The following is the arrangement I made for engaging Hajy Berlās: I divided my troops into seven divisions, and ordered each division to attack the enemy in succession, judging that by the time of the seventh charge, his troops would certainly give way. As my opponent still kept possession of Akyār, I drew out my army in the following order; I took the command of the centre (Ghul) myself, the right wing I gave in charge to Khizer Yusury, the left wing I consigned to Jakü Berlās, and divided the troops of Subz into four divisions. The first day was spent in manœuvering, the second day we made frequent charges on their line, and had a good deal of fighting: on the night preceding the third day,* I asked the blessings of the religious personages, and as soon as the day broke, which might be considered as the dawn of my good fortune, I mounted my steed and advanced; but Hajy Berlās being terrified, fled to Samerkund, and took refuge with Bāyezyd Jelayr. After the victory, I made a new arrangement of the troops, and taking some of those of Subz and the Yusurians, under the command of their leader, I went in pursuit of Berlās, and over-ran the country even to the vicinity of Samerkund; but when we had arrived there, a part of the troops of Kesh, notwithstanding I had gained a victory, deserted me, and went and joined Berlās.

I also discovered that all the other troops were disaffected, that even Amyr Jaku, who was descended from my ancestor Kerachar Nuyān, forgetting our family connexion, and Khizer Yusury, whom I esteemed as my right arm, forsaking the path of rectitude, and seduced by the Devil, deserted me, and went and joined my enemies.

After my enemies were assembled, they consulted together, and came to the resolution of making a simultaneous attack, in order to deprive me of the city of Subz; at length they determined to proceed first to Samerkund, and there being joined by Bāyezyd Jelayr, they should then come out and annihilate me.

It is requisite to mention, that when these chiefs paid their compliments to Bāyezyd Jelayr, he received them all in the most gracious manner, entertained them with great hospitality, and endeavoured to ingratiate himself with them; they were however suspicious of his intentions, and fled from Samerkund. On hearing of this circumstance, I immediately wrote a letter to Khizer Yusury, persuading him to return to my service; but as he was afraid of me also, he would not put any confidence in my promises, and said, " the sword must decide our quarrel." When this intelligence was brought me, I drew out my army, resolving at first to stand on the defensive, afterwards to make our attack on him, and if possible, take him prisoner.

In consequence of this determination, when Yusury drew out his army at a place named Serūs, I gave orders for my troops to remain on the defensive, till the enemy should have expended their fury, and exhausted their strength, when we should in our turn attack them. The next day I reviewed the troops of Subz, and having given them my own standard, ordered them to advance against the enemy; they accordingly did so, and skirmished with them. When Khizer Yusury saw my standard, he thought I was in the first line, and made a vigorous charge on it; the ground was warmly disputed by both parties, sometimes retreating, sometimes advancing, greatly fatiguing and wounding each other. During this time I was in the rear of the battle, and when I thought that the enemy were sufficiently exhausted, I ordered the trumpets to sound, and with my fresh troops made a vigorous charge, they were not able to withstand this attack, and took to flight.

When intelligence of this event was carried to Bāyezyd Jelayr, the governor of Samerkund, he immediately mounted the throne, and assumed the state of an absolute Prince, and being no longer jealous of me, he wrote me a letter, and again heated the chain of friendship. Hajy Berlās, who was also jealous of Yusury, being now satisfied, went and assumed the command of his own tribe. But notwithstanding all these circumstances, Bāyezyd and Berlās continued to intrigue against me, and entered into a private treaty, stating that as long as Timür lived, they should consider peace and tranquillity impossible, and that they should therefore do every thing in their power to annihilate him.

In order to carry into effect this treacherous and cunning plan, they wrote me a joint letter, proposing that " we three should divide the kingdom of Maveral" naher in a brotherly manner; that whatever chief should quietly submit to us, " we should treat him with kindness, but that whoever should oppose us, must " be eradicated:" they also made several other advances to me of pretended friendship, with the intention of deceiving me.

Some time after this, Bāyezyd came out of Samerkund, and having joined Berlās, they encamped in the vicinity of Kesh, and made a great entertainment.

CHAPTER IX.

The scheme which Hajy Berlās and Bāyezyd Jelayr had laid for me was this; that having joined their forces, and encamped in the plains of Kesh, they should give out that they were going to invade Khujend, they were then to inveigle me to the camp, and having murdered me, take possession of the district of Subz. In consequence of this arrangement, they sent me a letter, stating, "that as "they had resolved to subdue the country of Khujend, if I would join in this " enterprize, it would be very advantageous to all."

As I was not aware of their treacherous intentions, and considered them Muselmāns, I placed confidence in them, and set out to join them. When I' reached the plains of Kesh, I saw a great number of handsome tents pitched, and a regular encampment formed.

When I approached the camp, Bāyezyd came out to meet me, and to do me honour, he took my hand and first led me into the public tent (Bargāh); he then said, as we must have some confidential conversation, and the time is short, we had better go to the private tent," (Khergah) and he led the way.

66

When we entered the Khergah, I saw that the carpet was raised up in a particular part: and when I advanced, it appeared to me, that there was a well there which they had covered over with felt. Suspicion seized my mind: I delayed to sit down, and was convinced that treachery was intended. At this time Bāyezyd sat down on my right hand, and Berlās on my left hand. I then pretended that I was seized with a bleeding of the nose; I drew out my handkerchief, and applied it to my nose, and immediately walked from the private, into the public tent. I proceeded through it, till I was joined by all my Officers, aș they were well armed; they sounded the trumpets, and we returned to our own camp.

Bāyezyd was afterwards ashamed of his conduct, and laid all the blame on Berlās.

