It has been before related, that Ooghtaie Khan and Chogtaie Khan had been ordered to attack Otrar, and that they had encamped before that place; they consequently attacked the town vigorously: but the garrison resisted five months, until it was reduced to great extremities. Kurachi, one of the officers of the garrison, at this time became desirous to surrender, but Ghair Khan, alias Oinul Jowk, remained stedfast in his faith to Khorazm Shah. One night, however, Kurachi secretly left the town by the Soofi-khaneh gate, with his troops, and surrendered to the Moghools; and the same night the Moghool troops entered by the gate he had quitted, and took the town; they, nevertheless, the next morning murdered Kurachi and all his men in cold blood; pretending that, after resistance, they could not receive them as prisoners; they then drove the whole of the inhabitants of Otrar into the fields, and murdered every soul of them.
Ghair Khan, however, with twenty thousand* men, still remained in the castle, which he defended with great spirit for a month, after which it was also taken and razed to the ground. The Moghools, however, spared some of the people who had sought refuge in it, they being good workmen at different trades. At that time Chungeez Khan had arrived at Samurkund. Ghair Khan was carried prisoner in chains to Kook Serai, and was executed there.
Joje Khan, as has been related, was sent with a force to Jund. When he arrived at Sakbak, Hussen Joje, an inhabitant of that city, was sent as an ambassador to demand the submission of the inhabitants; but they, being proud and insolent, killed him. When Joje Khan heard of this, he was greatly enraged, and immediately marched towards the city, which in two days he took, and destroyed most of the inhabitants; and having placed the son of Hussen Joje there as governor, he marched to Yoozkund, which city and Ooshnash were both taken by him.
When ameer Khutluk, the chief of Jund, heard of these events, he became so alarmed that he abandoned his city, and fled by the desert to Khorazm. Joje Khan on this despatched Jymoor in authority to Jund, that he might reduce the people to obedience. When Jymoor arrived at Jund, as there was no chief there at that time to restrain the people of the town, they made an assault on him to kill him. Jymoor, by fair words and professions, however, got clear of them, and returned to Joje Khan, to describe his reception; Joje, on hearing it, marched to Jund, and took the city by escalade without opposition. It is worthy remark, that none of the people were killed except those who insulted Jymoor; the city was, however, plundered for fourteen days, during which the inhabitants were expelled—it was also razed to the ground. Ali Khwaja, who was the Ghujdowan* of Bokhara, was appointed governor. A force was next despatched to take possession of Yarcheen, and darogahs having been appointed to both these cities, Joje returned to join his father.