ke service in the conquering army, as already explained.
The new alliance was cemented by the marriage of Yakoob Beg to the
beautiful daughter of Kho Dalay, by whom he has had several children,
too young as yet to take any part in public affairs. Perhaps Yakoob
Beg's moderation to the Khitay is to be explained by this circumstance,
and it is certain that down to the very end his Khitay wife exercised
great influence over her husband.

This was in September, 1865, nine months after his first arrival in
Altyshahr, and in that period he had worked, if not very rapidly, with
considerable thoroughness. The Khitay destroyed, the Kirghiz subdued,
and the Tungan influence checked in its aggression against Western
Kashgar, such was the tale of his achievements. Several battles and
sieges successfully brought to an issue, and a numerous army formed out
of the diverse fragments of conquered and conquerors. Personally, too,
Yakoob Beg had done much towards preparing the public mind for the
assumption of power by himself, and the reigning chief had done still
more by his neglect of duty and abandonment to pleasure. Buzurg Khan
might stand for the typical _roi faineant_, and Yakoob Beg was a more
than ordinarily resolute and determined _maire du palais_.

The citadel of Kashgar had not long surrendered when messengers arrived,
reporting the near approach of a large body of men from Khokand, but who
they were, or with what intention they came, none knew. These were the
unsuccessful conspirators against Khudayar Khan, who, after the death of
Alim Kuli, had obtained his power once more; and these having been
driven out of Khokand by his armies, were compelled to seek refuge in
Kashgar. Yakoob Beg sent them the laconic message, while they were
hovering on the frontier, that "if they came as friends, they were
welcome; if as foes, he was ready to fight them." Until the arrival of
this declaration there appears to have been some hesitation among the
Khokandians what to do, as some were wishing to attempt the conquest of
Kashgar in their own interests; but when so clear a statement was sent
them by Yakoob Beg, and when they learnt more definitely of the
permanence of his success, they threw off their reserve and joined the
confederacy of Kashgar. In the meanwhile fresh disturbances were
breaking out in Yarkand, and thither he proceeded in the later months of
1865 to quell them, taking Buzurg Khan with him. On his arrival before
the town bo