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The History of Genghis Khan · The History of Genghis Khan

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Preface. The word khan is not a name but a title. It means
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chieftain or king. It is a word used in various forms by the different
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tribes and nations that from time immemorial have inhabited Central Asia, and has been
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applied to a great number of potentates and rulers that have from time to time
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arisen. Among them, Jengas Khan was the greatest of these princes. He
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was, in fact one of the most renowned conquerors whose exploits history records,
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as in all other cases occurring in the series of histories to which this work
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belongs, where the events narrated took place at such a period or in such
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a part of the world, that positively reliable and authentic information in respect to
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them can now no longer be obtained. The author is not responsible for the
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actual truth of the narrative of which he offers, but only for the honesty
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and fidelity with which he has compiled it from the best sources of information now
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within reach. End of preface, Chapter one, Pastoral life in Asia.
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Four different modes of life enumerated. There are four several methods by which the
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various communities into which the human race is divided obtain their subsistence from the productions
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of the earth, each of which leads to its own peculiar system of social
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organization, distinct in its leading characteristics from those of all the rest. Each
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tends to its own peculiar form of government, gives rise to its own manners
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and customs, and forms, in a word, a distinctive and characteristic type
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of life. These methods are the following one by hunting wild animals in a
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state of nature, two by rearing tame animals in pasturages. Three by gathering
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fruits and vegetables which grow spontaneously in a state of nature. Four by rearing
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fruits and grains and other vegetables by artificial tillage in cultivated ground. By the
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two former methods, man subsists on animal food. By the two latter on
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vegetable food northern and southern climes animal food in Arctic regions. As we go
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north from the temperate regions toward the poles, man is found to subsist more
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and more on animal food. This seems to be the intention of providence.
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In the Arctic regions, scarcely any vegetables grow that are fit for human food.
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But animals whose flesh is nutritious and adapted to the use of man are
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abundant. As we go south from temperate regions toward the equator, man is
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found to subsist more and more on vegetable food. This, too, seems
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to be the intention of nature. Within the tropics, scarcely any animals live
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that are fit for human food, while fruits, roots, and other vegetable
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productions which are nutritious and adapted to the use of man are abundant. In
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accordance with this difference in the productions of the different regions of the Earth,
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there seems to be a difference in the constitutions of the races of men formed
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to inhabit them. The tribes that inhabit greenland and camped Shadka cannot preserve their
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accustomed health and vigor on any other than animal food. If put upon a
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diet of vegetables, they soon begin to pine away. The reverse is true
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of the vegetable eaters of the tropics. They preserve their health and strength well
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on a diet of rice or bread, fruit or bananas, and would undoubtedly
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be made sick by being fed on the flesh of walruses. Seals and white
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bears. Tropical regions, appetite changes with climate. In the temperate regions that
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productions of the above mentioned extremes are mingled. Here, many animals whose flesh
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is fit for human food live and thrive, and here grows too, a
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vast variety of nutritious fruits and roots and seeds. The physical constitution of the
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various races of men that inhabit these regions is modified accordingly. In the temperate
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climes, men can live on vegetable food, or on animal food, or
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on both. The constitution differs to in different individuals, and it changes at
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different periods of the year. Some persons require more of animal and others more
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of vegetable food to preserve their bodily and mental powers in the best condition,
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and each one observes a change in himself in passing from winter to summer.
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In the summer, the desire for a diet of fruits and vegetables seems to
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come northward with the sun, and in the winter, the appetite for flesh
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comes southward from the arctic regions with the cold. When we consider the different
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conditions in which the different regions of the Earth are placed in respect to their
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capacity of production for animal and vegetable food. We shall see that this adjustment
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of the constitution of man, both to the differences of climate and to the
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changes of the seasons, is a very wise and beneficent arrangement of divine providence.
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To confine man absolutely either to animal or vegetable food, would be to
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depopulate a large part of the earth first steps towards civilization. It results from
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these general facts in respect to the distribution of the supplies of animal and vegetable
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food for man in different latitudes, that in all northern climes in our hemisphere,
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men living in a savage state must be hunters, while those that live
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near the equator must depend for their subsistence on fruits and roots growing wild.
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When moreover, any tribe or race of men in either of these localities take
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the first steps towards civilization, they begin in the one case by taming animals
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and rearing them in flocks and herds, and in the other case by saving
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the seeds of food producing plants and cultivating them by artificial tillage in enclosed and
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private fields. This last is the condition of all the half civilized tribes of
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the tropical regions of the Earth, whereas the former prevails in all the northern,
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temperate and arctic regions as far to the northward as domesticated animals can live.
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Interior of Asia pastoral habits of the people. From time immemorial, the
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whole interior of the continent of Asia has been inhabited by tribes and nations that
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have taken this one step in the advance towards civilization, but have gone no
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farther. They live, not like the Indians in North America, by hunting
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wild beasts, but by rearing and pasturing flocks and herds of animals that they
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have tamed. These animals feed, of course, on grass and herbage,
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and as grass and herbage can only grow on open ground, the forests have
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gradually disappeared, and the country has for ages consisted of great grassy plains or
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of smooth hillsides covered with verder. Over these plains or along the river valleys
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wander the different tribes of which these pastoral nations are composed, living intents or
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in frail huts, almost equally moveable, and driving their flocks and herds before
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them from one pasture ground to another. According as the condition of the grass,
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or that of the springs and streams of water, may require picture of
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pastoral life. We obtain a pretty distinct idea of the nature of this pastoral
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life, and of the manners and customs and the domestic constitution to which it
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gives rise in the accounts given us in the Old Testament of Abraham and Lot,
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and of their wanderings with their flocks and herds over the country lying between
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the Euphrates and the Mediterranean Sea. They lived in tents in order that they
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might remove their habitations the more easily from place to place, in following their
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flocks and herds to different pasture grounds. Their wealth consisted almost wholly in these
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flocks and herds, the land being almost everywhere common. Sometimes, when two
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parties traveling together came to a fertile and well watered district, their herdsmen and
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followers were disposed to contend for the privilege of feeding their flocks upon it,
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and the contention would often lead to a quarrel and combat if it had not
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been settled by an amicable agreement on the part of the chieftain's Large families accumulated.
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The father of a family was the legislator and ruler of it, and
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his sons with their wives, and his sons sons remained with him, sometimes
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for many years, sharing his means of subsistence, submitting to his authority,
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and going with him from place to place with all his flocks and herds.
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They employed, too, so many herdsmen and other servants and followers as to
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form in many cases quite an extended community. And sometimes, in case of
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hostilities with any other wandering tribe, a single patriarch could send forth from his
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own domestic circle a force of several hundred armed men. Such company as this,
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when moving across the country on its way from one region of pasturage to
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another, appeared like an immense caravan on its march, and when settled at
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an encampment, the tents formed quite a little town rise of patriarchal governments.
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Whenever the head of one of these wandering families died, the tendency was not
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for the members of the community to separate, but to keep together and allow
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the oldest son to take the father's place as chieftain and ruler. This was
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necessary for defense, and of course, such communities as these were in perpetual
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danger of coming into collision with other communities roaming about like themselves over the same
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regions. It would necessarily result, too, from the circumstances of the case,
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that a strong and well managed party with an able and sagacious chieftain at
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the head of it, would attract other and weaker parties to join it,
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or, on the arising of some pretext for a quarrel, would make war
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upon it and conquer it. Thus, in process of time, small nations,
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as it were, would be formed, which would continue united and strong
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as long as the able leadership continued, and then they would separate into their
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original elements, which elements would be formed again into other combinations. Origin of
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the towns such substantially was pastoral life in the beginning. In process of time,
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of course, the tribes banded together became larger and larger. Some few
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towns and cities were built as places for the manufacture of implements and arms,
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or as resting places for the caravans of merchants in conveying from place to place
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such articles as were bought and sold. But these places were comparatively few and
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unimportant. A pastoral and roaming life continued to be the destiny of the great
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mass of the people, and this state of things, which was commenced on
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the banks of the Euphrates before the time of Abraham, spread through the whole
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breadth of Asia, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and has
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continued with very little change from those early periods to the present time. Great
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chieftains Jengas Khan of the various chieftains that have from time to time risen to
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command among these shepherd nations, but little is known. For very few and
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very scanty records have been kept of the history of any of them. Some
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of them have been famous as conquerors and have acquired very extended dominions. The
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most celebrated of all is perhaps Jengas Khan, the hero of this history.
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He came upon the stage more than three thousand years after the time of the
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great prototype of his class, the patriarch Abraham. End of Chapter one,
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Chapter two. The Mongols Mongols origin of the name. Three thousand years is
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a period of time long enough to produce great changes, and in the course
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of that time a great many different nations and congarees of nations were formed in
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the regions of Central Asia. The term Tartars has been employed generically to denote
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almost the whole race. The Mongols are a portion of this people, who
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are said to derive their name from Mongol Khan, one of their earliest and
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most powerful chieftains. The descendants of this Khan called themselves by his name,
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just as the descendants of the twelve Sons of Jacob called themselves Israelites or children
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of Israel, from the name Israel, which was one of the designations of
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the Great Patriarch, from whose twelve sons the twelve tribes of the Jews descended.
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The country inhabited by the monks was called Mongolia a Mongol family. To
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obtain a clear conception of a single Mongol family, you must imagine first a
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rather small, short, thick set man with long black hair, a flat
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face, and a dark olive complexion. His wife, if her face were
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not so flat and her nose so broad, would be quite a brilliant little
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beauty. Her eyes are so black and sparkling. The children have much the
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appearance of young Indians as they run shouting among the cattle on the hillsides,
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or if young playing half naked about the door of the hut, their long
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black hair streaming in the wind. Their occupations. Like all the rest of
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the inhabitants of Central Asia, these people depended almost entirely for their subsistence on
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the products of their flocks and herds. Of course, their great occupation consisted
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in watching their animals while feeding by day, and in putting them in places
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of security by night, In taking care of and rearing the young, in
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making butter and cheese from the milk and clothing from the skins, in driving
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the cattle to and fro in search of pasturage, and finally, in making
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war on the people of other tribes, to settle disputes arising out of conflicting
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claims to territory, or to replenish their stock of sheep and oxen by seizing
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and driving off the flocks of their neighbors animals of the Mongols. The animals
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which the Mongols most prized were camels, oxen and cows, sheep, goats,
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and horses. They were very proud of their horses, and they rode
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them with great courage and spirit. They always went mounted in going to war.
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Their arms were bows and arrows, pikes or spears, and a sort
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of sword or saber which was manufactured in some of the towns toward the west,
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and supplied them in the course of trade by great traveling caravans their towns
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and villages. Although the mass of the people lived in the open country with
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their flocks and herds, there were notwithstanding a great many towns and villages,
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though such centers of population were much fewer and less important among them than they
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are in countries, the inhabitants of which live by tilling the ground. Some
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of these towns were the residences of the khans and the heads of tribes.
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Others were places of manufacture or centers of commerce, and many of them were
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fortified with embankments of earth or walls of stone. The habitations of the common
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people, even those built in the towns, were rude huts, made so
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as to be easily taken down and removed. The tents were made by means
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of poles set in a circle in the ground and brought nearly together at the
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top, so as to form a frame similar to them of an Indian wigwam.
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A hoop was placed near the top of these poles so as to preserve
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around opening there for the smoke to go out. The frame was then covered
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with sheets of a sort of thick gray felt, so placed as to leave
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the opening within the hoop free. The felt, too was arranged below in
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such a manner that the corner of one of the sheets could be raised and
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let down again to form a sort of door. The edges of the sheets
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in other places were fastened together very carefully, especially in winter, to keep
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out the cold air within the tent. On the ground in the center,
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the family built their fire, which was made of sticks, leaves, grass,
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and dried droppings of all sorts gathered from the ground. For the country
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produced scarcely any wood. Countries roamed over by herds of animals that gain their
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living by pasturing on the grass and herbage are almost always destitute of trees.
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Trees, and so such a case have no opportunity to grow bad fuel.
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Comfortless homes. The tents of the Mongols, thus made, were of course
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very comfortless homes. They could not be kept warm, there was so much
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cold air coming continually in through the crevices, notwithstanding all the people's contrivances to
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make them tight. The smoke, too, did not all escape through the
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hoop hole above. Much of it remained in the tent, and mingled with
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the atmosphere. This evil was aggravated by the kind of fuel which they used,
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which was of such a nature that it made only a sort of smoldering
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fire, instead of burning like good dry wood with a bright and clear flame.
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The discomforts of these huts and tents were increased by the custom which prevailed
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among the people, of allowing the animals to come into them, especially those
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that were young and feeble, and to live there with the family. Movable
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houses built at last the painting in process of time. As the people increased
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in riches and in mechanical skill, some of the more wealthy chieftains began to
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build houses so large and so handsome that they could not be conveniently taken down
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to be removed. And then they contrived a way of mounting them upon trucks
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placed at the four corners, and moving them bodily in this way across the
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plains, as a table is moved across a floor upon its castors. It
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was necessary, of course, that the houses should be made very light in
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order to be managed in this way. They were in fact still tents rather
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than houses, being made of the same materials, only they were put together
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in a more substantial and ornamental manner. The frame was made of very light
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poles, though these poles were fitted together in permanent joinings. The covering was
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like that of the tents made of felt, but the sheets were joined together
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by close and strong seams, and the whole was coated with a species of
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paint, which not only closed all the pores and interstices and made the structure
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very tight, but also served to ornament it. For they were accustomed in
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painting these houses to adorn the covering with pictures of birds, beasts, and
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trees, representing in such a manner as doubtless in their eyes, produced a
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very beautiful effect account of a large movable house. These movable houses were sometimes
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very large. A certain traveler who visited the country not far from the time
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of Djengas Khan, says that he saw one of these structures in motion,
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which was thirty feet in diameter. It was drawn by twenty two oxen.
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It was so large that it extended five feet on each side beyond the wheels.
