Chapter XXI

COMMUNICATION OF CENTRAL ASIA WITH RUSSIA, PERSIA, AND INDIA
ROUTES IN THE THREE KHANATS AND CHINESE TARTARY.

Of all the foreign countries with which Central Asia is in relation, Russia is that with which it has the most active correspondence.

(a) From Khiva the karavans proceed to Astrakhan and Orenburg, whence many wealthy merchants reach Nishnei Novogorod, and even St. Petersburg.

(b) From Bokhara an uninterrupted correspondence--particularly active in summer--is kept up with Orenburg. This is the most usual journey, and is performed in from fifty to sixty days. Extraordinary circumstances may, indeed, render it longer or shorter; but except in times of unusual disturbances amongst the Kirghis, even the smallest karavans undertake it.

(c) From Tashkend karavans go to Orenburg and Kizil Djar (Petropavlosk). They reach the first in from fifty to sixty days, and the latter in from fifty to seventy. These are always the most numerous karavans, the district they traverse being the most dangerous.

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(d) The route from Namengan and Aksu to Pulat (Semipalatinsk) is frequented for the most part by Khokandi karavans, which proceed under strong escort, and arrive at their destination in forty days. Solitary travellers may pass among the Kirghis unmolested. Of course, I mean when they travel like Dervishes. Many of my fellow-travellers had performed the journey to Mecca by Semipalatinsk, Orenburg, Kasan, and Constantinople.

Thus far I have spoken of the communications of Central Asia towards the north. Towards the south they are far less important. Khiva is accustomed to send one or two small karavans to Persia by the way of Astrabad and Deregöz. Bokhara shows somewhat more activity; but no karavans have passed by Merv to Meshed during the last two years, the Tekke having interrupted all communication. The most frequented route is by Herat, at which city the karavans separate, accordingly as they proceed to Persia or Afghanistan and India. The way by Karshi and Belkh to Kabul is only of secondary importance, because the difficulties of surmounting the Hindukush offer constant and serious obstacles, and during the last two years this route has not been much frequented.

Besides the above-named communication on a great scale, we must mention the slender thread of correspondence maintained by single pilgrims or beggars from the most hidden parts of Turkestan with the remotest parts of Asia. Nothing is more interesting than these vagabonds, who leave their native nests without a farthing in their pockets to journey for thousands of miles in countries of which they previously hardly know the names; and amongst nations entirely different from their own in physiognomy, {409} language, and customs. Without further consideration, a poor inhabitant of Central Asia, [Footnote 151] following the suggestions of one sole dream, betakes himself to Arabia, and even to the most westerly parts of the Turkish Empire. He has nothing to lose. He seeks to see the world, and so follows blindly his instinct. The world I say, but I mean his world, beginning with China, and ending with the limits of the Turkish Empire. As for Europe, he admits, indeed, that it may be beautiful, but he regards it as so filled with magic and diabolical arts that he would never venture thither, even though he held in his hand the surest thread to guide him on his way through so perilous a labyrinth.

[Footnote 151: I say poor, for the rich rarely submit to the toil and inconvenience of a pilgrimage; but they have an expedient, for they find deputies. Their representatives supplied with the necessary funds are sent on to Mecca, where in their prayers they substitute the name of the sender for their own, but the latter only so far profits that he has the honour after his decease of having engraved upon his tomb the affix to his name, 'Hadji.']

Experience convinced me that the farther we advance in Turkestan, the greater is the disposition to perform these annual pilgrimages and toilsome journeys. The number of the Hadjis proceeding yearly from Khiva is, on an average, from ten to fifteen; from Bokhara, thirty to forty; but from Khokand and Chinese Tartary, between seventy and eighty. If we add thereto the rage of the Persians for pilgrimages to the holy places in Meshed, Kerbela, Kom, and Mecca, it is impossible not to be surprised at the great zeal in favour of such ramblings still prevalent in Asia. The seed from which sprang the migration of its ancient races, continues still to {410} exist, and but for the civilisation of the West and its mighty influence, that press closely upon Asia on all sides, who knows what revolutions might not already have taken place!

The Routes in the Three Khanats. A. Routes in the Khanat or Khiva and the adjacent Country.

1. From Khiva to Gömüshtepe.

(a) Ortayolu, the middle of the three routes indicated by me in the commencement of my work, and which I myself took, has the following stations, and can be traversed easily on horseback in fourteen or fifteen days.

