HINDO 
that dreadful blovr, which was to convulfe all Alia, and 
plunge myriads of human beings into eternity. He im- 
prilbned the merchants who bore the prefents, and ftruck 
off the heads of the three ambaffadors. Gengis, on re¬ 
ceiving this intelligence, in the anguilh of his heart, is 
faid to have feparated himfelf for three days and three 
nights from his family; and during that fpace, to have 
concerted meafures for taking inftant and ample venge¬ 
ance on the perpetrator of this foul deed. Every foldier 
in his army is laid to have caught the enthufiallic flame 
of refentment, and impatiently urged to be led forth to 
that bloody and defolating campaign, which, in the Hin¬ 
doo annals, is called the 
INVASION of GENGIS KHAN, the GREAT 
MOGUL. 
The fpirit that incited Gengis to arms, directed that 
his meafures fliould be prompt and dccifive. His orders 
were, that eveiy man Ihould fight in his ftation, till he 
conquered, or fell; the flight of individuals, or of finglc 
iquadrons, was to be pimifhed with inftant death by their 
aieareft comrades. But it was ordained, that if ten com¬ 
manders, at the head of their combined Iquadrons, (the 
whole army being divided into bodies regulated by that 
number,) Ihould think it neceffary to retreat, they were 
liberty to do fo ; but fmaller parties, by a retrograde move¬ 
ment, would rufli only on inevitable death. Under this 
clifcipline, the army of Gengis, commanded by himfelf 
and his four valiant fons, marched to battle; and on a re¬ 
view previous to the engagement, it was faid to confift of 
no lefs than feven hundred thoufand men. 
Mohammed, undifmayed, heard from his fcouts the de¬ 
tails of this formidable preparation. He confidered, or 
affefted to confider, thefe hordes as deftitute of all mili¬ 
tary fcience, and as unable to Hand before the difciplined 
conquerors of Perfia, who had triumphed over the braveft 
nations, and who themfelves amounted to four hundred 
thoufand fighting men, the flower of the warlike regions 
of Iran, of Tranfoxiana, of Chorafan, and all the hardy 
race on the weftern frontier of India. The terrible con- 
cufiion of two fuch armies can be better conceived than 
defcribed. It took place, according to Le Croix, at Ka- 
raku, near Otrar, to the north of the river Jaxartes, in the 
year of the hegira 615, or A. D. 121S. With fuch equal 
refolution did this dreadful conflict begin, and with fuch 
ftedfaft bravery did the battle laft, that the darknei's of the 
night alone feparated the contending armies. Tiie enfu- 
ing morning difcovered a fight ihocking to humanity; one 
hundred and fixty thoufand Cliarazmians, and a ftill more 
numerous body of Moguls, lay weltering in their blood. A 
folemn paufe enfued ; the Charazmian army retired within 
its lines, where for fome days it remained ftrongly in¬ 
trenched ; when at length a retreat was refolved upon, and 
effefted. 
By a different mode of warfare, the fultan Mohammed 
now thought of weaiying, or retarding the further pro- 
grefs of, the Great Mogul; namely, by befieging feveral 
of his cities at once, while he kept his main troops at 
bay, by defolating the countiy before him with one army, 
while he harraffed his rear with another. Of one of thefe 
armies he took the principal command himfelf, and gave 
the other to his heroic fon, Gelaleddin, who had nobly 
diftinguifhed himfelf in the late engagement. But Gengis 
was not to be outdone in policy, nor outftript in meafures 
of activity and prudence He had alfo fons : four iion-iike 
heroes, unlhaken in courage, who were placed at the head 
of armies deftined to unhinge the gates of all the Charaz¬ 
mian cities. Otrar, though ftrengtliened with a body of 
fixty thoufand Mohammedan troops, after a defperate re¬ 
finance of five months, fell beneath the vigorous affaults 
of the young Moguls Oftai and Zagathai; while the liib- 
jugation of the other great cities lying on the Jaxartes, 
particularly the well-fortified city of Cogende, was com¬ 
mitted to the eldeft ion Tulhi, who butchered, in cold 
Vol. X. No. 637. 