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The oxen in drying it were not attached, as with us, to
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the center of the forward axle tree, but to the end of the axle
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trees, which projected beyond the wheels. On each side. There were eleven
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oxen on each side, drawing upon the axle trees. There were, of
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course many drivers. The one who was chief in command stood in the door
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of the tent or house, which looked forward, and there, with many
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loud shouts and flourishing gesticulations, issued his orders to the oxen and to the
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other men. The traveling chests. The household goods of this traveling chieftain were
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packed in chests made for the purpose the house itself, of course, in
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order to be made as light as possible, having been emptied of all its
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contents. These chests were large and were made of wicker or basket work,
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covered, like the house, with felt. The covers were made of a
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rounded form so as to throw off the rain, and the felt was painted
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over with a certain composition which made it impervious to the waters. Chests were
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not intended to be unpacked at the end of the journey, but to remain
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as they were as permanent storehouses of utensils, clothing, and provisions. They
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were placed in rows, each on its own cart, near the tent,
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where they could be resorted to conveniently from time to time by the servants and
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attendants, as occasion might require. The tent placed in the center, with
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these great chests on their carts near it, formed as it were a house
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with one great room standing by itself, and all the little rooms and closets
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arranged in rows by the side of it. Necessity of such an arrangement some
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such arrangement as this is obviously necessary in case of a great deal of furniture
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or baggage belonging to a man who lives in a tent, and who desires
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to be at liberty to remove his whole establishment from place to place at short
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notice. For a tent, from the very principle of its construction, is
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incapable of being divided into rooms, or of accommodating extensive stores of furniture or
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goods. Of course, a special contrivance is required for the accommodation of this
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species of property. This was especially the case with the Mongols, among whom
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there were many rich and great men, who often accumulated a large amount of
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movable property. There was one rich Mongol, it was said, who had
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two hundred such chest carts, which were arranged in two rows around and behind
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his tent, so that his establishment, when he was encamped, looked like
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quite a little village houses in the towns. The style of building adopted among
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the Mongols for tents and movable houses seemed to set the fashion for all their
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houses, even for those that were built in the towns and were meant to
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stand permanently where they were first set up. These permanent houses were little better
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than to have They consisted each of one single room, without any subdivisions whatever.
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They were made round two like the tents, only the top, instead
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of running up to a point, was rounded like a dome. There were
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no floors above that formed on the ground, and no windows roads over the
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plains. Such was the general character of the dwellings of the Mongols in the
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days of Jengas Khan. They took their character evidently from the wandering and pastoral
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life that the people led. One would have thought that very excellent roads would
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have been necessary to have enabled them to draw the ponderous carts containing their dwellings
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and household goods. But this was less necessary than might have been supposed,
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on account of the nature of the country, which consisted chiefly of immense grassy
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plains and smooth river valleys, over which in many places wheels would travel tolerably
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well in any direction without much making of roadway. Then again, in all
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such countries, the people who journeyed from place to place, and the herds
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of cattle that moved to and fro naturally fall into the same lines of travel.
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And thus, in time, where great trails as cows make paths in
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a pasture, these with a little artificial improvement at certain points, make very
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good summer roads, and in the winter it is not necessary to use them
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at all. Tribes and families. The Mongols, like the ancient Jews,
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were divided into tribes, and these were subdivided into families, a family meaning
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in this connection, not one household, but a large congarees of households,
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including all those that were of known relationship to each other. These groups of
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relatives had each its head, and the tribe to which they pertained had also
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its general head. There were, it is said, three sets of these
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tribes, forming three grand divisions of the Mongol people, each of which was
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ruled by its own khan. And then, to complete the system, there
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was the Grand con who ruled over all. Influence of diversity of pursuits.
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A constitution of society like this almost always prevails in pastoral countries, and we
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shall see on a little reflection that it is natural that it should do so
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in a country like ours, where the pursuits of men are so infinitely diversified.
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The descendants of different families become mingled together in the most promiscuous manner.
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The son of a farmer in one state goes off, as soon as he
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is of age, to some other state to find a place among merchants or
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manufacturers, because he wishes to be a merchant or a manufacturer himself, while
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his father supplies his place on the farm, perhaps by hiring a man who
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likes farming and has come hundreds of miles in search of work. Thus,
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the descendants of one American grandfather and grandmother will be found, after a lapse
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of a few years, scattered in every direction, all over the land,
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and indeed sometimes all over the world. It is the diversity of pursuits which
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prevails in such a country as ours, taken in connection with the diversity of
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capacity and of taste in different individuals, that produces this dispersion tribes and clans
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among a people devoted wholly to pastoral pursuits. All this is different. The
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young men, as they grow up, can have generally no inducement to leave
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their homes. They continue to live with their parents and relatives, sharing the
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care of the flocks and herds, and making common cause with them in everything
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that is of common interest. It is thus that those great family groups are
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formed, which exist in all pastoral countries under the name of tribes or clans,
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and formed the constituent elements of the whole social and political organization of the
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people. Mode of making war horsemen, the bow and arrow. In case
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of general war. Each tribe of the Mongols furnished, of course, a
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certain quota of armed men in proportion to its numbers and strength. These men
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always went to war, as has already been said, on horseback, and
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the spectacle which these troops presented in galloping in squadrons over the plains was sometimes
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very imposing. The shock of the onset when they charged in this way upon
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the enemy was tremendous. They were armed with bows and arrows, and also
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with sabers. As they approached the enemy, they discharged first a shower of
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arrows upon him. While they were in the act of advancing at the top
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of their speed, then dropping their bows by their side, they would draw
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their sabers and be ready as soon as the horses fell upon the enemy,
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to cut down all opposed to them with the most furious and deadly blows.
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If they were repulsed and compelled by a superior force to retreat, they would
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gallop at full speed over the plains, turning at the same time in their
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saddles, and shooting at their pursuers with their arrows as coolly and with as
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correct an aim, almost as if they were still. While thus retreating,
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the trooper would guide and control his horse by his voice and by the pressure
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of his heels upon his sides, so as to have both his arms free
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for fighting his pursuers. These arrows were very formidable weapons, it is said.
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One of the travelers who visited the country in those days, says that
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they could be shot with so much force as to pierce the body of a
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man entirely through the flying horsemen nature of the bow and arrow. It must
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be remembered, however, in respect to all such statements relatating to the efficiency
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of the bow and arrow, that the force with which an arrow can be
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thrown depends not upon any independent action of the bow, but altogether upon the
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strength of the man who draws it. The bow in straightening itself, for
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the propulsion of the arrow, expends only the force which the man has imparted
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to it by bending it, so that the real power by which the arrow
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is propelled is after all the muscular strength of the archer. It is true
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a great deal depends on the qualities of the bow, and also on the
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skill of the man in using it. To make all this muscular strength effective.
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With a poor bow or with unskilled management, a great deal of it
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would be wasted. But with the best possible bow and with the most consummate
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skill of the archer, it is the strength of the archer's arm which throws
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the arrow, after all superiority of firearms. It is very different in this
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respect with a bullet thrown by the force of gunpowder from the barrel of a
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gun. The force in this case is the explosive force of the powder,
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and the bullet is thrown to the same distance. Whether it is a very
31:15
weak man or a very strong man that pulls the trigger. Sources of information
31:21
Gog and magog. But to return to the Mongols. All the information which
31:26
we can obtain in respect to the condition of the people before the time of
31:32
Jengas Khan comes to us from the reports of travelers who, either as merchants
31:37
or as ambassadors from caliphs or kings, made long journeys into these distant regions,
31:44
and have left records more or less complete of their adventures and accounts of
31:48
what they saw, in writings which have been preserved by the learned men of
31:52
the East. It is very doubtful how far these accounts are to be believed.
31:57
One of these travelers, a learned man named Salem, who made a
32:02
journey far into the interior of Asia by order of the Caliph Mohammed Ahman Bilah
32:09
some time before the reign of Jengas Khan, says that among other objects of
32:14
research and investigation which occupied his mind, he was directed to ascertain the truth
32:21
in respect to the two famous nations Gog and Magog, or as they are
32:25
designated in his account, Yagog and Magog. The story that had been told
32:31
of these two nations by the Arabian writers, and which was extensively believed,
32:37
was that the people of Yagog were of the ordinary size of men, but
32:42
those of Magog were only about two feet high. These people had made war
32:47
upon the neighboring nations and had destroyed many cities and towns, but had at
32:52
last been overpowered and shut up in prison. Selam Adventures of Salam and his
32:59
party. Salam, the traveler, whom the Caliphs sent to ascertain whether their
33:05
accounts were true, traveled at the head of a caravan containing fifty men and
33:09
with camels, bearing stores and provisions for a year. He was gone a
33:15
long time. When he came back, he gave an account of his travels,
33:19
and in respect to Gog and Magog, he said that he had found
33:23
that the accounts which had been heard respecting them were true. He traveled on,
33:29
he said, from the country of one chieftain to another, till he
33:32
reached the Caspian Sea, and then went on beyond that sea for thirty or
33:37
forty days more. In one place, the party came to attract of low
33:43
black land, which exhaled an odor so offensive that they were obliged to use
33:47
perfumes all the way to overpower the noxious smells. They were ten days in
33:53
crossing this fetid territory. After this they went on a month longer through a
34:00
country, and at length came to a fertile land which was covered with the
34:04
ruins of cities that the people of Gog and Magog had destroyed. In six
34:09
days more they reached the country of the nation by which the people of Gog
34:15
and Magog had been conquered and shut up in prison. Here they found a
34:19
great many strong castles. There was a large city here too, containing temples
34:24
and academies of learning, and also the residents of the king. The wonderful
34:30
mountain great bolts and bars. The travelers took up their abode in this city
34:36
for a time, and while they were there they made an excursion of two
34:40
days journey into the country to see the place where the people of Gog and
34:45
Magog were confined. When they arrived at the place, they found a lofty
34:50
mountain. There was a great opening made in the face of this mountain,
34:53
two or three hundred feet wide. The opening was protected on each side by
34:59
enormous buttresses, between which was placed an immense double gate, the buttresses and
35:05
the gate being all of iron. The buttresses were surmounted with an iron bulwark,
35:10
and with lofty towers, also of iron, which were carried up as
35:15
high as to the top of the mountain itself. The gates were of the
35:20
width of the opening cut in the mountain, and were seventy five feet high,
35:24
and the valves, lintels and threshold, and also the bolts, the
35:29
lock, and the key were all of proportional size the prisoners. Salem,
35:36
on arriving at the place, saw all these wonderful structures with his own eyes,
35:40
and he was told by the people there that it was the custom of
35:45
the governor of the castles already mentioned to take horse every Friday with ten others,
35:50
and coming to the gate, to strike the great bolt three times with
35:54
a ponderous hammer weighing five pounds, when there would be heard a murmuring noise
36:00
within which were the groans of the Yagog and Magog people confined in the mountain.
36:07
Indeed, Phalem was told that the poor captives often appeared on the battlements
36:13
above. Thus the real existence of this people was, in his opinion,
36:16
fully proved, and even the story in respect to the diminutive size of the
36:22
Magogs was substantiated. For Salem was told that once in a high wind,
36:29
three of them were blown off from the battlements to the ground, and that
36:32
on being measured, they were found but three spans high travelers tales progress of
36:38
intelligence. This is a specimen of the tales brought home from remote countries by
36:45
the most learned and accomplished travelers of those times. In comparing these absurd and
36:51
ridiculous tales with the reports which are brought back from distant regions in our days
36:57
by such travelers as Humboldt, Livingstone, and Kine, we shall perceive what
37:02
an immense progress in intelligence and information the human mind has made since those days.
37:09
End of Chapter two, Chapter three. Yaezonki Khan eleven sixty three to
37:16
eleven seventy five. Yezonki be hatter, the name of the father of Jengas
37:23
Khan, is a word which cannot be pronounced exactly in English. It sounded
37:29
something like this, Yazanki the hodder, with the accent on the last syllable,
37:35
the hotter, and the a's sounded like a in hark. This was
37:39
as near as we can come to it. But the name, as it
37:43
was really pronounced by the Mongol people cannot be written in English letters, nor
37:47
spoken with English sounds. Orthography of Mongol names, indeed, in all languages
37:53
so entirely distinct from each other as the Mongol language was from ours. The
38:00
sounds are different, and the letters by which the sounds are represented are different
38:05
too. Some of the sounds are so utterly unlike any sounds that we have
38:09
in English that it is as impossible to write them in English characters as it
38:15
is for us to write in English letters. The sound that a man makes
38:20
when he chirps to his horse or his dog, or when he whistles.
38:24
Sometimes writers attempt to represent the latter sound by the word whu. And when
38:30
in reading a dialogue we come to the word whu inserted to express a part
38:36
of what one of the speakers uttered, we understand by it that he whistled.
38:40
But how different, after all, is the sound of the spoken word
38:45
whu from the whistling sound that it is intended to represent? Great diversities.
38:52
Now, in all the languages of Asia, there are many sounds as impossible
38:57
to be rendered by the European letters as this, And in making the attempt,
39:01
every different writer falls into a different mode. Thus the first name of
39:07
Jengas Khan's father is spelled by different travelers and historians. Yazanki Yesuki, Yasuki,
39:15
Yazugi, Bisuk, Bisuk, pisuk, and in several other ways.
39:23
The real sound was undoubtedly as different from any of these, as they were
39:28
all different from each other. In this narrative, I shall adopt the first
39:31
of these methods and call him Yazanki Bahader Yazonki's power. A successful warrior.
39:40
Yazonki was a great khan, and he descended in a direct line through ten
39:45
generations, so it was said from a deity. Great sovereigns in those countries
39:51
and times were very fond of tracing back their descent to some divine origin by
39:57
way of establishing more fully in the the minds of the people their divine right
40:01
to the throne. Yezonkai's residence was at a great palace in the country,
40:07
called by a name, the sound of which, as nearly as it can
40:12
be represented in English letters, was Dillo Neldak. From this his capital,
40:17
he used to make warlike excursions at the head of hordes of Mongols into the
40:22
surrounding countries in the prosecution of quarrels which he made with them under various pretexts,
40:29
and as he was a skillful commander and had great influence in inducing all
40:35
the inferior cons to bring large troops of men from their various tribes to add
40:39
to his army. He was usually victorious, and in this way he extended
40:45
his empire very considerably while he lived, and thus made a very good preparation
40:52
for the subsequent exploits of his son Katay. The northern part of China was
40:58
at that time entirely separated from the southern part and was under a different government.
