CHAPTER XIII.

Fortress^ of Mahtuli — Constantinople— Ceremonies, SfC. — Return to Tartary — Astrachan — El Sardi

— Khavdrezm — Sardi Juk — Bokhara — El Kat — Wabkana — Jengiz Khans Origin and Progress

— Nakhshab — Camp of Tarmashlrin Khdn — Occurrence at the Mosque — The Yasak, or Regula-

tions of Jengiz Khdn — Samarkand — Nasaf — Tirmidh — Balkh — Kuistdn — Herat — Nisabur —

Jam — Tus — Saj-akhas — Zdva — Bastam — Kundus — Baghtdn — Barxuan — Hindu Kush — El

Jarkh — Ghizna — Jfghdns — Kabul — Kirmdsh — Shish Nagdr — The Panj Ab.

On the occasion of my preparing to enter this desert, I presented myself

before the Queen, and paid my respects to her both in the morning and

evening. She received me very graciously, and sent to me a good part of

every present which then came to her. I then made known to her my want

of some horses : and she ordered fifteen to be given to me. After this we

arrived at the fortress of ’Mahtuli, which is the first in the districts belong-

ing to Room, but between which and Constantinople is a distance of two

and twenty days.

Before this time, the news of her approach had reached her father, who

sent out ladies and nurses to meet her at this fortress, with a large army.

From this place to Constantinople they travel with horses and mules only,

on account of the unevenness of the roads ; she, therefore, left her car-

riages behind her. The Emir who attended her husband’s troops returned

when we had arrived at this place, and she was now attended by her own

followers only. At this place I also dismissed my carriages, and a number

of my attendants and companions, recommending them (to the returning

party), who received and treated them courteously.

The Queen had vdth her a mosque, which she set up at every stage, just

as her husband used to do. In this she had daily prayers. She left it, how-

ever, at the fortress. After this the office of the Moiizin ceased : wine was

brought into the banquet and of this she drank. I was also told, that

she ate swine’s flesh with them : nor did one who prayed remain with her ;

some, however, of her Turkish servants daily prayed with us. Thus were

the tastes changed by entering into the territories of infidelity. The Queen,

however, ordered the officer who had come out to meet her, to pay every

attention and respect to me. When we had arrived within a day’s journey

of the city, her younger brother came out to meet her, accompanied by

ROOM.

about five thousand cavalry, all in armour. He met her on foot, on account

of his being her junior. When she had kissed his head, he passed on with

her. On the next day her second brother, who is the heir-apparent, met

her, having with him ten thousand horse. Both parties in this case dis-

mounted ; and after they had met they remounted and went on. When

at length she approached Constantinople, the greatest part of its inhabi-

tants, men, women, and children, came out attired in their best clothes,

either walking or riding, beating drums and shouting as they proceeded.

The Sultan, also, with his queen, the mother of this lady, attended by

the officers of state and nobles, came to meet her. When the Emperor

drew near both the parties mixed, and such was the pressure that it was

impossible for me to pass between them. I was therefore obliged, at the

peril of my life, to see to the carrying of our lady and her companions. I

was told, that when she met her parents she alighted and kissed the ground

before them, as well as the hoofs of their horses.

We entered Constantinople about sun-set; they were then ringing their

bells at such a rate, that the very horizon shook with the noise. When

we came to the gate of the Emperor, the porters refused to admit us with-

out a permission from the Emperor ; some of her followers, therefore, went

and told her our case, and she requested permission of her father, stat-

ing our circumstances to him. We were then allowed to enter, and were

lodged in a house adjoining that of our lady, who sent our provisions

morning and evening. The King also granted us a letter of safe conduct,

permitting us to pass wherever we pleased about the city. On the fourth

day after our arrival, I was introduced to the * Sultan Takfur, son of

George, king of Constantinople. His father George was still living, but

had retired from the world, become a monk, and given up the kingdom

to his son.* When I arrived at the fifth gate of the palace, which

* The retired Emperor must have been Andronicus the elder, the present one Andronicus

junior, his grandson. In Mr. Kosegarten’s extract we have j Nicephorus, perhaps : but

which, or whether either of these names, is the true one, I have not been able to determine.

It is not improbable, that the name of Nicephorus Gregoras has got in here by mistake-

Nor have I been able to find in any of the historians when or where this shameful mar-

riage was contracted. I am much tempted to believe that the Byzantine writers have been

ashamed to mention it. Gibbon, indeed, mentions such a marriage as this brought about by the

ROOM.

was guarded by soldiers, I was searched, lest I should carry any wea-

pon with me; which is submitted to by every citizen, as well as stran-

ger, who wishes to be introduced to the King. The same is observed by

the Emperors of India. I was introduced, therefore, and did homage.

The Emperor was sitting upon his throne with his Queen, and daughter,

our mistress; her brothers were seated beneath the throne. I was kindly

received, and asked, as to my circumstances and arrival ; also about Je-

rusalem, the Temple of the Resurrection,*' the Cradle of Jesus,'|' Bethle-

management of John Catacuzenus : but, then, this is said to have been of his own daughter. Vol. v.

p. 278, ed. 1826. We are told in Mr. Savage’s abridgment of Knolls and Rycaut’s Turkish

History, that Amurath the First married the Emperor of Constantinople’s daughter, but this

must be a totally different affair. The death of Andronicus the elder is placed by Gibbon in

1332. As Mr. Ulenbroek has given a very interesting note on this subject in his Iracae Descrip-

tio, I may perhaps be excused in giving it in this place (p. 80, proleg.) “ Hinc semel iterumque,

affinitate etiam ablata, Impp. Graeci Principes Mohammedanos sibi devincire studuerunt. Sic

Imp. Andronicus Palaeologus senior filiam suam obtulit Cazano Mogolorum (vel uti Graeci agunU

Tocharorum) Persicorum Khano, A. 1304. Cf. Pachymeres Andronici Hist. lib. v. c. 16. Fate-

mur interim dubitari posse, an Cazanus veris Moslemis sit annumerandus. Cf. de Guignes Hist,

des Huns, tom. iv. p. 267, 270. Graeci certe ilium Christianorum fautorem habuisse videntur. Cf.

