under the Aksakal of that town. Among the Kashgarians near the person of the Hodja, who still occupied prominent posts, was a certain Sheikh- Ahund from the settlement served as a

of Altyn-Artysh. influential

man

He

of the

was the wealthiest and only

White Mountain party

in all

232

Tracels in Central Asia.

Kashgar, his daughter being also married to VaU-

There were many Kashgarians and

khan-Tiiria.

Chalgurts in the army holding the rank of Colonel or " Pansad," but none of these possessed the conto him.

had access

fidence of the Hodja, or

This invidious preference

for

were originally common soldiers of the of Kokan, excited the jealousy

who

Andijans,

Aksakal

of the Kashgarian

patriots even from the very outset.

But by way of

illustration of his

first

joyful re-

ception in Kashgar, an Ahirad describes that on the

day

after the taking of

Artysh

Kashgar, the Bishkarim and

under the command of the Sheikh-

militia,

Ahund and two

Begs, waving their banners, and

sounding their timbrels, approached

his palace with

shouts of joy, demanding to see the Hodja and to

The

kiss his hands.

who

sight of the Kokanians,

surrounded the palace and refused to admit them, raised a loud

not

call

murmur

upon the Hodja

and property

after sacrificing

his cause,

in

" If

of discontent.

we may

our

lives

what claims have the

Andijans to his favour?" cried the

militia.

Here

Mussa-Pansad issued from the palace and

them for

laconically

:

told

" If your heads are not too heavy

your shoulders, then

self hold your peace "

in the

name

of Allah him-

After this the Kashgarians

dispersed silent, and thoroughly disenchanted.

233

Universal Feelings of Discontent arise.

The resources and the

of the country

Were soon exhausted,

cessation of trade as well as of every branch

of industry,

became

painfully

donkeys were impressed kettles, dishes,

and other

The

felt.

army;

the

for

horses and

copper

were seized

utensils

During one hundred days the

casting cannon.

whole population was occupied in siege works. addition to

the Hodja passed

In

the suspicions and cruelty of

this,

all

for

Named-Khan, while

all limits.

superintending the siege works,

TA'as

seized

and

exe-

cuted, and the civil and military officers were coninually being fined

the Min-Bashi was several

;

times imprisoned, and had to pay a heavy save

his

The

life.

An Uidacha

peril.

moment he expected

were in constant

Hodja

relates that every

state of ex-

The people, exhausted

siege works, prayed for the surrender of the

Chinese give

Such a

death.

citement could not last long.

by the

to

all

of

lives

of the

sum

fort,

the walls of which daily threatened to

way under

the pressure of the accumulating

waters of the Kizyl river.

denly arrived, and

who had been

all

A

Chinese force sud-

rejoiced.

The Min-Bashi,

sentenced to death, speedily retired

with his army, and fled to Kokan.

The Andijan merchants, during one hundred and

after

fifteen

having laboured

days

in.

conducting

234

'Travels in Central Asia.

the siege of the Chinese fort, followed on the heels of the Min-Bashi. Vali-Khan, left alone with a few

persons

whom

who it

still

remained

faithful to

him, among

must be observed there was not a

Kokanian,

fled to the

mountain

single

territory of Darvaz,

the ruler of which, Ismail-Shah,— first robbed him of

all

he brought with him from Kashgar, then,

the request of the

Khan

of

at

Kokan, delivered him up

to his enemies.

Dm-ing rily

this period,

15,000 individuals volunta-

emigrated from Kashgar to Kokan. The Chinese

now occupying Kashgar, were less violent

guilty of excesses no

than those of Vali-Khan. The surround-

ing villagers especially suffered from the exactions

and

cruelties of the Chinese,

hay, cattle, etc.

who

The windows,

wooden appurtenances

of the

seized their com, doors,

and other

mosques and tombs

of

the Hodjas \vere, to the great grief of the Mussulmen,

broken up

for

fuel.

The Kalmyks

stabled their

horses in the temples, maltreated the natives, and violated the

women.

But the Chinese soon

ap-

pointed Kattu-Beg to the post of Hokim-Beg of

Kashgar, a clever and energetic

man

;

who

in

a

short time restored the peace of the town, expelled

the

Kalmyks from Kashgar, and put an

stop to

all

lawless proceedings.

By

effectual

this Beg's ad-

Scenes of Bhodshed re-enacted in Kashgar. 235

who had

vice, all those

tion

taken part in the insurrec-

were seized and executed, as a warning to

The Sheikh- Ahund, who has been

others.

mentioned in

Ahund,

and

this sketch,

undergoing

after

his eldest son,

torture

sonment, were both beheaded

so often

his

;

effected their escape to Kurtka,

and

Kyzyimpri-

two other sons

whence they

ulti-

mately reached Kokan.

The other persons who were

sacrificed to the

rage of Vali-Khan, were of no note

cuted in

of fury,

fits

separate cages,

still

and

line

;

they were exe-

their heads,

placed in

the road leading to

the

gates of Kashgar.

The houses

of the Andijans were

occupied by

Kuldja and Yarkend Begs, who had arrived

Kashgar with the Chinese

troops.

executions of the Chinese lasted

August, 1858, so that

for

nearly

till

two

The

at

military

the month of entire years

Kashgar was the scene of torture and executions. Trade during

this

time gradually languished

became

utterly stagnant.

repressed

native industry

it

fruits

of

former

Kalmyks. foot,

The

The and

pursuits,

life

and the

labour were plundered by the corn-fields

were trampled under

and Kalmyk studs grazed

enclosures.

insecurity of

till

in the gardens

and

Vali-Khan, on his being brought to

236

Trave/ii in Central Asia.

Kokan, was imprisoned by the Khan of that place,

and the " ulems " decide .on flicted

punishment

the

many

on him for the murder of so relatives of the

Khan demanded

reparation,

by other applicants

who had offices

Aksakal of

in-

innocent

murdered Named-

and they were joined on the

fallen despot.

coniplaints,

many Koka-

for justice

In consequence of these

their

should be

that

Mussulmen. The

nians

requested to

(judges), ^yere

served Vali-Khan, were deprived of

among

;

these

Kashgar. The

was Nar-Mahomet,

case of Vali-Khan-Tiiria,

however, notwithstanding the demand of Hudoyar that he should be executed, took a favourable turn

him

for

by

all

in

consequence of his cause being espoused

The members

the Seids

of the Sahib-Zadde

family, whoenjoyed the fanatical respect of the whole

population of Turkestan, advocated the interests of

Vali-Khan so

skilfully, that

he not only escaped

punishment, but his accusers ^vere

in

prosecuted and compelled to pay very

The

case of the

class of Seids,

Hodja

aflPected

all

their turn

heavy

fines.

the whole privileged

descendants of IMahomet,

who

are

exempted from execution and corporal punishment. Possessing the general confidence the

people,

and assured

safety, they boldly

and respect

of their

reproach the

own

Khan

for

of

personal

any mis-

Advances from

the Kokcniians to the Chinese.

deeds, thus acting as a sort of check

upon an

237

other-

wise unlimited despotism. After this

Khan was

it

be understood why Hudoyai-

will

so strongly opposed

by

all

the

members

of the Sahib-Zadde family,

arid

The

enforced in the case

of

right of punishment,

Vali-Khan-Tima might

if

in future

to the other Seids or Hodjas.

placed

be applied

surveillance,

gave orders at the frontier towns for every

who

also

Hudoyar, however,

the latter under close

all

by the Hodjas.

and

Hodja

passed the barriers more than ten times to be

brought under a guard to Kokan. In the spring of 1858 a Kokanian ambassador

was sent

to

Kashgar

to

renew the former

relations

with that town, and to inform the Chinese that the

former

Khan was

flight of the

had produced

all

officials

extremely concerned at the

Hodja, and that the rebel

who

the disorders at Kashgar was then

in irons. This the Chinese believed, or at least pre-

tended to do

so.

The

negotiation was entrusted to

Nasyr-Eddin, ruler of Shabrikhan, who had been sent as envoy in 1847, shortly after the rebellion of

the seven Hodjas. Matters were speedily arranged,

and the Kokanians received permission their

own

to have

Aksakal, and to trade on the same terms

as formerly.

The post of Aksakal was conferred

238 on

Travels hi Central Asia.

same Nasyr-Eddin, with the

this

The Kokan Aksakal month

arrived

at

title

of Datha.

Kashgar

of August, with a small caravan,

in the

and accom-

A

panied by 5000 Kashgarians of both sexes.

new Hakim-Beg, Alych, was appointed about time at years,

Kashgar.

was a man of advanced

He

.

but notwithstanding his

age,

every sensual vice without restraint.

Beg, his

assistant,

title

of Tiadzi,

light blue ball,

Beg,

who

Sypergu-Beg,

indulged

a

native of ball,

and

and the Sybergu-Beg wears a

and ranks

formerly

in

The Ishkaga-

The Hakim-Beg has a red

Yarkend. the

is

this

filled

in the fifth class.

