ot so
deeply, that down to modern times he has had descendants who perpetuate
his name, but Timour left none such. With the death of his favourite son
Jehangir, his hopes of having a worthy successor expired.
Kashgar was in particular the scene of confusion and trouble, and it was
not until about 1445 that any settled government was attained, when
Seyyid Ali, grandson of the aged and patriotic minister Khudadar,
restored some order and cohesion to the distracted country for a short
period. He died in 1457. During these years Yunus, king of Jungaria,
played a very prominent part in all the disturbances that were occurring
on his borders. He is represented to have been a very enlightened
prince, and emissaries from foreign nations returned from his court
relating with surprise how they had found a courteous and refined man
where they expected to have seen a coarse and savage Mongol. While Yunus
ruled in Jungaria another striking individual was predominant in
Kashgar. Ababakar, son of Saniz, who was the son of Seyyid Ali, ruler of
Kashgar, was one of the few sovereigns of that state whose acts entitle
them to consideration. During a long and troubled tenure of power he had
the good fortune to overcome many difficulties, and although his career
was to become clouded before his death, the brilliant years that
preceded the catastrophe justify us in considering his career for a
little while. He was a great athlete, hunter and soldier, and was so
favoured by his mother on that account that he distanced his brethren in
the race for supremacy. As governor of Khoten he soon absorbed Yarkand,
and long and furious were the wars he waged with Hydar, the ruler of
Kashgar, who was assisted by Yunus of Jungaria. Nor, although successful
on several occasions in the field against the allied forces, could
Ababakar hope to overcome the huge armies at the disposal of Yunus; and
it was not until Hydar himself foolishly broke off from Yunus, that
Ababakar succeeded in asserting his claim to all Eastern Turkestan. War
then broke out between Hydar and Yunus, and the latter with the
assistance of large reinforcements from Jungaria overthrew and captured
his former ally. But these dissensions favoured the cause of Ababakar,
and on the death of Yunus in 1486, his possession of Kashgar became
undisputed. The first serious danger with which he was menaced after his
complete possession of Kashgar, was in 1499, when Ahmad, the son of
Yunus, or Alaja t
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