Pachym. lib. vi. c. 1. At de Islamismo successoris Cazani fratrisque, Gaiatseddini Mohammedis

Khodabendeh, alias Kharbenda et corrupte a Pachymere appellati, nulla certe dubi-

tatio est. Huic tamen Maria Imperatoris soror A. 1308 desponsata fuit. Cf. Pachym, lib. vii. c.

33. Nec multo interjecto tempore nupserat etiam alia Maria filia notha Imp. Andronici Togh-

tagou Khano Mogolorum Kapschakensium Khano, Guignesio teste, tom. i. p. 350. Hujus quoque

successor! filioque Mohammed! Uzbekkhano, Moslemicis sacris deditissimo, uxorem fuisse filiam

Andronici Junioris colligas ex Kosegarteni V. C. Commentatione de Mohammedis Ibn Batutce

Tingitani itinerario...Yi?e.c, igitur acciderunt inter A. 1333 et 1341...Denique baud ita multo post,

decessorum exemplum imitatus Joannes Cantacuzenus, circa A. 1346, filiam suam Theodoram

sive Mariam... Orkhano uxorem dedit, &c.” Hence Mr. Ulenbroek thinks it probable, that Mo-

hammedan places of worship had been tolerated before and after this time at Constantinople. I

will merely remark, that if so, it is extraordinary that neither El Harawi, who visited this city

in the thirteenth century, nor Ibn Batuta, who visited it in the fourteenth, has made any men-

tion of the fact.

* This church, according to EdrIsI, is large, and in his days was considered as a place

of pilgrimage. His words are iUUj

the Resurrection,” but which the Mohammedans call Kamama. This is the church to which

pilgrimages are performed from all the parts of Room, &c. Edit. Rosenmiiller, Lipsiae, 1828.

f This is, according to El Harawi, in a cave under the temple of El Aksa; his words are

The great church, known by “ the Church of

M 2

ROOM.

hem, and the city of Abraham (or 'Hebron), then of Damascus, Egypt,

Irak, and the country of Room; to all of which I gave suitable replies.

A Jew was our interpreter. The King was much surprised at my tale ;

and said to his sons: Let this man be treated honourably, and give him

a letter of safe conduct. He then put a dress of honour on me, and

ordered a saddled horse to be given me, with one of his own umbrellas,

which with them is a mark of protection. I then requested that he

would appoint some one to ride about with me daily into the dilFerent

quarters of the city, that I might see them. He made the appointment

accordingly, and I rode about with the officer for some days, witnessing the

wonders of the place. Its largest church is that of ’‘Saint Sophia.* 1

saw its outside only. Its interior I could not, because, just within the

door there was a cross which every one who entered worshipped. It is

bj uyicc cro^itz. ' (jA&h ibjJoc or Hebron.

* El Harawl, who visited Constantinople in the 13th century, thus speaks of it, and of this

church. j

^ ^ j ^ ^ ,^1

bfci'io 4? j^}'^ bL«j jJj y j*Jl< cLGjyi

C—

JUj . In this place are statues of brass and marble, pillars and wonderful talismans,

Lw'

as well as the minarets already mentioned, and other monuments (of greatness) to which no

equal can be found in the habitable world. Here is also Ayia Sophia {Ayia 2o^(«) which is the

greatest church they have. I was told by Yakut Ibn Abd Allah, the merchant of Mosul, that

he had entered it, and that it was just as I had described it. In it are 360 doors, and they say,

that one of the angels resides in it. Round about his place they have made fences of gold ; and

the story about him is very strange, which we shall relate in its place, when I shall speak of the

arrangement of this church, its size, height, its doors and their height, its length, breadth, and

the pillars that are in it : also of the wonders of the city, its order, the sort of fish found in it,

the gate of gold, the towers of marble, the brazen elephants, and all its monuments and won-

ders : and all the kindness shewn me by the king Emanuel (which I shall do), in, the book of

wonders D. V. as already mentioned. This city, which is greater than its fame,

may God of his bounty and grace make the capital of Islamism !

ROOM.

said, that this church is one of the foundations of ’'Asaf, the son of Bara-

chias, and nephew of Solomon. The churches, ’"monasteries, and other

When it appeared to the Turks, who had accompanied our mistress, that

she still professed the religion of her father, and wished to remain with

him, they requested permission to return to their own country, which she

granted. She also gave them rich presents, and appointed persons to

accompany them to their homes. She also requested me, that she might

commend these attendants to me, giving me, at the same time, 300 dinars,

with 2,000 dirhems in money ; likewise dresses both of woollen and cotton

cloth, as well as horses, on the part of her father. I returned, therefore,

after a stay in Constantinople of one month and six days, to the place where

I had left my companions, carriages, and other goods : and, from this place

we travelled upon these carriages, until we arrived at Astrachan, where I

had formerly left the Sultan Mohammed Uzbek Khan. But here I found

that he had gone with his court to '‘ El Sarai, to which I also proceeded .

When I was admitted to his presence, he asked me of our journey, of

Constantinople and its king, of all which I told him. He then reimbursed

my travelling expenses, as is his usual custom. This city of ’'El Sarai is

very handsome and exceedingly large. Of its learned men is the Imam,

the learned " Nodman Oddm, " El Khavarezmi. I met him in this place.