Kutlu-

the post of Hakim-Beg,

was made governor of the settlement of Faizabad, but has subsequently been named Hakim-Beg of Ush-Turfan.

CHAPTER Trans-lli

and Chu

VII.

Districts.

—By

Veninkof.

—

Almaty or Vernoe.

EoRT Vernoe was Russians

first

founded

occupied

Ranging aldng the

in

the

1864, when the Trans-lli

foot of the Alataii

region.

chain, the

small but picturesque Almatynka rivulet, issuing

out

of the mountains, branches out into

several

small streams, that irrigate this military-agricultural colony, the population

between

five

and

six

Russian military and

of which consists of

thousand inhabitants. civil

administrations

The being

centred here, the place wears an animated appearance.

Unfortunately, notwithstanding the abun-

dance of stone in these parts, and in spite of the great scarcity of timber, which only grows in the

mountains, Almaty

is

entirely built of

wood.

As

240

Travels in Central As.in.

yet the houses have a clean and cheerful exterior,

but they will soon become dingy.

The preference

shewn by the Slavonic race

generally

for hasty

have to be

then

perishable

constructions

regretted.

The greater part

Almaty

engaged in agriculture, which

fair

are

will

of the inhabitants of yields a

remuneration for the labour bestowed on

and the Government buys up at

and

good

prices.

It lies

all

it,

the surplus grain

in 43° 16' N.

Almaty, we are entitled to suppose, will soon

become a place

of

no small commercial importance

The small Tartar

to all Central Asia.

a mosque,

now forming

settlement,

gives promise

the southern part of the

which

of Almaty,

developed in

of being

time into a large trading town. position

village with

is

The geographical mid-way between

Kuldja and Kokan, and on the road from Kashgar to

Semipalatinsk, justifies us in anticipating that

many merchants from tries

will

the three neighbouring coun-

convergence of

the

Asiatic commerce.

various

routes

is

Trading caravans, which so

usually passed

of

Central

Accordingly we find that the

commercial importance of Vernoe annually.

this point of

transfer their activity to

increasing late as

by without stopping, now

1856

always

halt here for traffic, although as yet supplying only

Favourable Agricultural Conditions of Vernoe. 241

Large purchases of

wants.

local

made each

are also

cattle

year in the vicinity for Kuldja, Tash-

kend,

and Petropavlovsk, which

distant

upwards of 800 miles from Vernoe.

The are

level of the sea is

Its

about 2500

height above the

feet,

and the mean

moisture of the air in spring, after mid-day,

This hygrometric

parching

052.

is

range clearly shows that

the

the Steppe does not affect a sub-

air of

mountainous

is

Almaty colony

agricultural conditions of the

extremely favourable.

place

latter

but

region;

is,

on the

contrary,

counteracted by the proximity of perpetual snows.

The humidity of the atmosphere, however,

prevails

only within a narrow zone bordering the mountains, at

a

decreases,

from

distance

certain

upon which the

which

it

rapidly

vegetation, thus deprived

of moisture, becomes entirely scorched towards the

commencement

of June.

The

latitude of

Vernoe

(43° 16') is almost identical with that of Marseilles.

But the

influence of a far inland climate,

combined

with the greater elevation of the former, produces a

marked

while the hot cessful

two

difference between these

summer

cultivation

of

places, for,

Almaty favours the

of grapes, pears

suc-

and melons,

plants requiring a mild winter, cannot be reared.

The range

of temperature during the .

year

R

is

as

~\~

Trmeh

much

106°

as

Fahr.

rising as high as 97°, to 9°

Ccnlral Asia.

im

;

the

heat

and the cold

summer

in winter falHng

Fahr.

The Kirghizes Vernoe

is

in

J'ernoe.

— The

features to

local

me

on

my

many

life,

—

with which

I

interesting

The

first arrival.

my

inhabitants facilitated

its

Sultan Ali.

the metropolis of the Kirghizes of the Great

Horde, and as such, presented

of

in

hospitality

observations of

soon became

familiar.

I

was particularly struck by the Kirghizes, who rode through the streets of Almaty with the same

and ease that they exhibit

archal dignity

The

Steppe.

camel,

"arghamak"

or

cow,

Turkoman

or

affluent

Kirghiz,

mount any other animal but Oxen and camels

in the

long-necked

and the Steppe

active, are seen be-

stridden by these gaily dressed Djigit,

the

horse,

but exceedingly

low,

trotter,

the

patri-

cavaliers.

however,

will

A

real

never

a thorough-bred horse.

are exclusively

owned by shepherds

and husbandmen, or " eginitches," while the argha-

mak

is

only found in possession of the wealthy and

distinguished,

Sultan Ali the Horde,

This old his day,

/.

man

and even by them is used but seldom. is

e.

the head of the largest division of of those

known

as

Dulat Kirghizes.

has seen a great deal of ad\ enture in

and having

at various

times been subject

243

Itifervicir loith Sulirm JJi.

to three States, he has learned to

adapt himself to

the customs of different countries.

many

In

instances

natural

his

ready wit were remarkable. of his intention of paying at the

same time

I

had been hiformed

a

visit,

me

to regard

cunning and

and was told

as a special honour,

it

seeing that the descendant of Ablai-Khan was not at

all

Although he received an

given to visiting.

allowance of 350 rubles

or about £52. \Qs.,

silver,

from the Russian Government, when required to attend at

Vemo^ on

official

business,

easy matter to ensure his presence military Ali,

head of the

district

it

The Russian

introduced

and the interview took place

was no

at

me

to

my own

quarters, in order that the dignity of a Russian officer,

sent

they

as

supposed

direct

Emperor, should not be compromised of the Kirghizes.

old in

I exerted

from the

in the

eyes

myself to please the

man, assuring him that he held a high place

my

estimation on account of the lofty position

he held in the Horde, and that

I appreciated the

me by his visit. Ali was and paid me the usual extravagant

honour he was paying equally polite,

Asiatic compliments. I said to him,

" I do not doubt, Sultan,"

" that your people are

having you for their

ruler.

happy

in

Your fame had readied R 2

244

Travels

me it

even at

St.

in

Cenfral Jsia.

now

Petersburg, and

see

I

that

represented only half your merits." "

Do

govern

man

not say so," answered the old

my

Padishah

people according to the decrees of the

—may

Heaven protect him

is

a rude block at

and serviceable

seemly

as

are the block, the deputy

him and

— and

is

a piece

arm-chair, under

my

and

I

people

Were

the joiner.

the Padishah,

his

but becomes

first,

this

the skilful hands of the joiner.

not for

!

As you must know,

deputy, the Pristav. of timber

" I

;

we should

it

always

remain blocks." "

You

are too modest,

speak whose wit razor,

and whose

as steel ?

AH

is

Can

Sultan.

he thus

as sharp as the well-stropped

will,

inclined to good,

of us certainly

fulfil

is

as hard

the wishes of

the Emperor, and

every one

obey the Pristav

but you. Sultan, are yourself

;

of high degree in the Horde.

in

Vernoe should

The

allegiance of

your people to the Padishah depends on you." "

My

people cannot but be faithful to the Padi-

shah and obedient to those he sets over live

together here as two hands.

are the right-hand,

we

the

left,

You

us.

We

Russians

and the Pristav

is

the head " (he here joined his hands, making the fingers

of one

fit

between those of the

other).

245

Instances of All's Astuteness.

*'

It

were indeed bad

the right, and

the

if

left

both did not

if

hand disobeyed the orders of

fulfil

the head." Ali, as already

three rulers.

mentioned, has been a subject of

In his youth he went to Pekin, to be

Bogdo-Khan

presented at the Court of the

but about

he

this visit

For a long time

Iziatsin;

not fond of conversing.

is

the

after

whole of

his

tribe

acknowledged the power of Kokan, although deputies from the

Horde had previously sworn

giance to Russia.

and

one occasion, the Sultan

his Bis, perceiving that the

bent on abolishing,

dependence of to

On at

alle-

any

cost,

the Horde

Kokanians were even the nominal

to Russia, determined

oppose their machinations by

force,

and planned

an attack on Kopal, which belonged to Kokan. Ali,

who with

his tribe

was then roaming along

them

the Koksu, was chosen by

But the

outbreak. lating

the

Enraged

artful

at this, the Sultans

"

him with cowardice. winds and

trails

at the entrance that

glides

in."

it

the

after calcu-

held

success,

aloof.

and Bis reproached

Most worthy Sultans and

Bis," Ali wrote, " the serpent, its nest,

commence

politician,

of

probabilities

to

when on

along slowly

erects itself

its ;

it

way is

to

only

and quickly

This answer disarmed their wrath,

"240

Travels in Central Asia.

and delayed the

enterprise,

which was ultimately

abandoned.

