ment.

The Yomuts, on their side, had gained over two princes with the intent to place them on the throne; but their intrigue was discovered while it was yet time; the unfortunate princes were strangled; and as for the Yomuts, their criminality being plain to all, it was determined to punish them. The khan advanced against them at the head of a few thousand horsemen ; but the Yomuts protesting their innocence, and their graybeards, with naked swords suspended from their necks (symbolizing their submission), coming barefooted to meet him, they were this time forgiven. Two months later, the tribe again beginning to show hostile sentiments, the khan became incensed, assembled in great haste 2000 horsemen, and attacked the Yomuts, who were in open rebellion. The affair terminated unfortunately. The Özbegs were put to flight; and when a search was made for the khan it was found that he was among the first that had fallen, and that his body had been thrown with the others, without distinction of person, into a common grave. They named as his successor his younger brother,

8. Kutlug Murad Khan (reigned three months only).

He had fought at the side of the late khan, and was returning covered with wounds. He soon armed afresh to continue the struggle that had cost his brother his life, when the chiefs of the Yomuts made overtures of peace, with the promise that they would appear in Khiva to do homage, and bring with them the cousin of the khan, who had fallen into their hands in the last engagement, and whom they had proclaimed khan.

CHAP. XVII.

RECENT HISTORY OF KHIVA.

411

Kutlug Murad and his ministers put faith in these professions. The day was fixed for their appearance, when they appeared accordingly, but with a force of 12,000 men, and bringing with them their best horses and arms of parade. On the morning of the presentation the khan received his cousin, and the latter, while in the act of embracing him, treacherously stabbed the sovereign with his poniard. The khan fell to the ground, and the Turkomans rushed upon the royal servants who were present. During the consternation that prevailed the mehter ascended the wall of the citadel, and, announcing from the battlements the atrocious crime, called upon the Khivites to put to death all the Yomuts within the walls of the city. The incensed populace attacked the Turkomans, who, paralyzed by fear, offered no resistance. They fell, not only by the weapons of Khivites, but even by the knives of the women. The streets of Khiva ran literally with blood, and it took six days' labor to dispose of the dead bodies.

For a period of eight days after this butchery Khiva remained without a sovereign. The crown. was tendered to the formerly capable Seid Mehemmed Töre; but his passionate fondness for the indulgence of the intoxicating opium was an obstacle, and he abdicated his rights in favor of his younger brother,

9. Seid Mehemmed Khan (1856-still reigning). The incapacity of this prince is well known, and the reader has seen many instances of it. During this reign Khiva has been much devastated by the civil war with the Yomuts, and colonies founded

the previous khans have been ruined and unpeopled. While Yomuts and Özbegs were thus destroying one another, and hurrying off mutually their women and children to slavery, the Djemshidi making their way in, according to the proverb, "Inter duos litigantes tertius est gaudens," and assailing the unarmed population, plundered the whole of Khiva from Kitsdj baj to Fitnek, and, richly laden with spoil, and accompanied by 2000 Persian slaves, who had freed themselves in the confusion, returned to the banks of the Murgab.

Poverty, cholera, pestilence, and depopulation led necessarily to a peace; then a pretender to the throne, supported by Russian influence, named Mehemmed Penah, unfurled the banner of revolution, and dispatched an embassy by Manghischlak to Astrakhan to implore the protection of the Russian padishah. The intrigue took wind, and the envoys were put to death on their way. Later, however, when the Russian imperials (gold pieces) had been expended, Mehemmed Penah was murdered by his own partisans, and the ringleaders were formed into parcels (that is to say, they had their hands bound to their body with wetted leather), and were so forwarded to Khiva, where a cruel end awaited them.

CHAP. XVIII. THE CITY OF BOKHARA.-GATES.

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CHAPTER XVIII.

THE CITY OF BOKHAR A.

CITY OF BOKHARA, ITS GATES, QUARTERS, MOSQUES, COLLEGES.-ONE FOUNDED BY CZARINA CATHARINE.-FOUNDED AS SEMINARIES, NOT OF LEARNING, BUT FANATICISM. -BAZARS. POLICE SYSTEM SEVERER THAN ELSEWHERE IN ASIA. THE KHANAT OF BOKHARA.—INHABITANTS: ÖZBEGS, TADJIKS, KIRGHIS, ARABS, MERVI, PERSIANS, HINDOOS, JEWS.-GOVERNMENT.- DIFFERENT OFFICIALS.-POLITICAL DIVISIONS.—ARMY.-SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF BOKHARA.

"... regnata Cyro
Bactra... Tanaisque discors."

Horace, Ode iii., 29, 27–8.

THE circumference of Bokhara, represented to me as a day's journey, I found actually not more than four miles. The environs, though tolerably well cultivated, are in this respect far inferior to the country around Khiva.

Bokhara has eleven gates,* and is divided into two principal parts, Deruni Shehr (inner city), and Beruni Shehr (outer city); and into several quarters, the chief of which are Mahallei Djuybar, Khiaban; Mïrekan, Malkushan, Sabungiran. Although we have given the reader, in a preceding chapter, some idea of the great buildings and public places, we will here condense in a short account our particular observations.

* Dervaze Imam, D. Mezar, D. Samarcand, D. Oglan, D. Talpatch, D. Shirgiran, D. Karaköl, D. Sheikh Djelal, D. Namazgiah, D. Salakhane, D. Karshi.

Mosques.

The Bokhariot pretends that his native city possesses 365 mosques, counting the small as well as the large ones, so that the pious Mussulman may find a different one to attend each day in the year. I have not been able to discover more than the half of that number. The following are the only ones that deserve mention:

1. Mesdjidi Kelan, built by Timour, but restored by Abdullah Khan, which is thronged on Fridays, as the emir then says his prayers there.

2. Mesdjidi Divanbeghi, built, with the reservoir and medresse bearing the same name, by a certain Nezr, 1029 (1629), who was divanbeghi (state secretary) of the Emir Imankuli Khan.

3. Mirekan.

4. Mesdjidi Mogak. This is a subterranean building, in which, according to one tradition, the primitive Mussulmans, according to another, the last Fireworshipers, held their meetings. The former version seems more probable; for, first, the Guebres could have found more suitable spots outside of the city, in the open air; and, secondly, many Kufish inscriptions there point to an Islamite origin.

Medresse (Colleges).

The Bokhariot prides himself upon the number of these colleges, and fixes them at his favorite figure, 365. There are, however, not more than 80. The most celebrated are the following:

1. The Medresse Kökeltash, built in 1426: it has