CHAPTER XLIV.
KHÁNSHIP OF DUST MUHAMMAD KHÁN.

WHEN Isán Bughá Khán died (a natural death) he was succeeded by his son Dust Muhammad Khán, who was then seventeen years of age. He was an eccentric youth, and his actions were unrea­sonable. He was never for a moment in his senses. He much affected the ways of Kalandars, and gave himself and all his Amirs such names as are usually borne by Kalandars. His own name was Shams Abdál, and in the same way, all his courtiers and public officers were called Abdál this and Abdál that, and had to transact their business under these names. He was, moreover, excessively generous.

He reigned seven years. During this time he made expeditions against Yárkand and Káshghar. First of all he attacked Yárkand, where, after the death of Sániz Mirzá, the Amirs had shut them­selves up in the citadel. The Khán asked them to surrender the widow of Sániz Mirzá: when she had been given up to him, he asked for the children, of whom they sent the eldest son Mirzá Abá Bakr. He then ceased hostilities, and went on to Káshghar. At the time when he had set out against Yárkand, Muhammad Haidar Mirzá, upon the entreaty of the people of Káshghar, pro­ceeded to their town. When the Khán neared Káshghar, Muham­mad Haidar Mirzá set out to meet him; the Khán sent him to Yángi Hisár, while he himself entered Káshghar, and when he had plundered it, he returned to Aksu. In consequence of this, Muhammad Haidar Mirzá was much enraged, and went over to the side of Yunus Khán (as will be mentioned below). Soon after Dust Muhammad Khán's return to Aksu, he gave his sister, Husn Nigár Khánim, to Mirzá Abá Bakr in marriage. But Mirzá Abá Bakr was much alarmed at the unbalanced state of the Khán's mind, and finally fled to his noble uncle Muhammad Haidar Mirzá, in Káshghar, whither his wife was, soon after, permitted to follow him.

Not long after this, the Khán fell in love with one of his father's wives, and in consequence tried to obtain permission from the Ulamá for an alliance with her. He put to death seven of the Ulamá in succession, who decided against the union. At length the Khán came to Mauláná Muhammad Attár, reeling with drunken­ness and with a sword in his hand, and said to him: “I want to marry my own mother; is it lawful or not?” The Mauláná, who was one of the most learned of the darvishes and a most pious man, said to the Khán: “For such a one as you it is lawful.” So the Khán immediately ordered preparations for the marriage to be made. But on the night of the nuptials he saw his father, in a dream, mounted on a black horse, who, coming up to him, said: “Oh! wretched one, in that after we have for one hundred years been Musulmáns, thou shouldst apostasise and become an infidel.” [His father] shot him below the ribs with an arrow, then dismounting, he rubbed his hand on the bottom of a kettle, and blackened the Khán's face, who thereupon awoke, in alarm. Breathless and penitent, he rushed out of the house of his mother and washed himself. He was seized with an acute pain in the side, which, in the morning, developed into fever.

The people sent for Mauláná Muhammad Attár, and said to him: “It was you who granted the fatvá [decree legalising this marriage].” The Khán said: “Do not blame the Mauláná; for I had already killed seven persons when I asked his opinion, so what could the poor Mullá do?” But the Mauláná said: “I gave you no fatva, I simply said that [the marriage] was lawful for an infidel such as you are.” Dust Muhammad Khán was next seized with pleurisy [Zatuljamb] and died after six days' illness at the age of forty, in the year 873 [1468-9]. Khwája Sharif of Káshghar devised the following chronogram on his death: “U Khuk murd”: that pig died. He had reigned seven years. On his death great disorder ensued. He left one son, Kabak Sultán Oghlán, who was seized by some of the people and carried away to Turfán and Chálish,* while Yunus Khán came down and captured Aksu.