The original founders of the Moghool tribes are nine in number, commencing with Moghool Khan, and ending with Eel Khan. The reverence they entertain for the number tukooz* originated in this circumstance; but it is also otherwise well founded. Moghool Khan, the first king of the Moghools, had four sons, Kara Khan, Ooz Khan, Kooz Khan, and Oor Khan. Kara Khan succeeded his father. He resided at Karakorum, between two mountains, named Irtak and Kirtak, which situation he constituted the Ailak and Kishlak* of his dependents. He was an idolater.
It is said that his eldest son, Aghooz, at his birth, refused his mother’s breast, and that his mother had a dream, that until she adopted the Mussulman faith, her son would not take her breast; she consequently acknowledged the unity of God, and became a true believer. Aghooz is said to have spoken in his cradle, and to have told his father his name when he was only one year old. Aghooz Khan was married to the daughters of his uncle Ooz Khan; but as they were infidels, he did not agree with them, and afterwards married the daughter of Oor Khan, who became a true believer; his former wives, therefore, from jealousy and in revenge for his neglect, informed his father he was a Mussulman, and his father, irritated at his apostasy, having attacked him while he was out hunting, with an intention to put him to death, was himself killed in the affray, and the whole army, after his death, elected Aghooz Khan to succeed him. Aghooz Khan converted all his ooloos or tribes to the Mussulman faith.*
He was seventy-two years employed in fighting with those who refused to obey his call to the true religion, and latterly expelled them from Turkistan. Some retired to Khatai, but the majority passed beyond Khatai to the borders of China. Some, however, sought refuge with the king of the Tatars, who, instigated by them, invaded the territory of Aghooz Khan with a large army. Aghooz Khan, on being apprized of this movement, arranged his troops in the same order instituted by Abluchi Khan: that is, the oonghar tribes were stationed to the right and the joonghar to the left, whether in the field or in the durbar, or court.* As the expelled Moghools had joined the Tatars, Aghooz Khan assembled all his troops, and formed them into seven divisions. The first was called booljoonghar, and preceded the army as an advanced guard. The Turks call this division kurawul.
The second was called boroonghar, and followed the booljoonghar, occupying the space between it and the army, for the sake of communication; this is called erawul, and munkulai in Turki, and mukdumut-ilJysh in Arabic, because the bravest young men in the army are posted there.
The third division was called oonghar, as by Abluchi Khan; this was posted on the right, at the distance of an arrow-shot or a short gallop; this is called in Turki oonkool, and in Arabic Yumeena.
The fourth was called joonghar, as by Abluchi Khan, and occupied the same relative position on the left.
The fifth is the centre of the army, which is called ghool. It was arranged that this body should move between the right and left flank divisions above described. The chief took his station here under a toogh or standard; this is called yasaow in Turki, and in Arabic kalb-ul-jaish.
The sixth division was called ookjoonghar; this was to follow the ghool at a distance, at which the dust of the ghool might reach it, or that its dust might reach the ghool. This is called in Turki chungdawul or chunukdawul, and in Arabic sakeh. Some Turks call it ookchi.
The seventh division, called bustoonghar, followed the ookjhoonghar (without deviating to the right or the left), at such a distance that an enemy may not be able to discover the horses or dust of the ookjhoonghar. The bostoonghar is called bokhturma by the Turks, and by the Persians kumeengah; the boolchoonghar and bostoonghar are unknown to the Arabs, and they have no names for these divisions of an army.*
After this arrangement, Aghooz Khan advanced to meet the exiled Moghools and the Tatars of Karshow, who, alarmed when they heard of his new military arrangements, halted, to consult on the best mode of opposing them. It happened that, while they halted, a dreadful storm arose, and the air being darkened by clouds of sand, they became so much alarmed that they all separated and fled.
Aghooz Khan with his troops followed them slowly, and those who resisted were killed, but those who submitted he spared; he continued his pursuit of them to China, which country he subjected to his authority, and compelled the whole of the ooloos of the Moghools and Tartars to acknowledge him as their chief; he governed the whole of Khatai, Turkistan, and Sclavonia, and reigned from the cities of Tuluteen, Tulash, Tulathee and Syram, to Bokhara and Samarkand; he converted all his subjects to the true religion. Aghooz Khan reigned from China to the sea of Russia, and from the Yoorut of Altai to the river Jihoon. Among the Turki kings he is compared with Jemsheed among the Persians.
It is related in books of history that Aghooz Khan gave the Turkish tribes the titles and names which they still retain. The following are some of these: Oighoor, Kankuli, Kupchak, Kurlook, Khuluj, or Khulij, and Chupoorgan. The meaning of the word Oighoor is ‘unity and concord,’ and the tribe received this name from the assistance rendered by it to Aghooz Khan in his wars. The word Kankuli signifies ‘invention,’ and the name is said to be derived from the following circumstance. Aghooz Khan, on some occasion, took a great quantity of spoil, and being at a loss how to transport it home, some persons of this tribe invented and constructed carriages for its conveyance, and were from their ingenuity called Kankuli.