He is a man of the most liberal disposition, carries himself majestically

with the king, but humbly with the poor, and with his pupils. The sultan

visits him every Friday, sits before him, and shews him every kindness ;

while he behaves in the most repulsive manner.

I then travelled on to * Khavarezm, between which and this place is a

journey of forty days, through a desert in which there is but little water

and grass. There are carriages in it, which are drawn by camels. After

ten days I arrived at the city of " Sarai Juk, which is situated upon the

banks of a large and full river, which they call the Ulu su or great

water. Over this is a bridge joining its nearest parts, like the bridge

of Bagdad. From this place I travelled for three days with all the haste

places of worship within the city, are almost innumerable.

T A R T A R Y.

possible, and arrived at Khavarezm. This is the largest city the Turks have,

and is very much crowded, on account of the multitude of its- inhabitants.

It is subject to the sultan Uzbek Khan, and is governed on his part by a

great Emir, who resides within it. I have never seen better bred, or more

liberal, people than the inhabitants of Khavarezm, or those who are more

friendly to strangers. They have a very commendable practice with regard

to their worship, which is this : When any one absents himself from his

place in the mosque, he is beaten by the priest in the presence of the con-

gregation ; and, moreover, fined in five dinars, which go towards repairing

the mosque. In every mosque, therefore, a whip is hung up for this

purpose.

Without this city is the river ^Gihon, one of the four rivers which flow

from Paradise. This river, like the Athal, freezes over in the cold season

and remains frozen for five months, during which time people travel over it.

Without this city also, is the grave of the Sheikh ^ Najm Oddin the Great,

one of the great saints, over which there is a cell. Here also is the grave

of the very learned ^ Jar Allah El Zamakhsharl.* Zamakhshar is a village

at the distance of four days from Khavarezm. The prevailing sect at Kha-

varezm, is that of the Schismatics. I This, however, they keep secret,

because the Sultan Uzbek is a Soonnee.

They have in Khavarezm a melon to which none, except that of ' Bok-

hara, can be compared : the nearest to it is that of Isphahan. The peel of

this melon is green, the interior red It is perfectly sweet and rather hard.

Its most remarkable property is, that it may be cut in oblong pieces and

dried, and then put into a case, like a fig, and carried to India or China.

Among dried fruits there is none superior to this. It is occasionally used as

a present to their kings.

* See D’Herbelot, under Zamackschar and Zamakschari.

f On the origin and peculiarities of this sect, see Pococke's Specimen Hist. Arab. pp. 20,

214, ed. 1808. M. de Sacy’s Chrest. Arab. tom. i. p.351. Their principal dogma is a denial

of predestination, and a belief that man can do either good or evil just as he pleases. They

are also termed Kadarites ( jj) because they deny predestination.

TARTARY.

From Khavarezm I set out for ^ Bokhara, and, after a journey of eighteen

days through a sandy and uninhabited desert, arrived at the city of Ei

Kat* which is but small, then at ^ W abkana : then, after one stage, we

came to Bokhara, which is the principal city of the country beyond the

Gihon. After it had been ravaged by the Tartars, it almost entirely disap-

peared : I found no one in it who knew any thing of science.

It is said that Jengiz Khan,! who came with the Tartars into the coun-

tries of Islamism and destroyed them, was in his outset a blacksmith in

the country of Khota. He was a liberal-minded, powerful, and corpulent

. Iksll al ^ ^

* This is, perhaps, the Kath of the Marasid El Itlaa, which it thus describes :

cT®

Kath is a large city of Khavarezm (or Kharezm), on the eastern parts of the Jaihun (or Oxus),

nor is there any other eastward of it in the districts of Khavarezm.

-(- Our copies constantly read not with Mr. Kosegarten’s. Whatever

might have been the intention of the copyist in w-riting his, I think there can be no doubt, that

our traveller did not intentionally write “ porcorum regem,” as he supposes, p. 25.

The accounts given of the origin of this extraordinary man by Abulfeda (Annales Musle-

mici, vol. iv. p. 278-9) and others, differ in many respects from this. It is not improbable,

however, that if we were in possession of all the particulars, they could be reconciled much

easier than accounts of much later date, and of events which have taken place much nearer

home. See the Rauzut El Safa, vol. v. ; the History of Ghengiz Khan, by Petis La Croix ;

and D’Herbelot, under Genghizhan ; also Marco Polo’s account, (Travels by Mr. Marsden, chap,

xliv. p. 194, with the notes). The accounts given by these travellers agree much better with one

another, than either of them does with the historians.

For accounts of the battles between Jengiz Khan, Khavarezm Shah, and his son Jalal

Oddin, see Abulfeda, vol. iv. pp. 294-5, 368-9, &c. Histoire des Mongols, Paris, 1824 : liv. i.

ch. V. &c.

J In the very valuable notes of Mr. Marsden, on the Travels of Marco Polo, he gives it as

his opinion, that llaA-, or Khota, Khotai, or Kotai, is the same with Chinese

Tartary, and appeals to the Oriental geographers as being of this opinion. I can only say

from all I have seen of them, that they speak very vaguely on the situation of these

places. Abulfeda, for example, who is no mean geographer, says (Ann. Mus. vol. iv. p. 228)

. Iksll i. e. “ he passed the river (Gihon)

and went into Khota : aird there was beyond Khota on the borders of Chinese Tartary,” &c.

which plainly marks the places as distinct. Again, in our text, we have Khota and China men-

tioned as distinct places. Edrisi, too, speaks of Chinese Tartary, and the ^jOj\ as

distinct places, meaning the towns, &c. which are evidently to be found in Khota.