41:04
It constituted an entirely distinct country and was called Katai. This country was
41:09
under the dominion of a chieftain called the Khan of Katai. This khan was
41:15
very jealous of the increasing power of Yazankhi and took part against him in all
41:22
his wars with the tribes around him, and assisted them in their attempts to
41:27
resist him, But he did not succeed. Yazanki was too powerful for them
41:31
and went on extending his conquests far and wide. At last, under the
41:37
pretense of some affront which he had received from them, Yazanki made war upon
41:43
a powerful tribe of Tartars that lived in his neighborhood. He invaded their territories
41:49
at the head of an immense horde of Mongol troops and began seizing and driving
41:53
off their cattle. The Khan of Temujen Mongol custom birth of Jengas Khan.
42:01
The name of the khan who ruled over these people was Temijen. Temajen assembled
42:07
his forces as soon as he could and went to meet the invaders. A
42:12
great battle was fought, and Yazanki was victorious. Temijen was defeated and put
42:19
to flight. Yazanki encamped after the battle on the banks of the River Amoor
42:23
near a mountain. He had all his family with him, for it was
42:28
often the custom in these enterprises for the chieftain to take with him not only
42:32
all his household, but a large portion of his household goods. Yazanki had
42:38
several wives, and almost immediately after the battle, one of them, named
42:43
olan Aika, gave birth to a son. Yazenki, fresh from the battle,
42:49
determined to commemorate his victory by giving his newborn son the name of his
42:53
vanquished enemy, so he named him Temujen. His birth took place as nearly
43:00
as can now be ascertained in the year of our Lord eleven sixty three.
43:06
Such were the circumstances of our hero's birth. For it was this Tamajen who
43:10
afterward became renowned throughout all Asia under the name of Jengas Khan. Through all
43:17
the early part of his life, however, he was always known by the
43:22
name which his father gave him in the tent by the riverside where he was
43:25
born. Predictions of the astrologer. Among the other grand personages in Yazanki's train
43:34
at this time, there was a certain old astrologer named Sugujin. He was
43:39
a relative of Yazanki and also his principal minister of state. This man,
43:45
by his skill in astrology, which he applied to the peculiar circumstances of the
43:50
child, foretold for him at once a wonderful career. He would grow up,
43:54
The astrologer said to be a great warrior. He would conquer all his
44:00
enemies and extend his conquests so far that he would in the end become the
44:06
Khan of all Tartary. Young Temijin's parents were of course greatly pleased with these
44:12
predictions, and when not long after this time the astrologer died, they appointed
44:17
his son, whose name was Kiasher, to be the guardian and instructor of
44:22
the boy they trusted. It seems to the son to give the young prince
44:28
such a training in early life as should prepare him to realize the grand destiny
44:32
which the father had foretold for him. Explanation of the predictions. There would
44:38
be something remarkable in the fact that these predictions were uttered at the birth of
44:44
Jengas Khan, since they were afterwards so completely fulfilled. Were it not that
44:50
similar prognostications of greatness and glory were almost always offered to the fathers and mothers
44:55
of young princes in those days by the astrologers and sous sayers of their courts.
45:01
Such promises were, of course very flattering to these parents at the time,
45:06
and brought those who made them into great favor. Then, in the
45:09
end, if the result verified them, they were remembered and recorded as something
45:15
wonderful. If not, they were forgotten. Korasher Education of Temigen. Korasher,
45:22
the astrologer's son, who had been appointed young Temagen's tutor, took his
45:28
pupil under his charge and began to form plans for educating him. Korasher was
45:34
a man of great talents and of considerable attainments in learning, so far as
45:38
there could be anything like learning in such a country and among such a people.
45:45
He taught him the names of the various tribes that lived in the countries
45:47
around, and the names of the principal chieftains that ruled over them. He
45:52
also gave him such information as he possessed in respect to the countries themselves,
45:59
describing the situation of the mountains, the lakes, and the rivers, and
46:02
the great deserts which here and there intervened between the fertile regions. He taught
46:07
him moreover to ride, and trained him in all such athletic exercises as were
46:14
practiced by the youth of those times. He instructed him also in the use
46:19
of arms, teaching him how to shoot with a bow and arrow, and
46:22
how to hold and handle his saber, both when on horseback and when on
46:28
foot. He particularly instructed him in the art of shooting his arrow in any
46:32
direction when riding at a gallop, upon his horse behind as well as before,
46:38
and to the right side as well as to the left. To do
46:42
this coolly, skillfully, and with a true aim required great practice, as
46:47
well as much courage and presence of mind. His precocity young Temigen entered into
46:54
all these things with great spirit. Indeed, he very soon ceased to feel
46:59
any interest in anything else, so that by the time that he was nine
47:04
years of age, it was said that he thought of nothing but exercising himself
47:08
in the use of arms. His early marriage nine years of age, however,
47:14
with him, was more than it would be with a young man among
47:16
us, for the Asiatics arrive at maturity much earlier than the nations of Western
47:22
Europe and America. Indeed, by the time that Temagen was thirteen years old,
47:29
his father considered him a man. At least, he considered him old
47:32
enough to be married. He was married, in fact, and had two
47:36
children before he was fifteen, if the accounts which the historians have given us
47:40
respecting him are true. Just before Temigen was thirteen, his father, in
47:46
one of his campaigns in Catay, was defeated in a battle, and although
47:52
a great many of his followers escaped, he himself was surrounded and overpowered by
47:58
the horsemen of the Enns and was made prisoner. He was put under the
48:02
care of a guard, for, of course, among people living almost altogether
48:07
on horseback and in tents, there could be very few prisons. Yazanki followed
48:14
the camp of his conqueror for some time under the custody of his guard,
48:17
but at length he succeeded in bribing his keeper to let him escape, and
48:22
so contrived, after encountering many difficulties and suffering many hardships, to make his
48:29
way back to his own country plans of Temigen's father, Karazou te yen.
48:37
He was determined now to make a new incursion into Catay, and that with
48:42
a larger force than he had had before. So he made an alliance with
48:46
the chieftain of a neighboring tribe called the Naymans, And in order to seal
48:52
and establish this alliance, he contracted that his son should marry the daughter of
48:57
his ally. This was the time when Temichen was but thirteen years old.
49:02
The name of this his first wife was Karazou, at least that was one
49:07
of her names. Her father's name was Tayan. Death of Yazanki. Before
49:14
yazanke had time to mature his plans for his new invasion of Catay, he
49:19
fell sick and died. He left five sons and a daughter. It is
49:22
said, but Temichen seems to have been the oldest of them all. For
49:28
by his will his father left his kingdom, if the command of the group
49:32
of tribes which were under his sway can be called a kingdom to him,
49:37
notwithstanding that he was yet only thirteen years old. End of Chapter three,
49:45
Chapter four, The First Battle eleven seventy five. In the language of the
49:50
Mongols and of their neighbors that Tarders, the collection of tribes banded together under
49:55
one chieftain was designated by a name which sounded like the word orda. This
50:01
is the origin, it is said, of the English word horde Temigen's accession
50:08
discontent. The Orda over which Yazunki had ruled, and the command of which
50:15
at his death he left to his son, consisted of a great number of
50:20
separate tribes, each of which had its own particular chieftain. All these subordinate
50:24
chieftains were content to be under Yazunki's rule and leadership while he lived. He
50:31
was competent. They thought to direct their movements and to lead them into battle
50:37
against their enemies. But when he died, leaving only a young man thirteen
50:42
years of age to succeed him, several of them were disposed to rebel.
50:46
There were two of them, in particular, who thought that they were themselves
50:51
better qualified to reign over the nation than such a boy. So they formed
50:55
an alliance with each other, and with such other tribes as were disposed to
51:00
join them, and advanced to make war upon Temagen at the head of a
51:06
great number of squadrons of troops, amounting in all to thirty thousand men,
51:12
Tayshat and Chamuka. The names of the two leaders of this rebellion were Tayshat
51:17
and Chamuka. Young Temigen depended chiefly on his mother for guidance and direction in
51:23
this emergency. He was himself very brave and spirited. But bravery and spirit,
51:30
though they are of such vital importance in a commander on the field of
51:34
battle, when the contest actually comes on, are by no means the principal
51:38
qualities that are required in making the preliminary arrangements arrangements for the battle. Accordingly,
51:45
Temagen left the forming of the plans to his mother, while he thought
51:51
only of his horses, of his arms and equipments, and of the fury
51:54
with which he would gallop in among the enemy when the time should arrive for
51:59
the battle to begin. His mother, in connection with the chief officers of
52:02
the army and councilors of state, who were around her, and on whom
52:07
her husband, Yazanki, during his lifetime, had been most accustomed to rely
52:14
arranged all the plans. They sent off messengers to the heads of all the
52:17
tribes that they supposed would be friendly to Tumigen, and appointed places of rendezvous
52:23
for the troops that they were to send. They made arrangements for the stores
52:28
of provisions which would be required, settled questions of precedents among the different clans,
52:34
regulated the order of march, and attended to all other necessary details Temigen's
52:40
order. In the meantime, Temigen thought only of the approaching battle. He
52:46
was engaged continually in riding up and down upon spirited horses, and shooting in
52:52
all directions, backward and forward, and both to the right side and to
52:55
the left with his bow and arrow. Nor was all this exhibition of ardor
53:00
on his part a mere useless display. It had great influence in awakening a
53:07
corresponding ardor among the chieftains of the troops, and among the troops themselves.
53:12
They felt proud of the spirit and energy which their young prince displayed, and
53:16
were more and more resolved to exert themselves to the utmost in defending his cause.
53:23
Porgie. There was another young prince of the name of Porgie, of
53:29
about Temagen's age, who was also full of ardor for the fight. He
53:34
was the chieftain of one of the tribes that remained faithful to Tumagen, and
53:37
he was equally earnest with Temagen for the battle to begin. Exaggerated statements.
53:45
At length the troops were ready, and with Temagen and his mother at the
53:49
head of them, they went forth to attack the rebels. The rebels were
53:53
ready to receive them. They were thirty thousand strong, according to the statements
53:58
of the historians. This number is probably exaggerated, as all numbers were in
54:04
those days when there was no regular enrollment of troops and no strict system of
54:08
enumeration. The battle, at any rate, there was a very great battle.
54:14
Immense troops of horsemen, coming at full speed in opposite directions, shot
54:20
showers of arrows at each other when they arrived at the proper distance for the
54:23
arrows to take effect, and then, throwing down their bows and drawing their
54:29
sabers, rushed madly on until they came together with an awful shock, the
54:34
dreadful confusion and terror of which no person can describe. The air was filled
54:40
with the most terrific outcries, in which yells of fury, shrieks of agony,
54:46
and shouts of triumph were equally mingled. Some of the troops maintained their
54:51
position through the shock and rode on, bearing down all before them. Others
54:57
were overthrown and trampled in the dust. While all both those who were up
55:01
and those who were down were cutting in every direction with their sabers, killing
55:06
men and inciting the horses. Two redoubled fury by the wounds which they gave
55:12
them. Bravery of Temigen and Porgy in the midst of such scenes as these,
55:17
Temigen and Porgy fought furiously with the rest. Temigen distinguished himself greatly.
55:24
It is probable that those who were immediately around him felt that he was under
55:30
their charge, and that they must do all in their power to protect him
55:35
from danger. This they could do much more easily and effectually under the mode
55:39
of fighting which prevailed in those days, than would be possible now, when
55:45
gunpowder is the principal agent of destruction. Temigen's attendants and followers could gather round
55:52
him and defend him from assailants. They could prevent him from charging any squadron
55:57
which was likely to be strong enough to overpower him, and they could keep
56:01
his enemies so much at bay that they could not reach him with their sabers.
56:07
But upon a modern field of battle, there is much less opportunity to
56:10
protect a young prince or general, son, or other personage whose life may
56:15
be considered as peculiarly valuable. No precautions of his attendants can prevent a bomb's
56:22
bursting at his feet, or shield him from their rifle balls that come whistling
56:29
from such great distances through the air. Influence of Temigen's example tayshat slain the
56:36
victory at any rate, whether protected by his attendants or only by the fortune
56:40
of war. Temigen passed through the battle without being hurt, and the courage
56:45
and energy which he displayed were greatly commended by all who witnessed them. His
56:52
mother was in the battle too, though perhaps not personally involved in the actual
56:58
conflicts of it. She direct acted the maneuvers, however, and by her
57:01
presence and her activity greatly encouraged and animated the men. In consequence of the
57:07
spirit and energy infused into the troops by her presence, and by the extraordinary
57:14
ardor and bravery of Temigen, the battle was gained, the army of the
57:17
enemy was put to flight. One of the leaders, Tayshat, was slain,
57:22
the other made his escape, and Temagen and his mother were left in
57:27
possession of the field rewards and honors. Of course, after having fought with
57:32
so much energy and effect on such a field, Temigen was now no longer
57:37
considered as a boy, but took his place at once as a man among
57:42
men, and was immediately recognized by all the army as their prince and sovereign,
57:47
and as fully entitled by his capacity, if not by his years,
57:52
to rule in his own name. He assumed and exercised his powers with as
57:58
much calmness and self death zoession as if he had been accustomed to them for
58:02
many years. He made addresses to his officers and soldiers, and distributed honors
58:08
and rewards to them with a combined majesty and grace, which, in their
58:13
opinion, denoted much grandeur of soul. The rewards and honors were characteristic of
58:19
the customs of the country and the times. They consisted of horses, arms,
58:23
splendid articles of dress and personal ornaments. Of course, among a people
58:29
who lived, as it were, always on horseback, such objects as these
58:34
were the ones most highly prized Temigen's rising fame. The consequence of this victory
58:40
was that nearly the whole country occupied by the rebels submitted without any farther resistance
58:47
to Temagen's sway. Other tribes who lived on the borders of his dominions sent
58:52
in to propose treaties of alliance. The khan of one of these tribes demanded
58:58
of Temigen the he hand of his sister in marriage to seal and confirm the
59:02
alliance which he proposed to make. In a word, the fame of Temagen's
59:07
prowess spread rapidly after the battle over all the surrounding countries, and high anticipations
59:15
began to be formed of the greatness and glory of his reign his second wife.
