ccasion he again visited Constantinople in a
similar capacity, after the death of Mollah Khan, and during the brief
tenure of power by his successor, Mahomed Khan, the nominee of Alim
Kuli. This was in 1865, and during the troubles that ensued in Khokand
and the final success of Khudayar Khan, the legal ruler of Khokand and
antagonist of Alim Kuli, Hadji Torah resided quietly at Constantinople,
where Abdul Aziz entertained him with sumptuous hospitality. It would
appear that he obtained some kind of reputation among the numerous
visitors from either Turkestan who came to Turkey, and apart from his
sacrosanct character few could fail to be impressed favourably by his
cheerful yet dignified manner. His uncle in 1870 had indeed overcome all
opposition to his rule, and it might at a first glance appear strange
why he should desire to secure the services of a man of whom he could
have seen or known little for many years. But Hadji Torah possessed
abilities and experience rare among the inhabitants of Central Asia, and
to Yakoob Beg the very talents his nephew possessed were those he was
most in need of.

In 1870 the Athalik Ghazi was anxious to draw close the bonds of
alliance with the Porte; who could assist him better than the man who
had resided in Constantinople for several years, and who had formed a
friendly intimacy with the Sultan? In 1871 Yakoob Beg first recognized
the imminence of danger to his state from Russia, then put in possession
of Kuldja; who could instruct him in the most effectual way of warding
off that danger, either by an alliance with England or by propitiating
the Russians, than the travelled Hadji Torah? The very qualities that
the Seyyid Yakoob Khan possessed were those the Ameer Yakoob Beg stood
most in need of. He might search among all his followers, those who had
shared every vicissitude of his strange fortunes, and he could not find
one other with an identical capacity. The overtures to his nephew are
thus easily intelligible, and the nephew himself gladly greeted his
entry into a wider career than was that of an honoured guest on the
hospitality of the Porte. His subsequent embassies in the service of
Kashgar to St. Petersburg, Calcutta, Constantinople, and London are too
recent and too well known to require mention here. When he settled in
Kashgar he married a daughter of Mahomed Khoja, the Sheikh-ul-Islam of
Kashgaria. His weight with the people was consequently very great, and
his judgmen