T A R T A R Y.

person. His practice was, to assemble and feast the people ; who in conse-

quence joined him in considerable numbers, and made him their leader.

He then conquered the district in which he lived ; and, with this accession

of strength and followers, he next subdued the whole country of " Khota,

then China : after this the countries of" Khashak, Kashgar, and ^ Malik.*

At this time ’ JairdOddin Sanjar, son of * Khavarezm Shah, was king of

Khavarezm, * Khorasan, and Mawara El Nahr, a powerful and splendid

prince. Jengiz Khan, on account of an affair which had happened among

the merchants, and in which some property had been taken, invaded his ter-

ritories.'!' This is well known. When, however, Jengiz Khan had entered

upon the frontiers of Jalfil Oddin’s countries, he was met by the king’s army,

which, after some fighting, was put to the route. After this Jalfd Oddln

himself met him, and some such battles took place, as have never been wit-

nessed among the Mohammedans.

In the event, however, Jengiz Khan got possession of Mawara El Nahr,

and destroyed Bokhara, Samarkand, and ^E1 Tirmidh; killed the inhabi-

tants, taking prisoners the youth only, and leaving the country quite deso-

late. He then passed over the Gihon, and took possession of all “Khorasan

and ’ Irak, destroying the cities and slaughtering the inhabitants. He then

perished, having appointed his son ^ Hulaku to succeed him. Hulaku (soon

after) entered Bagdad, destroyed it, and put to death the “ Calif El Mostaa-

India “

Asseman seems to me to have determined this question justly. Biblioth. Orient, tom. iii. P. II,

. . . . .. ^ ^

p. 512. “ Primo, provinciam Mangi, qua Abulpharagio Manzi, aliis ^ Masin,

Mascin, et Macin dicitur, Sinam esse proprie dictam, cujus notissimse urbes Nankin,

et Confu Abulpharagio et Paulo memorantur,” &c. Secundo, Chatajse Sinaeque nomine a

Syris, Arabibus, Persis, Turcisque scriptoribus septentrionalem Sinam intelligi, hoc est, earn

Sinae partem, quae ad celeberrimum murum, quo Tartar! a Sinis dividuntur, accedit. Tertio,

Chan-Balek urbem, in qua Coblaius sedem regni fixit, quam M. Paulus Cambalu vocat, eandem

esse ac Pekinum, ut Herbelotius et Renaudotius recte monent.”

* Almalig, dans le voisinage des hauts montagnes Guenk et de mont Coui, &c. Histoire des

Mongols, liv. ii. ch. i. p. 376-7.

f See an account of this alFair in the Histoire des Mongols, tom. i. liv. i. chap. v. p. 14B-9,

&c. Paris, 1 824.

T A R T A R Y.

sem of the house of Abbas, and reduced the inhabitants.* He then pro'-

ceeded with his followers to Syria, until divine Providence put an end to

his career : for there he was defeated by the army of Egypt, and made

prisoner. Thus was their progress in the Mohammedan countries put an

end to.

The epitomator Ibn Jazzi El Kelbi states, that he has been told by the

Sheikh “ Ibn El Haji, who had heard it from ^ Abd Allah Ibn Roshaid,

who had met Nur Oddin Ibn El Zajaj one of the learned men of Irak,

with his brother’s son in Mecca, and who told him as they were con-

versing together, that in the war with the Tartars in Irak not fewer than

four and twenty thousand learned men perished ; and that himself, and

that man, pointing to his brother’s son, were the only learned men who had

escaped.

I next proceeded from Bokhara for the camp of the Sultan ^ Ala Oddin

Tarmashirln,'}' and, in my way, passed by ^ Nakhshab, the place to which

the patronymic of the Sheikh Abu Turab El Nakhshabi* is referred.

• c;;'"

* For particulars respecting the butchery here alluded to, see the Annales Moslemici, vol.

iv.p.550— 1, &c.

f This is, probably, the Tirim Siri Khan Dow and Ferishta, who

invaded Hindustan A. H. 727, with a numerous army, but retired without making a conquest

of it, after receiving great wealth from Mohammed Shah. Dow, vol. i. p. 314. See also the

extract from De Guignes a little lower down. Some account of the exploits of this prince in

the neighbourhood of Ghizna, is also to be found in the first volume of the jJiaKe by

under the date of 732 of the Hegira, A.D. 1331. This name is written

in the Tarlkhi BadayunI •

J A short account of this recluse is given in the of which the following is an

extract : j*li l** ^

1 All l ** 1 l) ^ i*^^*^*^ I g*.

b b y^

y ‘^_y. y‘^ ly^jy

N "

-WjJl jy . Ju£

ss^\ i^\y y\^ .

T A R T A R Y.

From this place I proceeded to the camp of the Sultan, the king of Mawara

El Nahr. This is a powerful prince, who has at his command a large army,

and is remarkable for the justice of his laws. The territories of this king

occupy a middle station among those of the four great kings of the world,

who are, the king of China, that of India, that of Irak, that of the Turks

Mohammed Uzbek Khan : all of whom send presents to him, give him the

place of honour, and very highly respect him. He succeeded to the king-

dom after his brother Jagatai, who was an infidel, and had succeeded to his

elder brother ^ Kobak, who was also an infidel : he was, nevertheless, just,

and much attached to the Mohammedans, to whom he paid great respect.