O S T A N, 17 
blood, without diftinftion of age or fex, its miferable in¬ 
habitants. 
Gengis meanwhile, aftlfted by his youngeft fon, Tuli, 
was preffing forward at the head of two hundred thoufand 
men, to the red uftion of Bokhara, and Sainarcand; two of 
thefineft cities in the fultan’s dominions ; particularly Bok-' 
hara, where, to obviate the dread of famine, the provident 
fultan had conveyed very ample fupplies, and planted a 
very ftrong garrifon to defend them. Early in the fpring 
of 1220, the fiege of this important city v/as commenced 
by the Mogul Tartars. The outer fortifications were 
quickly carried, and the beautiful fuburbs deftroyed by 
the trampling of their cavalry. The whole.garrifon, Ihort-- 
ly after, conlifting of twenty thoufand men, made, in the 
night, a defperate fally; but being repulfed with incon¬ 
ceivable daughter, and defpairing, by any future efforts, 
to defend the city againft fuch formidable affaiiants, they 
re-entered the city by one gate, and efcaped. out of it by 
the oppofite gate; trailing that their precipitate flight 
would be concealed by the darknefs of the night. The 
difcriminating eye of the Mogul emperor, however, quick¬ 
ly noticed their flight, and difpatched after them a body 
of thirty thoufand horfe, who attacked them with fuch 
impetuous valour, that they were a fecond time defeated, 
and nearly all put to the fword. 
Diftrafted at feeing themfelves thus abandoned, the ci¬ 
tizens of Bokhara refigned themfelves to the wildeft de- 
fpair. Some were for laying the keys of their city at the 
feet of the Great Mogul, and throwing themfelves upon, 
his mercy; others, dreading his vindictive cruelty, were 
for fetting fire to all quarters of the town, and perifliing 
in the flames; while a dauntlefs band of young citizens, 
headed by the governor, flew to the caftle, a fort refs of 
great flrength, where they determined to defend them¬ 
felves to the laft extremity. Gengis, aware of their dif- 
trafted fituation, was advancing to ftorm the ramparts, 
when the gates were fuddenly thrown open, and difco¬ 
vered a melancholy proceifion advancing towards the em¬ 
peror, earneftly imploring for their lives. This he readily 
granted, on condition of their never affording flicker to the 
bafe fultan of Charazm, who had violated the facred cha- 
ra6ter of his ambaffadors ; nor concealing in their houfea 
any of the officers or foldiers of his army. This injunc¬ 
tion they bound themfelves by a folemn oath to obey ; 
and Gengis, with his youngeft fon, Tuli Khan, entered 
Bokhara in triumph. As they rode through the fpacious 
ftreets, the attention of Gengis was arrefted by the almoib 
unparalleled magnificence of the Mohammedan mofque. 
He paufed, and inquired if that were the palace of their 
fultan ? They anlwered, It was the houfe of their God. He 
then, without ceremony, rode into the midft of the mofque, 
and, alighting, gave his horfe to an attendant, while he 
afcended the gallery, and, contemptuoufly taking up the 
Koran, threw the volume to be trampled under the feet 
of his horfes. And, while the afiembly was feized with 
horror at the profanation, his foldiers began to eat and 
drink in that venerable fanftuary, as if it had been a 
common tavern. Gengis then ordered the rich citizens 
to bring forth all their hidden treafures; pafling a decree, 
that all who withheld them, or that gave flicker to any one 
of the foldiers of the fultan, ihould lurely die. The gold, 
filver, precious ftones, and gold and filver fluffs, which 
were now brought forth, was immenfe both in quantity 
and value; one moiety was fet apart for the royal trea- 
fury, and the other was divided among the officers; while 
the common foldiers amply enriched themfelves by the 
plunder of the city. 
The fad cataftrophe, however, v/as yet to follow. Some 
of the unthinking inhabitants, overcome by the'tender ties 
of friendfhip or confanguinity, had violated the emperor’s 
decree, by fecreting in their houfes fome of the officers of 
the lultan’s army. On this difcovery, Gengis gave inftant 
orders for the deftruclion of the place. .Every part of the 
vaft capital of Bokhara, except the p^ace, the citadel, 