1. Akyap.
2. Medemin.
3. Shor Göl (lake).
4. Kaplankir.
5. Dehli Ata.
6. Kahriman Ata.
7. Koymat Ata.
8. Yeti Siri.
9. Djenak.
10. Ulu Balkan.
11. Kitchig Balkan.
12. Kören Taghi (a mountain chain).
13. Kyzyl Takir.
14. Bogdayla.
15. Etrek.
16. Gömüshtepe.

(b) The route termed Tekke Yolu can be traversed on horseback in ten days, and is said to consist of the following stations:--

1. Medemin.
2. Döden.
3. Shahsenem.
4. Ortakuju.
5. Alty Kuyruk.
6. Chirlalar.
7. Chin Mohammed.
8. Sazlik.
9. Etrek.
10. Gömüshtepe.

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This route seems infested by the Turkoman Alamans; the reason appears clear, because by the ordinary way they can go so rapidly over large tracts of land.

2. From Khiva to Meshed.

The routes are two: the one by Hezaresp and Deregöz southwards through the desert (the traveller can perform this journey on horseback in twelve days); the other way passes by Merv, and has the following principal stations or wells:--

1. Dari. [Footnote 152]
2. Sagri.
3. Nemekabad.
4. Shakshak.
5. Shur ken.
6. Akyap.
7. Merv.

[Footnote 152: Dari is reached on the first day from Khiva.]

3. From Khiva to Bokhara (a high road) .

From	To	Farsz. Parasangs [2-4 miles]
Khiva	Khanka	6
Khanka	Shurakhan	5
Shurakhan	Ak Kamish	6
Ak Kamish	Töyeboyun	8
Töyeboyun	Tünüklü	6
Tünüklü	Utch udjak	10
Utch udjak	Karaköl	10
Karaköl	Bokhara	9
		60

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4. From Khiva to Khokand.

There is a route through the desert without touching Bokhara. At Shurakhan, one leaves the Khanat of Khiva, and reaches Khodjend ordinarily in from ten to twelve days inclusive. The journey may, however, be shortened by turning off to Djizzak. This was the route taken by Conolly in company of a Khokandi prince, whom he had met in Khiva.

5. From Khiva to Kungrat and the Shore of the Aral Sea.

From	To	Tash or Farsz
Khiva	Yenghi Urgendj	4
Yenghi Urgendj	Görlen	6
Görlen	Yenghi Yap	3
Yenghi Yap	Khitai	3
Khitai	Manghit	4
Manghit	Kiptchak	1
Kiptchak	Kamli	2
Kamli	Khodja Ili	22 (desert)
Khodja Ili	Kungrat	4
Kungrat	Hekim Ata	4
Hekim Ata	Tchortangöl	5
Tchortangöl	Bozatav	10
Bozatav	Shore of the Sea	5

Making together 73 Tash, a distance which, when the way is not in bad condition, may be travelled in twelve stations.

6. From Khiva to Kungrat, by Köhne.

From	To	Tash or Farsz.
Khiva	Gazavat	3
Gazavat	Tashhaus	7
Tashhaus	Köktcheg	2
Köktcheg	Kizil Takir	7
Kizil Takir	Porsu	6
Porsu	Köhne Urgendj	9
Köhne Urgendj	Khodja Ili	6

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And thence to Kungrat, as already mentioned, there are four Tash, making together 44 Tash, a nearer way, consequently, than the one by Görlen, but less eligible and less frequented. First, it is not safe; and secondly, it is wearisome, on account of the desert and the route itself.

7. From Khiva to Fitnek.

From	To	Tash or Farsz.
Khiva	Sheikh Mukhtar	3
Sheikh Mukhtar	Bagat	3
Bagat	Ishantchepe	2
Ishantchepe	Hezaresp	2
Hezaresp	Fitnek	6
		16

Adding to this number the 73 already given in the sum of the distances in route marked (5), we see that the greatest distance traversed by the Oxus in the Khanat is not more than 89 Tash or Farszakhs.

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B. Routes in the Khanat of Bokhara and the Adjacent Country.

1. From Bokhara to Herat.

From	To	Tash or Farsz.
Bokhara	Khoshrobat	3
Khoshrobat	Tekender	5
Tekender	Tchertchi	5
Tchertchi	Karahindi	5
Karahindi	Kerki	7
Kerki	Zeid (Well)	8
Zeid	Andkhuy	10
Andkhuy	Batkak	5
Batkak	Maymene	8
Maymene	Kaisar	4
Kaisar	Narin	6
Narin	Chikektu	6
Chikektu	Kalé Veli	6
Kalé Veli	Murgab	4
Murgab	Derbend	3
Derbend	Kalè No 8
Kalè No	Sertcheshme	9
Sertcheshme	Herat		6
Total		108

This distance can be travelled on horseback in from 20 to 25 days.

