Uwais Khan
Encyclopedia
Awais Khan:
Awais Khan ibn Sher 'Ali was one of the chagatai khans of Mughalistan (Moghulistan) from 1418-1421 and again from (restored) 1425-1429. He was the nephew of Muhammad Khan
or Shir Muhammad Khán.(also spelled Vais Khan).
Chagatai Khans
The Chagatai Khans were the heads of the Chagatai ulus from Chagatai Khan's inheritance of the state in 1227 to their removal from power by the Dzungars and their vassals in 1687. The power of the Chagatai Khans varied; from its beginning, the khanate was one of the weakest of the Mongol states, and often its rulers were merely figureheads for ambitious conquerors (see Kaidu and Timur).
EARLY LIFE OF VAIS KHÁN:
SULTÁN VAIS KHÁN سلطان ویاس خان also written as UWAIS KHAN, Vais Khan, Awais Khan, was the son of Shir Ali Khán; after the death of his father, he was in the service of his uncle, Shir Muhammad Khán. After a time he began to find this condition irksome, and therefore fled from the court, and took to the life of a robber [Kazáki]. Many distinguished Moghul youths volunteered to follow him. Among this number was Mir Sayyid Ali (Grandfather of Mirza Muhammad Haidar Author of THE TARIKH-I-RASHIDI). Mirza Muhammad Haidar is the grandson of Vais Khán, on his mother's side. Amir Sayyid Ali (Amir Sayyid Ali was the son of Sayyid Ahmad Mirzá, son of Amir Khudáidád ) is his paternal grandfather, and this Amir Sayyid Ali was the son of Sayyid Ahmad Mirzá, son of Amir Khudáidád.
WHEN Vais Khán fled from his uncle Shir Muhammad Khán, a number of people attached themselves to him, and they took to plundering in, and on the confines of, the territory of Shir Muhammad Khán; especially in the neighbourhood of Lob Katak and Sárigh Uighur. But [Vais Khán] finding little scope for activity in that country, [left it and] went to Turkistán. At that Amir Shaikh Nuruddin, son of Sár Bughá Kipchák, one of Amir Timur's greatest generals, was Governor of Turkistán. With him [the Khán] had some conflict, and since he was at enmity with Shir Muhammad Khán, he gave his daughter Daulat Sultán Sakanj, in marriage to Vais Khán. He also gave the Vais khan much assistance in his attacks on Shir Muhammad Khán, and for a long time there was continual conflict between Vais Khán and his uncle, the latter being as a rule, victorious. One of these encounters took place at a spot in Moghulistán called Karang Káingligh. Vais Khán, after a long and rapid march, surprised Shir Muhammad Khán in his camp at midnight. [The assailants] were four hundred strong. When the alarm was raised, Shir Muhammad Khán threw himself into a ditch, while Vais Khán, surrounding the camp, searched till dawn for Shir Muhammad Khán, slaying all whom he met. Yet, notwithstanding their search and the violence they used towards the people in the camp, no trace of Shir Muhammad Khán was to be found. When day broke they fled. Then Shir Muhammad Khán came out of the ditch, and his men having again collected round him, he set out in pursuit of Vais Khán, who only saved himself after a hundred narrow escapes. In fine, this hostility continued between them until the natural death of Shir Muhammad Khán, whereupon Vais Khán succeeded to the Khánate.
THE KHÁNSHIP OF VAIS KHÁN.
WHEN his turn came, Vais Khán showed himself to be religiously inclined; he was moreover distinguished among his race for his bravery. Since he had forbidden the Moghuls to attack Musulmáns (Muslims) , he made war against the infidel Kálmáks; and though he was frequently defeated by them, he persisted in hostilities against them, not wishing to relinquish the holy war [jahád]. He was twice taken prisoner by them. The first occasion was in a battle at a place called Ming Lák, where the Khán, having been seized, was led before Isán Táishi. This latter thought to himself: “If he is really a descendant of Chingiz Khán, he will not do me obeisance, but will look upon me as an inferior.” When the Khán was brought in, he dismounted (for he was on horseback) and [Isán Táishi] advanced towards him with great respect [Sar-Zadah].* But the Khán turned away his face and did not raise his hands. Isán Táishi was then convinced, and treating the Khán with much honour, set him at liberty. The Khán, on being asked afterwards why he had not done obeisance [to Isán Táishi] replied: “If Isán Táishi had treated me in a lordly manner, I should, out of fear for my life, have approached him with reverence. But since he came towards me with bowed head, it occurred to me that the hour of my martyrdom had arrived; and it is not fitting for a Musulmán to do homage to an infidel, or to countenance his actions, therefore I did not salute him.” It was the Khán's faithful observance of his religion that saved him from the abyss.