59:22
In the course of the next year, Temagen was married to his second
59:24
wife, although he was at this time only fourteen years old. The name
59:30
of his bride was Perdakujin. By this wife, who was probably of about
59:35
his own age. He had a daughter who was born before the close of
59:38
the year. After the marriage, Perda carried away captive customary present. In
59:45
his journeys about the country, Temigen sometimes took his wives with him, and
59:51
sometimes he left them temporarily in some place of supposed security. Toward the end
59:57
of the second year, Perda was again about to become a mother, and
1:00:01
Temagen, who at that time had occasion to go off on some military expedition,
1:00:07
fearing that the fatigue and exposure would be more than she could well bear,
1:00:13
left her at home while he was gone. A troop of horsemen from
1:00:16
a tribe of his enemies came suddenly into the district on a marauding expedition.
1:00:22
They overpowered the troops Temagen had left to guard the place, and seized and
1:00:28
carried off everything that they could find that was valuable. They made prisoner of
1:00:34
Perda too, and carried her away a captive. The plunder they divided among
1:00:38
themselves, but Perda they sent as a present to a certain khan who reigned
1:00:44
over a neighboring country, and whose favor they wished to secure. The name
1:00:49
of this chieftain was Vain Khan. As this Vain Khan figures somewhat conspicuously in
1:00:54
the subsequent history of Temigen. A full account of him will be given in
1:01:00
the next chapter. All that is necessary to say here is that the intention
1:01:06
of the captors of Perda in sending her to him as a present was that
1:01:10
he should make her his wife. It was the custom of these cons to
1:01:15
have as many wives as they could obtain, so that when prisoners of high
1:01:20
rank were taken in war, if there were any young and beautiful women among
1:01:24
them, they were considered as charming presents to send to any great prince or
1:01:30
potentate near whom the captors were desirous of pleasing. It made no difference in
1:01:36
such cases whether the person who was to receive the present were young or old.
1:01:40
Sometimes the older he was, the more highly he would prize such a
1:01:45
gift. Van Khan, it happened, was old. He was old enough
1:01:50
to be Temigen's father. Indeed, he had been in the habit of calling
1:01:53
Temigen his son. He had been in alliance with Yazanke, Temigens father,
1:02:00
some years before, when Temidgen was quite a boy, and it was at
1:02:05
that time that he began to call him his son. Perda and vang Khan
1:02:10
accordingly, when Perda was brought to him by the messengers who had been sent
1:02:15
in charge of her and presented to him in his tent. He said,
1:02:20
she is very beautiful, but I cannot take her for my wife, for
1:02:24
she is the wife of my son. I cannot marry the wife of my
1:02:29
son. Van Khan, however, received Perda under his charge, gave her
1:02:34
a place in his household, and took good care of her Perda's return birth
1:02:39
of her child. When Temijen returned home from his expedition and learned what had
1:02:45
happened during his absence, he was greatly distressed at the loss of his wife.
1:02:50
Not long afterward, he ascertained where she was, and he immediately sent
1:02:54
a deputation to Vang Khan asking him to send her home. With this request,
1:03:00
Van Khan immediately complied, and Perda set out on her return. She
1:03:05
was stopped on the way, however, by the birth of her child,
1:03:08
it was a son. As soon as the child was born, it was
1:03:13
determined to continue the journey, for there was danger if they delayed, that
1:03:16
some new troop of enemies might come up, in which case Perda would perhaps
1:03:22
be made captive again. So Perda, it is said, wrapped up the
1:03:25
tender limbs of the infant in some sort of paste or dough to save them
1:03:30
from the effects of the jolting produced by the rough sort of cart in which
1:03:36
she was compelled to ride, And in that condition she held the babe in
1:03:39
her lap all the way home Jukie. She arrived at her husband's residence in
1:03:45
safety. Temigen was overjoyed at seeing her again, and he was particularly pleased
1:03:52
with his little son, who came out of his packing safe and sound.
1:03:55
In commemoration of his safe arrival after so strange and dat injurious a journey,
1:04:00
his father named him safe arrived. That is, he gave him for a
1:04:04
name the word in their language. That means that the word itself was Jugee
1:04:12
Temigen's wonderful dream. The commencement of Temigen's career was thus, on the whole
1:04:16
quite prosperous, and everything seemed to promise well. He was himself full of
1:04:23
ambition and of hope, and began to feel dissatisfied with the empire which his
1:04:28
father had left him, and to form plans for extending it. He dreamed
1:04:33
one night that his arms grew out to an enormous length, and that he
1:04:38
took a sword in each of them. And stretched them out to see how
1:04:42
far they would reach, pointing one to the eastward and the other to the
1:04:45
westward. In the morning, he related his dream to his mother. She
1:04:50
interpreted it to him. She told him it meant undoubtedly that he was destined
1:04:57
to become a great conqueror, and that the directions in which his kingdom would
1:05:01
be extended were toward the eastward and toward the westward. Disaffection among his subjects,
1:05:09
a rebellion Temigen continued for about two years after this in prosperity, and
1:05:15
then his good fortune began to wan. There came a reaction. Some of
1:05:19
the tribes under his dominion began to grow discontented, The subordinate cons began to
1:05:26
form plots and conspiracies. Even his own tribe turned against him. Rebellions broke
1:05:31
out in various parts of his dominions, and he was obliged to make many
1:05:35
hurried expeditions here and there, and to fight many desperate battles to suppress them.
1:05:42
In one of these contests, he was taken prisoner. He, however,
1:05:45
contrived to make his escape. He then made proposals to the disaffected cons
1:05:51
which he hoped would satisfy them, and bring them once more to submit to
1:05:56
him, since what he thus offered to do in these proposals was pretty much
1:06:00
all that they had professed to require. But the proposals did not satisfy them.
1:06:06
What they really intended to do was to depose Temagen altogether, and then
1:06:13
either divide his dominions among themselves or select some one of their number to reign
1:06:18
in his stead. Temigen discouraged at last. Temagen, finding that he could
1:06:25
not pacify his enemies, and that they were moreover growing stronger every day,
1:06:30
while those that adhered to him were growing fewer in numbers and diminishing in strength,
1:06:35
became discouraged. He began to think that perhaps he really was too young
1:06:41
to rule over a kingdom composed of wandering hordes of men so warlike and wild,
1:06:47
and he concluded for a time to give up the attempt and wait until
1:06:51
times should change, or at least until he should be grown somewhat older.
1:06:57
Accordingly, in conjunction with his mother, he formed a plan for retiring temporarily
1:07:01
from the field unless indeed, as we might reasonably suspect, his mother formed
1:07:08
the plan herself, and by her influence over him, induced him to adopt
1:07:12
it, Temichen plans a temporary abdication. The plan was this that Temijen should
1:07:18
send an ambassador to the court of Vang Khan to ask Vang Khan to receive
1:07:24
him and protect him for a time in his dominions until the affairs of his
1:07:29
own kingdom should become settled. Then, if vang Khan should accede to this
1:07:34
proposal, Temichen was to appoint his uncle to act as regent during his absence.
1:07:41
His mother, too, was to be married to a certain emir or
1:07:45
prince named Menglik, who was to be made prime minister under the regent and
1:07:50
was to take precedence of all the other princes or khans in the kingdom.
1:07:56
The government was to be managed by the regent and the minister until such time
1:08:00
as it should be deemed expedient for Temigen to return. Arrangement of a regency.
1:08:06
Temigen's departure, this plan was carried into effect. Van Khan readily consented
1:08:13
to receive Temigen into his dominions and to protect him there. He was very
1:08:17
ready to do this, he said, on account of the friendship which he
1:08:20
had borne for Temichen's father. Temigen's mother was married to the Emir, and
1:08:27
the Emir was made the first prince of the realm. Finally, Temichen's uncle
1:08:31
was proclaimed regent and duly invested with all necessary authority for governing the country until
1:08:39
Temigen's return. These things being all satisfactorily arranged, Temigens set out for the
1:08:45
country of Vang Khan at the head of an armed escort to protect him on
1:08:50
the way of six thousand men. He took with him all his family and
1:08:56
a considerable suite of servants and attendants. Among them was his old tutor and
1:09:01
guardian, Kiasher, the person who had been appointed by his father to take
1:09:06
charge of him and to teach and train him when he was a boy.
1:09:12
Being protected by so powerful an escort, Temagen's party were not molested on their
1:09:17
journey, and they all arrived safely at the court of Vang Khan end of
1:09:23
chapter four, Chapter five, Vang Khan eleven seventy five. The country over
1:09:32
which Vang Khan ruled was called Kurakate. It bordered upon the country of Katai,
1:09:40
which has already been mentioned as forming the northern part of what is now
1:09:44
China. Indeed, as its name imports, it was considered in some sense
1:09:48
as a portion of the same general district of country. It was that part
1:09:54
of Katai which was inhabited by Tartars. Vang Khan was descended from a powerful
1:10:00
line of khans who had reigned over Kurakateae for many generations. These Khans were
1:10:05
a wild and lawless race of men, continually fighting with each other both for
1:10:11
mastery and also for the plunder of each other's flocks and herds. In this
1:10:15
way, most furious and cruel wars were often fought between near relatives. Vang
1:10:23
Khan's grandfather, whose name was Mrgos, was taken prisoner in one of these
1:10:27
quarrels by another khan, who, though he was a relative, was so
1:10:31
much exasperated by something that Mrgos had done that he sent him away to a
1:10:35
great distance to the king of a certain country, which is called Kurga,
1:10:40
to be disposed of. There, the King of Kurga put him into a
1:10:45
sack, sewed up the mouth of it, and then laid him across the
1:10:47
wooden image of an ass and left him there to die of hunger and suffocation.
1:10:54
The wife of Mrgos was greatly enraged when she heard of the cruel fate
1:10:58
of her husband determined to be revenged. It seems that the relative of her
1:11:03
husband, who had taken him prisoner and had sent him to the King of
1:11:06
Kurga, had been her lover in former times before her marriage. So she
1:11:12
sent him a message in which she dissembled her grief for the loss of her
1:11:15
husband and only blamed the King of Kurga for his cruel death, and then
1:11:19
said that she had long felt an affection for him, and that if he
1:11:24
continued of the same mind as when he had formerly addressed her, she was
1:11:28
now willing to become his wife, and offered if he would come to a
1:11:31
certain place which she specified to meet her, she would join him there.
1:11:38
Narr for that was the chieftain's name, fell at once into the snare which
1:11:42
the beautiful widow thus laid for him. He immediately accepted her proposals and proceeded
1:11:47
to the place of rendezvous. He went, of course, attended by a
1:11:51
suitable guard, though his guard was small and consisted chiefly of friends and personal
1:11:57
attendants. The prince was attended also by a guard, not large enough,
1:12:02
however, to excite any suspicion. She also took with her in her train,
1:12:08
a large number of carts which were to be drawn by bullocks, and
1:12:12
which were laden with stores of provisions, clothing, and other such valuables intended
1:12:16
as a present for her new husband. Among these, however, there were
1:12:20
a large number of great barrels or rounded receptacles of some sort in which she
1:12:26
had concealed a considerable force of armed men. These receptacles were so arranged that
1:12:31
the men concealed in them could open them from within in an instant at a
1:12:35
given signal, and issue forth suddenly all armed and ready for action. Among
1:12:43
the other stores which the princess had provided there was a large supply of a
1:12:46
certain intoxicating drink, which the Mongols and Tartars were accustomed to make in those
1:12:50
days. As soon as the two parties met at the place of rendezvous,
1:12:56
the princess gave Nar a very cordial greeting and invited him and all his party
1:13:00
to a feast to be partaken on the spot. The invitation was accepted,
1:13:05
the stores of provisions were opened, and many of the presents were unpacked and
1:13:10
displayed. At the feast. Nar and his party were all supplied abundantly with
1:13:15
the intoxicating liquor, which, as is usual in such cases, they were
1:13:19
easily led to drink to excess, while on the other hand, the princess's
1:13:25
party, who knew what was coming, took good care to keep themselves sober
1:13:30
at length. When the proper moment arrived, the princess made the signal.