2. From Bokhara to Merv.

The traveller must here first go to Tchardjuy, from which city there are three different routes.

(a) By Rafatak. There is one well, and its distance is 45 Farszakhs.

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(b) By Ütchhadji. Two wells, and distance 40 Farszakhs.

3. From Bokhara to Samarcand (usual road).

From	To	Farsz. Parasangs
Bokhara	Mezar	5
Mezar	Kermine R.	6
Kermine R.	Mir	6
Mir	Kette Kurgan	5
Kette Kurgan	Daul	6
Daul	Samarcand	4
		32

This journey is performed by two-wheeled loaded carts in six days. Mounted on a good horse, one may accomplish it in three: the couriers take but two days, but they travel night and day.

4. From Samarcand to Kerki.

From	To	Farsz.
Samarcand	Robati Haus	3
Robati Haus	Nayman	6
Nayman	Shurkuduk	4
Shurkuduk	Karshi	5
Karshi	Feizabad	2
Feizabad	Sengsulak	6
Sengsulak	Kerki	6
		32

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5. From Samarcand to Khokand by Khodjend.

From	To	Farsz.
Samarcand	Yenghi Kurgan	3
Yenghi Kurgan	Djizzag	4
Djizzag	Zamin	5
Zamin	Djam	4
Djam	Savat	4
Savat	Oratepe	2
Oratepe	Nau	4
Nau	Khodjend	4
Khodjend	Karaktchikum	4
Karaktchikum	Mehrem	2
Mehrem	Besharik	5
Besharik	Khokand	5
		46

This journey takes eight days in a cart (two-wheeled), and may be much shortened by going straight from Oratepe to Mehrem, which requires only eight hours, so that there is a gain of six Tash.

6. From Samarcand to Tashkend and the Russian Frontiers.

From	To	Tash
Samarcand	Yenghi Kurgan	3
Yenghi Kurgan	Djizzag	4
Djizzag	Djinas	16
Djinas	Zenghi Ata	4
Zenghi Ata	Tashkend	6
		33

Five days' journey farther on from here is, as I learnt from the accounts of many different persons, the first Russian fort and post of the Cossacks.

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Routes in the Khanat of Khokand.

1. From Khokand to Oosh (a straight road).

From	To	Tash
Khokand	Karaultepe	5
Karaultepe	Mergolan	5
Mergolan	Sherikhan	4
Sherikhan	Endigan	3
Endigan	Oosh	4
		19

The journey can be performed in two-wheeled carts in four days.

2. From Khokand to Oosh (by Namengan) .

From	To	Tash
Khokand	Bibi Uveida	3
Bibi Uveida	Sehri Menzil	2
Sehri Menzil	Kirghis kurgan	4
Kirghis kurgan	Namengan	4
Namengan	Üsch kurgan	3
Üsch kurgan	Gömüshtepe	5
Gömüshtepe	Oosh	4
		25

Besides these two principal roads, there is a mountainous route from Tashkend to Namengan; offering, however, many perilous places, which entail the necessity of much laborious exertion. Although the distance is only 45 miles, one requires ten days to {418} traverse it. It passes by the following places: Toy Tepe, Karakhitai Tilav, Koshrobat, Mollamir, Babatarkhan, Shehidan (where the Russians were defeated by Mehemmed Ali Khan), Kamishkurgan, Pnngan, Haremseray, Uygur, Pop, Seng, Djust, Törekurgan, Namengan.

D. Routes in Chinese Tartary.

The distance from Kashgar to Yarhend is reckoned 36 miles (Tash), journeyed over by karavans and carts in seven days. On the third day from Kashgar, the traveller reaches a place called Yenghi Hissar, which is occupied by a strong garrison of soldiers.

From Kashgar to Aksu, the distance is 70 miles; a karavan takes to perform it twelve days.

From Aksu to Ushturban, lying to the south, the traveller requires two days.

Proceeding still farther to the east, we reach Komul in twenty-eight days, as follows:--

From	To	Days' Journey
Aksu	Bay	3
Bay	Saram	1
Saram	Kutcha	2
Kutcha	Shiar	2
Shiar	Bögür	4
Bögür	Kurli	3
Kurli	Kohne Turfan	8
Kohne Turfan	Komul	3
		26

Adding twelve days for the journey from Kashgar to Aksu, this makes, for the whole distance from the latter city, forty days.

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