ON ANOTHER occasion, he fought a battle with this same Isán Táishi at a spot called Kabáka, on the confines of Moghulistán. Here, too, he suffered defeat. His horse being shot under him by an arrow, the Khán was obliged to continue on foot. He was on the point of being captured, when Amir Sayyid Ali, dismounting from his horse, gave it to the Khán, while he threw himself on his face on the ground. The infidels, thinking him dead, shot an arrow at his head. When they came near enough, the Amir contrived to lay hold of one of them (who happened to be a man of some distinction), and lifting him up by his coat, turned him from side to side as a shield against the arrows, running all the while by the side of the Khán's bridle, so that it was impossible to shoot an arrow at the Amir. In this way he continued fighting and carrying the man by his clothes for a whole farsákh, till they came to the River Ailah. He then threw the Kálmák into the water, and seizing the bridle of the Khán's horse, entered the stream, which came up to his chest. Several men were drowned. The Khán's horse began to swim, while the Amir held up its head, and thus safely conducted the Khán, mounted and armed, across the river. Many men were drowned on that day. It is related that the Khán had with him, on that occasion, two cousins, Hasan Sultán, who wore red armour, and Lukmán Sultán, who wore blue [kabud]. They were both drowned on entering the stream. Amir Sayyid Ali, keeping hold of the Khán's bridle with one hand, did his best to save these two men with the other, but could not reach them. The Khán declared he could distinguish their red and blue jackets deep down in the water. Vais Khán gave Amir Sayyid Ali five presents —one for each [of the following] acts.
(I.) He had given his horse to the Khán and had himself remained on foot.
(II.) He had seized the Kálmák.
(III.) He had used him as a shield for a whole farsákh.
(IV.) He had brought the Khán fully armed and mounted across the River Ailah.
(V.) Although he had hold of the Khán, he twice stretched out his hand to save the drowning men.
The Khán then added: “I know that the Amir has such strength that if one of my cousins had been able to seize him by the hand, the Amir would have saved him too, and brought him across the water.” In consideration of these five actions, he gave the Amir five Aimáks as a reward.
1. Turkát.
2. Hibat Shirá Sut.
3. Uzbeg, a tribe of Khotan.
4. Darugha, also a tribe of Khotan.
5. Kukanit, also a tribe of Khotan.
SULTAN VAIS KHAN had another combat with Isán Táishi, in the vicinity of Turfán, and was again defeated and taken prisoner. Isán Táishi said [to Vais Khán, on his being brought before him]: “This time I will only set you free, on your giving me your sister Makhtum Khánim, as a ransom.” There being no help for it, Makhtum Khánim was given to him, and the Khán was set at liberty. It is commonly reported that the Khán had sixty-one engagements with the Kálmáks: once only was he victorious; on every other occasion he was put to rout. (But God alone knows the truth.) Mauláná Khwája Ahmad said that the Khán was a very powerful man, and that he used, every year, to go hunting wild camels in the country round Turfán, Tárim, Lob and Katak. When he killed a camel he would skin it with his own hands, and take the wool to his mother Sultán Khátun; the Khátun would spin it and make it into shirts and breeches for him, which he wore with sumptuous robes outside. In Turfán water is very scarce, and it was the Khán himself who irrigated the land. He did not get his water from any stream, but having dug a deep well, drew from it a supply of water for irrigation. Khidmat Mauláná told me the following story of his uncles, who used to say: “We have often seen the Khán, during the hot season, with the help of his slaves, drawing water from the well in pitchers [kuzah], and pouring it himself over the land.” His agriculture was carried out on such a small scale, that the produce of it never attained the value of an ass's load; but this served him for a yearly supply of food. He was a disciple of Mauláná Muhammad Kásháni, who was a disciple of Hazrat Khwája Hasan (may God perfume his tomb), and Khwája Hasan was a disciple of Hazrat Kutb-i- Masnad Arshád Khwája Baháuddin Nakhshband (may God bless his spirit). Being a king did not prevent Vais Khán from passing his time in such studies [as theology]. During the reign of this prosperous Khán, Amir Khudáidád went on a pilgrimage to Mekka. Moghul records state that Amir Khudáidád raised six Kháns to the Khánship, “with his own hand.” They were as follows:—
Khizir Khwája Khán,
Sham-i-Jahán Khán,
Nakhsh-i-Jahán Khán,
Muhammad Khán,
Shir Muhammad Khán, and lastly
Vais Khán.