It is said that this king Kobak was one day talking with the doctor and

preacher ^ Badr Oddin El Maidanl, when he said to him : you say that

God has left nothing unmentioned in his book. The preacher replied, it is

even so. Shew me, then, said he, where my name is to be found. The reply

was. In the passage ti ) “ In which form he pleased

hath he fashioned thee.”^ This astonished him, and he said, Bakhshi, that

is, well done ! I spent some days in the camp of Tarmashlrln. Upon a

certain day, however, I went to the mosque, which was in the camp (the

camp they call the Urdu) for I had heard that the Sultan was to be in the

mosque. When the service was ended, I approached in order to pay my

respects to him, as he had heard of my arrival. He was pleased with me,

and treated me very respectfully. After this he sent for me. I went to

• * • /

^ . Abu Turab

Nakshabi, may God sanctify his mystery, was (a saint) of the first class ; his name was Askar

Ibn Hasin : they also say, that Askar Ibn Mohammed Ibn Hasin was one of the Sheikhs of

Khorasan, famous for his knowledge of decisions, piety, and faith. He was associated with Abu

Hatim Attar of Basra, and Hatim Asamm. He was also the preceptor of Abu Abd Allah

Jallad, and of Abu Obeid Allah Basari. This Abu Turab went with three hundred Rukwah

Dars [i. e. I suppose, persons clothed in rags as religious). Two of these remained with him,

namely, Abu Abd Allah Jallad, and Abu Obeid Basari, all the rest returned. It is one of his say-

ings : That is an enlightened man, whom nothing perplexes, and with whom every thing is clear.

He was at his prayers in the desert, when he was scorched by the samoom, and remained for a

whole year standing on his feet ; this happened in the year 24

departed this life.

* This passiige occurs a few lines from flie beginning of the 82d chapter of the Koran.

T A R T A R y.

him, and found him in his tent, and there paid my respects to him. He

then asked me of Mecca, Medina, J erusalem, Damascus, and Egypt ; as

also of El Malik El Nasir, the kings of Irak, and Persia. To all of which

I gave suitable answers, and received marks of distinction. One of the odd

things that happened respecting him, was, that once when the hour of

prayer had arrived, and the people were assembled in the mosque, the

Sultan delayed. One of his young men coming in, said to the priest ''Ha-

sam Oddin El Yaghi, the Sultan wishes you to wait a little. Upon this

the priest got up and said : I ask, are prayers had here for the sake of

God, or of Tarmashlrin ? He then ordered the Moazin to proclaim the

prayers. So the Sultan came in after two prostrations had been performed,

and went through his prayers at the extremity of the part in which the

people stand, and which is near the door of the mosque where they usually

leave their mules, and there went through what he had missed. He then

came and seized the hand of the priest, who laughed heartily at him. He

then sat down in the oratory, the priest by his side, and I by the side of the

priest. He then addressed me. . When, said he, you go back to your own

country say, that a doctor of the Persians sat thus with the Sultan of the

Turks (al. that a poor man of the poor of the Persians thus did with the

Sultan of the Turks). This priest it was who succeeded in reducing the

King to the observance of all the positive and negative commands. The

Sultan very much respected, loved, and obeyed him. But the Sheikh

accepted of no gifts from the King ; nor did he eat any thing but what he

acquired by the labour of his own hands. This King, when I wished to

travel on, provided me with 700 dinars for my journey. We broke up our

intercourse, therefore, and I set out accordingly.

This Tarmashlrin (it may be remarked) had broken some of the statutes

of his grandfather Jengiz Khan, who had published a book entitled

^ E1 Yasak^, the prohibition, which enacted, that whosoever should oppose

.jLJP

Makrizi mentions this work as containing the regulations of Jengiz Khan, and calls it

L:b yasa, and > yasak. From this word, according to him, originated the word Siyasat,

now in use among the Arabs to signify government, or punishment. See the Chrestomathie

Arabe of M. de Sacy, tom. ii. pp. 6^ and 160, edit. 2, where we have a short account

N 2

TART ARY.

any one of these statutes, should be put out of office. Now, one of the

statutes was this, that the descendants of Jengiz, the governors of the

several districts, the wives of the nobles, and the general officers of the

army, should assemble upon a certain day in the year which they call

”'E1 Tawa, i.c. the feast; and, that should the Emperor have altered

any one of these statutes, the nobles should stand up and say. Thou

hast done so and so upon such and such a day, and hast made an altera-

tion in the statutes of El Yasak {i. e. that which is not to be changed), and,

therefore, thy deposition is a necessary consequence. They are then to

take him by the hand, and remove him from the throne, and to place in

it another of the descendants of Jengiz Khan. And, should any one of the

nobles have committed any crime, he is to be duly adjudged on this occasion.

■ Now, Tarmashirin had entirely abolished the observance of this day,

which gave very great offence. Some time, therefore, after we had left the

country, the Tartars, together with their nobles, assembled and deposed

him, appointing for a successor one of his relations : and to such an extent

was the matter pressed, that Tarmashirin took to flight and was put to death.'* *

I then proceeded to Samarkand, which is a very large and beautiful city.

Without it is the tomb of ” Kotham, son of Abbas, who was martyred on

the day the city was taken. After this I arrived at the city of " Nasaf,j~

of these regulations. See also tom. v. des Notices et Extraits des Manuscrits de la Biblio-

theque du Roi, pp. 592, &c. The author of the Histoire des Mongols, Paris, 1824, says,

tom. i. p. 296, “ Ses statuts ne sont point parvenus jusqu’a nous; on n’en trouve que quel-

ques extraits dans les auteurs de cette epoque,” &c.

