te life and became a pensioner of the Russian Court,
on the complete annexation of his state, he is said to have acquired not
only a happiness, but many virtues unknown to him in his more elevated
lot. The unfortunate Sultan Seyyid, after wandering for some years out
of Khokand, was, when he ventured to return in 1871, executed. Many of
the partisans of Seyyid on the defeat by the Russians, and on the
overthrow of his rivals by Khudayar, sought refuge in the mountains of
the Kizilyart, whence they proceeded to join Yakoob Beg in Kashgar,
where they arrived at a most opportune moment as will be seen.

To return to Yakoob Beg. After his defeat before Tashkent he was
employed under Alim Kuli in repairing the defences of that town and
collecting troops from the whole district, but his reputation had been
lowered by that reverse. There was a certain jealousy between the
Kirghiz chief and the Tajik soldier of fortune. Yakoob Beg saw in Alim
Kuli an obstacle to his further promotion, and Alim Kuli recognized in
the Kooshbege a possible rival and successor. Any excuse therefore to
keep Yakoob Beg in the background, or indeed to get rid of him
altogether, would be very welcome to Alim Kuli. We hear little more of
the unsuccessful general until his departure for Kashgar a few months
afterwards. He had to wipe out in other regions and against other foes
the stain he had incurred in his encounters with the Russians.

While these events were in progress at Tashkent, an envoy arrived there
from Sadic Beg, a Kirghiz prince on the frontiers of Ili and Kashgar. He
brought intelligence that his master had availed himself of the
dissensions among the Chinese, to seize the city of Kashgar, and he
requested the Khan of Khokand to send him the heir of the Khojas, in
order that he might place him on the throne. As the facts really stood,
Sadic Beg had only laid siege to Kashgar, and, finding that he was met
with a strenuous resistance, had recourse to the plan of setting up a
Khoja king to strengthen his failing efforts, but of the true state of
affairs in Kashgar it is evident that everybody in Tashkent was
primarily ignorant. The Khokandian policy had always been, however, to
maintain their interests intact in Eastern Turkestan, and to weaken in
every possible way the credit of the Chinese. An envoy bringing news of
a fresh revolt in Kashgar was, therefore, sure of a friendly reception
at Tashkent, even if he did not return with some more s