The word Kupchak is derived from kubook or kubo, which means ‘a hollow tree.’ It is said that Aghooz Khan, in one of his battles, being defeated by his enemies, fled to an island between two rivers, where he found a woman in labour in a hollow tree. It happened that this woman’s father and husband had been slain fighting for him in the battle from which he had escaped; this woman was delivered of a son, whom he adopted in consideration of the losses the child had sustained on his account, and from this circumstance called him Kupchak; the Kupchaks are all descended from this man.
It is related that this battle was fought between Aghooz Khan and Ait Borak, the king of Eeraun, and that, after a war of seven years, he conquered Ait Borak and his country. When Aghooz Khan returned to Tooraun, hearing that his enemies had again commenced hostilities, he ordered his adopted son Kupchak, with his followers, to Mamak, to defend the frontier. Kupchak accordingly took up his residence at Mamak.
Kurlook.—When Aghooz Khan departed from Ghoor to Tooraun, the winter was very severe, and the country covered with snow; he therefore ordered that no man should loiter or remain in the rear of the line of march. Some men, however, remained behind; and on its being made known to him, he denominated them Kurlook.
Khilij or Khuluj.—It is related that Aghooz Khan, in one of his wars, ordered that no man of his army should remain behind the rearguard. One man, however, whose wife was in labour, remained to assist her, and Aghooz Khan, to reproach him, called the child Khuluj.
Chupoorgan.—This tribe was so called by Aghooz Khan, because on some expedition they loitered behind the rest of the army, and came up in a separate body.*
Aghooz Khan, after his wars, retired to Karakorum and Kulooran.—He had six sons, Kun, Ai, Yeldooz, Kook, Tak, and Tungeez.
These young men being out hunting in the desert together one day, found a golden bow and three arrows, which they brought to their father. Aghooz Khan divided the bow among the three elder brethren, who are therefore called Boozook, and the three arrows he gave to the younger brethren, whom he therefore called Oojook.—The families of the first are considered superior to the latter, as the bow may be likened to a king, and the arrows to his vakeels or servants.—Aghooz Khan directed that the Boozook should be attached to the oonghar or right-hand tribes, and the Oojook to the left or joonghar, both in the field and ooroonkoor or durbar. He also directed that the Boozook should possess the right of succession to his authority, and the Oojook constitute the nobility of his kingdom.
Kun Khan succeeded his father Aghooz, and Kubul Khwajeh, his father’s vizir, conducted the duties of minister. On his accession, Kubul Khwajeh represented to him that his father, Aghooz Khan, had left great riches and an extensive kingdom; that he had also left six sons, whose children were then twenty-four in number; that it was probable dissensions and quarrels would arise among them for this wealth and dominion, and that it was best to provide against such occurrences, by dividing the property of his father between them; also by separating them, and giving them different districts and titles. This arrangement meeting the approbation of Kun Khan, and being carried into effect, they remained for many years united in friendship with each other. Kun Khan reigned seventy years, and appointed his brother Ai Khan to succeed him.
Ai Khan was succeeded by his eldest son, Yeldooz Khan.
Tungeez Khan, the son of Munguli Khan, governed Moghoolistan 110 years. When he became old, he resigned his authority to his son Eel Khan, and retired from the world.
Eel Khan was celebrated for his mildness and liberality.—It is related, that in his time King Afridoon Toor, the second son of Feridoon, with a great army invaded Toorkistan. Toor having crossed the Jihoon to Mawarunnahar, Subookh Khan, who was the eighth of the kings of Tartary, to revenge himself for some enmity subsisting between him and Aghooz Khan, joined the army of Toor, the son of Feridoon, and Toor, in concert with Subookh Khan, commenced plundering the tribes of the Moghools under Eel Khan. The people of Moghoolistan, however, being attached to Eel Khan, fought desperately in his defence, and destroyed a great number of Oighoors, Tatars, and Toorks. Under these circumstances, Toor and Subookh Khan determined to employ a stratagem to effect the defeat of the Moghools, and therefore affected to retreat from them: consequently, after retiring a few miles, the next day they returned unexpectedly, and surprised them. This surprise was so complete and fatal, that it is said only Keyan, the son of Eel Khan, Nukooz his cousin, and their two sisters, escaped, the rest being all destroyed. This event is said to have occurred one thousand years after Aghooz Khan. By one account it is stated, that in this battle, forty women escaped on one side of the field, and thirty men on the other. From the women the (tribe of) Kurkeez (the Kirghis) is derived, and from the thirty men that of Ootooz Ooghool.
Keyan and Nukooz, with their wives or sisters, concealed themselves among the slain in this battle until night, when, having caught some stray horses, they mounted them and fled to the mountains, where they discovered a valley abounding in streams and forage. These mountains are called by the Turks Arkuni Koon (the steep or precipitous hills), and abound in game and fruit-trees. Keyan and Nukooz took up their residence in this valley; and their offspring and herds increasing greatly, their descendants in process of time became divided into several tribes. Of these, those who are descended from Keyan or Kyan are called Kyaat, and those from Nukooz, Darulgeen.*