JOURNAL

OF

THE ASIATIC SOCIETY.

No. 32.-August, 1834.

I.—Memoir on the U'sbek State of Kokan, properly called Khokend, (the Ancient Ferghana,) in Central Asia. By W. H, WATHEN, Esq. Persian Secretary to the Bombay Government, &c.

[Read at the Meeting of the 6th August.]

DURING the last few years, circumstances have taken place which have caused the Muhammedan inhabitants of Central Asia, and even of Chinese Tartary, to prefer, in performing their pilgrimage to Mecca, the circuitous route of Bokhára or Samarkand, Kúndúz, Taush Kurgáún, Balkh, Kábul, Kandahar, and Kelautí-Nasír, and Bela, to Somniany, whence they pass in boats to Bombay, and from the latter port to Judda, to either the road through Russia round the Caspian viâ Astrakhan, or the more direct one through Persia.

The causes which have led to this change of their accustomed route, which was through Russia, are said to be-first, some misunderstanding betwixt the Cossac tribes, under the influence of Russia, and those of the Kokan prince, in consequence of which, the Russian government is said to have stopped the communication through its territory. With regard to Persia, the bigotted feelings of its inhabitants, who are Shíahs, against the Tartars, who are of the opposite sect of the Sunís, has long deprived the pilgrims from Tartary of all access to its territory, so that there remains no other way of performing the pilgrimage except through the Afghan provinces.

These circumstances have led to the resort of pilgrims to Bombay, from countries situate in the very heart of Asia. I calculate that within the last two years, at least three hundred zealots of this description have arrived at Bombay from the cities of Bokhara, Samarkand,

Kokan, and Yárkend. Among those who arrived during the present year, 1834, was a noble of high rank of Kokan; his name was KHOJA Behádur KháN, who held the title of KHU'SH BE'GI, and was prime minister to the prince of that country; his son, said to be foster-brother to the same prince, and a suite of about twenty followers, accompanied him.

On my hearing of the arrival of these illustrious strangers, I took the first opportunity of forming an acquaintance with them, with the view of obtaining information respecting the state of things in a country so little known* to Europeans, and I collected the following particulars.

In the first place, I shall endeavour to describe the geographical situation of this country, as well as the information received will enable

me.

The principality of Kokan appears to be situated between the parallels of from thirty-nine degrees to fifty-five degrees of north latitude, and to extend from the sixty-fifth to the seventy-fifth degree of east longitude.

On the east, it is bounded by the country of Kashgar, in Chinese Tartary, the river Oxus or Amú is its limit; to the south-east, Badakhshan, Kaviategín, and Derwáz; west, it is bounded by the Bokhára territory; and north and north-west, by Russian Tartary, and the Steppes occupied by the roving Cossacs, under the influence of Russia. This country, with the exception of the Steppes adjoining the Russian frontiers, and the sandy deserts lying betwixt it and the Bokhára territory, is said to be very populous and fertile, and being watered by many streams and rivers, which have their source in the Ulugh Tágh, and other mountains, and which mostly flow into the Sir or Sihún, the ancient Jaxartes, all the fruits of temperate climates are produced in great abundance, especially apples. The melons are very superior. Barley and wheat are also raised, the former in great quantity.

A few words will suffice to give the history of this country:-Tradition states it to have been under the rule of AFRÁSIÁB, king of Turán, whose wars with the Persians are commemorated in the Sháh-náma of FIRDOUSI. The present city of Turkistán is said to have been his capital. It was overrun by the Arabs in the third century of the Hijra. Subsequently the Sultáns of the Samání dynasty annexed it to their empire. It then fell, in the thirteenth century, with the rest of Asia, to the conquering armies of CHENGIZ KHÁN†; afterwards, on the *It has not been visited by Europeans, I believe, since the 14th century. † On the death of CHENGíz, it became the portion of his eldest son Ja’ghata'i, or CHAGHATAIR.

decline and division of the Mongol Empire, under his successors, it was conquered by the famous AMÍR TIMU'R, who bequeathed it to one of his sons from whom it descended to the famous BÁBER, who reigned at the city called at present Andeján, but which was formerly called Almálij, or "The Place of Apples," from the number of orchards of apple trees, by which it was surrounded. Shortly after the accession of BÁBER, about 1520*, the U'sbek Tartars were forced by the rising power of the Russians to abandon the southern parts of Siberia, &c., which had formed part of the Tartar kingdom of Kiptchak; on their way southward, under the command of their leader SHUBání Khán, they overran all the states of Central Asia, Bokhára, Samarkand, &c., and after a brave resistance, BÁBER, among the rest of the princes of that country, was obliged to abandon his patrimonial kingdom, and fly to Kábul, where he fixed his government, and whence having concentrated his forces, he invaded India, took Delhi in 1526, and there established the present Moghul dynasty; ever since the flight of BÁBER, the country of Kokan has been governed by U'sbek princes, who trace their descent from CHENGÍZ KHÁN, and who transferred the capital from Andeján to Kokan.