1:13:34
In an instant, the men who had been placed in ambuscade in the barrels
1:13:39
burst forth from their concealment and rushed upon the guests at the feast. The
1:13:44
princess herself, who was all ready for action, drew a dagger from her
1:13:47
girdle and stabbed nar to the heart. Her guards, assisted by the reinforcement
1:13:53
which had so suddenly appeared, slew Or secured all his attendants, who were
1:13:58
so totally incapacitated, partly by the drink which they had taken, and partly
1:14:01
by their astonishment at the sudden appearance of so overwhelming a force, that they
1:14:06
were incapable of making any resistance. The princess, having thus accomplished her revenge,
1:14:13
marshaled her men, packed up her pretended presence, and returned in triumph
1:14:17
home. Such stories as these related by the Asiatic writers, though they were
1:14:24
probably often much embellished in the narration, had doubtless all some foundation in fact,
1:14:29
and they give us some faint idea of the modes of life and action
1:14:32
which prevailed among these half savage chieftains in those times. Vang Khan himself was
1:14:39
the grandson of Murgos, who was sewed up in a sack. His father
1:14:44
was the oldest son of the princess who contrived the above narrated stratagem to revenge
1:14:47
her husband's death. It is said that he used to accompany his father to
1:14:53
the wars when he was only ten years old. The way in which he
1:14:57
formed his friendship for Yezonkai, and the alliance with him which led him to
1:15:01
call Temigen his son and to refuse to take his wife away from him,
1:15:05
as already related, was this. When his father died, he succeeded to
1:15:11
the command, being the oldest son, But the others were jealous of him,
1:15:15
and after many and long quarrels with them and with other relatives, especially
1:15:20
with his uncle, who seemed to take the lead against him, he was
1:15:24
at last overpowered or out maneuvered, and was obliged to fly. He took
1:15:30
refuge in his distress in the country of Yezenki. Yezenkai received him in a
1:15:35
very friendly manner and gave him effectual protection. After a time, he furnished
1:15:42
him with troops and helped him to recover his kingdom and to drive his uncle
1:15:45
away into banishment in his turn. It was while he was thus in Yezenkai's
1:15:51
dominions that he became acquainted with Temigen, who was then very small, and
1:15:56
it was there that he learned to call him his son. Of course,
1:16:00
now that Temigen was obliged to fly himself from his native country and abandon his
1:16:04
hereditary dominions, as he had done before, he was glad of the opportunity
1:16:10
of requiting to the son the favor which he had received in precisely similar circumstances
1:16:15
from the father, and so he gave Temigen a very kind reception. There
1:16:21
is another circumstance which is somewhat curious in respect to Van Khan, and that
1:16:27
is that he is generally supposed to be the prince whose fame was about this
1:16:30
period spread all over Europe under the name of Prester John by the Christian missionaries
1:16:35
in Asia. These missionaries sent to the Pope and to various Christian kings in
1:16:42
Europe very exaggerated accounts of the success of their missions among the Persians, Turks
1:16:46
and Tartars. And at last they wrote word that the great Khan of the
1:16:50
Tartars had become a convert, and had even become a preacher of the Gospel,
1:16:56
and had taken the name of Prester John. The word ode Prestor was
1:17:00
understood to be a corruption of Presbyter. A great deal was accordingly written and
1:17:05
said all through Christendom about the great Tartar convert Prester John. There were several
1:17:12
letters forwarded by the missionaries, professedly from him, and addressed to the Pope
1:17:16
and to the different kings of Europe. Some of these letters, it is
1:17:20
said, are still in existence. One of them was to the King of
1:17:25
France. In this letter, the writer tells the King of France of his
1:17:29
great wealth and of the vastness of his dominions. He says he has seventy
1:17:33
kings to serve and wait upon him. He invites the King of France to
1:17:38
come and see him, promising to bestow a great kingdom upon him if he
1:17:42
will, and also to make him his heir and leave all his dominions to
1:17:45
him when he dies, with a great deal more of the same general character.
1:17:51
The other letters were much the same, and the interest which they naturally
1:17:56
excited was increased by the accounts which the missionaries gave of the greatness and renown
1:18:00
of this more than royal convert and of the progress which Christianity had made and
1:18:05
was still making in his dominions through their instrumentality. It is supposed in modern
1:18:12
times that these stories were pretty much all inventions on the part of the missionaries,
1:18:16
or at least that the accounts which they sent were greatly exaggerated and embellished,
1:18:23
and there is but little doubt that they had much more to do with
1:18:26
the authorship of the letters than any khan. Still, however, it is
1:18:30
supposed that there was a great prince who at least encouraged the missionaries in their
1:18:34
work and allowed them to preach Christianity in his dominions, And if so,
1:18:40
there is little doubt that Vang Khan was the man. At all events.
1:18:45
He was a very great and powerful prince, and he reigned over a wide
1:18:48
extent of country. The name of his capital was Kiri Korum. The distance
1:18:53
which Temigen had to travel to reach this city was about ten days journey he
1:18:59
was received by vang Khan with great marks of kindness and consideration. Vang Khan
1:19:04
promised to protect him and in due time to assist him in recovering his kingdom.
1:19:11
In the meanwhile, Temigen promised to enter at once into Vang Khan's service,
1:19:15
and to devote himself faithfully to promoting the interests of his kind protector by
1:19:19
every means in his power. End of Chapter five, Chapter six, Temigen
1:19:27
in exile eleven eighty two. Vang Khan gave Temigen a very honorable position in
1:19:35
his court. It was natural that he should do so, for Temijen was
1:19:40
a prince in the prime of his youth, and a very attractive person and
1:19:43
manners. And though he was for the present in exile, as it were,
1:19:47
from his native land, he was not, by any means in a
1:19:51
destitute or hopeless condition. His family and friends were still in the ascendancy at
1:19:57
home, and he himself, in and coming to the kingdom of Vang Khan,
1:20:01
had brought with him quite an important body of troops. Being at the
1:20:06
same time personally possessed of great courage and of much military skill, he was
1:20:12
prepared to render his protector good service in return for his protection. In a
1:20:17
word, the arrival of Temijen at the court of Vang Khan was an event
1:20:21
calculated to make quite a sensation. At first, everybody was very much pleased
1:20:27
with him, and he was very popular. But before long the other young
1:20:30
princes of the court and the chieftains of the neighboring tribes began to be jealous
1:20:35
of him. Vang Khan gave him precedence over them all, partly on account
1:20:41
of his personal attachment to him, and partly on account of the rank which
1:20:45
he held in his own country, which being that of a sovereign prince,
1:20:49
naturally entitled him to the very highest position among the subordinate chieftains in the retinue
1:20:55
of Vang Khan. But these subordinate chieftains were not satisfied. They murmured,
1:21:00
at first secretly and afterward more openly, and soon began to form combinations and
1:21:05
plots against the new favorite, as they called him. An incident soon occurred
1:21:11
which greatly increased this animosity and gave to Temigen's enemies all at once a very
1:21:16
powerful leader and head. This leader was a very influential chieftain named Yamukah.
1:21:24
This Yamuka it seems, was in love with the daughter of Van Khan,
1:21:29
the princess Wassouleujin. He asked her in marriage of her father to precisely what
1:21:34
state of forwardness the negotiations had advanced does not appear, but at any rate,
1:21:40
when Temijin arrived, wassou Luzhin soon began to turn her thoughts toward him.
1:21:45
He was undoubtedly younger, handsomer, and more accomplished than her old lover,
1:21:49
and before long she gave her father to understand that she would much rather
1:21:54
have him for her husband than Yamuka. It is true Temijen had one or
1:21:59
two wives already, but this made no difference, for it was the custom
1:22:02
then, as indeed it is still for the Asiatic princes and chieftains to take
1:22:08
as many wives as their wealth and position would enable them to maintain. Yamuka
1:22:13
was accordingly refused, and with Suleujin was given in marriage to Temijen. Yamuka
1:22:18
was, of course dreadfully enraged. He vowed that he would be revenged.
1:22:25
He immediately began to intrigue with all the discontented persons and parties in the kingdom,
1:22:30
not only with those who were envious and jealous of Temigen, but also
1:22:33
with those who for any reason were disposed to put themselves in opposition to Vang
1:22:39
Khan's government. Thus a formidable conspiracy was formed for the purpose of compassing Temigen's
1:22:45
ruin. The conspirators first tried the effect of private remonstrances with Vang Khan,
1:22:50
in which they made all sorts of evil representations against Temijen, but to no
1:22:56
effect. Temigen rallied about him so many old friends and made so many new
1:23:01
friends by his courage and energy, that his party at court proved stronger than
1:23:05
that of his enemies, and for a time they seemed likely to fail entirely
1:23:11
of their design. At length, the conspirator's opened communication with the foreign enemies
1:23:16
of Vang Khan and formed a league with them to make war against and destroy
1:23:20
both Vang Khan and Temigen together. The accounts of the process of this league,
1:23:27
and of the different nations and tribes which took part in it, is
1:23:30
imperfect and confused. But at length, after various preliminary contests and maneuvers,
1:23:35
arrangements were made for assembling a large army with a view of invading Vang Khan's
1:23:41
dominions. And deciding the question by a battle. The different chieftains and khans
1:23:45
whose troops were united to form this army, bound themselves together by a solemn
1:23:49
oath, according to the customs of those times, not to rest until both
1:23:55
vang Khan and Temigen should be destroyed. Enner in which they took the oath
1:24:00
was this. They brought out into an open space on the plain where they
1:24:04
had assembled to take the oath, a horse, a wild ox, and
1:24:08
a dog. At a given signal, they fell upon these animals with their
1:24:13
swords and cut them all to pieces in the most furious manner. When they
1:24:17
had finished, they stood together and called out aloud in the following words,
1:24:23
Here, O God, O Heaven, O Earth, the oath that we
1:24:27
swear against Van Khan and Temigen. If any one of us spares them when
1:24:31
we have them in our power, or if we failed to keep the promise
1:24:34
that we have made to destroy them, may we meet with the same fate
1:24:39
that has befallen these beasts that we have now cut to pieces. They uttered
1:24:44
this imprecation in a very solemn manner, standing among the mangled and bloody remains
1:24:48
of the beasts which lay strewed all about the ground. These preparations had been
1:24:54
made thus far very secretly, but tidings of what was going on came before
1:24:59
a great while le to Carikorum, vang Khan's capital. Temigen was greatly excited
1:25:04
when he heard the news. He immediately proposed that he should take his own
1:25:08
troops and join with them as many of vang Khan's soldiers as could be conveniently
1:25:13
spared, and go forth to meet the enemy. To this vang Khan consented.
1:25:18
Temigen took one half of vang Khan's troops to join his own, leaving
1:25:23
the other half to protect the capital, and so set forth on his expedition.
1:25:28
He went off in the direction toward the frontier, where he had understood
1:25:31
the principal part of the hostile forces were assembling. After a long march,
1:25:35
probably one of many days, he arrived there before the enemy was quite prepared
1:25:41
for him. Then followed a series of maneuvers and counter maneuvers in which Temigen
1:25:45
was all the time endeavoring to bring the rebels to battle while they were doing
1:25:49
all in their power to avoid it. Their object in this delay was to
1:25:55
gain time for reinforcements to come in consisting of bodies of troops belonging to certain
1:26:00
members of the league who had not yet arrived at length. When these maneuvers
1:26:04
were brought to an end and the battle was about to be fought, Temigen
1:26:09
and his whole army were one day greatly surprised to see his father in law,
1:26:13
Vang Khan himself coming into the camp at the head of a small and
1:26:16
forlorn looking band of followers, who had all the appearance of fugitives escaped from
1:26:21
a battle. They looked anxious, wayward, and exhausted, and the horses
1:26:27
that they rode seemed wholly spent with fatigue and privation. On explanation, Temigen
1:26:32
learned that as soon as it was known that he had left the capital and
1:26:36
taken with him a large part of the army, a certain tribe of Vang
1:26:40
Khan's enemies living in another direction had determined to seize the opportunity to invade his
1:26:45
dominions, and had accordingly come suddenly in with an immense horde to attack the
1:26:49
capital. Vang Khan had done all that he could to defend the city,
1:26:55
but he had been overpowered. The greater part of his soldiers had been killed
1:26:59
or wounded, the city had been taken and pillaged. His son, with
1:27:03
those of the troops that had been able to save themselves, had escaped to
1:27:08
the mountains. As to vang Khan himself, he had thought it best to
1:27:12
make his way as soon as possible to the camp of Temigen, where he
1:27:15
had now arrived, after undering great hardships and sufferings on the way. Temijen
1:27:21
was at first much amazed at hearing this story. He however, bade his
1:27:26
father in law not to be cast down or discouraged, and promised him full
1:27:30
revenge and a complete triumph over all his enemies at the coming battle. So
1:27:35
he proceeded at once to complete his arrangements for the coming fight. He resigned
1:27:40
to vang Khan the command of the main body of the army, while he
1:27:44
placed himself at the head of one of the wings, assigning the other to
1:27:47
the chieftain next in rank in his army. In this order, he went
1:27:51
to battle. The battle was a very obstinate and bloody one, but in
1:27:57
the end Temigen's party was victorious. The troops opposed to him were defeated and
1:28:01
driven off the field. The victory appeared to be due altogether to Temijen himself.
1:28:08
For after the struggle had continued a long time and the results still appeared
1:28:12
doubtful, the troops of Temijen's wing finally made a desperate charge and forced their
1:28:17
way with such fury into the midst of the forces of the enemy that nothing
1:28:21
could withstand them. This encouraged and animated the other troops to such a degree
1:28:27
that very soon the enemy were entirely routed and driven from off the field.
1:28:31
The effect of this victory was to raise the reputation of Temijen as a military
1:28:36
commander higher than ever, and greatly to increase the confidence which vang Khan was
1:28:41
inclined to repose in him. The victory, too seemed at first to have
1:28:45
well nigh broken up the party of the rebels. Still, the way was
1:28:49
not yet open for vang Khan to return and take possession of his throne and
1:28:54
of his capital, for he learned that one of his brothers had assumed the
1:28:58
government and was reigning and Karakorum in his place. It would seem that this
1:29:03
brother, whose name was Erkakara, had been one of the leaders of the
1:29:08
party opposed to Temagen. It was natural that he should be so for being
1:29:13
the brother of the king, he would of course occupy a very high position
1:29:16
in the court, and would be one of the first to experience the ill
1:29:19
effects produced by the coming in of any new favorite. He had accordingly joined
1:29:25
in the plots that were formed against Temagen and vang Khan. Indeed, he
1:29:30
was considered in some respects as the head of their party, and when Van
1:29:33
Khan was driven away from his capital, this brother assumed the throne in his
1:29:39
stead. The question was how could he now be dispossessed, and vang Khan
1:29:44
restored. Temigen began immediately to form his plans for the accomplishment of this purpose.