THE MARTYRDOM OF VAIS KHÁN.
A SHORT time after the departure of Amir Khudáidád for Mekka, and the accession of Mir Muhammed Sháh to his father's rank and titles, Vais Khán's destiny was achieved. It came about in the following way. Sátuk Khán—one of those men upon whom Amir Timur had conferred the title of Khán—had been placed within four strong walls in the centre of the town.
The place is called nowadays, in Samarkand, Hiyát-i-Khán [the walls of the Khán].* It is a large place and each division of it has a separate name. One of them is the Hauz-i-Bostan-i-Khán [the reservoir of the Khán's garden], which is one of the loveliest spots in Samarkand. In the days of Amir Timur, Yusurghátmish Khán* occupied this place; he, however, went away to Irák, and Sultán Mahmud Khán was appointed to the Hiyát-i-Khán in his stead. All the mandates [manshur] of Amir Timur bear the name of these two Kháns. So also the mandates of Mirzá Ulugh Beg bear the name of Sátuk Khán. Mirzá Ulugh Beg removed this Sátuk Khán from the Hiyát-i-Khán, and put some one else in his place, whom he also made Khán. He then sent Sátuk Khán into Moghulistán
. Vais Khán was in Issigh Kul, at Bakábulung.* I have heard Mauláná Khwája Ahmad say: “Khwája Abdul-Karim, my cousin, who was on very intimate terms with Vais Khán, used to relate that one Friday, just before the service, Vais Khán, who had performed his ablutions and had been shaved, came to me and asked: ‘Of what is my head, in its present state of cleanliness, worthy?’ I replied: ‘A jewelled crown.’ He said: ‘No, it is worthy of martyrdom.’ He had scarce uttered those words when a messenger came running up, to say that Sátuk Khán had arrived. Vais Khán immediately ordered them to sound the drums, while he himself began to put on his armour. The men who were near at hand quickly gathered round him, and they set out to meet the enemy. There was a stream running between them. When the two forces came in contact, the Khán himself charged forward, and wished to make his horse jump the stream, but the horse sank up to his head [in the mud] on the bank of the river. One of the servants of Mir Muhammad Sháh (Jákir by name) was such a good archer that he had not a single rival in the whole tribe, and for this reason the Khán had begged him of Mir Muhammad Sháh, for his own service. At the moment when the Khán fell from his horse, Jákir arrived on the spot, and mistaking the Khán for one of the enemy, aimed an arrow at the waist of the Khán, who on being struck rolled over on his back. Then Jákir recognised the Khán, and threw himself upon him.* When the news reached Sátuk Khán, he set out for the spot and, on his arrival, lay the Khán's head upon his breast, but the last breath of life had fled.” The Moghul tribe were in the greatest disorder and, moreover, refused to obey Sátuk Khán; so that this latter could no longer remain in Moghulistán, but retired to Káshghar. Here he was overpowered by Karákul Ahmad Mirzá, who was a grandson of Amir Khudáidád. Soon after this, Mirzá Ulugh Beg sent an army to Káshghar. They seized Karákul Ahmad Mirzá and carried him off to Samarkand, where they cut him in half.
Awais Khan ibn Sher 'Ali was one of the chagatai khans of Mughalistan (Moghulistan) from 1418-1421 and again from (restored) 1425-1429. He was the nephew of Muhammad Khan
Muhammad Khan
Muhammad Khan may refer to:*Mohammad Khan Qajar , Shah of Persia*Muhammad Khan , claimant to the throne of the Ilkhanate...
or Shir Muhammad Khán.(also spelled Vais Khan).