* De Guignes (Hist. gen. des Huns, tom. iv. p. 311) gives us, under the date 1342, the fol-

lowing notice of this prince : “ Apres sa mort (Dgelaleddin) I’empire fut donne a Beghi, qui

eut pour successeur Bougha-timour, ensuite a Doizi-khan fils de Barak. Apres eux regnerent

successivement Kendgik, &c. et Daouatmour-khan, &c. Celui-ci eut pour successeur son

frere Turmeschirin, qui se fit Musulman, et qui le premier ordonna a tous ses sujets d’embrasser

cette religion, dont il ne se trouvoit plus de traces parmi les Mogols, depuis que Berrak-khan en

avoit fait autrefois profession. Ce prince fut detrone par son frere Butun-khan qui lui succeda,

et qui eprouva un pareil sort de la part de son frere Zenkechi.”

f This place, according to the Marasid El Itlaa, is ^

T A R T A R Y.

to which the patronymic of Abu Jaafar Omar El Nasafi is referred. I then

went on to the city of ^ Tirmidh, to which is referred the patronymic of

Abu Isa Mohammed El Tirmidhi, author of the ^ Jamia El Kebir.* * This

is a large and beautiful city, abounding with trees and water. We then

passed over the Gihon into Khorasan ; and, after a journey of a day and

half over a sandy desert in which there was no house, we arrived at

the city of ’’ Balkh,t which now lies in ruins. It has not been rebuilt since

its destruction by the cursed Jengiz Khan. The situation of its buildings

is not very discernible, although its extent may be traced. It is now in

ruins, and without society.

Its mosque was one of the largest and handsomest in the world. Its

pillars were incomparable : three of which were destroyed by Jengiz Khan,

because it had been told him, that the wealth of the mosque lay concealed

^ city great in inhabitants and independent villages, and situated

between the Jaihun (Oxus river) and Samarcand. It has a citadel, suburbs, and four gates, and

it is in a plain. The hills are about two farsangs from it, and adjoining Kashar. It has many

villages but no river except one which runs through the middle of the city. It fails however in

some seasons of the year. Their tillage and gardens are near wells.

* Among the several works bearing this title in Haji Khalfa, I find none ascribed to this author.

He notices it, however, under the title • There appears also to be some notice

of him in the > •• d g-Ai by JamI, under the name Abu Bekr El Warak El Tirmidhi, which is

as follows. ^ tJy ^Ij ^ Jj

V ^ i," --A > &c. Abu Bekr El Warak El Tirmidhi was (a saint) of the second rank.

His name was Mohammed Ibn Omar El Hakim El Tirmidhi. He was originally of Tirmidh

(Termed of our maps), and his grave is now there, but was in Balkh. He was the paternal uncle

of Abu Isa of Tirmidh, author of the Musnad ( a-..—., or book of cases) ; which is probably the

work styled^./!) Batuta. A copy of this work is to be found at Oxford. See

Uri’s Catalogue, No. clxxxvii ; D’Herbelot, art. Giame al. Kebir ; and Ann. Muslem. tom. in

p. 275.

f A well known city in Khorasan, famous in history and for its wealth : between this place and

Tirmidh is a distance of twelve farsangs.

T A R T A R Y.

under them, provided as a fund for its repairs. When, however, he had

destroyed them, nothing of the kind was to be found ; the rest, therefore,

he left as they were.

The story about this treasure arose from the following circumstance. It

is said, that one of the Califs of the house of Abbas was very much

enraged at the inhabitants of Balkh, on account of some accident which

had happened, and, on this account, sent a person to collect a hea\'y fine

from them. Upon this occasion, the women and children of the city be-

took themselves to the wife of their then governor, who, out of her own

money, built this mosque ; and to her they made a grievous complaint. She

accordingly sent to the officer, who had been commissioned to collect the fine,

a robe very richly embroidered and adorned with jewels, much greater in

^"alue than the amount of the fine imposed. This, she requested might

be sent to the Calif as a present from herself, to be accepted instead of

the fine. The officer accordingly took the robe, and sent it to the Calif ;

who, when he saw it, was surprised at her liberality, and said : This

woman must not be allowed to exceed myself in generosity. He then sent

back the robe, and remitted the fine. When the robe was returned to her,

she asked, whether a look of the Calif had fallen upon it ; and being told

that it had, she replied : No robe shall ever come upon me, upon which

the look of any man, except my own husband, has fallen. She then ordered

it to be cut up and sold ; and with the price of it she built the mosque,

with the cell and structure in the front of it. Still, from the price of the

robe there remained a third, which she commanded to be buried under one of

its pillars, in order to meet any future expenses which might be necessary

for its repairs. Upon Jengiz Khan’s hearing this story, he ordered these

pillars to be destroyed ; but, as already remarked, he found nothing.

In the front of the city is, as it is reported, the tomb of *Akasha Ibn

Mohsin El SahabI ; who, according to what is related in the ^Athar (a

book so called), entered paradise without rendering up an account (of his

deeds).

After this I travelled from Balkh for seven days, on the mountains of

" Kiihistan, which consist of villages closely built. In these there are

KHORASAN.

many cells of religious, and others who have retired from the world. I

next came to the city of ^ Herat, which is the largest inhabited city in

Khorasan. Of the, large cities of this district there are four : two of these

are now inhabited, namely, Herat and ^ Nisabur ; and two in ruins, namely

Balkh and -Meraw. The inhabitants of Herat are religious, sincere, and

chaste, and are of the sect of “ Hanifa. The King of Herat was at this

time the Sultan, the great Hosain son of the Sultan ^Giath Oddln El

Gauri, a man of tried valour.* From Herat I went to ‘‘Jam,'}' which is a

moderate sized city, abounding with water and plantations. From this

place I went to ‘^Tus, one of the largest cities of Khorasan. In this the

Imam ®Abu Hamed El Ghazali:{: was born, and in it we still find his tomb.

