The Portland daily press., 1868-06-11
The Land of AtiiIa, Genghis Khan and
..-I TamerIaue.

Ihe Land OF Attiia, Genghis Khan and
TamerIaue.
The cable news of the subjugation by the
Russian army of the last stronghold of Turks
tan calls renewed attention to that remarka-
elo-oountry and 10 the startling progress OF
the Russian arms in Asia. The capture of
Bokhara and Samarcand brings the whole
country under the dominion of Alexander.
The conquest was begun as long ago as 1S47,
when, after six years of fighting, the country
of the Kirghiz, one of the four divisions into
which Turkistan is divided was subdued. The
campaigns of the years 1S4S, 1858 and 1864
brought the Khanate of Kholand, another of
the divisions, under the Russian yoke, and
now Bokhara has shared the fate of the rest of
the country, and Russian conquest has ad-
vanced to the very borders of Persia, causing
the Indo-British many qualms of apprehen-
sion.
Turkistan is part of the Scythia of ancient
history and was overrun by Alexander the
Great, who is supposed to have founded the
city of Bokhara, giving it the name of Sogdi-
ana. At any rate it is here that he found his
wife Roxana. Alexander founded several cit
les in this country, the ruins of which may
still be seen. In the earlier centuries of the
Christian era the inhabitants became warlike
and made many victorious incursons into for
| eign lands. One of the most familiar names
associated with their conquests is that of At
tia, "the Scourge of God," who at the head of
the Huns, branch of the race, devastated
| Southern Europe and came near capturing
Paris itself. 1t is this race that gave to Hun
| gary its name and people, so that there are
still many points of identity between the inhab-
itants of the two countries Another family of
the same people, called the Tooks, are the
founders of the present Turkish empire.
In the beginning of the thirteenth CEN
tory Genghis Khan arose whose conquests in
Persia, China, Russia, Poland and Germany
have made his name most prominent in histo-
| ry, poetry and fiction. Even his fame pales
before that of the great Khan, Timour or Tam
erlane, who arose two centuries later, and
founded new empire the capital of which
was Samarcand. Since his day the Turko
mans have been steadily declining, and they
have proved in this century unequal to a con
test with the power which was twice overrur
by their ancestors.
The fierce religious bigotry of the Turko.
mans has prevented much being known Of
their country, as few travellers have been rash
enough to imperil their lives by venturine
among Mohammedans who regard the adher.
ents of all other faiths as infidels who NAV
properly be slaughtered at sight. In 1868
however, the celebrated Hungarian, Arminiu.
Vambery, passed through the whole country
in the disguise of a dervish or mendican
priest. The total population of the country is
100000 The only city of any Importance i,
Bokhara, containing 100000 inhabitants and
boasting of 365 mosques and 1865 colleges
Vamberv represents that the place is meanly
built and regards its pretensions to the posi-
ton of seat of learning and refinement a.
ridiculous. The colleges teach nothing bu
the Koran and religious casuistry. Samar
cand, formerly so magnificent and known a.
the focus of the whole globe" now contains
but 10000 inhabitants and is dirty and meanl!
built. 1t contains the tomb of Tamerlane
who built the pyramid of SIX uls.
The ramor of the death of the Emir of Box
hara is not confirmed. Vambery describes
him as gentle aud affable in his manners, bu
religious bigot and remarkable for the stern
ness of his administration Of justice. He ha
four wives, twenty concubines, sixteen chill
dren and claims to be hneal descendant o
Tamerlane.
The Russian conquest will be regarded will
jealousy by other European nations, but it il
not altogether a matter of regret even if i
should lead to far larger Russian conquests il
| Asia The Czar intends to extend his railroad
connections to the newly acquired country
which is only eighty hours from st. Peters
burg, and civilization will undoubtedly follow