1:29:51
He concentrated his forces after the battle, and soon afterward opened negotiations with
1:29:57
other tribes who had before been uncertain on which side to a spouse, but
1:30:00
were now assisted a great deal in coming to a decision by the victory which
1:30:04
Temigen had obtained. In the meantime, the rebels were not idle. They
1:30:11
banded themselves together anew and made great exertions to procure reinforcements. Erkikara fortified himself
1:30:18
as strongly as possible, and Caricorum and collected ample supplies of ammunition and military
1:30:25
stores. It was not until the following year that the parties had completed their
1:30:30
preparations and were prepared for the final struggle. Then, however, another great
1:30:34
battle was fought, and again Temigen was victorious. Er Kikara was killed or
1:30:41
driven away in his turn. Karakoram was retaken, and vang Khan entered it
1:30:46
in triumph at the head of his troops, and was once more established on
1:30:50
his throne. Of course, the rank and influence of Temigen at his court
1:30:56
was now higher than ever before. He was now about twenty two or twenty
1:31:00
three years of age. He had already three wives, though it is not
1:31:05
certain that all of them were with him at vang Khan's court. He was
1:31:10
extremely popular in the army, as young commanders of great courage and spirit almost
1:31:14
always are. Vang Khan placed great reliance upon him and lavished upon him all
1:31:19
possible honors. He does not seem, however, yet to have begun to
1:31:24
form any plans for returning to his native land. End of chapter six,
1:31:30
Chapter seven rupture with vang Khan eleven eighty two to twelve oh two. Temigen
1:31:39
remained at the court or in the dominions of vang Khan for a great many
1:31:43
years. During the greater portion of this time he continued in the service of
1:31:46
Vang Khan and on good terms with him, though in the end, as
1:31:51
we shall presently see, their friendship was turned into a bitter enmity. Er
1:31:58
Kikara, Vang Khan's brother, who had usurped his throne during the rebellion,
1:32:01
was killed. It was said at the time, when Vang Khan recovered his
1:32:05
throne, several of the other rebel chieftains were also killed, but some of
1:32:11
them succeeded in saving themselves from utter ruin and in gradually recovering their former power
1:32:16
over the hordes which they respectively commanded. It must be remembered that the country
1:32:21
was not divided at this time into regular territorial states and kingdoms, but was
1:32:27
rather one vast, undivided region occupied by immense hordes, each of which was
1:32:32
more or less stationary, it is true, in its own district or range,
1:32:36
but was nevertheless without any permanent settlement. The various clans drifted slowly this
1:32:43
way and that among the plains and mountains, as the prospects of pasturage,
1:32:47
the fortune of war, or the pressure of conterminous hordes might incline them.
1:32:53
In cases too, where a number of hordes were united under one general chieftain,
1:32:58
as was the case with those over whom whom Vang Khan claimed to have
1:33:00
sway, the tie by which they were bound together was very feeble, and
1:33:04
the distinction between a state of submission and of rebellion, except in case of
1:33:09
actual war, was very slightly defined. Yamuka, the chieftain, who had
1:33:15
been so exasperated against Hemigen on account of his being supplanted by him in the
1:33:19
affections of the young Princess Van Khan's daughter, whom Temajin had married for his
1:33:25
third wife, succeeded in making his escape at the time when Vang Khan conquered
1:33:29
his enemies and recovered his throne. For a time he concealed himself, or
1:33:33
at least kept out of Vang Khan's reach by dwelling with hordes whose range was
1:33:39
at some distance from Karakorum. He soon, however, contrived to open secret
1:33:44
negotiations with one of Vang Khan's sons, whose name was something that sounded like
1:33:48
Sankum. Some authors, in attempting to represent his name in our letters,
1:33:54
spelled it Sunghim Yamuka easily persuaded this young Sankum to take sides with him in
1:34:00
the quarrel. It was natural that he should do so, for being the
1:34:04
son of Van Khan, he was in some measure displaced from his own legitimate
1:34:09
and proper position at his father's court by the great and constantly increasing influence which
1:34:14
Tamagen exercised. And besides, said Yumuka in the secret representations which he made
1:34:20
to Sancum, this newcomer is not only interfering with and curtailing your proper influence
1:34:27
and consideration now, but his design is by and by to circumvent and supplant
1:34:31
you. Altogether. He is forming plans for making himself your father's heir,
1:34:36
and so robbing you of your rightful inheritance. Sancum listened very eagerly to these
1:34:43
suggestions, and finally it was agreed between him and Yumuka that Sancum should exert
1:34:47
his influence with his father to obtain permission for Yemuka to come back to court
1:34:51
and to be received again into his father's service, under pretense of having repented
1:34:57
of his rebellion and of being now disposed to return to his allegiance. Sankum
1:35:02
did this, and after a time vang Khan was persuaded to allow Yamuka to
1:35:08
return. Thus a sort of outward peace was made, but it was no
1:35:12
real peace. Yamuka was as envious and jealous of Temigen as ever, and
1:35:16
now moreover, in addition to this envy and jealousy, he felt the stimulus
1:35:21
of revenge. Things, however, seemed to have gone on very quietly for
1:35:27
a time, or at least without any open outbreak in the court. During
1:35:30
this time, vang Khan was, as usual with such princes, frequently engaged
1:35:36
in wars with the neighboring hordes. In these wars he relied a great deal
1:35:41
on Temijen. Temijen was in command of a large body of troops, which
1:35:45
consisted in part of his own guard, the troops that had come with him
1:35:49
from his own country, and in part of other bands of men whom vang
1:35:54
Khan had placed under his orders or who had joined him of their own accord.
1:35:59
He was as in the command of this body by for subordinate generals or
1:36:02
khans, whom he called his four intrepids. They were all very brave and
1:36:08
skillful commanders. At the head of this troop, Temijen was accustomed to scour
1:36:13
the country, hunting out Vang Khan's enemies, or making long expeditions over distant
1:36:18
plains or among the mountains. In the prosecution of Vang Khan's warlike projects,
1:36:24
whether those of invasion and plunder or of retaliation and vengeance, Temigen was extremely
1:36:30
popular with the soldiers who served under him. Soldiers always love a dashing,
1:36:35
fearless, and energetic leader who has the genius to devise brilliant schemes and the
1:36:41
spirit to execute them in a brilliant manner. They care very little how dangerous
1:36:45
the situations are into which he may lead them. Those that get killed in
1:36:49
performing the exploits which he undertakes cannot speak to complain, and those who survive
1:36:56
are only so much the better pleased that the dangers that they have been brought
1:37:00
safely through were so desperate, and that the harvest of glory which they have
1:37:03
thereby acquired is so great. Temigen, though a great favorite with his own
1:37:09
men, was like almost all half savage warriors of his class, utterly merciless
1:37:15
when he was angry in his treatment of his enemies. It is said that
1:37:18
after one of his battles, in which he had gained a complete victory over
1:37:23
an immense horde of rebels and other foes, and had taken great numbers of
1:37:27
them prisoners. He ordered fires to be built and seventy large cauldrons of water
1:37:31
to be put over them, And then, when the water was boiling hot,
1:37:35
he caused the principal leaders of the vanquished army to be thrown in headlong
1:37:41
and thus scalded to death. Then he marched at once into the country of
1:37:45
the enemy, and there took all the women and children and sent them off
1:37:49
to be sold as slaves, and seized the cattle and other property which he
1:37:54
found and carried it off as plunder, in thus taking possession of the enemy's
1:37:59
property, in making it his own, and selling the poor captives into slavery.
1:38:03
There was nothing remarkable, such was the custom of the times, but
1:38:09
the act of scalding his prisoners to death seems to denote or reveal in his
1:38:13
character a vein of peculiar and atrocious cruelty. It is possible, however,
1:38:18
that the story may not be true. It may have been invented by Yemuka
1:38:23
and Sankum, or by some of his other enemies for Yemuka and Sankum and
1:38:29
others who were combined with them, were continually endeavoring to undermine Temigen's influence with
1:38:33
Van Khan and thus deprive him of his power. But he was too strong
1:38:39
for them. His great success in all his military undertakings kept him up in
1:38:44
spite of all that his rivals could do to pull him down. As for
1:38:48
Van Khan himself, he was in part pleased with him and proud of him,
1:38:53
and in part he feared him. He was very unwilling to be so
1:38:57
dependent upon a subordinate chieftain, and yet yet he could not do without him.
1:39:01
A king never desires that any one of his subjects should become too conspicuous
1:39:06
or too great, and Vang Khan would have been very glad to have diminished
1:39:11
in some way the power and prestige which Temigen had acquired, and which seemed
1:39:15
to be increasing every day. He however, found no means of affecting this
1:39:21
in any quiet and peaceful manner. Temigen was at the head of his troops
1:39:26
generally away from Karakorum or Vang Khan resided, and he was in a great
1:39:31
measure independence. He raised his own recruits to keep the numbers of his army
1:39:36
good, and it was always easy to subsist if there chanced to be any
1:39:41
failure in the ordinary and regular supplies. Besides, occasions were continually occurring in
1:39:46
which Vang Khan wished for Temigen's aid and could not dispense with it. At
1:39:53
one time, while engaged in some important campaigns far away among the mountains,
1:39:58
Yamuka contrived to awaken so much distressed of Temogen in vang Kong's mind that vang
1:40:02
Khan secretly decamped in the night and marched away to a distant place to save
1:40:08
himself from a plot which Yemuka had told him that Temijen was contriving. Here,
1:40:13
however, he was attacked by a large body of his enemies and was
1:40:16
reduced to such straits that he was obliged to send couriers off at once to
1:40:20
Temagen to come with his intrepids and save him. Temigen came, he rescued
1:40:27
vang Khan from his danger and drove his enemies away. Vang Khan was very
1:40:31
grateful for this service, so that the two friends became entirely reconciled to each
1:40:36
other and were united more closely than ever, greatly to Yamuka's disappointment and chagrin,
1:40:43
they made a new league of amity, and to seal and confirm it,
1:40:46
they agreed upon a double marriage between their two families. A son of
1:40:50
Temigen was to be married to a daughter of Vang Khan, and a son
1:40:55
of Vang Khan to a daughter of Temigen. This new compact did did not,
1:41:00
however, last long. As soon as Vang Khan found that the danger
1:41:03
from which Temigen had rescued him was past, he began again to listen to
1:41:09
the representations of Yemuka and Sankum, who still insisted that Temigen was a very
1:41:14
dangerous man and was by no means to be trusted. They said that he
1:41:18
was ambitious and unprincipled, and that he was only waiting for a favorable opportunity
1:41:24
to rebel himself against Vang Khan and depose him from his throne. They made
1:41:29
a great many statements to the Khan in confirmation of their opinion, some of
1:41:32
which were true, doubtless, but many were exaggerated and others probably false.
1:41:39
They, however, succeeded at last in making such an impression upon the Khan's
1:41:43
mind that he finally determined to take measures for putting Temigen out of the way.
1:41:48
Accordingly, on some pretext or other, he contrived to send Temigen away
1:41:53
from Karakorum, his capital. For Temigen was so great a favorite with the
1:41:58
royal guards and with all the garas of the town, that he did not
1:42:00
dare to undertake anything openly against him there Than Khan also sent a messenger to
1:42:06
Temigen's own country to persuade the chief persons there to join him in his plot.
1:42:13
It will be recollected that at the time when Temagen left his own country,
1:42:16
when he was about fourteen years old, his mother had married a great
1:42:20
chieftain there named Menglik, and that this Menglik, in conjunction doubtless with Temagen's
1:42:26
mother, had been made regent during his absence. Van Khan now sent to
1:42:30
Menglic to propose that he should unite with him to destroy Temigen. You have
1:42:35
no interest, said Van Khan in the message that he sent to Menglik,
1:42:40
in taking his part. It is true that you have married his mother,
1:42:44
but personally he is nothing to you. And if he is once out of
1:42:47
the way, you will be acknowledged as the Grand Khan of the Mongols in
1:42:51
your own right, whereas you now hold your place in subordination to him,
1:42:56
and he may at any time return and set you aside Altogether. Van Khan
1:43:01
hoped, by these arguments to induce Manglic to come and assist him in his
1:43:04
plan of putting Temagen to death, or at least if Manglic would not assist
1:43:10
him in perpetrating the deed. He thought that by these arguments he should induce
1:43:15
him to be willing that it should be committed, so that he should himself
1:43:17
have nothing to fear afterward from his resentment. But Menglik received the proposal in
1:43:24
a very different way from what vang Khan had expected. He said nothing,
1:43:28
but he determined immediately to let Temigen know of the danger that he was in.
1:43:32
He accordingly at once set to go out to Temigen's camp to inform him
1:43:36
of Van Khan's designs. In the meantime, vang Khan, having matured his
1:43:43
plans, made an appointment for Temijen to meet him at a certain place designated
1:43:47
for the purpose of consummating the double marriage between their children, which had been
1:43:51
before agreed upon. Temijen, not suspecting any treachery, received and entertained the
1:43:59
messenger in a very honorable manner, and said that he would come after making
1:44:03
the necessary preparations. He set out in company with the messenger and with a
1:44:08
grand retinue of his own attendants, to go to the place appointed. On
1:44:13
his way, he was met or overtaken by Menglik, who had come to
1:44:16
warn him of his danger. As soon as Temagen had heard what his stepfather
1:44:20
had to say, he made some excuse for postponing the journey and sending a
1:44:26
civil answer to vang Khan by the ambassador. He ordered him to go forward,
1:44:30
and went back himself to his own camp. This camp was at some
1:44:34
distance from Karakorum. Van Khan, as has already been stated, had sent
1:44:40
Temigen away from the capital on account of his being so great a favorite that
1:44:44
he was afraid of some tumult if he were to attempt anything against him there.
1:44:48
Temigen was, however, pretty strong in his camp. The troops that
1:44:53
usually attended him there, with four intrepids as commanders of the four principal divisions.