From this place I went to the Meshhed of -^El Riza, i. e. of ®^Ali Ibn

. — p- * -j ^ . i'bii '

* The dynasty, however, as such, ceased long before this time, according to Abulfeda, vol.

iv. p. 228-9. For the origin of it see Dow, vol. i. p. 143. This, however, is the “ Maleic

Azzeddin-houssain, filsde Gai'atheddin” of De Guignes, who reigned in Herat from about 1331 to

1370. Hist. gen. des Huns, tom. i. p. 416; also tom. iv. p. 313, &c. ; and D’Herbelot, under

Schamseddin. In the first volume of the Matlai Saadain, we have the following

account of this prince and his dependents : JU ,^1-1 jb cUih JLj iJ

iMti irfj^ Aijui)

Jbj i_iblc iUj , &c. “ In

the year of the death of Abu Said, it was the fourth in which the king Moi'z Oddln Husain

had reigned in Herat. After the death of the Sultan [i. e. Abu Said), the Governors of Irak and

Khorasan refused submission to each other ; and hence a pretender set up his head in every

corner, as did every ultra become vain in every part, and hence the nobles and gentry of

every district betook themselves to Herat, a place where justice, kindness, and safety, was to

be found ; and under the shadow of the king Mo'iz Oddln Husain they were quiet. This

personage was of laudable and prepossessing manners, and protected and amply provided for all

who sought refuge with him.” This confirms Ibn Batuta’s account, see p. 48.

The birth-place of the celebrated Jami, author of various Persian and Arabic works.

;J: A celebrated writer on the Mohammedan sects, often cited by the author of the Dabistan and

the learned Pococke. See Specimen Hist. Arab, p. 356, edit. 1806.

KHORASAN.

Musa El Kazim son of Jaafar Siidik. It is a large and well peopled

city, abounding with fruits. Over the Meshhed is a large dome, adorned

with a covering of silk, and golden candlesticks. Under the dome, and

opposite to the tomb of El Riza, is the grave of the Calif Harun El

Rashid.* Over this they constantly place candlesticks with lights. But

when the followers of Ali enter, as pilgrims, they kick the grave of El

Rashid, but pour out their benedictions over that of El Riza. From this

place I went to the city of ^ Sarakhas,| then to *Zava, the town of the

Sheikh ^Kotb Oddin Haidar, from whom the Fakeers of the sect called the

Haidaria,J take their name. These men place an iron ring on their hands

and their necks ; and, what is still more strange, on their virilia, in order

to prevent intercourse with women.

From this place I went to ^Nisabur, one of the four principal cities of

Khorasan. It is also called the Little Damascus, on account of the abun-

dance of its fruits. The city is handsome, and is intersected by four rivers.

I here met the Sheikh ”'Kotb Oddin El Nisaburl, a learned and accom-

plished preacher, and he took me to his house. It happened that I had

* He died in Tus, during an expedition he had undertaken into those parts. His general

character is, that he was any thing but religious, but nevertheless a bigotted Soonnee.

t Written according to the Sarakhas and Sarkhas ((j*,.:i^and It is,

it is added, an ancient and large city in Khorasan, in the mid-way between Nisabur and Meraw.

It is much subject to drought, having only one river, which is dry a great part of the year. The

people generally drink water from wells. ^ ...

J I have not been able to find any other particular account, either of this Sheikh or of his

sect. In M. de Sacy’s Chrestomathie Arabe, we have an account of a Sheikh Haider, who

appears to have been the leader of a sect in Khorasan, and who discovered the use of the intoxi-

cating herb called the khashisha ; but it may be doubted whether this is the person meant by

Ibn Batata, because we have a different name given here from that given by him. See

direst. Arabe, tom. i. p. VV;z. e. in Ibn Batuta we have 5 but in M.

deSacy i if the title in the traveller is not a

mere epithet. M. de Sacy says in his notes (p. 244) that he has not been able to find any

particulars respecting the life of this sheikh.

KHORASAN.

purchased a slave. The Sheikh said to me : Sell him, for he will not suit

you ; and I sold him accordingly. I was told, after a few days, that this

slave had killed some Turkish childrens, and had been executed in conse-

quence. This was one of the Sheikh’s great miracles.

From this place I proceeded to ” Bastam, the town to which the patro-

nymic of "Abu Yezid El Bastami is referred.* His grave is also here, under

the same dome with that of one of the sons of Jaafar Sadik. I next pro-

ceeded to ^ Kundus and Baghlan, which are villages with cultivated lands

adjoining each other. In each of these is a cell for the sainted and recluse.

The land is green and flourishing, and its grass never withers. In these

places I remained for some time for the purpose of pasturing and refreshing

my beasts.

After this I proceeded to the city of ^ Barwan, j* in the road to which is a

high mountain, covered with snow and exceedingly cold ; they call it the

’’ Hindu Kush,;]: i. e. Hindoo-slayer, because most of the slaves brought thi-

P Piy P CP ^

• ^ j J 3.1* ^ J ^

* Some account will be found of this devotee in Pococke’s Specimen Hist. Arab. p. 372,

edit. 1806, and also in the of Jami, of which the following is an extract:

culij

^ bi ^ ^^33 Li**

JoAJ (jTjA j^c jIa^, &c. Abu Yezid Bastami, may God sanctify his spirit,

was (a saint) of the first class. His name was Taiafur (Pococke Taifur) Ibn Isa Ibn Sarushan.

