[Sidenote: A. D. 1364.]
In the year 766, I attained my thirtieth year, and having cleared the
whole country of Maveralnaher of the Jetes, by the force of my sword, I
considered that as there is only one God in the universe, there should
only be one monarch in a kingdom, to whom all the inhabitants should be
obedient, and by whom sedition should be annihilated.
As at this time, all the leaders of the different hordes and tribes, and
the various chieftains, found that the countries of Maveralnaher and
Tūrkestān, were freed from the tyranny of the Jetes, each of them
trusting to the strength and support of their respective followers,
began to assume independence; I therefore deemed it requisite to let
them know, that whoever obeyed my orders, should be protected, but that
I would severely punish any one who proved refractory.
As the greater number of the hordes and tribes proffered their
allegiance to me, and acknowledged me as their (Kelantur) superior, Amyr
Hussyn became jealous, wishing to be himself the Sovereign. He therefore
assembled a number of the inferior chiefs, and after consultation, they
determined, that as I was not a (_Tureh_) descendant of the imperial
family, but only one of the (_Kerachū_) family of the Commander in
Chief’s progeny, I had no right to assume the superiority.
When I was informed of this circumstance, I sent them the following
message; “he who wishes to embrace the bride of royalty, must kiss her
across the edge of the sharp sword; I have defeated Alyas Khuajē and the
Jete army, without any confederate, and the kingdom is mine.” They
replied, “our (Kelantur) Sovereign must be a descendant of Jagtay Khān;”
and in consequence of this determination, they raised Kabul Shāh Aghlān,
a descendant of Jagtay Khān, but who had become a Dervish to the
sovereignty or Khānship; and having stripped off his beggars’ weeds,
clothed him in the robe of state, and supplied him with all the
requisites of royalty, and placed him on the throne of sovereignty.
On hearing of this, I called (Kuriltay) an assembly of all the nobles
and chieftains of my party, and having marched to Kesh, took up my
residence there for the winter; Amyr Hussyn moved at the same time to
his former abode of Sali Seray.[76]
When spring returned, I received intelligence that the Jete army having
marched from the Desht Kipchāk, were again about to invade the province
of Maveralnaher; as soon as this news reached Amyr Hussyn and the other
chieftains, who had raised Kabul Shāh to the sovereignty, they said
among themselves, “if we wish again to repel the Jetes, we must make up
our quarrel with the Amyr Timūr, and unite him with us, by acknowledging
him as the superior, and by being obedient to him, till the Jetes are
driven back.” In consequence of this determination, they wrote me a
joint letter, apologizing for their former conduct, and throwing
themselves upon my benevolence and generosity.
When information of this union of all the chiefs was carried to Mulk
Behader, the preceptor of the young _Khān_, Kabul Shāh, he very unjustly
put the youth to death, and came to congratulate me on having attained
the (Kelantury) sovereignty, I abused him and said, “it is not fit that
the murderer of a King should live;” therefore delivered him over to the
heirs of the murdered Prince, that they might retaliate on him; and I
sent a message to the chiefs, saying, “as you have now acknowledged my
superiority, I will march with my own followers to the bank of the
Khujend river, and I will defend it in such a manner, that the Jetes
shall not be able to pass over.”
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Footnote 76:
It was situated on the northern bank of the Jihūn, near Termuz.