At this time Myr Syed Aly of Termuz,* who was one of the most learned and devout personages of the age, cursed them both for me, saying, " O Lord, cast down the evil doers to the lowest pit of hell;" his prayer was heard, and God afterwards caused these two scoundrels to quarrel with each other, by which means I was delivered from their malice and treachery.

Immediately after this act of baseness, the camp broke up, the allies marched towards Khujend, and I set out for Termuz. When I arrived at this city, Shykh Aly Jerhyry suspecting that I intended to seize that country, and subdue the Nomade hordes, drew out his forces against me. As Shykh Aly was one of the learned persons, and had formerly been one of my companions, I did not wish to quarrel with him; therefore, when he had assembled all his tribe and connections, and had taken post in Old Termuz, I sent an agent to remind him that he he was under great obligations to me, and that, if he opposed me, the debt of ingratitude would certainly overwhelm him : that we had long been companions:

.

that it was I who raised him to the command of his horde: that he had behaved ungratefully, deserted me, and joined Bāyezyd Jelayr. But my words having no effect on him, and he proving unworthy of his Salt, I cursed him, and prepared for battle. Shykh Aly finding that his followers were more numerous than my soldiers, was puffed up with vanity, and advanced with boldness into the field. I formed my troops into three divisions, and made a rapid charge on the enemy; my first division fell among them like a stone among a flock of birds, and they all dispersed. After the flight of the chief, I easily took possession of the horde: whilst the fugitive Aly went and took refuge with Bayezyd Jelayr; in the end, God caused him to be a wanderer over the earth, till he came and begged my forgiveness. I pardoned him on account of his name (Aly), as it is a saying of the wise, "that when an enemy comes before you as a suppliant, and bends his knees, one should return thanks to God for having reduced him to his dilemma."

CHAPTER X.

In the year A. H. 763, (A. D. 1362) I entered my twenty-seventh year, on which occasion the great and the little, the chiefs of the villages of the hordes and tribes of all Maveralnaher paid their respects to me, and humbly represented that they had no monarch who would redress their wrongs: for, in every district, and every town, there was some tyrant, who unjustly plundered them, and seized on the property of the Muselmans; their patience was quite exhausted, and that they should certainly abandon the country, unless some Sovereign was placed on the throne, who would protect them. In consequence of this representation, I wrote a letter to Amyr Hussyn (his brother-in-law) who was then in possession of Badukhshan, asking him " if he had the courage to join me in clearing the country of Maveralnaher from all its petty tyrants, and in relieving the wretched servants of God from the hands of their brutal oppressors, that if he would do so, we might then divide the kingdom in a brotherly manner, and thereby gain great fame and celebrity." He promised to do so, but immediately began to enter into treacherous schemes against me, wishing first to over-set me, and then to subdue the other petty Princes. Finding Amyr Hussyn thus bent upon my ruin, and that I had evident proofs of his treachery, I wrote a letter to Tugleck Timür Khan, (Prince of the Jetes, and a descendant of Jengyz Khān, who was the absolute sovereign of Tartary) stating that "the country of Mave"ralnaher was now desolate, and only inhabited by kites and crows, but that if he would assist me, I would render it productive."

As soon as my letter reached the Khan, he drew out his forces and marched with an innumerable army towards Maveralnaher; and when he arrived on the bank of the (Sihūn) Khujend river, he sent me a letter, stating, " that he was en"camped with his innumerable and valiant army on the banks of the Khujend, " that I should join him, but in the mean time inform him what further measures " were advisable." At this time Bāyezyd Jelayr put on the girdle of loyalty, and advanced to pay his respects to his sovereign, but leaving the city of Samerkund under charge of a deputy: as soon as he was presented at Court, the keys of the city were demanded from him, and as he delayed giving them up, the Khān ordered that his head should be struck off; this was immediately carried into execution, and the head was sent to Samerkund. Hajy Berlās, who at first intended to oppose the Khan, was so terrified by the punishment of Bāyezyd, that he took to flight, and sought refuge in the city of Kesh, but sent orders to his horde and his dependants to leave the country. He now repented of his conduct to me, acknowledged his folly, and asked my forgiveness, and then went across the Jihun.

At this time, Tugleck Timür Khān detached a part of the army of Jetteh to pursue the horde of Hajy Berlās, and a great battle took place between the contending parties on the banks of the Jihun: on this occasion, Chughām Berlās, who was one of the Omrahs of that tribe, highly distinguished himself, and so occupied the royal army as to enable the tribe with their cattle, to cross the river in safety, except himself, who while defending the rear guard, was cut down by some of the soldiers of Jetteh. In the mean time, Hajy Berlās crossed the river in safety, and marched the horde towards Khurasan; when he entered that country, he behaved unkindly to the inhabitants, and began to be guilty of oppression and injustice; he also exacted tribute from the wandering tribes of Sebzwār, on which account several skirmishes took place, and the villagers having by surprise seized Aydkū Behader, the brother of Hajy Berlās, put him to death; they also seized the Hajy and put an end to his existence. As I was at that period in possession of Khurasan, I assigned the district of Jaser for the support of the dependants and followers of the Hajy.*

When the letter of Tugleck Timür, desiring my immediate presence, reached me, it was also reported that Amyr Hamyd, who was the Khan's (chief counsellor) had said to him; " in every town and district of Maveralnaher, there is a sepаrate ruler, they have at least thirty thousand cavalry among them, to oppose whom, we have been obliged to make numerous detachments; it is, therefore, quite requisite that you should prevail on Amyr Timür to join you, for if he should unite with these petty rulers, they will be too many for us; we must, therefore, hasten his arrival, and as he is a very sensible man, let us consult him on the best measures to be pursued."