Chagatai Khans
Chagatai Khans
The Chagatai Khans were the heads of the Chagatai ulus from Chagatai Khan's inheritance of the state in 1227 to their removal from power by the Dzungars and their vassals in 1687...
The Chagatai Khans were the heads of the Chagatai ulus from Chagatai Khan's inheritance of the state in 1227 to their removal from power by the Dzungars and their vassals in 1687. The power of the Chagatai Khans varied; from its beginning, the khanate was one of the weakest of the Mongol states, and often its rulers were merely figureheads for ambitious conquerors (see Kaidu and Timur).
EARLY LIFE OF VAIS KHÁN:
SULTÁN VAIS KHÁN سلطان ویاس خان also written as UWAIS KHAN, Vais Khan, Awais Khan, was the son of Shir Ali Khán; after the death of his father, he was in the service of his uncle, Shir Muhammad Khán. After a time he began to find this condition irksome, and therefore fled from the court, and took to the life of a robber [Kazáki]. Many distinguished Moghul youths volunteered to follow him. Among this number was Mir Sayyid Ali (Grandfather of Mirza Muhammad Haidar Author of THE TARIKH-I-RASHIDI). Mirza Muhammad Haidar is the grandson of Vais Khán, on his mother's side. Amir Sayyid Ali (Amir Sayyid Ali was the son of Sayyid Ahmad Mirzá, son of Amir Khudáidád ) is his paternal grandfather, and this Amir Sayyid Ali was the son of Sayyid Ahmad Mirzá, son of Amir Khudáidád.
WHEN Vais Khán fled from his uncle Shir Muhammad Khán, a number of people attached themselves to him, and they took to plundering in, and on the confines of, the territory of Shir Muhammad Khán; especially in the neighbourhood of Lob Katak and Sárigh Uighur. But [Vais Khán] finding little scope for activity in that country, [left it and] went to Turkistán. At that Amir Shaikh Nuruddin, son of Sár Bughá Kipchák, one of Amir Timur's greatest generals, was Governor of Turkistán. With him [the Khán] had some conflict, and since he was at enmity with Shir Muhammad Khán, he gave his daughter Daulat Sultán Sakanj, in marriage to Vais Khán. He also gave the Vais khan much assistance in his attacks on Shir Muhammad Khán, and for a long time there was continual conflict between Vais Khán and his uncle, the latter being as a rule, victorious. One of these encounters took place at a spot in Moghulistán called Karang Káingligh. Vais Khán, after a long and rapid march, surprised Shir Muhammad Khán in his camp at midnight. [The assailants] were four hundred strong. When the alarm was raised, Shir Muhammad Khán threw himself into a ditch, while Vais Khán, surrounding the camp, searched till dawn for Shir Muhammad Khán, slaying all whom he met. Yet, notwithstanding their search and the violence they used towards the people in the camp, no trace of Shir Muhammad Khán was to be found. When day broke they fled. Then Shir Muhammad Khán came out of the ditch, and his men having again collected round him, he set out in pursuit of Vais Khán, who only saved himself after a hundred narrow escapes. In fine, this hostility continued between them until the natural death of Shir Muhammad Khán, whereupon Vais Khán succeeded to the Khánate.
THE KHÁNSHIP OF VAIS KHÁN.
WHEN his turn came, Vais Khán showed himself to be religiously inclined; he was moreover distinguished among his race for his bravery. Since he had forbidden the Moghuls to attack Musulmáns (Muslims) , he made war against the infidel Kálmáks; and though he was frequently defeated by them, he persisted in hostilities against them, not wishing to relinquish the holy war [jahád]. He was twice taken prisoner by them. The first occasion was in a battle at a place called Ming Lák, where the Khán, having been seized, was led before Isán Táishi. This latter thought to himself: “If he is really a descendant of Chingiz Khán, he will not do me obeisance, but will look upon me as an inferior.” When the Khán was brought in, he dismounted (for he was on horseback) and [Isán Táishi] advanced towards him with great respect [Sar-Zadah].* But the Khán turned away his face and did not raise his hands. Isán Táishi was then convinced, and treating the Khán with much honour, set him at liberty. The Khán, on being asked afterwards why he had not done obeisance [to Isán Táishi] replied: “If Isán Táishi had treated me in a lordly manner, I should, out of fear for my life, have approached him with reverence. But since he came towards me with bowed head, it occurred to me that the hour of my martyrdom had arrived; and it is not fitting for a Musulmán to do homage to an infidel, or to countenance his actions, therefore I did not salute him.” It was the Khán's faithful observance of his religion that saved him from the abyss.