The Great Horde.— On the 24th May, 1859, joined

I

moved

an

to the

West from Vernoe, and on

day crossed the Kes-Kelen. a considerable rich

leads across a path into the

Kes-Kelen

we

Kebin

bordered by at its source

The

valley.

forms the limit of forests to the

defile

west of Vernoe

is

The road

land.

the next

This river contains

body of water, and

meadows and

which

detachment,

expeditionary

beyond

;

that,

to

the

It-Kichu,

did not observe a single tree, only the bar-

berry, briar,

observed,

as

and some

othei

a general rule,

bushes. that

It

may be

the forests of

Central Asia occur only on the slopes of mountains,

whose

summits are covered with

which supply the absence

of this

soil

with

moisture.

necessary condition,

the

snow,

In

the

atmo-

sphere of the Steppe exhausts the young trees as

soon as they commence to bud. The totally woodless character of the southern slopes of the mountains is

readily explained

by

this dryness of the air.

In the sultry valley of the Chu, near the mouth of the Karakanus, close to the

we observed

bed of the

of the mulberry

rivulet,

and peach.

a few trees growing

but these consisted

7

Progress of Civilization among the Kirghizes. 2 4.

Between the Keskelen and Kestek, dually

left

Vernod behind

joined by a escort

band

in the

it

us, our

these

most renowned

of the

It

was gratifying

men some symptoms

of the Sultans

and

to observe

of civilization, for

which they are exclusively indebted

Some

volunteered to

of the Horde, distinguished e'ther for their

valour or high birth. in

gra-

hopes of receiving some remuneration.

Amongst them were some

men

we

detachment was

who

of Kirghizes,

as

to the Russians.

Bis, in conversing with

me, expressed a desire to have their sons educated in

some

of the Russian military schools,

and loudly

inveighed against their wives and relatives

posed the scheme, through dread, after leaving their native auls, religion,

and

early

Other Kirghizes

mode

of

is

their

life.

whom we encountered here were

a few European habits.

Russians

op-

the children,

would forsake

to a certain degree self-educated,

fessed that the

lest

who

result

It

of

and had acquired

must, hoM'ever, be con-

their contact with

the

also but too frequently displayed in

a

development of vicious habits, many having become inveterate drunkards.

The Great Horde

gives fairer promise of civiliza-

tion than either of the others,

first,

on account of the

more favourable geographical conditions

of

the

~ iy

Travels

Steppe

and secondly, owing to the

occupies,

it

special attention paid

by the Russian Government

The

organization.

its

Central Asia.

in.

internal government of the

Horde, and the administration of justice by Bis,

its

own

have been retained without any. change, thus

offering

good guarantees

Bis, or

esteemed

known and

and natural

for a steady

The judgments

development of the people.

the

to

elders, are

of the

prompt, and based ou

universally recognised customs of

the Kirghizes, and produce consequently the hap-

The only

piest results.

objection to this system

that the judge takes presents from both sides. this

way

In

the most influential Sultans and Bis accu-

mulate considerable wealth. gifts,

is,

In addition to these

the elder Sultans yearly receive a sheep from

each of their respective auls, on which they feed the

who

applicants

This

is

in

seek their counsel and judgments.

accordance with the

which requires the judge those

who

terests.

entrust to

The

still

and feed

him the defence

all

of their in-

more impor-

those referred to the Bis

more

and murders, are

and

shelter

superior Sultans decide

tant matters than

cases of a

to

national custom,

;

but

serious nature, such as barantas

settled in a council of both Sultans

Bis.

In Mr. Levchin's work on the Kirghiz Steppes,

249

Distribution of the Great Horde.

there

very

is

information

little

Great Horde, which between

was scarcely

A

accessible.

concerning

the

1820-30

the years

brief account

of its

composition will therefore not be unacceptable in this place.

Three principal divisions of within Russian territory

— the

Horde roam

this

Djalairs, the Atbans,

which include the Suvans, and the Dulats, with various branches,

Chu

some of which wander beyond the

to the Talas

and Boraldai mountains.

The most nu-

amalganiate with the Uisuns.

last

merous

They

of the Dulats.*

division is that

These

oc-

cupy the whole region to the North-East of the Chu and Alatau range,

as far as the southern extremity

Lake Balkhash and the Altyn-Imel

of

thence eastward to the River Turgen.

eastward

it

;

part of

region

this

is

whom wander

where they pay tribute * The following of the Dulats

:

Still

and

further

extends along the ChUiu and Charyn,

and along the right banks of the

Koksu

pass,

is

Di, as far as the

occupied by the Atbans, a in

the Chinese dominions,

for their pasturages.

the composition of the priacipal sub-divisions

—The Seikym

branch numbers about 795 aids

the

;

Djanys, consisting of the Djailymys, Bals, Kybrai, Kashkaran, and other tribes, 1090 auls; the Butpai, with the Chogai, Kudaigul, and

Isenbai tribes, auls

;

and

Chemir, 1770

785 auls;

Itsy, 300.

The

latter

roam along the lower course

aiils;

camp on the

of the Hi.

Sary-Usium, 300

island of

.

Komau, and

250

Travels in Central

The

J-s:la.

Djalairs are diffused throughout the belt to

extreme North of the Great Horde along the

the

river Karatal

and

small affluents.

its

These form the largest group of the three sions of the

mated

may be

Horde, and the numbers

The Atbans

25,000.

at

diviesti-

(including the

Suvans) are inferior to them in numbers, and embrace not more than 20,000. These figures, however, it

should be understood are mere approximations, the

obstacles in the

way

of forming a correct estimate

being almost insuperable especially the

and

;

with

case

the

this

is

Great

still

more

Horde, the

Kirghizes of which are not subjected to any regular taxes.

The

figures given above are founded on state-

ments of certain Bis

as to the

number

yurts occupied by the two divisions.

way

it

may be computed

and Uisuns amounts

that the

of

In the same

at the lowest to

differs

given

somewhere about but very

115,000,

slightly

from

and

number of Dulats 70,000;

that the whole population of the Great

reach

aiils

Horde must

which

that

so

figure

originally

by Keppen.

The Kirghizes had

when our

corps

Numerous

left

retired

to

the

mountains

Vernoe.

aids of the various Dulat tribes were

scattered over the sub-mountainous region of the

251

Zoology of the Steppe.

Alatau, and along some of the rivulets where rich grass grows on the banks even at a considerable

distance fiom the hiUs.

In

month

the

May,

of

rally oflFer rich pasturages,

obliged

to

of

in

flies

the

the

but the Kirghizes are the swarms

protect themselves from

the low

to the

cattle,

cution

fairly

and

by

month

into

retiring

are a great scourge

flies

their

exhaust the

It is only in the

by

grounds

These

mountains.

gene-

Steppes

perse-

incessant

unfortunate

animals.

of July that the Kirghizes

descend to the plains, and then with but a small portion of their cattle, leaving the rest just below the snow-hne until the beginning of autumn.*

Zoology of the Steppe.

—Fauna. —To

the

Almaty the Alatau mountains gradually elevation, river,

till

West

of

lose their

at the upper course of the Kastek

they barely attain a height of 7500

But immediately beyond

* Towards the end

of July,

this

on

my

feet.

stream the conical-

return from the river Chu,

after ascending the Talgar, I fell in with

some large herds of

well-

fed horses and colts at an elevation of at least 9000 feet above the level of the sea,

and perhaps higher.

The one disadvantage

of these

away by marauding parties of Dikokamenni Kirghizes, especially of the

mountain sojourns

is

that the herds are very frequently driven

Slaty and Sary-bagysli tribes.

—

253

Trcweh

in

Central Asia.

its

rounded

feet.

In the

shapedSuok-Tiube (peak) mountain rears

summit

to a height of nearly

fissures

A

of

slopes the

its

;

10,000

snow remains

until July.

defile or depression in the ridge to the East of

Suok-Tiube

off'ers

times after

still

blows through

weather a strong Southerly wind

it

for

more than two hours.

has been previously

atmosphere

wind increases

Some-

a strange phenomenon.

If the

distm-bed,

in force towards the evening,

this

and

as-

sumes a Northerly direction from behind Suok-

Hence

Tiube.

mountain

it

might be inferred that the cold

descends

air

such times, while the

at

heated atmosphere of the plains lying to the North of the chain ascends to the top

but

;

this

surmise

requires to be confirmed by more accurate obser-

vation.*

What in the

are the animals

neighbourhood of the snowy mountains, where

the climate varies as

may

* in

A

which occupy the Steppe

we ascend?

This question

seriously engage the attention of the zoologist

somewhat

Northern

similar

Italy,

phenomenon

is

familiar to Alpine travellers

where, as for instance, on the Lakes of Como,

Lugano, Iseo, and Garda, a strong wind springs up pretty regularly towards sunset, and lasts two or three hours. It is less conspicuous

on Lago Maggiore, and cliain,

unless the

diblurbauce

is

somewhat

known

as the

unknown on

similar,

the northern side of the

but more capricious atmospheric

Eohu Ijc presumed

to be analogous.

[Ed.]

253

TFlId Sports of the KtrghAzes.

but

not void of interest for any and

it is

traversing the Steppes

persons

all

In the

Central Asia.

of

barren, woodless tracts, every evidence

of organic

existence involuntarily arrests the attention of the traveller.