1:44:58
Of them. His old instructor and guardian, Karrisher, was with him
1:45:02
too. Kayrisher, it seems, had continued in Temagen's service up to this
1:45:08
time, and was accustomed to accompany him in all his expeditions as his counselor
1:45:12
and friend. When Bang Kong learned by the return of his messenger that Temagen
1:45:17
declined to come to the place of rendezvous which he had appointed, he concluded
1:45:21
at once that he suspected treachery, and he immediately decided that he must now
1:45:27
strike a decisive blow without any delay, otherwise Temagen would put himself more and
1:45:31
more on his guard. He was not mistaken, it seems, however,
1:45:35
in thinking how great a favorite Temagen was at Karakorum, for his secret design
1:45:41
was betrayed to Temagen by two of his servants, who overheard him speak of
1:45:45
it to one of his wives. Van Khan's plan was to go out secretly
1:45:49
to Temigen's camp at the head of an armed force superior to his, and
1:45:54
there come upon him and his old troops suddenly by surprise in the night,
1:45:59
by which means he thought he should easily overpower the whole encampment and either kill
1:46:03
Temigen and his generals or else make them prisoners. The two men who betrayed
1:46:09
this plan were slaves who were employed to take care of the horses of some
1:46:13
person connected with Vang Khan's household and to render various other services. Their names
1:46:18
were Badu and Kishlik. It seems that these men were one day carrying some
1:46:23
milk to Vang Khan's house or tents, and there they overheard a conversation between
1:46:28
Bang Khan and his wife, by which they learned the particulars of the plan
1:46:31
formed for Temigen's destruction. The expedition was to set out they heard on the
1:46:36
following morning. It is not at all surprising that they overheard this conversation,
1:46:44
for not only the tents, but even the houses used by these Asiatic nations
1:46:47
were built of very frail and thin materials, and the partitions were often made
1:46:51
of canvas and felt and other such substances as could have very little power to
1:46:57
intercept sound. Two slaves determined to proceed at once to Temigen's camp and warn
1:47:02
him of his danger. So they stole away from their quarters at nightfall,
1:47:08
and after traveling diligently all night, in the morning, they reached the camp
1:47:12
and told Temigen what they had learned. Tamigen was surprised, but he had
1:47:17
been in some measure prepared for such intelligence by the communication which his stepfather had
1:47:23
made him in respect to Vang Khan's treacherous designs a few days before. He
1:47:28
immediately summoned Karasher and some of his other friends in order to consult in respect
1:47:32
to what it was best to do. It was resolved to elude Van Khin's
1:47:36
design by means of a stratagem. He was to come upon them according to
1:47:42
the account of the slaves that night. The preparations for receiving him were consequently
1:47:47
to be made at once. The plan was for Temigen and all his troops
1:47:51
to withdraw from the camp and conceal themselves in a place of ambuscade nearby.
1:47:58
They were to leave a number of men behind, who, when night came
1:48:00
on, were to set the lights and replenish the fires, and put everything
1:48:04
in such condition as to make it appear that the troops were all there.
1:48:09
Their expectation was that when vang Khan should arrive, he would make his assault
1:48:14
according to his original design, and then while his forces were in the midst
1:48:17
of the confusion incidents of such an onset, Temijen was to come forth from
1:48:23
his ambuscade and fall upon them. In this way, he hoped to conquer
1:48:28
them and put them to flight, although he had every reason to suppose that
1:48:31
the force which Vang Khan would bring out against him would be considerably stronger in
1:48:35
numbers than his own. End of Chapter seven, Chapter eight, Progress of
1:48:43
the Quarrel twelve hundred and two, Tamujin's stratagem succeeded admirably. As soon as
1:48:50
he had decided upon it, he began to put it into execution. He
1:48:56
caused everything of value to be taken out of his tent and carried away to
1:49:01
a place of safety. He sent away the women and children to the same
1:49:06
place. He then marshaled all his men, excepting the small guard that he
1:49:13
was going to leave behind until evening, and led them off to the ambuscade
1:49:18
which he had chosen for them. The place was about two leagues distant from
1:49:24
his camp. Temigen concealed himself here in a narrow dell among the mountains,
1:49:30
not far from the road where Vang Khan would have to pass along. The
1:49:34
dell was narrow and was protected by precipitous rocks on each side. There was
1:49:41
a wood at the entrance to it, also which concealed those that were hidden
1:49:45
in it from view, and a brook which flowed by near the entrance,
1:49:50
so that in going in or coming out, it was necessary to ford the
1:49:56
brook. Temagen On, arriving at the sp went with all his troops into
1:50:01
the dell and concealed himself there. In the meantime, the guard that had
1:50:08
been left behind in the camp had been instructed to kindle up the campfires as
1:50:13
soon as the evening came on according to the usual custom, and to set
1:50:17
lights in the tents so as to give the camp the appearance when seen from
1:50:23
a little distance in the night of being occupied as usual by the army.
1:50:29
They were to wait and watch the fires and lights until they perceived signs of
1:50:34
the approach of the enemy to attack the camp, when they were secretly to
1:50:40
retire on the farther side and so make their escape. These preparations and the
1:50:45
march of Tamujin's troops to the place of ambuscade, occupied almost the whole of
1:50:51
the day, and it was near evening before the last of the troops had
1:50:57
entered the dell. They had scared accomplished this maneuver before Van Khan's army arrived.
1:51:04
Van Khan himself was not with them. He had entrusted the expedition to
1:51:11
the command of Sunkum and Yamuka. Indeed, it is probable that they were
1:51:16
the real originators and contrivers of it, and that Vang Khan had only been
1:51:23
induced to give his consent to it, and that perhaps reluctantly by their persuasions.
1:51:30
Sankum and Yamuka advanced cautiously at the head of their columns, and when
1:51:34
they saw the illumination of the camp produced by the lights and the campfires,
1:51:41
they thought at once that all was right, and that their old enemy and
1:51:45
rival was now at last within their reach. And at their mercy, they
1:51:50
brought up the men as near to the camp as they could come without being
1:51:55
observed, and then drawing their bows and making their ready, they advanced furiously
1:52:01
to the onset and discharged an immense shower of arrows in among the tents.
1:52:08
They expected to see thousands of men come rushing out from the tents or starting
1:52:14
up from the ground at this sudden assault, but to their utter astonishment,
1:52:18
all was silent and motionless after the falling of the arrows, as before,
1:52:25
They then discharged more arrows, and, finding that they could not awaken any
1:52:30
signs of life, they began to advance cautiously and enter the camp. They
1:52:35
found, of course, that it had been entirely evacuated. They then rode
1:52:42
round and round the enclosure, examining the ground with flambeaus and torches to find
1:52:47
the tracks which Tamuchin's army had made in going away. The tracks were soon
1:52:54
discovered. Those who first saw them immediately set off in pursuit of the future
1:53:00
jatives as they supposed them, shouting at the same time for the rest to
1:53:04
follow. Some did follow immediately. Others who had strayed away to greater or
1:53:12
less distances on either side of the camp in search of the tracks, fell
1:53:15
in by degrees as they received the order, while others still remained among the
1:53:21
tents where they were to be seen, riding to and fro endeavoring to make
1:53:27
discoveries, or gathering together in groups to express to one another their astonishment or
1:53:33
to inquire what was next to be done. They, however, all gradually
1:53:40
fell into the ranks of those who were following the track which had been found,
1:53:45
and the whole body went on as fast as they could go, and
1:53:48
in great confusion, they all supposed that Temujin and his troops were making a
1:53:55
precipitate retreat, and were expecting every moment to come up to him in his
1:54:00
rear, in which case he would be taken at great disadvantage and would be
1:54:05
easily overwhelmed. Instead of this, Temugen was just coming forward from his hiding
1:54:12
place, with his squadrons all in perfect order and advancing in a firm,
1:54:17
steady and compact column, all being ready at the word of command to charge
1:54:24
in good order, but with terrible impetuosity upon the advancing enemy. In this
1:54:30
way the two armies came together. The shock of the encounter was terrific.
1:54:35
Temogen, as might have been expected, was completely victorious. The confused masses
1:54:42
of Vang Khan's army were overborne, thrown into dreadful confusion, and trampled underfoot.
1:54:50
Great numbers were killed. Those that escaped, being killed at once,
1:54:55
turned and fled. Sankum was wounded in the face by arrow, but he
1:55:00
still was able to keep his seat upon his horse, and so galloped away.
1:55:05
Those that succeeded in saving themselves got back as soon as they could into
1:55:11
the road by which they came, and so made their way in detached and
1:55:16
open parties home to Karakorum of course, after this, vang Khan could no
1:55:24
longer dissimulate his hostility to Tumagen, and both parties prepared for open war.
1:55:30
The different historians through whom we derive our information in respect to the life and
1:55:36
adventures of Jengas Khan have related the transactions which occurred after this open outbreak between
1:55:45
Temigen and Vang Khan somewhat differently. Combining their accounts, we learned that both
1:55:50
parties after the battle open negotiations with such neighboring tribes as they supposed likely to
1:55:59
take sides in the conflict, each endeavoring to gain as many adherents as possible
1:56:03
to his own cause. Temijen obtained the alliance and cooperation of a great number
1:56:11
of Tartar princes who ruled over hordes that dwelt in that part of the country
1:56:16
or among the mountains around. Some of these chieftains were his relatives. Others
1:56:23
were induced to join him by being convinced that he would, in the end
1:56:28
prove to be stronger than Vang Khan, and being in some sense politicians as
1:56:33
well as warriors, they wished to be sure of coming out at the close
1:56:39
of the contest. On the victorious side. There was a certain khan named
1:56:44
Turkilly, who was a relative of Temogen, and who commanded a very powerful
1:56:49
tribe. On approaching the confines of his territory, Temagen, not being certain
1:56:56
of Turkilly's disposition toward him, sent forward an ambassador to announce his approach and
1:57:02
to ask if Turkiley still retained the friendship which had long subsisted between them.
1:57:09
Turkeley might perhaps have hesitated which side to join, but the presence of Temugen,
1:57:15
with his whole troop upon his frontier, seems to have determined him.
1:57:20
So he sent a favorable answer, and at once espoused Temagen's cause. Many
1:57:27
other chieftains joined Temagen in much the same way, and thus the forces under
1:57:31
his command were constantly increased. At length in his progress across the country,
1:57:38
he came with his troop of followers to a place where there was a stream
1:57:43
of salt or bitter water which was unfit to drink. Temagen encamped on the
1:57:48
shores of this stream and performed a grand ceremony in which he himself and his
1:57:55
allies banded themselves together in the most solemn manner. In the course of the
1:58:00
ceremony, a horse was sacrificed on the shores of the stream. Temagen also
1:58:05
took up some of the water from the brook and drank it, invoking Heaven
1:58:11
at the same time to witness a solemn vow, which he made that as
1:58:15
long as he lived, he would share with his officers and soldiers the bitter
1:58:20
as well as the sweet and imprecating curses upon himself, if he should ever
1:58:27
violate his oath. All his allies and officers did the same after him.
1:58:33
This ceremony was long remembered in the army, all those who had been present
1:58:39
and had taken part in it, cherishing the recollection of it with pride and
1:58:44
pleasure, And long afterward, when Temagen had attained to the height of his
1:58:49
power and glory, his generals considered their having been present at this first solemn
1:58:56
league and covenant as conferring upon that a sort of title of nobility by which
1:59:02
they and their descendants were to be distinguished forever above all those whose adhesion to
1:59:09
the cause of the conqueror dated from a later time. By this time,
1:59:14
Temajen began to feel quite strong. He moved on with his army till he
1:59:18
came to the borders of a lake, which was not a great way from
1:59:23
Vang Khan's dominions. Here he encamped, and before proceeding any farther, he
1:59:30
determined to try the effect upon the mind of Vang Khan of a letter of
1:59:34
expostulation and remonstrance. So he wrote to him substantially as follows. A great
1:59:42
many years ago, in the time of my father, when you were driven
1:59:45
from your throne by your enemies, my father came to your aid, defeated
1:59:50
your enemies, and restored you. At a later time, after I had
1:59:55
come into your dominions, your brother conspired against you with the Marqueats and the
2:00:00
Naemans. I defeated them and helped you to recover your power. When you
2:00:06
were reduced to great distress, I shared with you my flocks and everything that
2:00:12
I had. At another time, when you were in circumstances of great danger
2:00:17
and distress, you sent to me to ask that my four intrepids might go
2:00:23
and rescue you. I sent them according to your request, and they delivered
2:00:29
you from a most imminent danger. They helped you to conquer your enemies and
2:00:33
to recover an immense booty from them. In many other instances, when the
2:00:40
cons have combined against you. I have given you most effectual aid in subduing
2:00:45
them. How is it, then, after receiving all these benefits from me
2:00:50
for a period of so many years, that you form plans to destroy me
2:00:56
in so base and treacherous a manner. Letter seems to have produced some impression
2:01:01
upon vang Khan's mind, but he was now, it seems, so much
2:01:06
under the influence of Sankum and Yemuka, that he could decide nothing for himself.
2:01:13
He sent the letter to Sankum to ask him what answer should be returned.
2:01:17
But Sankum, in addition to his former feelings of envy and jealousy against
2:01:23
Temogen, was now irritated and angry in consequence of the wound that he had
2:01:29
received, and determined to have his revenge. He would not hear of any
2:01:33
accommodation. In the meantime, the khans of all the Tartar and Mongol tribes
2:01:40
that lived in the countries bordering on Vang Khan's dominions, hearing of the rupture
2:01:45
between Vang Khan and Temagen, and aware of the great struggle for the mastery
2:01:51
between those two potentates that was about to take place, became more and more
2:01:58
interested in the quarrel. Tajen was very active in opening negotiations with them and
2:02:03
in endeavoring to induce them to take his side. He was a comparatively young
2:02:10
and rising man, while vang Khan was becoming advanced in years and was now
2:02:16
almost wholly under the influence of Sankum and Yamuka. Temujin moreover, had already
2:02:24
acquired great fame and great popularity as a commander, and his reputation was increasing
2:02:30
every day. While vang Khan's glory was evidently on the Wan, A great
2:02:35
number of the Khans were, of course predisposed to take Temujin's side. Others
2:02:42
he compelled to join him by force, and others he persuaded by promising to
2:02:46
release them from the exactions and the tyranny which vang Khan had exercised over them,
2:02:55
and declaring that he was a messenger, especially sent from heaven to a
2:03:00
accomplished their deliverance. Those Asiatic tribes were always ready to believe in military messengers
2:03:06
sent from heaven to make conquests for their benefit. Among other nations who joined
2:03:13
Temujen at this time, where the people of his own country of Mongolistam proper.