ON ANOTHER occasion, he fought a battle with this same Isán Táishi at a spot called Kabáka, on the confines of Moghulistán. Here, too, he suffered defeat. His horse being shot under him by an arrow, the Khán was obliged to continue on foot. He was on the point of being captured, when Amir Sayyid Ali, dismounting from his horse, gave it to the Khán, while he threw himself on his face on the ground. The infidels, thinking him dead, shot an arrow at his head. When they came near enough, the Amir contrived to lay hold of one of them (who happened to be a man of some distinction), and lifting him up by his coat, turned him from side to side as a shield against the arrows, running all the while by the side of the Khán's bridle, so that it was impossible to shoot an arrow at the Amir. In this way he continued fighting and carrying the man by his clothes for a whole farsákh, till they came to the River Ailah. He then threw the Kálmák into the water, and seizing the bridle of the Khán's horse, entered the stream, which came up to his chest. Several men were drowned. The Khán's horse began to swim, while the Amir held up its head, and thus safely conducted the Khán, mounted and armed, across the river. Many men were drowned on that day. It is related that the Khán had with him, on that occasion, two cousins, Hasan Sultán, who wore red armour, and Lukmán Sultán, who wore blue [kabud]. They were both drowned on entering the stream. Amir Sayyid Ali, keeping hold of the Khán's bridle with one hand, did his best to save these two men with the other, but could not reach them. The Khán declared he could distinguish their red and blue jackets deep down in the water. Vais Khán gave Amir Sayyid Ali five presents —one for each [of the following] acts.
(I.) He had given his horse to the Khán and had himself remained on foot.
(II.) He had seized the Kálmák.
(III.) He had used him as a shield for a whole farsákh.
(IV.) He had brought the Khán fully armed and mounted across the River Ailah.
(V.) Although he had hold of the Khán, he twice stretched out his hand to save the drowning men.
The Khán then added: “I know that the Amir has such strength that if one of my cousins had been able to seize him by the hand, the Amir would have saved him too, and brought him across the water.” In consideration of these five actions, he gave the Amir five Aimáks as a reward.
1. Turkát.
2. Hibat Shirá Sut.
3. Uzbeg, a tribe of Khotan.
4. Darugha, also a tribe of Khotan.
5. Kukanit, also a tribe of Khotan.
SULTAN VAIS KHAN had another combat with Isán Táishi, in the vicinity of Turfán, and was again defeated and taken prisoner. Isán Táishi said [to Vais Khán, on his being brought before him]: “This time I will only set you free, on your giving me your sister Makhtum Khánim, as a ransom.” There being no help for it, Makhtum Khánim was given to him, and the Khán was set at liberty. It is commonly reported that the Khán had sixty-one engagements with the Kálmáks: once only was he victorious; on every other occasion he was put to rout. (But God alone knows the truth.) Mauláná Khwája Ahmad said that the Khán was a very powerful man, and that he used, every year, to go hunting wild camels in the country round Turfán, Tárim, Lob and Katak. When he killed a camel he would skin it with his own hands, and take the wool to his mother Sultán Khátun; the Khátun would spin it and make it into shirts and breeches for him, which he wore with sumptuous robes outside. In Turfán water is very scarce, and it was the Khán himself who irrigated the land. He did not get his water from any stream, but having dug a deep well, drew from it a supply of water for irrigation. Khidmat Mauláná told me the following story of his uncles, who used to say: “We have often seen the Khán, during the hot season, with the help of his slaves, drawing water from the well in pitchers [kuzah], and pouring it himself over the land.” His agriculture was carried out on such a small scale, that the produce of it never attained the value of an ass's load; but this served him for a yearly supply of food. He was a disciple of Mauláná Muhammad Kásháni, who was a disciple of Hazrat Khwája Hasan (may God perfume his tomb), and Khwája Hasan was a disciple of Hazrat Kutb-i- Masnad Arshád Khwája Baháuddin Nakhshband (may God bless his spirit). Being a king did not prevent Vais Khán from passing his time in such studies [as theology]. During the reign of this prosperous Khán, Amir Khudáidád went on a pilgrimage to Mekka. Moghul records state that Amir Khudáidád raised six Kháns to the Khánship, “with his own hand.” They were as follows:—
Khizir Khwája Khán,
Sham-i-Jahán Khán,
Nakhsh-i-Jahán Khán,
Muhammad Khán,
Shir Muhammad Khán, and lastly
Vais Khán.