Beyond those animals bred

number

of

mammals

speaking, not great.

man's

Steppe

is,

use, the

generally

The most numerous

are the

These follow the droves of the Kirghizes,

wolves.

and

in the

for

among

the shepherds and in the

aiils.

The loud barking

of the dogs on such occa-

sions

is

create panics

distinctly

heard throughout the neigh-

bourhood.

The next fox,

'

in

numerical abundance

marten, and marmot,

in the valleys of the

many

are

:

—the

of which are found

mountain streams.

Besides

these there are in the mountains and forests, bears, antelopes (saiga), red deer, tigers.

At the numerous

arkharas,

points

and a few

where the waters

of the rivulets running from the Alatau are choked

with reeds, wild boars abound in great numbers.

These are sometimes hunted by the Kirghizes, who organise battues for the amusement this sport aifords

them. the

A

wild-boar hunt

Cossacks when on

then feed well and

is

always a gala time for

the march, because they

make up

for their usual scanty

2")4

fare,

Trrirch in CenfraJ A>iin.

humorously replying

to over inquisitive stran-

gers that

tlieir

commissariat

reeds

swim

in

or

the

bide

cattle

in the

Lake or

Tssyk-kul

river

Chu. the winter the inhabitants of the

In

stations

around Almaty occasionally catch porcupines. shrew mouse

The

and Siberian jerboa (alactaga) are also

frequently found in the fields, but these animals do

no great damage

to the crops.

Birds are far more abundant in the Steppes of the Great Horde,

if

not in actual quantity, at least

The most common

in variety of species.

black grouse and the starling

are, the

Rosens,

of these

Pall.),

which

{Sturm ui^

collect in large flocks,

seen both running upon the Steppe

and

and

are

flying.

Eagles are seen in the mountains, and pheasants are frequently found in the valleys.

shot

by

The

latter are

the inhabitants of Almaty, and sent for

sale as far

The peewit frequents

even as Omsk.

the

stone tombs of the Kirghizes, and allows itself to

be

easily caught.

It is so

not attempt to escape even

pommel

sects

it

does

when placed upon

the

of the saddle.

The most numerous lizards

tame indeed that

and

are also

serpents

reptiles ;

of the

Steppe

and some species

common, such

as

are,

of in-

the phaJan(/ium,

Phalangmm.

Effects of the Bite of the

the karakurt,

the scutiger

and the chafer

damage

to the

On

the sun.

arenarius,

The

(cicada).

255

the

cricket,

latter does

no small

young corn before

scorched by

it is

the other hand, the venomous pha-

langium and karakurt are especially dangerous to

man.

The plialangium

spider, often

rows in the

of these parts

more than an inch

Where

earth.

the naturalist will rarely

venomous

the soil fail

it.

The

least

a large

to

sandy

is

all,

clay,

in with this

fall

Those who are obliged

insect.

the bare ground should, above against

is

long, which bur-

to lie on

take precautions

movement, or so much

as an involuntary contraction of the muscles during sleep, is

to occasion a bite, because the

sufficient

which

insect immediately grasps at the object from it

anticipates danger.

The phalangium

will,

ever, creep harmlessly over a motionless body.

the

moment

of the bite the pain

is

how-

At

inconsiderable,

something resembling that attending the sting of

The pain

the gnat, but the results are dreadful.

spreads quickly over the whole frame, accompanied

with fever, and

The only remedy

total

exhaustion

before the poison has

through the veins,

is

cupping;

always practicable, because the bitten part.

rapidly

but

More than

fifteen

circulated

this

it is difficult

follows.

is

not

to discover

of our

men

~5G

Travels

Central Asia.

in

suffered from the bite of this insect, and two of

them most

severely,

during the

night,

some time had

as

and

discovered

when

elapsed,

it

bitten

only after

the effects of the poi-

son began to show themselves.

One man who was

had very fortunately caught the phdangium

bitten

while

had been

they

still

ou his body, upon which he was

at once

cupped, and thus directly relieved of the conse-

quences of the

The

bite.

bite of the karakurt (earth

more dangerous than

spider)

ammonia

still

that of the phalangium, or

even that of the scorpion or tarantula. stances

is

In

all

in-

administered internally with

is

success.

Serpents

and

lizards

are

plentiful

about

the

Steppe, especially in the neighbourhood of reeds

and water, while the prevalence of venomous sects

is

confined to dry

eagerly exterminate

in-

The Kirghizes

localities.

the serpents, in apprehension

of danger to their cattle. that serpents are very

It

may be

here observed

numerous on the Northern

slopes of the Alatau, while the Southern declivities

of the range,

teem with

and more

jjJialanffia.

especially the

The

latter

Chu

Valley,

crawl from the

sandy shores of the Hi over the axid Steppe, to the

West from Kastek to Kurdai and

Dala-Kailar, and

Passaf/e of the Alafah C/ialn.

;257

thence spread Westwards over the desert Steppe of Betpak-dala, as well as Eastwards to the Kebin

There are

river.

tains,

\i.o

phalangea either in the moun-

where, owing to the moisture in the atmos-

phere the grass does not wither in the sun, or in the valleys, where the same conditions are preserved

by

irrigation

be made,

if

;

halts for the night should therefore

possible, in such places.

Passage over the Alatoh- Clm noissance.

—From the Kastek

— Unsuccessful Reconon the banks of

rividet,

which we halted for about a week,

several roads lead

The

to the Chu, across the Alatau Mountains.

first

and most difficult is that through the S uok-Tiube pass, which winds through wild and rocky Kastek

rivulet, after

rections.

which

it

defiles

up the

branches off in two

One,a narroAvbridle-pathjleads

to

di-

theKara-

Bulak, and the other to the Kara-Kupus streams.

This latter route

is

frequented by caravans, when,

from the accumulation of water

in the

are obliged to cross the river above

ther route, presenting greater

Chu, they

Tokmak.

Ano-

facilities for travellers,

leads along the Bish-Mailak stream, across the upper

course of the Djamanty, which likewise afterwards

emerges on the Kara-Kunus, opposite Tokmak.

was

along this latter that

we determined

It

to proceed.

258

Travels in Central Asia.

The detachment moved rapidly up the ascent summit

of twelve miles to the

of the mountains

crossed the ridge on the 7th of June.

the

I

and

measured

mountain rising near the source of the Dja-

manty, and found

its

height to be 7450 feet above

the level of the sea.

The view from

this

point

one of surpassing

is

grandeur, and produces a lasting impression on the

mind.

In the foreground extends the broken out-

line of

the craggy

chain

the Kirghiz Alatau,

of

beyond the Eastern extremity

of which, at a distance

of no less than one hundred miles, clearly-defined

summits of the

Celestial Mountains,

Lake Issyk-Kul.

overhanging

are visible the

Below, under the

very feet of the wondering traveller,

spreads the

Valley of the Chu, through which the river, whose

borders are fringed with green waving reeds, winds

The

in a silvery line.

bears from

a distance

cottage

the

in

Through the

midst

little

Tokmak*

appearance of a small

the of

fortress of

the

clear blue sky, the

mountain Steppe.

snowy peaks

ot the

Kirghiz-Alatau glimmer in the western horizon, and the

Chu

When,

Valley gradually widens in that direction. after a

narrow and

journey of eighteen miles along a

very

* This was in 1859

;

hilly

pathway,

the fortress

is

we

now no longer

descended in existence.

Fate of a Bobber of the Steppe. into this valley,

The

aspect,

sun,

and

the

defiles

it

it

of a dismal and barren

was everywhere scorched by the

grass

was necessary to drive the in

should recover aiils

we found

259

cattle

into

that

they

from the fatiguing journey.

No

search

so

of pasture,

or herds were visible

;

occasionally a solitary

armed horseman, watching the movements of our corps,

would appear

moment, fully

in the distance,

and,

dispel the solitude of the scene.

for a I care-

examined the neighbourhood, which had been

previously visited but

covered that

we

by few Europeans, and

stood

to the

close

spot

dis-

where

Kenisar Kasimof, celebrated in the annals of the Steppe, was killed by the Kirghizes. lant

marauder long incited the Russian Kirghizes 1840-50

revolt during the years his

This turbu-

;

but at

to

last lost

head on the banks of the Chu, near the mouth of

the Kara-Kunus.

The

following are the sole re-

corded particulars of this event driven

by

the

:

—After having been

Russian troops to the extreme

Southern part of the Steppe, he here encountered

new

opponents

in

the

Kara-Kirghizes.

The

treachery and continual depredations of Kenisar at last so

exasperated the long-suffering Dikokamenni

Kirghizes, that they fiayed his

body in a cauldron, and

him his

alive

and boiled

head, after s

2

being

Trarcis in Central Jsia.

i()i)

struck

off,

was exhibited

at

Kopal and Tashkend.

Government rewarded the Manap

The Russian

Urman, who had been the most suit of the rebel,

by conferring on him the rank

of

and gave twelve gold medals

to

lieutenant-cojonel

the chiefs

;

who had taken

soon

mencement

this

after

Nifantief visited

structed the

first

part

in

the battle

which Kenisar was taken.

Kiklik-Sengir, in

1847,

in the pur-

active

the

map

event,

the

it.

