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APRIL, 1884.]
CHINGHIZ KHÅN AND HIS ANCESTORS.
109
out his darughas or depaties, and allied them- would be made upon his hoards, Mahmud Taij," selves with Chinghiz Khân as I have described. one of his generals, counselled him to replenish
Meanwhile Kushluk obtained his permission it by making the troops surrender the booty to utilize Chinghiz Khân's absence in China which they had captured in the recent fight with to collect together the debris of the Naimans, Kushluk. This so displeased his generals that his father's people, who were scattered in the they abandoned him, and Kushluk, taking districts of Imil, Kayalik and Bishbaligh, advantage of the circumstance, returned and assuring him that he only wished to employ surprised him in his capital. This, we are told, them in his service. He accordingly collected was in the year 608." them together, and was also joined by a chief | Kushluk treated his captive with consiof the Merkits. With the troops he thus deration, and left him the insignia and dignity brought together he began to plunder the of sovereignty. Chiluku survived his capeastern dominions of the Gurkhan as far as ture two years, and was succeeded in his Khoten, a policy which attracted fresh recruits honours and power by Kushluk." The Chinese to his banners. He also entered into negotia- account in the Liao-shi, tells us that Chiluku tions with the great Khuarezm Shah Muham- was surprised by Kushluk when hunting, and mad, to whom he offered the western dominions fell into an ambuscade of 8,000 Hoeihou or of the Gurkhan if he would help him. Mo- Uighurs, who had been planted to waylay him. hammad had recently won over the Turkish Kushluk then appropriated the Gurkhan's ruler of Samarkand, Osman, a former depen- titles, and had himself proclaimed emperor, dent of the Gurkhan. He was descended from at the same time adopting the costume and the old Imperial stock of the Turks, and still customs of the Liau dynasty. He gave the bore the lordly title of Sultan of Sultans. title of Tai-shang-hoang" to Chiluku, and that Osman had asked the hand of a daughter of the of Hoang-thai-hou, being the title borne by Gurkhan in marriage, and his request having the empress dowager in China, to Chiluku's been refused, and having been also pressed for wife, and so long as they lived he paid his tribute, he transferred his allegiance to the respects to them daily." Khuarezm Shah. To punish him the Gurkhan During the next four years, we are told, Kushsent an army against him, while Muhammad luk made himself too well known by his rapine went to his support; but before his arrival, the and tyrannical conduct. He despatched various Gurkhan had turned elsewhere to meet the armies to attack the neighbouring districts threatened approach of Kushluk, who had sur- which had broken away from their allegiance, prised Uzkend, where he kept his treasures, -- and notably Kashgar. We are told that he and had also tried to capture Ba lasa ghun. He released the son of the Khân of Kashgar who was, however, defeated on the river Chinbie, (?) had been imprisoned by the Gurkhan, but on and forced to retire, by the aged Gurkhan. arriving at the gates of that city the young
Muhammad, the Khuarezm Shah, having prince was massacred. To reduce the country anited his forces to those of Osman, marched of Kashgar more effectually, troops were sent northwards against Kara Khitai. Near Taraz to lay it waste at harvest time, and they burnt he met the Gurkhan general Taniko or Baniko, a large portion of the grain which they could whom he defeated and captured, and afterwards not carry away. A famine was the consequence, put to death. The troops of Kara Khitai in their and the citizens were by it in spite of the retreat committed great ravages, and when they advice of the governor of the place constrained approached Balasaghun found the gates closed to submit, and it was no small sacrifice for true against them. They attacked the place, broke believers thus to subject themselves to idolators. their way in by means of elephants after a siege Thereupon Kushluk went in person to Kashgar of ten days, and committed a great blaughter, to enjoy his triumph, and advanced thence to in which 47,000 men perished. The Gurkhan's Khoten, whose inhabitants were ordered to treasury was empty, and fearing that some call abandon Islam, and to accept either Christianity . Erdmann, 335-337.. 10 D'Ohsaon says sixteen. 1 1The very great, supreme august one. 11 Called Mahmud Bai by D'Ohsson.
15 i.e. the sugust and very great queen. use. 1211-1212.
* Visdelou, p. 32; Bretschneider, Notices of Med. 13 Erdmann, pp. 335-339; D'Ohsson, vol. I, pp. 166-169. Geog., p. 29.