His grandfather was a Guebre, but became a Mussulman. He was contemporary with Ahmed

Ibn Khizrawa, Abu Hafiz, and Yahya Maadh ; and he saw Shakiki Balkhi. His death happened

in the year 261. They also say in the year 234, but the first is the most correct. His pre-

ceptor was Kardawl. He mentioned it as his will, that his grave should be made deeper

than that of his master ; this was done out of respect to him. He was a man of opinion,

and the leader of a sect, which however never became general. Notices of the other persons here

mentioned occur within a page or two in the same work.

t Perhaps the Budaoon of Dow (vol. i. p. 157) and the of Ferishta.

% This Mr. Burckhardt gives in his abstract of these Travels in Nubia, p. 535, Hindwahh,

where he has not only disregarded the vowels given in the MSS., but has shewn that he must

have been an entire stranger to the Persian language, as accurately given and translated heire by

our traveller.

KABUL.

ther from India die on account of the intenseness of the cold. After this

we passed another mountain, which is called * Bashai. In this mountain

there is a cell inhabited by an old man, whom they call * Ata Evlia, that is,

the Father of the Saints. It is said that he is three hundred and fifty years

old. When I saw him he appeared to be about fifty years old. The peo-

ple of these parts, however, very much love and revere him. I looked at

his body : it was moist, and I never saw one more soft. He told me, that

every hundredth year he had a new growth of hair and teeth, independently

of the first, and that he was the Raja “Aba Rahim Ratan of India, who

had been buried at '' Multan,*' in the province of Sindia. I asked him of

several things ; but very much doubted as to what he was, and do so still.

I next arrived at the city of Barwan. In this place I met the Turkish

Emir ^ Barantay, the largest and fattest man I had ever seen. He treated

me very respectfully, and gave me some provisions. I then went on to the

village of 'El Jarkh, and thence to “Ghizna, the city of the warrior of the

faith, and against India, the victorious Mahmud, son of ^Subuktagm.t

His grave is here. The place is exceedingly cold : it is ten (al. three) stages

distant from ' Kandahar. It was once a large city ; but is now mostly in

ruins. I then went on to Kabul, which was once a large city; but is

now, for the most part, in ruins. It is inhabited by a people from Persia

whom they call the Afghans. J Their mountains are difficult of access.

* See a note on this place in Mr. Kosegarten, p. 27.

f An abridgment of Ferishta’s reign of Mahmood will be found in Dow’s Hindostan, vol. i.

p. 52, &c.

t These people, according to their own statements, are descended from the house of Israel,

and of the family of Saul the first Israelitish king. Ibn Shah Aalam of the tribe of Kot’h Khail,

author of the Kholasut El Ansab, himself an Afghan, and a most sedulous enquirer, as he tells

us, into their history, gravely affirms, that nothing can be more certain than that this is them

origin. He then goes on to say, that they originally resided on Solomon’s mount in Syria ; but

upon some emergency migrated to Candahar, whence many of them made their wa)" into Hin-

dustan, and were of considerable use in assisting Mahmud of Ghizna, to make his first conquest

in that country. He also tells us, that his ancestors, hearing in Candahar of the teaching of

Mohammed, sent a deputation to him into Arabia, to inquire whether he was or not, the last

. al. '' • ^

KABUL.

having narrow passes. These are a powerful and violent people ; and the

greater part of them highway robbers. Their largest mountain is called the

mountain of Solomon. It is said that when Solomon had ascended this

mountain, and was approaching India from it, and saw that it was an op-

pressive country, he returned refusing to enter it. The mountain was there-

fore called after his name : upon this the king of the Afghans resides.

We next left Kabul by the way of ^ Kirmash which is a narrow pass

situated between two mountains, in which the Afghans commit their rob-

beries. We, thank God, escaped by plying them with arrows upon the

heights, throughout the whole of the way. The next place we arrived at

was “ Shish Naghar, which is situated at the extremity of the Turkish domi-

nions. From this place we entered the great desert, which is fifteen days

in extent. In this no one can travel except in one season out of the four,

on account of the Samoom, by which putrefaction takes place, and the body

as soon as dead falls to pieces in its several members. We got to the ^Panj

Ab, (i. e. the five waters,) in safety. This is the junction of five different

rivers, and which waters all the agriculture of the district. We were

comfortable enough when we got on the river, which happened in the begin-

ning of the month Moharram, A.H. 734, (A.D. 1332). From this place the

informers wrote of our arrival to the court of the Emperor of India. It is a

custom with them, that every one who enters India with a wish to see the

Emperor, must be described in writing from this place, stating the particu-

. * . jU3 ^JM^ “ •

Prophet mentioned in the law and the gospels ; and that, upon being assured of this, the whole

nation at once received the faith. If there were the least possible approximation to truth in the

story of their descent, it is reasonable to suppose, that their language would either be pure Hebrew,

or a dialect very nearly approaching it : but the truth is, as far as I can learn, that nothing like

this is the fact : but quite the contrary. This boasted descent is, therefore, a fable ; as very proba-

bly their early attachment to the faith of Mohammed is. Some, indeed, liave been credulous

enough to believe this story of descent ; and thence to imagine, that in them they had dis-

covered the ten tribes of the house of Israel ; which, however, is more than the Afghans them-

selves imagine. That part of all the twelve tribes of Israel returned from the captivity, except

such has had become real heathens, the New Testament will not allow us for a moment to doubt.

(See Acts xxvi. 7. James i. I.) I do not, therefore, see the least probability of finding them

either in Candahar or elsewhere. Some part of the modern history of the Afghans may probably

be true.

O 2

100

HINDUSTAN.

lars of his person and the objects he has in view, which is sent off by a

courier. For no one is allowed to appear at court, unless the Emperor has

been previously acquainted with all the circumstances of his case.