the contiguous districts of
Sanju and Yarkand. Yakoob Beg without delay despatched a small force
against him, and, by the help of some mountain guns and the judicious
employment of a small but select body of cavalry, was successful in
overcoming all resistance with very slight loss. In February, 1869,
Yakoob Beg, having tried several milder alternatives, formally annexed
this district, and carried the inhabitants into Yarkand. He resettled
the territory with Kirghiz nomads and Yarkandis. Once more, he was able
to turn his attention to the east, and in 1869 commenced those final
campaigns against the Tungani which only ceased with the reappearance of
the Chinese. The great blot in the career of Yakoob Beg is the
resumption of hostilities against the Tungani. In 1867, when he first
engaged with any vigour the Tungani, some excuse may be found for that
unforeseeing action, in the fact that the Tungani were unbroken, and
might have proved formidable neighbours. But in 1869, they had been
hurled back on Korla, and, although it may be true that they were
inconvenient neighbours, robbing caravans and molesting travellers, it
is difficult to justify the later campaigns of Yakoob Beg against them,
especially as they were conducted by himself and his lieutenants with
exceptional ferocity. But, however weak may have been the impulse, and
however disastrous in the result may have been his crusade against the
Tungani, it was not difficult to discover a plausible excuse for
proceeding to extreme measures with his troublesome neighbours. In the
autumn of 1869, Korla fell before his triumphant arms, and it would
appear that he then turned north into the valleys of the Tekes and the
Yuldus, two rivers rising in the Tian Shan, and flowing through
Jungaria. This movement aroused the susceptibilities of the Russians,
and afforded a very simple excuse for the acquisition of Kuldja. In that
state, disturbances had arisen between the Tungani and the Tarantchis,
and it must have fallen an easy prey to the Athalik Ghazi had he been
permitted to advance. The Russians had, however, in 1871, entered
Kuldja, and explained their action by asserting that they had only done
so to restore order, and to prevent its falling into the hands of Yakoob
Beg. They merely held it in trust for the Chinese, so they said, and
would restore it to them, its rightful owners, so soon as they should be
able to keep permanent possession of it. While Yakoob Beg despatched