Overview
Ismail Khan was the last independent Chagatayid khan of Yarkent. A son of Abduraim Khan, he was proclaimed Great Khan at Aksu in 1669, restored in 1670 by the Kara Taghlik khojas, and lost his throne when the Dzungar ruler Galdan invaded the Tarim Basin.
Rise to Power
After Abdullah Khan was expelled in 1669, Ismail was proclaimed Great Khan at Aksu with the backing of the Kara Taghlik khojas and a Dzungar prince, but he could not take Yarkand from Abdullah's son Yulbars. He was restored to the throne in 1670.
Rule and Achievements
- Drove out Afaq Khoja, leader of the rival Ak Taghlik faction
- Afaq Khoja turned to the Fifth Dalai Lama, who asked Galdan Boshugtu, ruler of the Dzungars, to intervene
Legacy
Galdan took Hami and Turpan by 1679 and then invaded the Tarim Basin (most sources date the campaign to 1680). His forces killed Ismail's family and took Ismail prisoner. Galdan installed Abd ar-Rashid Khan II as his vassal, and Chagatayid khans ruled thereafter only under Dzungar control until 1705. Ismail's reign is a stark lesson: a ruler who settles a domestic rivalry by expelling a faction can hand that faction a foreign ally.