THE MARTYRDOM OF VAIS KHÁN.
A SHORT time after the departure of Amir Khudáidád for Mekka, and the accession of Mir Muhammed Sháh to his father's rank and titles, Vais Khán's destiny was achieved. It came about in the following way. Sátuk Khán—one of those men upon whom Amir Timur had conferred the title of Khán—had been placed within four strong walls in the centre of the town.
The place is called nowadays, in Samarkand, Hiyát-i-Khán [the walls of the Khán].* It is a large place and each division of it has a separate name. One of them is the Hauz-i-Bostan-i-Khán [the reservoir of the Khán's garden], which is one of the loveliest spots in Samarkand. In the days of Amir Timur, Yusurghátmish Khán* occupied this place; he, however, went away to Irák, and Sultán Mahmud Khán was appointed to the Hiyát-i-Khán in his stead. All the mandates [manshur] of Amir Timur bear the name of these two Kháns. So also the mandates of Mirzá Ulugh Beg bear the name of Sátuk Khán. Mirzá Ulugh Beg removed this Sátuk Khán from the Hiyát-i-Khán, and put some one else in his place, whom he also made Khán. He then sent Sátuk Khán into Moghulistán
Moghulistan
Moghulistan or Mughalistan is a historical geographic unit in Central Asia that included parts of modern-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Chinese Autonomous Region of Xinjiang...
. Vais Khán was in Issigh Kul, at Bakábulung.* I have heard Mauláná Khwája Ahmad say: “Khwája Abdul-Karim, my cousin, who was on very intimate terms with Vais Khán, used to relate that one Friday, just before the service, Vais Khán, who had performed his ablutions and had been shaved, came to me and asked: ‘Of what is my head, in its present state of cleanliness, worthy?’ I replied: ‘A jewelled crown.’ He said: ‘No, it is worthy of martyrdom.’ He had scarce uttered those words when a messenger came running up, to say that Sátuk Khán had arrived. Vais Khán immediately ordered them to sound the drums, while he himself began to put on his armour. The men who were near at hand quickly gathered round him, and they set out to meet the enemy. There was a stream running between them. When the two forces came in contact, the Khán himself charged forward, and wished to make his horse jump the stream, but the horse sank up to his head [in the mud] on the bank of the river. One of the servants of Mir Muhammad Sháh (Jákir by name) was such a good archer that he had not a single rival in the whole tribe, and for this reason the Khán had begged him of Mir Muhammad Sháh, for his own service. At the moment when the Khán fell from his horse, Jákir arrived on the spot, and mistaking the Khán for one of the enemy, aimed an arrow at the waist of the Khán, who on being struck rolled over on his back. Then Jákir recognised the Khán, and threw himself upon him.* When the news reached Sátuk Khán, he set out for the spot and, on his arrival, lay the Khán's head upon his breast, but the last breath of life had fled.” The Moghul tribe were in the greatest disorder and, moreover, refused to obey Sátuk Khán; so that this latter could no longer remain in Moghulistán, but retired to Káshghar. Here he was overpowered by Karákul Ahmad Mirzá, who was a grandson of Amir Khudáidád. Soon after this, Mirzá Ulugh Beg sent an army to Káshghar. They seized Karákul Ahmad Mirzá and carried him off to Samarkand, where they cut him in half.
| Preceded by | Moghul Khan | Succeeded by |
|---|---|---|
| Naqsh-I-Jahan | Uwais Khan Uwais Khan Awais Khan:Awais Khan ibn Sher 'Ali was one of the chagatai khans of Mughalistan from 1418-1421 and again from 1425-1429... |
Shir Muhammad ibn Shah Jahan |