slaved himself, resolved to secure the latter, happen what might. He
accordingly fled from Yarkand with many followers, and retired to his
palace at Kashgar. There, not content with pillaging the palace of
Yakoob Beg, he proclaimed him a traitor and rebel, and offered a reward
to whomsoever should bring him his head. Another general was appointed
to the command of the army, and preparations were made for defending
Kashgar against any attempt of Yakoob Beg to attack it. But fortunately
the Tungani in the citadel of Yarkand were not aware of this dissension
among the Kashgari, and as they were struck with admiration for the
valour of Yakoob Beg, they surrendered to him soon after the flight of
Buzurg. He was then able to turn his undivided attention to his
refractory chief. Yakoob Beg had always, as we have said, befriended the
church; he was now to experience some benefit for that very commendable
respect. Among the first means of crushing Yakoob Beg that Buzurg Khan
had employed was an appeal to the Sheikh-ul-islam of Kashgar to proclaim
his Baturbashi outside the pale of the law. This the ecclesiastic
refused to do, and asserted, on the contrary, that Yakoob Beg had
deserved well both of his country and of the Mahomedan world. Foiled in
his effort to stir up a religious feeling against his general, Buzurg
Khan was reduced to the more cogent, but in his hands quite useless,
argument of the sword. Nor was the field, limited as it must appear to
us, free from other pretenders. Sadic Beg, instead of coalescing with
Buzurg Khan, set up his own pretensions to rule the country; and the
Kucha Khojas and Tungani began to collect troops in view of possible
eventualities.

The army of Buzurg Khan, which had marched out to oppose the entry of
Yakoob Beg, was outflanked and defeated by Abdulla in the country
between Yangy Hissar and the capital; and Yakoob Beg, pressing on with
irresistible strides, was received in Kashgar with the acclamations of
the people and of his soldiers. He was then publicly proclaimed ruler,
and his friend the Sheikh-ul-islam ratified the people's choice. Buzurg
Khan, who had taken refuge in the Yangy-Shahr, was seized in his palace
there, after a very slight resistance. Some of the more prominent of
Yakoob Beg's rivals were executed, and Buzurg Khan himself was placed in
a state of honourable confinement. He still persisted in futile
intrigues, and so long as he remained in Kashgar was a source of endless