This

In

topographer

Alatau country, of

at

and

con-

was the com-

knowledge of the regions ad-

of our

joining

Kokan and

the Celestial Mountains.

Our

halt at the

Kara-kunus was marked by an

untoward occurrence. panied

us,

The Kirghizes who accom-

hearing that a party of the Dikokamenni,

having paid a depredatory

after

visit to their auls,

were on their way back, and woidd cross the Chu at Kiklik-Sengir,

determined at

Our

tercept the robbers. in

number

500

to the

strong,

it

all

hazards to

in-

Kirghizes, being inferior

Dikokamenni, who were about

was necessary to reinforce them with

50 Cossacks.

But the impatience of the

had resulted

in

a

Asiatics

disastrous termination of the

affair

before the

Cossacks had time to reach the

scene

of action.

A

Djigits

Sultan, a Batyr,

and three

were taken prisoners by the Dikokamenni

!

Marvellous Recovery from Severe Wounds. 261 Kirghizes, and

a

Kirghiz

of the

assaiUng party

was wounded in the chest by a spear, the point of

which entering

his back,

broke one of his

but two days

53 miles

distant,

than a month, as

Whether is

pierced

the

lungs,

which protruded through the

this

after returned to his aul, about

and was again on horseback in if

nothing had happened

facility of

recoveiy

when on

the march, or

skilful surgical

M'hether

it is

less

!

from wounds

attributable to the moderate diet of the

am

and

This man, strange to say, not only remained

skin. alive,

ribs,

Asiatics

owing

to tlie

treatment of the native doctors,

I

not prepared to say.

Geograp-hical particulars relating to the its Valley.

—As the new

situated in latitude43°

3',

Russian

fort of

Chu and

Kastek

is

and the embouchure of the

great Kebin, into the Chu,

lies in 4.2° 4',

it

would

seem that the breadth of the Alatau in the meridian of this fort is

about 30 miles. The southern slope of this

latter ridge is abrupt,

poor in vegetation, and affords

no convenience, even

for

slope

is

gated.

richer in grasses

nomad

life.

and more

They both descend on

The northern

plentifully irri-

plains,

tend high above the

level of the sea.

observations, though

made during

which ex-

Barometrical

a short period of

262

Travels

i/i

Central Asia.

3200

time, gave the height of Kastek at

3600

feet for the

Tokmak

bed

of the

When we

fort.

Chu

and

feet,

near the former

consider the low level of

the Syr-Daria Steppes, about Telekul-tat, Saumalkul, Babystyn-kul,

and other

lakes,

easy to

it is

account for the rapid current of the Chu.

It is a

turbid stream, running apparently along a horizontal

but watering in reality a Steppe, rising

plain,

pretty rapid

The reeds

inclination.

current, but, though they are thus

water

is still

very

protect

away by

banks from being washed

at a

the

the swift

defended, the

muddy.

The Chu emerges from the

Celestial

mountains

under the name of the Koshkar, and runs

first in

North-Easterly direction to the lake Issyk-Kul.

a

Its

high valley contracts here in some parts into narrow After breaking through the rocky Kizyl-

ravines.

Ompol

ridge, the

Koshkar

issues suddenly into the

basin of a neighbouring lake, pursues

its

course for

three miles farther, and throwing off on the East a

small branch,

the

Kutemaldy,

with the whole body of tains.

bears idea of

its

disappears

waters into the moun-

The wild gorge through which the its

name

of

rapidity

Boam.

again

In order to

at this part,

it

say that from Issyk-Kul to the old

loishes

it

form an

is sufficient

Tokmak

fort,

to a

Interne Dryness of the Air in the Steppe

distance of

47

miles,

it

has a

fall

of

1600

is

inuch

its

whole course of 2067 miles, from

greater

Astrakhan.

than that

Even 20 miles

less

after

it

its

source to

emerges from current

its

over

not

is

than 10 feet per second.

The mouth

which commences

valley of the Chu,

of the

Already at Pishpek

than

from North

1 1 miles across

to the

at the

Kebin and Djel-aryk, rapidly widens

towards the West.

it is

South

to

no

less

farther

;

West, near It-Kichu, the distance between

the mountains on the right and still

which

feet,

the Volga

of

the mountains, the swiftness of

263

greater.

bank, becomes

left

There are few places on the surface

of the earth where the dryness

of the atmosphere

reaches such an extreme point, as

did here on the

it

10th June, the humidity of the atmosphere on that

day being expressed

at

0.12!

This figure

lowest hitherto obtained in any country.

and Rose made

boldt, Ehrenberg,

the

is

Hum-

observations on

the dryness of the air in the Steppes bordering the Irtysh,

when they

got 0.16 as a result.

Even the

Khorassan expedition of 1858 did not find lower than 0.14 in Northern Persia. this dryness

The

it

effect of

appears in the monotony and paucity

of the vegetable

kingdom

of the

Chu

in its little adaptability for settlements.

valley,

and

The majes-

264 power of

tic

Central Aura.

'J'racela in

nataire presents itself here in striking

man, and

contrast to the impotence of

that imtil the Caspian

safely asserted

with the Black Sea,

can be

it

is

connected

waters reduced to the same

its

level as those of the ocean,

and their surface spread

over a portion of the Volga, Turkmen, and Oren-

burg Steppes, so long tral

Cen-

will the greater part of

Asia remain incapable of development.

As the

Chu

valley of the

gradually widens,

resemblance to a desert becomes stronger.

its

Only

along the Southern borders of the plain, a zone, well-watered, and consequently

dure and groves of apricot and

marked with c)ther trees,

its

tributaries

extends

On

along the base of the Alatau mountains.

North bank of the Chu

ver-

the

terminate

with the Dali-Kaipar rivulet, beyond which, farther to the

West, spreads a barren waste.

that, notwithstanding

table

nature

described region.

of

much

this

It is strange

the melancholy and inhospiregion,

earlier

than

Information respecting

it

was

visited

even the it

is

and

Trans-Ili

contained in

the works of Pospelof, Burnashef, Teliatnikof, and

Potanin.

Additional particulars were gathered by

Colonel Schultz,

who was

sent to the

Chu

in

1S52

from Siberia, to explore the surrounduig country with a view

to its military capabilities

and prospect

Animal Life

in the J^alley

"

of agricultural development.

265

of the Chu.

At ordinary times,"

says that officer, " the depth of water in the Chu,

from the Tulu tomb to Sauman-kul Lake, than two

is

not less

feet, which increases to a fathom

half at full water during spring,

At

banks become submerged. vans are unable to ford the construct rafts of reeds,

when

river,

and a

the depressed

this

period, cara-

and must therefore

bound together by ropes

which they transport their goods

of camel hair, on

swim the

across, forcing the cattle to

As

river.

the waters subside the river becomes fordable in

many at

places, the

most frequented fords being those

Kazangan, Tasty, Toi-tiube, Bish-kurgan, and Fish are pretty plentiful in the

Kara-utkul. particularly

Venomous

in

the adjoining lake

insects are less

valley of the

Chu

Beger-kul.

of

numerous

river,

in

the lower

than in the upper part of

its

course.

Gnats and moths on the other hand are a

positive

scourge

to

man and

abundance of these insects quantity of reeds, which, line

owing

innumerable

is

The

to the great

should be observed,

both banks of the Chu from Tokmak.

height of these reeds

and

it

is

beast alike.

The

sometimes three fathoms,

boars,

and even

tigers,

find

shelter in these jungle-like recesses.

"

The

tiger

is

common

in the Steppe,

throughout

266

Travels in Central Asia.

Central Asia, particularly in the reeds and copses

along the banks of the rivers. region this

In the Trans-Ili

animal prowls in the mountains, and

Beyond the

has even been shot near Vernoe.

Hi,

however, tigers are generally not so numerous as on the

Syr-Uaria

Northwards,

the

in

Fort

about

(Jaxartes)

heart

range of this animal extends as

Steppe,

the

of

far

Perofski.

as Kopal,

the i. e.,

to 45° latitude; and isolated individuals have been

encoimtered farther North than this comparatively

high

Towards the East,

parallel.

the large -wild cat fact

up

is

to the 49th

in Manchjuria,

found much farther North,

and even 50th

parallel.

in

Owing to

the abundance of food, the latter attains, in these regions, a great size."

As

a pendent to these purely geographical ob-

Chu

servations on the

w^ords

relative to the

serve to explain

must

region,

must add a few

Barren Desert.

why our knowledge

necessarily be limited to

of local objects, without

who

I

They

of these parts

a dry enumeration

touching on the people

only stray into these wilds by chance.

Betpak-dala,"

say Pospelof

covered with thorns and scarcity

of water

which are few

in

it is

will

"

The

and Burnashef, "is

wormwood

;

owing

to the

uninhabited, and the wells,

number, often contain bad water.

The Barren Desert of Betpak-dala.

