54 
HISTORY OP THE KHOJAS OF EASTERN TURKISTAN. 
man, let him learn that others are lions. Onr minds have no other desire 
than to wage a religions war.” With this answer the envoys returned. 
Afterwards, however, a council was held in Yarqand, when an envoy 
was despatched to Burhanu-d-Din, on the part of Khwaja Jahan, 
charged with an attempt to win him over to the side of Islam and offer¬ 
ing, for the sake of religious peace, to give up the city to him and to go 
on pilgrimage. Otherwise even if the city walls were of paper, the 
weapons of defence needles, and the defenders women, still he would not 
be able to take it. In reply Burhanu-d-Din said that a theological dis¬ 
quisition of this kind would not accomplish the work of soldiering : that 
the Khaqan and Amursana, who had sent him, would not accept such a 
sermon in lieu of obedience. “ I am backed up, ” he continued, “ by 
these two great mountains and shall not fail to take Yarqand—if not to¬ 
day, then to-morrow. Where will it go to escape us ?” With these words 
he dismissed the envoy. 
With this envoy had come a follower of Grhazi Beg, who entered into 
negotiations with the enemy, on behalf of his master, to betray the city, 
on condition of obtaining its government. He also opened communica¬ 
tions with Niaz Beg. The latter possessed a garden close to the wall of 
the town, from which he began mining under the wall and throwing the 
earth into an empty ice-house. It was winter, so no one visited the 
garden. He had progressed 8 fathoms, making in such a direction as 
to come out on the face of a bank below the wall on the outside. But 
among his servants there was one loyal man, and he at last informed 
Khwaja Jahan, who sent and found the mine as the man had said. Niaz 
was put into confinement, but his property was not seized, nor was his 
family injured. 
There was another man named Ashur Kozi, a Qalmaq by birth, but 
much trusted by Khwaja Jahan. He entered into communication with 
the invaders on behalf of himself and Niaz, advising them to push 
forward, on a certain night, some 3,000 men; while he would arrange to 
set fifty men at work, with picks, to make a breach in the city wall. All 
was in readiness, but a son of Ashur Kozi reproached his father for his 
treachery, saying that it was better to die righteously than to enjoy the 
empire of the world. Passing from words to blows, the father wounded 
him with his sword, and he fled and informed Khwaja Jahan, who at first 
refused to believe him. But, at his suggestion, the messenger of his 
father was seized and he confessed. Then Ashur was arrested, his house 
was searched, and the letter bearing the seal of Khwaja Burhan was 
found. 
Next day Ashur was brought out before the people and his crime 
declared. He made a public confession and acknowledged that death 
