Overview
Sultan Said Khan founded the Yarkent Khanate, the state through which the Chagatai line ruled the Tarim Basin for nearly two centuries. The third son of Ahmad Alaq and grandson of Yunus Khan, he was a cousin of Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire. In 1514 he took Kashgar and united the cities of the western Tarim Basin under his rule.
Rise to Power
In May 1514 Sultan Said Khan took Kashgar from Mirza Abu Bakr Dughlat with about 5,000 tribesmen. Yarkand, Khotan, Aksu and Uch Turpan then joined him, forming the union of six cities later known as Altishahr. Abu Bakr was killed by his own Dughlat emirs, who sent his head to the new khan.
Rule and Achievements
- Built a state centred on Yarkand that outlived him by more than 150 years
- Campaigned in Bolor in 1527–1528 with his son Abdurashid and his cousin and commander Mirza Muhammad Haidar
- Raided Badakhshan in 1529 and sent expeditions into Ladakh and Kashmir in 1531–1532, led largely by Mirza Haidar
- Kept close ties with Babur, though the two states were not military allies
- Gave the Naqshbandi khojas considerable influence at his court
Legacy
Sultan Said Khan died on 9 July 1533 near Daulat Beg Oldi on the way back from Ladakh and Kashmir, probably of high-altitude illness. His son Abdurashid succeeded him after a bloody succession dispute. The khoja influence he welcomed would, a century later, divide the state he built.