Although

in

caravans

the spring,

may

267

obtain

a

supply of this element from the thawing snows, in

summer they

the

dig wells

are obliged at their night halts to

two fathoms below the

The

surface.

whole breadth of the Steppe, from North to South, along the road from Semipalatinsk to Tashkend,

one hundred and twenty miles. side, or

more properly in

marshes are numerous

when

;

On

its

Southern

depressed valley,

its

is

salt

these overflow in spring

the snows dissolve, but become completely

A

dry during the hot weather. carried off from their surface

fine acrid dust is

by the wind, which

blows frequently and with great violence from the

On

East.

the South of the Chu, the appearance

of the Steppe changes

the salt marshes and half-

;

exposed clayey tracts of country are replaced by dry sands, on which here and there grow the Sak-

Djuzgun, Djeralchik, and other plants of the

saul,

On

prickly species. of the

Chu

to

Lake Kara-kul, a distance

three miles, there

themselves

as

the is

Sahara.

is

of thirty-

not a single well in this arid

Caravans are therefore obliged to supply

desert.

for

the journey from the banks

with

night,

water

and

the custom

in

their

at

carry

it

Nubia,

in

halting-places

leathern

Arabia,

and

bags,

the

268

Travch

in Central Asia.

Brief Account of the Country lying South of the Chii.

—The immense hollow occupied by Lake

Kul and the Chu

Issyk-

the mountainous

valley, limits

country of the Dikokamenni Kirghizes,

and the

A Hne of

Kokanian

Khanat

of

towns and

Kokan on

the North.

fortified settlements,

extends Southward

from the Chu, along the route fromTokmak to Fort

The Western portion

Perovski.

of this country

is

occupied by the Kara-tail ridge, which, commencing at about ninety miles from Akmechet, stretches in

an E.S.E. direction, and forms a rugged chain,

whose Northern

declivities

have a very steep

incli-

nation, while those on the South slope gently to the

At the very base

plain.

North

are

side,

of the mountains, on the

two Kokanian

Suzak and

forts,

Cholok-kurgan, which have each small outlying

The roads from

tlements.

Tashkend

pavlovsk and Troitsk lead past these over

passage routes

to

through

the

Turkestan three

mountain

Karagyr, and Sauskandyk. the most

easily traversed,

passes

The

way

—

first

The

on these is

effected

Suiindyk, of these

is

and occurs on the road

between Suzak and Turkestan. ing this

forts.

Tashkend

and

Petro-

to

Kara- tail mountains

set-

Caravans proceed-

to Petropavlovsk, journey three days

from the foot of the mountains

to

the River Chu,

Lake Knrnknl and at about falls

thirty miles

Lake

into

the Boroldai Clirnn.

from the point

at

:269

which

it

The passage over

Satiman-kul.

the sandy Steppe in this direction presents greater

than that from Cholok-kurgan to Kazan-

facilities

In some places

gan-utkul.

met

whole

The

forests of the is

throughout

good, and the water in the wells sweet.

The barren

Saksaul

are.

with.

grass

Steppe again commences on reaching the Northern side of the

kuduk ment

is

Chu, and the route by way of Uvanas-

as tedious as that to Tius-Bulak, a settle-

in the

Betpak-Dala Steppe, on the road from

Kazangan-Utkul.

The

Kara-taii mountains, I

may

here remark, are at present occupied by the de-

scendants horde.

whole

of Kenisar,

They

are the

route from

and the remnants of

most

his

fierce plunderers on the

Tashkend

to the Siberian line.

East of the meridian of Cholok-Kurgan, the only objects of attention are the

Karakul lakes, overgrown

with masses of reeds, and the Boroldai mountain range. These localities have apparently been visited

by but one European, namely,

On

the authority

have altered the

Miiller, in

1739.

of Potanin's " Itinerary," I

configuration

from that ordinarily given

it

of

Lake Karakul

on maps.

With

re-

gard to the Talas, we are more acquainted with this river at its

middle course, near Aulie-Ata, than

at

270 its

Travels in Central Asia.

lower portion.

by the Jesuit

fixed

In the

of astronomical points

list

missionaries,

who were employed

Tsian-Lun,

we

by the Emperor

find one point

selected on this river, in latitude 42° 30°, and longi-

tude 91° 37' east of Ferro (73° 42' 4S" E. of Greenwich)

;

but whether

recent data,

the determination of

this is

Auhe-Ata or another

point, in the absence of to ascertain.

it is difficult

speaking, the observations of latitude

which

Jesuits are reliable,

those

of longitude.

I

Generally

made by

the

not the case with

is

am

more

opinion that the

of

labours of Reguip, Bouve, Gerbillon, Eerbiste, &c., in the reign of

juria

Han,

in

China Proper,

in iManch-

and Mongolia, are more accurate than those

of Hallerstein, Arochi

and Espigny,

in Turkestan

and Dzungaria.

The accompanying gives

some

Itinerary

the Boroldai range.

1 F)

the northern slopes of

The Talas

has no good pasturage on

is

Appendix

particulars of the route l^etwcen Cholok-

Kurgan and Aulie-Ata, along

valley, are

(v.

its

river, like the

Chu,

banks, which, with

both overgrown with reeds.

The

its

river

pretty abundantly supplied with water where

first

issues

from the mountain,

though fordable

at this point.

comes gradually narrower,

till

at

AuHc-Ata,

Lower down

it

it

al-

be-

nothing but a small

;

Account of Bikokamenni Horde.

271 ^

stream of water debouches into Lake Kara-kul.

Above

Aiilie-Ata

and

sources

its

basin, almost

A real

flows through a narrow valley,

it

lie

in the vicinity of the

on the same meridian

In this

as Pishpek.

beyond the

terra incognita extends

as far as Ferganah.

Kashgar

classification,

prehend the country between the

Talas, I

com-

parallels of Aulie-

Ata and Namangan, before reaching the more

On

mote table-lands of Central Asia.

my

re-

the strength

journey,

and

according to the accounts of a few travellers

who

of information

I

on

obtained

have visited the South-Western part of the Khanat of Kokan, two

main chains appear

to extend here

one on the Northern side of Chirchik, terminating with the Kyzyrkurt mountains, rather farther to the North than Tashkend; the other,

Southwards from Chirchik, tremity being

We

its

stretching

South-Western ex-

formed by the Kendyr-tau range.

are acquainted with

two routes which

these mountains, or skirt their base

;

cross

one running

Eastwards from Aulie-Ata to Namangan

;

the other

from Turkestan to Kokan, approaching the Kyzyrkurt range, and then crossing the Kendyr-tau.

The Dikokamenni Horde. ghiz

Horde and

its

—With

subdivisions,

the great Kir-

of which I have

,272

7Vr/reJs in Central Asia.

given a short account in the preceding pages,

more or

less

subject, as

we are

acquainted from Levchin's work on this

well as from other sources.

But our

information respecting the Kara- Kirghizes, other-

wise Buruts, or Dikokamenni Kirghizes, ingly

The

limited.

reliable

earliest

respecting them, (and even these

with caution), have been

particulars

must be

strung

exceed-

is

received

together from

Chinese sources by Klaproth and Pere Hyacinthe,

and

a few desvdtory remarks respecting this

are to be found in the works of

and

A

"\^eliaminof-Zernof.

was

scription

drawn

up

Horde

Wood, Khanikof,

more systematic in

1851,

by

de-

jMM.

Nifantief and ^'^oronin, and presented to the Rus-

An

sian Geographical Society.

these materials will the Buruts

ni Horde, tribes

we

show that the ethnography

is still vci-y

For the following

details

lie

all

of

imperfect.

regarding the Dikokamen-

and particularly

whose haunts

examination of

for those bearing

close to the

Russian

on the

frontiers,

are indebted to Mr. Bardashef, the intelligent in-

terpreter attached to the chief of the Alatavi district: "

'Dikokamenni 'is the name given by the Russians

to the people

who

chiefly frequent

about Lake Issyk-Kul, and

call

the mountains

themselves Kir-

ghizes, in contradistinction to the Kaisaks (or

more

—

;

Kirghiz Legends of their Origin as a Nation. 273

The former

properly, Koisaks). tinct history,

race has no dis-

and may hardly be considered

to be-

long to the aboriginal population of the country, in

which the Nogais

dominant.

One

(or

Kalmyks) were formerly

portion of them,

certain,

is

it

migrated to the Thian-Shan mountains from the

upper part of the Yenisei, where, so early

as the

seventeenth century, they were engaged in hostilities against

But the Kara-Kirghizes

the Russians.

usually claim to be of Western origin, to have once inhabited countries

occupied even to

the present time by Turkish tribes.

be allowed, is

is

and profess

This,

must

it

borne out by their language, which

the Uigur dialect of the Turkish, with an admix-

ture of foreign words.

The imagination

of the people

has surrounded with romance the cradle of their race, as

having lain in the mountains bordering on the

Naryn and the Southern margin

The

following

is

of

Lake Issyk-Kul.

one of the legends to this

which, however, has but

little

to

effect,

recommend

it

in

point of fancy, and does not convey a very favourable idea of the aesthetic condition of the Kirghiz "

'

The daughter

of a certain

Khan was

habit of taking long walks, accompanied

maidens.

