Sultan Said Khan

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Sultan Said Khan ruled Yarkand state ("mamlakati Yarkand") in Eastern Turkestan (1514-1533 years). He was a descendent of first moghul (latter were turkizised mongols, converted to Islam) khan-Tughlugh Timur, founder of Moghulistan state in 1348 year (ruled until 1363 year).
By this time Chagatai Ulus, embraced both East and West Turkestan, collapsed, that resulted in creating of two different states- Maverannahr in West Turkestan with capital in Samarkand (where Great Timur came to power in 1370 year) and Moghulistan with capital in Almalik (near present Gulja, Ili valley), embraced settled lands in Eastern Turkestan, (known then under name of "Manglai Sobe"-Shiny or Advanced Land, faced to sun) and nomad lands north of Tangri Tagh (Tian-Shan) (whole present Kirgiziya and part of Kazakhstan, including Jettisu- area of seven rivers).

Ruler of Aksu- dughlat amir Puladchi brought young, 18 age,Tughlugh Timur from Ili valley and on kurultai declared him as grandson of Duwa Khan (grandgrandson of Chagatai Khan and ruler of Chagatai Khanate at 1282-1307 years) and forced all moghuls to recognize him as Khan. Khans from Chagatai (second son of Genghiz Khan) to Tughlugh Timur are known as "Chagatai khans", and from Tughlugh Timur to his descendents as "Moghul khans".

Moghulistan was existing about 100 years and then split in two parts: Yarkand state ("mamlakati Yarkand") with capital in Yarkand, that embraced all settled land of Eastern Turkestan, and nomad Moghulistan, embraced nomad lands north of Tengri Tagh. Founder of Yarkand state was Mirza Abu-Bakr, from dughlat tribe. In 1465 year he raised mutiny, captured Yarkand,Kashgar and Khotan and declared himself as independent ruler, successfully repeling attacks of Moghulistan rulers-Yunus Khan and his son Akhmad Khan(Ahmad Alaq).

Dughlat amirs were ruling of country , that lay south of Tengri Tagh ( Tarim Basin ), from middle of XIII centure, on behalf of Chagatai Khan and his descendents, as their satellites, the first dughlat ruler, that have got country directly from hands of Chagatai, was amir Babdagan or Tarkhan. The capital of emirates laid in Kashgar and country was known as "Mamlakati Kashgar". Although emirates, representing settled lands of Eastern Turkestan, formally were under ruling of moghul khans, dughlat amirs often tried to put end to that dependence and raised frequent mutinies, one of them resulted in separation Kashgar from Moghulistan for almost 15 years (1416-1435 years).

Mirza Abu-Bakr ruled Yarkand state during 48 years. At 1514 year Sultan Said Khan- grandson of moghul khan Yunus Khan (ruled Moghulistan at 1462-1487 year) and third son of Akhmad Khan made an expedition against Kashgar from Andijan with only 5,000 men and captured the city, killing Mirza Abu-Bakr. Soon after that other cities of Eastern Turkestan - Yangihissar, Yarkand, Khotan, Aksu and Uch Turpan joined him and recognized Sultan Said Khan as a ruler.

By this time almost all West Turkestan ( Maverannahr ) was invaded by nomad Uzbeks of Shaybani Khan, that were killing all descendents of Great Timur and Chagatai Khan. Actually, Sultan Said Khan saved his life when moved to Kashgar with his nobles. At 1516 year he concluded peace agreement with Mansur Khan (moghul khan and his brother ) and as result eastern part of the settled country south and partly north of Tangri-Tagh joined his state- cities Bai,Kucha, Chalish (Karashahr), Urum (Urumchi),Turpan and Kumul till Sajou (Dunhuang), representing the lands of former Uyghuria ( Historian Mirza Muhammad Haidar in 1546 year called this part of country as " Uyghurstan " in his famous book " Tarih-i- Rashidi ", written in Kashmir ), that in the past had status of " Fifth Ulus" of Mongol Empire- in the middle of XIII century, because former ruler of Uyghuria- idikut Baurchuk Art Tekin married daughter of Genghiz Khan( Altun Begi) and was declared by the latter as his fifth son in 1211 year (after Juchi, Chagatai, Ugedei and Tolui).

The capital of this state laid in Yarkand and it was known under names " mamlakati Saidiya ", "mamlakati Yarkand" or "mamlakati Moghuliya" (Iranian sources). But latter name was not accurate, because actually by this time nomad state Moghulistan collapsed, it was eliminated during XV-XVI centuries by nomad tribes of Kyrgyzs, Kazakhs and Jungars, that captured all moghul lands north of Tangri Tagh.
The remnants of moghuls moved to Kashgaria and mixed with local uyghur population, although part of moghuls in amount of 30,000 men joined to Babur (descendent of Great Timur after his father Omar Sheikh and descendent of Chagatai Khan after his mother Kutluk Nighar Hanum- daughter of moghul Yunus Khan) in Kunduz at 1512 year and helped him in invasion of India. The Babur state in India was known as "Moghul Empire" and this state recognized Yarkand state, as it did Shaybanid state in Maverannahr (at 1538 year).

The relations between Yarkand state and Ming Dynasty China were not developed, although far east boundaries of Yarkand state reached Jiayuguan Pass in west end of Great Wall of China due to holy expeditions of Mansur Khan (including expeditions against Sary Uyghurs - Yellow Uyghurs or yellow haired uyghurs, Yugurs, that worshipped Tibetan Buddhism and took refuge at Ming Dynasty China Gansu province at 1529 year, escaping of holy warriors of Mansur Khan). It can be partly explained by full extinction of Great Silk Road trade by this time.

Sultan Said Khan died at 1533 year due to asthma during holy expedition against Ursang- Big or Great Tibet with capital Lhasa (the main purpose of this expedition was to destroy Potala Palace in Lhasa and convert tibetans to Islam), but before his death he united all settled country south of Tangri Tagh (from Kashgar to Kumul) in one centralized state with population of the same origin and language.

This country was known later as the country of " Kashgar and Uyghurstan", according Balkh historian Makhmud ibn Vali ("Sea of misteries",1640 year). Kashgar historian Muhammad Imin Sadr Kashgari called the country as Uyghurstan in his book " Traces of Invasion (Asar al-futuh) " in 1780 year. He wrote that this great country embraced union of six cities south of Tangri Tagh- Kashgar, Yangihissar , Yarkand, Khotan, Aksu (Ardabil), Uch Turpan (Safidkuh), so called Altishahr, as well as Kucha, Chalish (Karashahr), Turpan and Kumul. According to him, this country fell down not due to attacks of external enemies, but due to a personal ambitions of its religious leaders - Khojas, divided into two hostile groups (that hated and killed each others) - ak taghliks (White Mountaneers) and kara taghliks (Black Mountaneers), who threw off one of the last moghul khan- Ismail Khan in 1678 year with help of the invited Kalmaks (Jungars) and actually put the whole country under foots of future invaders-Jungars and Qings(Manchus), for gaining their personal powers.

[edit] References

• Mirza Muhammad Haidar, Dughlat. " Tarih-i-Rashidi ". Translated and edited by Elias&Denison Ross (London),1898
• Makhmud ibn Vali. " Sea of misteries ". Translated from Balkh original text by B.Akhmedov, Tashkent, 1977
• Muhammad Imin Sadr Kashgari. " Asar al-futuh " (Traces of Invasion). Original text (never published, was written by the author in uyghur language at 1780 year in exile, in Samarkand) is being kept under No.753 in Academy of Sciences, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
• Kutlukov, M " Mongol ruling in Eastern Turkestan ". Moscow, Nauka, 1970