In 1845 Khudayar Khan had been called to the throne after the death of
Mahomed Ali, but his authority was not without its rivals. In the state
of confusion that then ensued, Khokandian adventurers urged the Khoja
princes, who were now represented by the sons of Jehangir, to renew
their old attacks against the Chinese. To these advisers the Khojas
turned a willing ear, and preparations were accordingly made for the
enterprise. At that time Khokand was full of adventurers to whom Mahomed
Ali had been able to give constant employment, but who now under the
more peaceful rule of Khudayar idled their time in the cities of that
khanate. Among these and the ever willing Kirghiz, it was not difficult
for the princes of Kashgar to raise an army, formidable in numbers, if
not remarkable for cohesion. At that time there were seven prominent
Khoja princes in Khokand, of whom we may here mention Eshan Khan,
usually called Katti Torah, Buzurg Khan, and Wali Khan. This inroad did
not take its name from any one of these, but from them all combined;
thus it was distinguished as Haft Khojagan, or that of the Seven Khojas.
With his brothers and relations and a considerable following, Katti
Torah advanced upon Kashgar, always the first object of these invaders,
which fell after a siege of thirteen days through treachery. This was
the only success they achieved; the other cities would have nothing to
do with them; and after two months' indulgence in unbridled licence the
Chinese beat them in a fight at Kok Robat, and drove them out of the
country. For the first time there was an air of ridicule thrown over
these Khoja invasions in the eyes of the Kashgari, while the outrages
they had committed during their brief stay had raised bitterer feelings
still. Zuhuruddin, who fell under the displeasure of the Chinese, was
removed from his post, and fresh Ambans, once more Khitay, were
appointed. For nine years the Khojas remained passive, but in 1855 Wali
Khan and his brother Kichik Khan, began to bustle once more on the
Kashgarian frontier. It was not until 1857 that Wali Khan succeeded in
forcing the advanced guard of pickets maintained in the passes by the
Chinese, but having accomplished that his triumph was rapid. Kashgar
fell into his possession by a _coup de main_, and once more a Khoja
prince was seated in the _orda_ at Kashgar. Artosh and Yangy Hissar fell
into his possession, and he threatened Yarkand. But everywhere the
Chinese garrisons remained unconquered in the forts, biding the
exhaustion of their foe and the arrival of reinforcements. After a rule
of nearly four months the armies of Wali Khan having been then defeated
by the Chinese, the Khoja fled to the remote state of Darwas, where he
was surrendered to Khokand by its chief Ismail Shah. This ruler, the
most tyrannical, bloodthirsty, and licentious of all the Khojas, met the
fate which he deserved long afterwards at the hands of Yakoob Beg. His
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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