Returning home

after

:

in

by

the

forty

one of these pro-

menades, she found her aul completely pillaged

274

Travels hi Central Asia.

but one living animal having been

dog (Kyzj'l-Taigan).

By

this

left in it

—

a red

xanto vizard sire,

all

the forty handmaidens,' says the tradition, 'became

memory

pregnant, and, in

of them, their descend-

assumed the name of Kirghizes (Kryk-Kys,

ants

forty maidens).'

This legend

is

with additions and variations. says,

occasionally given

Another

version

and her attendants were

that the princess

miraculously fecundated after having tasted the foam of the lake

when

agitated,

expelled from their

wandered

The

and were

homes by

in

consequence

They

their relatives.

about in the desert for a long time.

forty maidens, regarding

the princess as the

cause of their misfortunes, at last rebelled against

and drove her beyond the Chu.

her,

poor daughter of the

Here the

Khan was found by

the pro-

genitor of the Kirghizes, w ho installed her as one of his wives,

and

goodly son, is

whom

she speedily presented with a

named Kyrgyz-Beg.

This personage

considered the true founder of the Dikokamenni

race.

He was

persecuted by his other brothers on

account of his dubious origin, and portioned the death of his father

;

off

on

ultimately, however, he

triinnphed over his brothers, having succeeded in stealing

and

from

l)ridle,

his mother's

'

yurt,'

the

Kumis

stick

whicli are sym1)ols of priority of birth."

—

Ancestry of the Kara-Kirghiz Horde.

From Kyrgyz-Beg, distinct,

and

275

the traditions become

more

lose their imaginative character.

The

proper names of the Kara-Kirghiz chief ancestors are, nevertheless,

very doubtful.

Kyrgyz-Beg had two grand-sons

The

:

Abl and Kovl.

was the founder of the Kokche, Soru,

latter

Mundus, and Kytai designated

Sol

i.

tribes, e.

Left

From Abl

Klaproth).

which are conjointly Buruts

(Western

of

there sprang ten tribes,

forming the On, or Bight division (Eastern Buruts).

The

tribes

forming

it

are

the Bogu, Sary-Baguiche,

:

Sultu, Cherik, Sayak,Adygine, Baguiche,

All these petty roaming

Djadygyr, and Tungatar.

mountain

occupy

tribes

Monandyr,

the

between

country

Badakshan and Kungei-Alataii, from the Tekes and

Muzart passes with which

we

to

Kokan and Samarkand. The tribes

are best acquainted are the Diko-

kamennl, Sary-Baguiche, Sultu, and Bogu. first-named at

course of the Chu, as far of Issyk-Kul.

or

not

less

warlike race,

present Adil,

are

The

present wander along the upper

p the Western

extremity

They number about 10,000

They

than 40,000 individuals.

and

their

Umbet-Ali,

most celebrated Turegildy,

yurts,

are a

chiefs at

Ruskul-Beg,

and Djantai. Eastward of the Sary-Baguiches,

along the Tiube, Karkara, and

Tekes,

roam the T 2

276

Travch

Bogus, whose

At

Russia.

Central

high

late

and the

particularly from

After these

its strife

numbering 6000

lost its

is

yurts,

Kirghiz-Alatau

Aulie-Ata, and their the

former weight,

the

On

to the

a small tribe

Sultys,

but the most warlike

The Sultys

mountains,

in

inhabit

from Tokmak to

camping- grounds are conter-

East

with

those of the

Baguiches. Their most influential chief ratch.

into

with the Sary-Baguiches.

Dikokamenni Horde.

on

up

two sub-hordes, the nearest

Russian boundaries

minous

fealty to

tribe being split

numerous sub- divisions, has

the

Buram-bai, was the

chief,

the present time, the Bogus have no

influential chiefs,

the whole

Ji^in.

Kara-Kirghizes who swore

of the

first

in

is

Sary-

Djan-Ka-

the South, the Sultys spread only as far

beyond which they

are

succeeded by various tribes of the right and

left

as the valley of the Talas,

divisions of the Horde.

The Sayaks roam on the Southern Celestial mountains, along the

Navyn

;

to the

and Nuan tlie

to

Cheriks.

side of the

upper course of the

Eastward of them,

as

far

as Aksii

Kucha, are the camping-grounds of

These

tribes,

with their neighbours,

the Bagniches, descend in winter from the slopes of the Thian-Shan into the valley of the Tarym,

and

thence

push

forward

as

far

as

Kashgar,

Distribution of the Dikokamenni Kirghizes.

and even

Yarkend,

The geographical

Khotan.

Horde

distribution of the other branches of the to determine

difficult

;

certain,

it is

277

is

however, that

they occupy the whole system of the Bolor, Badakshan, Karatigen, and

Vokhan

chains,

and frequent

the neighbourhoods of Ush, Andijan, Kokan, and

even Tashkend, to the N.W., and Samarkand to the

Khanat of

The

S.W. of

of these

influence

Kokan

is

very great

Khan, Alym-Beg

the

Andygine

the

;

a

is

tribes

minister

first

scion

in the

from the

while to that of Karatigen belongs

tribe,

Kokan army, who

the well-known leader of the

in

1860 attacked Kastek.

The

condition

political

Kirghizes defined.

is

at

Some

the

of

Dikokamenni

once varied, uncertain, of

them,

for

as

and

instance,

ill-

the

Bogus, and part of the Sary-Baguiches, profess to

be subject to Russia, although internally they are not governed by that country, and only occasionally

appeal to

the

settlement of their tribes,

Russian

own

authorities

intestine disputes.

for

the

Other

such as the Sultu, Adygine, Kytai, &c., of

the Sol or Left division,

and pay tribute

own

allegiance to

to that Khanat.

A

Kokan,

third portion,

composed of the Cheriks and Baguiches, pay the Chinese a land-tax, although they govern them-

Travels in Central Asia.

27)5

Lastly, the tribes on the extreme South,

selves.

occupying the Bolor mountains,

Badakshan, subject

Kunduz,

Bokhara,

to

independent,

partly

are,

which States they

Karatigen,

and partly

Kokan,

or

and

with

enmity.

are, nevertheless, often at

Respecting the inhabitants of these highlands of Asia,

we have

his

in

scarcely any information.

" Travels

Bokhara,"

to

only

Burnes, casually

observes that the Kirghizes, natives of the Pamir

whom

he met, have

Turkmen.

In

other

not

nor

known

Wood

to

he mentions

places

meat and milk, and that

their food consists of is

and resemble the

faces,

flat

But

them.

that flour

Burnes

neither

touches on the moral condition of these

moimtaineers.

Among

the

Dikokamenni Kirghizes upon the

outskirts of Russia, there are like the

Sultan families

in

no

aristocratic races

Kaisak

the

Hordes.

The people consequently form one equal mass, differing only according

The Kara-Kirghizes

branches.

Manaps, or titles

by

to their

elders,

election,

hereditary.

who

governed by

one time received their

The word Manap

name

are

though these have now become

tyrant, in the ancient

the proper

at

sub-division in

Greek

literally

sense.

It

means a

was

at first

of an elder distinguished for his

name Kara-Kuyhiz.

Oriyin of

and unrelenting

Cruelty

pellation

In

spirit

became general

addition

observed,

not

are

of

who,

as

rulers.

already

lineage,

aristocratic

who

Kirghizes have Bis,

Kirghiz

all

Manaps,

the

to

from him the ap-

;

to

279

the

their differences.

settle

These Bis found their judgments on the customs of the people,

but

that they are far

throughout

it is

from being impartial.

Central

Asia,

powerful, and the niler

mands but

little

The name

may be their

who

people

The

the

when he

Black Kirghiz,

or

who,

Manaps,

phraseology,

do

democratic,

is

according

spring

not

It

from

must be

of a

its

of to

the re-

the

elders enjoy great power.

Manap

is

likewise a Batyr

particularly

—

/.

c.

strong,

a brave

dashing leader of marauding expeditions. bai,

oi'igin

although the organization of

influence

the

respect.

traced to the undistinguished

that is

to

governs leniently com-

"white bone" of the Sultans.

marked

Truth,

subservient

is

of Kara- Kirghiz,

chiefs,

Kirghiz

scarcely necessary to say

and

Buram-

the ruler of the Bogus, was a chief of this

description.

In general, the

Manaps do not

derive

any regular income from the people, but receive voluntary contributions, and impose fines on those

they find guilty of misdemeanours.

I

need not

2yO

Travels

in

Central Asia.

point out the evils that arise from such a state of things, or the faciHties

enjoy for satisfying at

which the Manaps and Bis once their ambition

and

cupidity.

Life and Condition of the Kara-Kirghizes.

—The

Kara-Kirghizes, like the nomads of the neighbom*-

ing

Steppe,

breeding

;

derive

all

their

wealth

so well off as the Kirghizes of the Great

cattle

and Middle

Very few amongst them possess

Hordes. as

from

but the Dikokamenni are generally not

as

many

two thousand horses or three thousand sheep.

