The governorship of Hazarasp formerly belonged
to the Inak, or oldest member of the Khan’s family,
and who came next in dignity to the sovereign.*
This governor has his court officials, and the palace
o f the Inak still stands in the citadel. The Khivan
governors o f provinces have full judicial authority
over everything, the life of criminals excepted, in
which case the Khan is appealed to. MacGahan
entered Hazarasp with the Russian invaders, and
describes the town as he saw it. He speaks of 5,000
inhabitants m the place. It is 13 miles from Pitniak,
7 from the Oxus, and 40 from K h iv a ; and now
having mentioned Hanki, Khiva, and Hazarasp,
which were regarded as three, we shall now proceed
northwards in the direction of Tashauz, which was
considered the fourth, of the strongest fortresses in
the Khanate of Khiva.
* The office has now somewhat lost its importance, and at the
present time there are more Inaks than one; and the ruler of
Hazarasp bears a new title, Emir-ul-umer, or “ Ruler of rulers.”
qu 6 dlTi nCt HI 15 T j m B and the town 400 shops. Pitniak and
Shura-Khaneh were until recently governed by Inaks during the
Kungrad dynasty. - 6
C H A P T E R L X IV .
FROM K H IV A TOUIASHAUZ.
Departure from Khiva with Khassan the Batchman.— Luggage arbas.—
Kosh-ku-pryk and its melons.-—-Aryk and town of Gazavat.-H
Russian reconnaissance of Khivan oasis.— Our stay at Shavat.—
Amusements of the natives.—Havlis and their supposed resemblance
to Scripture “ strongholds.’ ’B-Visit to havli at Manak.—•
Oil and com mills.—Hawks for falconry.~-Mud walls of the havli.
—Invitation to stay.—Route to Tashauz.
/ '~ \N Thursday morning, November 2nd, at 9.45,
V 7 we said A m a n ! to Matmurad, our Khivan
host, and began our ride to Kunia Urgenj, where
Tailly, having left us on the road, was to meet us
again with camels, and start us across the desert. By
this means we should pass from the new Kharezmian
capital to the old one, and so have seen the principal
inhabited points of the khanate. The Consul was
setting out to return to Petro-Alexandrovsk, and I
confided to him a letter to be forwarded to General
Abramoffi informing him that I had now delivered to
the Khan the last of his Excellency’s letters ; also
thanking him for the exceedingly kind reception everywhere
afforded me, and assuring him that I should
take away with me a most agreeable recollection of my
tour through his general government. We were now
a party of 7 “ regulars,” besides “ volunteers ” includ.