ould not be anything but a kind of vassal of the Khan of
Khokand; as monarch of Eastern Turkestan, he might treat on terms of
equality with the Czar of Russia or the Emperor of China. It was no
unworthy ambition, and Yakoob Beg, created Athalik Ghazi, Champion
Father, in 1866 by the Ameer of Bokhara, accomplished so much of it as
was possible.

CHAPTER VIII.

WARS WITH THE TUNGANI.

Yakoob Beg, having deposed Buzurg Khan and suppressed all resistance on
the part either of the Tungani or of the Chinese in Western Kashgar, had
some leisure to make a careful survey of his exact position. The result
of the desultory fighting of the previous twelve months had been
eminently satisfactory to himself; but, to say the least, it was dubious
how long this state of things might last. Former adventurers had
accomplished as much as he had, but the Chinese had always returned with
renewed vigour. How was Yakoob Beg to know that the rumours were well
founded which asserted that that empire had been sore stricken in other
fields than against the Tungani, and that even the victories over the
Taepings were not considered a complete set-off to the disasters in
every other quarter of the empire? European critics predicted that the
last hour of the Chinese Empire was fast approaching; but Yakoob Beg,
with far more imperfect means of intelligence at his disposal, feared
still, even when the citadel of Kashgar surrendered, that the Khitay
would return for revenge. His fears were not groundless, as we now know,
but he anticipated events by more than ten years. Yakoob Beg was not so
sanguine in his own resources or good fortune that he believed that he
should not have to encounter the danger that had overwhelmed all his
predecessors, and his first object accordingly was to gather all his
strength together in a compact mass to resist the Chinese when they
should come. But the dissensions that had, during the conquest of
Altyshahr, manifested themselves so palpably in the ill-assorted
conglomeration which had gathered round the standard of Buzurg Khan
brought home to the mind of Yakoob Beg the disadvantages of a divided
people. He accordingly determined that, whatever else he might fail or
succeed in achieving, his most resolute effort should be to weld into
one cohesive and effective whole Andijani and Tungani, Kashgari and
Khitay. It was no mean ambition; but to cement such discordant elements
a policy of "blood and iron" was required