[Sidenote: A. D. 1365.]
In the year 767, being thirty-one years of age, I prepared for marching
to Samerkund, but first gave orders to repair the palace of Kepee Khān,
whose name in the Tūrky language, was Kārshy; and I commanded that a
fortress should be erected at the gate of the town, and some other
buildings constructed. As soon as the morning of spring had dawned, in
compliance with my promise to Amyr Hussyn, I proceeded towards
Samerkund, and having arrived there, pitched my camp in its vicinity.
Amyr Hussyn having preceded me, had taken up his quarters in the city,
and the first thing he did, was to cast the eyes of covetousness on the
wealth of Amyr Jakū, and my other officers, whom I had sent to take
possession of the place; and having determined to plunder them, he
appointed collectors over them. As he thus acted in a very shameless
manner, I had a great mind to draw the sword of revenge from its
scabbard, but recollecting our near connection, and the gratitude due to
his family, I restrained my anger, and swallowed all he said or did. As
my officers had expended all they had gained, upon the refitment of
their men and horses, they had no money: I therefore sent a message to
Amyr Hussyn, “that if he wished me to make a brotherly division of the
wealth of Samerkund, I would do it;” I therefore sent him several of my
own horses and camels; but as his avarice was very great, I further sent
him a large sum of money; and his sister (my wife) Aljay Tūrkān Aghā,
also sent him some of her jewels: when he saw the ornaments of his
sister, he so far forgot his brotherly affection, as to take them all,
and even contended for more. In order to stop his further contention, I
sent him a second sum of money, but all my officers were incensed by his
extortion, and disgusted with his meanness, and thus planted the seeds
of enmity against him in their hearts.
The fire of avarice of Amyr Hussyn being thus stirred into a flame, he
began to covet also the property of the inhabitants of Samerkund, and he
resolved to extort sums of money from them; to effect this, he incited
some of the seditious, to make a complaint against Mūllā Khurdek and
Mūllā Abū Beker, who in order to preserve the city from the Jetes, had
collected a sum of money from the inhabitants, and had expended it on
the new fortifications. He therefore summoned these respectable persons
before him; they in their defence, produced my written order, directing
them to use every means in their power to defend the city; that in
consequence they had raised a contribution, and had expended it in so
proper a manner, that they had succeeded in repelling the enemy; that
all the accounts were ready, that he might have them examined, and if he
found them guilty of extortion or fraud, he might levy the amount from
them: Amyr Hussyn paid no attention to this request, would not examine
the account, but ordered them to pay him the whole amount; this unjust
demand not being complied with, he punished several of the Mūllā Zādēs
(learned men) with his own hands. In consequence of this misconduct, and
the excessive avarice of Amyr Hussyn, all the people were disgusted with
him, and sought his ruin.
It was in consequence of this conduct, that his enemies caused a breach
between him and me, and although I swore that my only feeling towards
him was that of friendship, he would not believe me, but persevered in
his enmity and hatred.
At length the party who wished for his destruction, deserted him and
came over to me: I however comforted them, and requested them to return,
and wrote to Amyr Hussyn, “begging him to be reconciled to his officers,
and to treat them with kindness;” but in his usual passionate manner, he
would not listen to my advice; till at length Amyr Musā, Aly Derveish,
and Ferhad Behader, all of whom were brothers of Amyr Hussyn’s women,
rose up in enmity against him, and resolved to destroy him. To effect
their purpose, they determined to widen the breach between Amyr Hussyn
and me; they therefore in conjunction with the Princess Audu, a relation
of his, wrote him a fictitious letter couched in these words; “O
blockhead, rouse yourself from your sleep, the Amyr Timūr is your avowed
enemy, he has bound round him the girdle of animosity; in a short
period, in union with your chiefs, he will overwhelm you, and make you
his prisoner, like the King at Chess.” When this false letter reached
Hussyn, he bound round him the girdle of hatred and aversion to me, and
sent me the letter.
In consequence of which, I summoned the Amyrs Musā, Aly Derveish, and
Ferhad to my presence; but they being sensible of their treachery, were
ashamed, and fled to Khujend; although their flight was a clear proof of
their falsehood, the wound still rankled in the liver of Hussyn, and
encreased his enmity towards me; in consequence of which, he devised
schemes for my destruction.
In order to avert this misfortune, I consulted with Shyr Behram Jelayr,
by what means I might satisfy the mind of Amyr Hussyn; as Shyr Behram
was at enmity with the Prince, he did not conceal it from me, but openly
said, “Hussyn is not only your avowed enemy, but mine, and whenever he
finds an opportunity, will certainly destroy us both, I have, therefore,
no confidence in him whatever.”
On hearing this discourse of Behram, I began to be alarmed, but did not
say any thing on that subject; I merely replied, “that as there had been
a long friendship and near connection between Hussyn and me, how can I
possibly oppose him, or raise the standard of enmity against him; I will
not believe your accusation, unless you can give me some proof of his
treachery:” Behram said, “if you do not believe me, try him; let me
write him a letter, begging his forgiveness, if he bears no malice
against me, he will pardon me, otherwise he will refuse to do so.” I
consented, and he wrote the letter, but Amyr Hussyn immediately tore it
to pieces, got into a passion, and sent him a message, “that he hoped
shortly to annihilate him.”
When informed of this circumstance, I was convinced that Amyr Hussyn was
now my implacable enemy, I therefore assembled my army, and I sent Shyr
Behram into Khutelān, that he might collect his forces there; I also
sent with him Aādil Behader, but made the former leave his son Tash
Khuajē with me, as security for his behaviour.
Shyr Behram having reached Khutelān, collected a number of troops,
possessed himself of the fortress of _Pelak Suturg_, and raised the
standard of rebellion against Hussyn; the latter however thought it
proper to dissemble, contrived to deceive him, and brought him over to
his party.
He then induced him to forget all his promises and oaths of allegiance
to me; I therefore wrote to Shyr Behram, a sharp letter, reproaching him
for his ingratitude and want of fidelity, and ended by saying that, “as
it was he that had blown up the flame of discord between Amyr Hussyn and
me, I prayed to God that the same flame might consume him, and that he
might have cause to repent of his treachery.” After some time it all
came to pass, as had been reflected on the tablet of my mind; and he was
overwhelmed with misfortunes.
Finding that Amyr Hussyn was now my determined enemy, and that it was
requisite to attend to my personal safety; I therefore sent Behram
Jelayr, Amyr Jakū, and several other officers, by way of Khujend, to
secure the horde of Jelayr, and to effect some other business of
importance. Behram succeeded in dispossessing his cousin, and in getting
the command of the tribe of Jelayr; but being doubtful whether the
enmity between me and Amyr Hussyn would last, and that he might be
involved in difficulties, between the two parties, he procrastinated his
return.