The state of Kokan consists of eight extensive governments, each deriving its name from its chief town; these are to the south-west of the city of Kokan the fortified town of Urutippa, and its dependent district; to the west, the ancient city and dependancy of Kojend on the Sihun or Jaxartes; to the south-east, the districts of Uch and Marghilan; to the north-east, Nemengán and Andeján: to north and north-west, the cities of Táshkend and Turkistán, with their districts : these with Kokan form together eight distinct governments.

The districts of Táshkend was till lately under a separate chief, who was a Syed called YONís KHOJEнt, but has been taken from his sons by the present KHÁN of Kokan.

The governors of all these provinces are appointed and removed by the KHÁN, or king, at pleasure; they are all military commanders, and generally hold the rank of Ming-Báshís, or commander of one thousand horse. The king is not, as in Persia, dependent for support on the warlike tribes, but keeps up a standing army of cavalry, which is supported by an allowance of grain and forage from the districts in which they

* They are called U'sbek from a descendant of CHENGIZ KHAʼN, who was the head of the golden horde, and so beloved, that they adopted his name. In like manner the Noghai Tartars have obtained their peculiar appellation; they belonged to the Great Horde.

† Khojeh is a title given by the Tartars to Syeds, as Sherif in Turkey, and Meer and Shah in India.

are stationed, besides a small amount of pay. The use of infantry is unknown. The KHán is said in cases of emergency to be able to bring 50,000 horse into the field.

Most of the inhabitants of this kingdom, with the exception of the Cossac hordes, on the borders of Russia and the Karghiz, towards Kashgar, are U'sbeks, who cultivate the ground themselves. In some parts there are Tájiks*, or people of Persian extraction, who speak that language, and are as serfs to the U'sbek lords, whose estates they cultivate.

Kokan, the capital, is said to be a very large and populous city, it is not surrounded by a wall; its population is reported to exceed that of Bokhára, and it is said to contain one hundred colleges and five hundred mosquest; the number of its inhabitants is rated at 100,000; it has many beautiful orchards, and is situated upon two small rivers, called the Aksáí and the Kárásáí, which fall into the Sihun or Jaxartes, near Kojend. It contains a large colony of Jews; about twenty Hindus, and many Cashmerians; no Armenians; but there are some Noghai Tartars from Russia, especially one, who is a watch-maker.

The Ulema, or literati, are well read in the Persian classics, and the Persian language is spoken with nearly the same accent as by the Afgháns; the dialect differs much from that now used in Persia, and more resembles that of the 16th century. Many Turki compositions are also read and admired; the Turki spoken in this 'country, is what is called the Jághatải‡, and differs much from the Turki of Constantinople, which however derives its origin from it.

The climate seems to verge on extremes :—in the winter, great cold prevails, and much snow falls; in the summer again the heat is oppressive.

The natives are as bigotted Muhammedans as those of Bokhára. A mohtesib goes round and bastinadoes any one caught smoking tobacco.

*The word Tájik was first used to distinguish those who had been subject to the Arab rule in contradistinction to the invading Turks.

+ I suspect my informant of some exaggeration here.

The Jághatái Turki is the language of Central Asia, from the river Ural to the Oxus, and from the Caspian to Yarkend, (in many of the cities however Persian is generally spoken and understood;) this refined dialect of the ancient Turki was called Jaghatai, from having been much polished and refined during the reign of JAGHA TA'I KHA'N, the son of CHENGíz. From this language is derived the language of the Turki of Constantinople, of the Turkmans, and of the Elluat of Turkish origin in Persia, though these dialects differ considerably now from the mother tongue, and in the Usmalú Turki, so much Arabic and Persian has been introduced as to render this language very difficult to be understood by the natives of Tartary.