They

likewise keep fewer camels, but on the other

hand, they have an excellent breed of oxen, are

employed

for

which

traversing the mountains.

The

camels are the ordinary double-humped or Bactrian

camel of

classical writers,

or dromedary, which latter

and the single-humped, is

universally preferred.

Although the cows belonging to the Dikokamenni are of a large size, they yield

then only of

when with

calf.

but

whom

Kudos." From these more milk

than from ordinary

cattle.

is

they are

obtained

Their sheep are of the

Kirghiz breed, but have finer are small, but

milk, and

Yaks are kept instead

cows by the Kara-Kirghizes, by

called "

little

fleeces.

The horses

being hardy, are well adapted

for

A(jnculture

and

the mountainous country.

281

the Chase.

The

cattle are never sub-

ject to epidemics; the only disease that attacks is

the Sarpa, a sort of dry rot, by which they gene-

Until quite recently the Bogus

rally lose their hoofs.

were the largest

Both these

large. rest.

cattle breeders

now, however, the

tribes are richer than

The Dikokamenni Kirghizes

ployed in agriculture. clayey,

fully as

any of the

are generally

Although the

soil is

em-

mostly

and becomes dreadfully parched by the sun,

by an ingenious system of

yet

;

and herds of the Sary-Baguiches are

flocks

it

them

yields

good

wheat eighty

artificial

irrigation,

harvests, millet yielding seventy

The

fold.

richest land lies

and

at the

Eastern extremity of Lake Issyk-Kul, along the

Tiub and Djirgalan, the Zaiiku, and bourhood of

Tokmak and Pishpek

in the neigh-

along

;

the

Northern and Southern shores of Issyk-Kul, the soil

is

stony and

therefore but

The Kara-Kirghizes sow barley (for horses), millet,

races,

is

a special

cultivated.

principally millet, wheat,

and kupock, a smaller kind of

from which they

The chase

little

not,

distil

as with

pursuit,

a spirit.

most semi-barbarous

by the Kara-Kirghizes,

although the mountains abound with game.

Oc-

casionally, however, they hunt the wild sheep,

antelope,

and goat

for

pastime.

The deer

is

282

Travels in Central Asia.

killed for its

horns alone, which when containing

blood, are highly prized cine,

and sold

from £8 to £25 per

at

foxes

pair,

according

and martens, whose skins they dispose

to Tartar merchants,

They

as a medi-

Besides the eagle, the Dikokamenni

to their quality. kill

by the Chinese

though not

likewise hunt bears

know how

of

in great quantities!

and wolves, but do not

the skins, which the rich

to prepare

Kara-Kirghizes accordingly use undressed as carpets for their tents.

The Dikokamenni Kirghizes and catch but

httle,

are not fond of

fish,

notwithstanding that [jake

Issyk-Kul might yield the

man abundant

supply of

Carp, in particular, are very

this delicious food.

plentiful in its waters.

The

Kirghizes great

among

chief staple of industry is

the preparation of

demand on account

felts,

the Kara-

which are

in

The

of their durability.

Dikokamenni who range along the Talas manufacture the best. in

shape,

The Kara-Kirghiz

with

turned-up

a

esteemed throughout

all

felt hats,

brim,

the Hordes.

weave a rough material of camel's "

Armiachina" by the Russians.

Dikokamenni Kirghiz robe, with

The

are

conical

much

The women hair,

called

dress of a

consists of a Khalat, or long

wide pantaloons, or " Chembars."

A

;

283

State of Trade. shirt is also

clothing

is

sometimes worn, but

not taken

off,

but

this

article

suffered to

is

of

fall

to

pieces on the person of the wearer.

The Dikokamenni of those

in

directly in

even

the

Kirghizes, with the exception

vicinity

any of

their

of towns,

own

do not drive horses

or Kuldja.

do not

traffic

They

productions.

Kokan,

to

Kashgar,

All the trade in their country

is

carried

on by Tashkend, Kokan and Kashgar caravans, and

by Russian merchants.

partly

Kara-Kirghizes, with

all

These supply the

sometimes remain a whole year among

Prom Kashgar

the

and

their requirements,

Dikokamenni

their aMs.

are supplied with

cotton stuffs, khalats, biaz, printed cottons, dried fruit,

These goods

&c.

the merchants

with great profit for sheep.

Russian

brought hither by Tartars, who find a inferior articles

more

civilized

thus

sell

leather,

&c.

exchange goods

sale

which they cannot dispose of

are

for the in the

parts of the Russian empire.

They

nankeen,

calico,

cheap

cotton

prints,

ironware, small looking-glasses, ear-rings,

Metallic productions and leather are in very

great demand.

Oxen, sheep,

are procured in exchange.

chants

fox,

The

and marten skins

profits of the

mer-

are very great, as a yard of red cloth worth

about three shillings

is

exchanged

for three sheep

— ;

2 84

Travels in Central Asia.

a hide of " yufta " for seven and eight sheep

and iron wares are sold

cast-iron prices.

camping

The

grounds

;

while

at

still

higher

of

the

Kara-

Kirghizes are besides yearly visited by Chinese from Kuldja, under pretence of verifying the boundaries,

and supply the Horde with silks, at

tea, rice, tobacco,

moderate rates; or in exchange for sheep.

Coloured

obtained

are

silks

from

Kokan and

Tashkend, though in small quantities, and

Manaps and

for the rich

As ghizes,

mentioned,

already

who

are

and

Kara-Kir-

those

Kokan, pay a yearly

subject to

This tribute

is

called a

consists of the following imposts, viz.

The Tunluk-Ziaket,

smoke

or

sheep from each tent.

fifty,

cording to circimistances. agricultural products

Besides

;

tax,

amounting

to a

Koi-Ziaket, or sheep tax

one sheep out of every

barn.

chiefly

their Avives.

tribute to that Khanat. Ziaket,

and

or twenty, ac-

forty,

Harazela, an impost on

one sheep from each corn-

these

taxes,

Dikokamenni

the

Kirghizes contribute three sheep from each tent

wards the maintenance of troops.

The

to-

Sultys and

a portion of the Sary-Baguiches annually supply the

Kokanian troops with 5500 puds four quarters

—

of wheat

and

millet.

—about They

forty-

are also

obliged to entertain the Ziaketches (tax-gatherers),

Organized Marauding of the Bikokamenni. 385

who make

their circuits in large parties,

own

It is certain

cost.

at their

that the pressure of these

taxes does not produce continual disturbances, only

because the Kokanians profess the same creed as the

Kara-Kirghizes.

Dikokamenni pay

In those parts where the

tribute to China, they stand in

quite different relations to the predominating population,

with

whom

by

emplified

they are constantly at war, as ex-

their driving

away the

cattle of the

Chinese as well as those of the Kalmyks.

The Dikokamenni cattle stealing,

are in fact

more addicted

than any of the other Kirghiz

to

tribes,

and

their " Barantas " or

marauding expeditions

are

by no means conducted

in that chivalrous spirit

that characterizes those undertaken by the Kir-

ghizes

of

Hordes subject

the

The

Russia.

to

Barantas of the Kara-Kirghizes are organized on a military plan, but with the

avowed object of rob-

bing some neighbour both of his property. auls of

a

The

feud, are,

great bloodshed.

between in

there

is

whom

there

exists

particular, attended with

However, the

wandering mountaineers lifting

as well as his

attacks of the Sary-Baguiche on the

the Bogus,

deadly

life

is

valour

of

the

mostly limited to cattle

and pursuing a flying enemy

;

as soon as

a prospect of a fair stand-up encounter, aKir-

286

Travels in Central Asia.

ghiz, after galloping half a mile

engaging him.

after his foe, will

and retreat without

discreetly turn his horse's head,

In their relations with the Russian

Kirghizes of the Great Horde, the Dikokamenni exhibit the darker side of their character

;

prowling

across the mountains in small parties, they steal

by two or three head

the cattle of their neighbours, at a time.

down

The Russian Kirghizes

mercilessly hunt

these petty thieves. Thus, Suranchi, a Kirghiz-

Batyr, or warrior- chief,

whom

I

knew, was in the

habit of sending out his " Djigits " nightly in the

summer

to intercept these plunderers in the

tains with their booty.

bound

caught, they were

and only regained

in fetters,

when ransomed by occasion offered

When

their liberty

Suranchi on one

their tribe.

me

moim-

one of these prisoners as a

present.

The unhappy wretch was brought

ward with

his

his

neck

;

at

my

to understand slaves,

hands tied and

that the Russians all to live in

thank him, dog,"

he struck the Dikokamenni, silent,

heavy chain round

request he was liberated and

but wished

"Kulduk,

a

for-

made

did not require

freedom and amity. said

Suranchi,

as

who had remained

on the head with his whip.

Nevertheless

these unfriendly relations do not prevent the Riissian Kirghizes from intermarrying with the Dikoka-

Gross Ignorance of the Hordes.

menni, and during

my

stay, while the tribes

open variance, many

at

visited the auls of the

287

our

of

own

were

Kirghizes

Dikokamenni with the object

of seeing their brides, cousins, &c