2:03:19
He was received very joyfully by his stepfather, who was in command there,
2:03:25
and by all his former subjects, and they all promised to sustain him
2:03:29
in the coming war. After a time when Temujin had, by these and
2:03:34
similar means, greatly increased the number of his adherents and proportionately strengthened his position,
2:03:42
he sent an ambassador again to Vang Khan to propose some accommodation. Van
2:03:47
Khan called a council to consider the proposal, but Sankum and Yemuka persisted in
2:03:54
refusing to allow any accommodation to be made. They declared that they would not
2:04:00
listen to proposals of peace on any other condition than that of the absolute surrender
2:04:05
of Temigen and of all who were confederate with him to Vang Khan as their
2:04:13
lawful sovereign. Sankum himself delivered the message to the ambassador. Tell the rebel
2:04:18
Mongols. He said that they are to expect no peace but by submitting absolutely
2:04:25
to the Khan's will. And as for Temigen, I will never see him
2:04:30
again till I come to him sword in hand to kill him. Immediately after
2:04:35
this, Sankum and Yemuka sent off some small plundering expeditions into the Mongol country,
2:04:44
but they were driven back by Temigen's troops without effecting their purpose. The
2:04:48
result of these skirmishes was, however, greatly to exasperate both parties and to
2:04:55
lead them to prepare in earnest for open war. Of Chapter eight the death
2:05:01
of Vang Khan twelve hundred two. The Grand Council was now called of all
2:05:09
the confederates who were leagued with Temagen at a place called Mankerule to make arrangements
2:05:15
for a vigorous prosecution of the war. At this council were convened all the
2:05:20
chieftains and cons that had been induced to declare against Vang Khan. Each one
2:05:28
came attended by a considerable body of troops as his escort, and a grand
2:05:32
deliberation was held. Some were in favor of trying once more to come to
2:05:38
some terms of accommodation with Vang Khan, but Temigen convinced them that there was
2:05:45
nothing to be hoped for except on condition of absolute submission, and that in
2:05:49
that case Vang Khan would never be content until he had affected the utter ruin
2:05:57
of everyone who had been engaged in the rebellion. So it was at last
2:06:02
decided that every man should return to his own tribe and there raise as large
2:06:09
a force as he could, with a view to carrying on the war with
2:06:13
the utmost vigor. Temagen was formally appointed general in chief of the army to
2:06:19
be raised. There was a sort of truncheon or ornamented club called the Topaz,
2:06:26
which it was customary on such occasions to bestow with great solemnity on the
2:06:31
general thus chosen as his badge of command. The Topaz was in this instance
2:06:38
conferred upon Temagen with all the usual ceremonies. He accepted it on the express
2:06:44
condition that every man would punctually and implicitly obey all his orders, and that
2:06:50
he should have absolute power to punish anyone who should disobey him in the way
2:06:57
that he judged best, and that they should submit without question to all his
2:07:01
decisions. To these conditions, they all solemnly agreed. Being thus regularly placed
2:07:09
in command, Temagen began by giving places of honor and authority to those who
2:07:15
left Vang Khan's service to follow him. He took this occasion to remember and
2:07:20
reward the two slaves who had come to him in the night at his camp
2:07:26
some time before to give him warning of the design of Sankum and Yamaca to
2:07:31
come and surprise him. There. He gave the slaves their freedom and made
2:07:36
provision for their maintenance as long as they should live. He also put them
2:07:43
on the list of exempts. The exempts were a class of persons upon whom,
2:07:47
as a reward for great public services, were conferred certain exclusive rights and
2:07:54
privileges. They had no taxes to pay. In case of plunder taken from
2:07:59
the enemy, they received their full share without any deduction, while all the
2:08:05
others were obliged to contribute a portion of their shares for the Khan. The
2:08:11
exempts, too, were allowed various other privileges. They had the right to
2:08:16
go into the presence of the Khan at any time without waiting, as others
2:08:20
were obliged to do till they obtained permission. And what was more singular still,
2:08:26
they were entitled to nine pardons for any offenses that they might commit,
2:08:33
so that it was only when they had committed ten misdemeanors or crimes that they
2:08:39
were in danger of punishment. The privileges which Tumagen thus bestowed upon the slaves
2:08:46
were to be continued to their descendants, to the seventh generation. Tumagen rewarded
2:08:52
the slaves in this bountiful manner, partly no doubt, out of sincere gratitude
2:08:58
to them for having been the means probably of saving him and his army from
2:09:03
destruction, and partly for effect in order to impress upon his followers a strong
2:09:09
conviction that any great services rendered to him or to his cause were certain to
2:09:16
be well rewarded. Temagen now found himself at the head of a very large
2:09:22
body of men, and his first care was to establish a settled system of
2:09:28
discipline among them, so that they could act with regularity and order when coming
2:09:33
into battle. He divided his army into three separate bodies. The center was
2:09:39
composed of his own guards and was commanded by himself. The wings were formed
2:09:45
of the squadrons of his confederates and allies. His plan in coming into battle
2:09:50
was to send forward the two wings, retaining the center as a reserve,
2:09:54
and hold them prepared to rush in with irresistible power, whenever the time should
2:10:01
arrive at which their coming would produce the greatest effect. When everything was thus
2:10:07
arranged, Temagen set his army in motion, and began to advance toward the
2:10:13
country of Vang Khan. The squadrons which composed his immense horde were so numerous
2:10:20
that they covered all the plane. In the meantime, vang Khan had not
2:10:24
been idle. He or rather Sankum and Yemuka, acting in his name,
2:10:31
had assembled a great army, and he had set out on his march from
2:10:35
Karakorum to meet his enemy. His forces, however, though more numerous,
2:10:41
were by no means so well disciplined and arranged as those of Temigen. They
2:10:48
were greatly encumbered to with baggage, the army being followed in its march by
2:10:52
endless trains of wagons conveying provisions, arms, and military stores of all kinds.
2:11:00
Its progress was therefore necessarily slow, for the troops of horsemen were obliged
2:11:05
to regulate their speed by the movement of the wagons, which, on account
2:11:11
of the heavy burdens that they contained and the want of finished roads, was
2:11:16
necessarily slow. The two armies met upon a plain between two rivers, and
2:11:22
a most desperate and bloody battle ensued. Karasher, Temujin's former tutor, led
2:11:30
one of the divisions of Temagen's army, and was opposed by Yamuka, who
2:11:35
headed the wing of vang Khan's army which confronted his division. The other wings
2:11:41
attacked each other two in the most furious manner, and for three hours it
2:11:46
was doubtful which party would be successful. At length, Temagen, who had
2:11:52
all this time remained in the background with his reserve, saw that the favorable
2:11:56
moment had arrived for him to intervene, and he gave the order for his
2:12:03
guards to charge, which they did with such impetuosity as to carry all before
2:12:09
them. One after another of vang Khan's squadrons was overpowered, thrown into confusion,
2:12:16
and driven from the field. It was not long before vang Khan saw
2:12:20
that all was lost. He gave up the contest and fled. A small
2:12:24
troop of horsemen, consisting of his immediate attendants and guards, went with him.
2:12:31
At first, the fugitives took the road toward Karakorum. They were,
2:12:35
however, so hotly pursued that they were obliged to turn off in another direction,
2:12:41
and finally Vang Khan resolved to fly from his own country altogether and appeal
2:12:46
for protection to a certain chieftain named Tayian Khan, who ruled over a great
2:12:54
horde called the Naemans, one of the most powerful tribes in the country of
2:12:58
karakat this tee, and was the father of Temigen's first wife, the young
2:13:05
Princess, to whom he was married during the lifetime of his father, when
2:13:09
he was only about fourteen years old. It was thought strange that Vang Khan
2:13:16
should thus seek refuge among the Naemans, for he had not for some time
2:13:20
past been on friendly terms, either with Tai and the Khan, or with
2:13:26
the tribe. There were, in particular a considerable number of the subordinate chieftains
2:13:33
who cherished a deep seated resentment against him for injuries which he had inflicted upon
2:13:39
them and upon their country in former wars. But all these Tartar tribes entertained
2:13:45
very high ideas of the obligations of hospitality, and Vang Khan thought that when
2:13:52
the Naemans saw him coming among them, a fugitive and in distress, they
2:13:58
would lay aside their animosity and give him a kind reception. Indeed, tae
2:14:03
Yen himself, on whom as the head of the tribe, the chief,
2:14:09
discredit what attach of any evil befalling a visitor and a guest who had come
2:14:15
in his distress to seek hospitality. Was inclined at first to receive his enemy
2:14:20
kindly and to offer him a refuge. He debated the matter with the other
2:14:26
chieftains after Vang Khan had entered his dominions and was approaching his camp. But
2:14:31
they were extremely unwilling that any mercy should be shown to their fallen enemy.
2:14:37
They represented to tie In how great an enemy he had always been to them.
2:14:43
They exaggerated the injuries which he had done them, and represented them in
2:14:48
their worst light. They said moreover that by harboring vang Khan they should only
2:14:54
involve themselves in a war with Tumagen, who would undoubtedly follow his enemy into
2:15:01
their country and would greatly resent any attempt on their part to protect him.
2:15:07
These considerations had great effect on the mind of Tayian, but still he could
2:15:11
not bring himself to give his formal consent to any act of hostility against vang
2:15:18
Khan. So the other chieftains held a council among themselves to consider what they
2:15:24
should do. They resolved to take upon themselves the responsibility of slaying Vang Khan.
2:15:33
We cannot induce Tayian openly to authorize it, they said, but he
2:15:37
secretly desires it, and he will be glad when it is done. Tayan
2:15:43
knew very well what course things were taking, though he pretended not to know,
2:15:48
and so allowed the other chiefs to go on in their own way.
2:15:54
They accordingly fitted out a troop, and two of the chieftains, the two
2:15:58
who felt the most bitter and determined hatred against Vang Khan, placing themselves at
2:16:03
the head of it, set off to intercept him. He had lingered on
2:16:07
the way, it seems, after entering the name in territory, in order
2:16:13
to learn before he advanced too far what reception he was likely to meet with.
2:16:18
The troop of Naemans came suddenly upon him in his encampment, slew all
2:16:24
his attendants, and seizing vang Khan, they cut off his head. They
2:16:28
left the body where it lay, and carried off the head to show it
2:16:33
to Tayian. Teeyan was secretly pleased, and he could not quite conceal the
2:16:39
gratification which the death of his old enemy afforded him. He even addressed the
2:16:45
head in words of scorn and spite, which revealed the exultation that he felt
2:16:50
at the downfall of his rival. Then, however, checking himself, he
2:16:56
blamed the chieftains for killing him, considering his venerable age, said he and
2:17:01
his past greatness and renown as a prince and commander, you would have done
2:17:07
much better to have acted as his guards than as his executioners. Tayian ordered
2:17:13
the head to be treated with the utmost respect. After properly preparing it by
2:17:20
some process of drying and preserving, he caused it to be enclosed in a
2:17:24
case of silver and set in a place of honor. While the preparations for
2:17:28
this sort of intoment were making, the head was an object of a very
2:17:33
solemn and mysterious interest for all the Horde. They said that the tongue thrust
2:17:39
itself several times out of the mouth, and the soothsayers, who watched the
2:17:45
changes with great attention, drew from them important presages in respect to the coming
2:17:50
events of the war. These presages were strongly in favor of the increasing prosperity
2:17:58
and power of te Umujen. Sankum, the son of vang Khon, was
2:18:03
killed in the battle, but Yamuka escaped. End of chapter nine. Chapter
2:18:11
ten the death of Yamuka twelve o two to twelve oh three. In the
2:18:18
meantime, while these events had been occurring in the country of the Naemans,
2:18:22
whither Vang Khan had fled, Temijen was carrying all before him in the country
2:18:30
of Vang Khan. His victory in the battle was complete, and it must
2:18:35
have been a very great battle, if any reliance is to be placed on
2:18:39
the accounts given of the number slain, which it was said amounted to forty
2:18:46
thousand. These numbers are, however, greatly exaggerated. And then, besides,
2:18:52
the number slain in such barbarian conflicts was always much greater in proportion to
2:18:58
the numbers engaged than when it is in the better regulated warfare of civilized nations
2:19:03
in modern times. At all events, Temijen gained a very grand and decisive
2:19:09
victory. He took a great many prisoners and a great deal of plunder.
2:19:15
All those trains of wagons fell into his hands, and the contents of many
2:19:20
of them were extremely valuable. He took also a great number of horses.
2:19:26
Most of these were horses that had belonged to the men who were killed or
2:19:31
who had been made prisoners. All the best troops that remained of Vang Khan's
2:19:37
army after the battle also went over to his side. They considered that vang
2:19:43
Khan's power was now entirely overthrown, and that thenceforth Temijen would be the acknowledged
2:19:50
ruler of the whole country. They were accordingly ready at once to transfer their
2:19:56
allegiance to him. Very soon, Temagen received the news of vang Khan's death
2:20:03
from his father in law tie In, and then proceeded with more vigor than
2:20:07
before to take possession of all his dominions. The Khans who had formerly served
2:20:15
under Vang Khan sent in their adhesion to him one after another. They not
2:20:20
only knew that all far their resistance would be useless, but they were in
2:20:26
fact well pleased to transfer their allegiance to their old friend and favorite. Temijen
2:20:31
made a sort of triumphal march through the country, being received everywhere with rejoicings
2:20:37
and acclamations of welcome. His old enemies Sankum and Yamuka had disappeared. Yamuka,
2:20:46
who had been after all the leading spirit in the opposition to Temijen,
2:20:50
still held a body of armed men together consisting of all the troops that he
2:20:56
had been able to rally after the battle, but it was not known exactly
2:21:01
where he had gone. The other relatives and friends of Vang Khan went over
2:21:07
to Temagen's side without any delay. Indeed, they vied with each other to
2:21:11
see who should most recommend themselves to his favor. A brother of Vang Khan,
2:21:18
who was an influential and powerful chieftain, came among the rest to tender
2:21:22
his services, and, by way of a present to conciliate Temijen's goodwill,
2:21:28
he brought him his daughter, whom he offered to Temigen as an addition to
2:21:35
the number of his wives. Temijen received the brother very kindly. He accepted
2:21:39
the present which he brought him of his daughter, but as he had already
2:21:45
plenty of wives, and as one of his principal officers, the captain of
2:21:50
his guards seemed to take a special fancy to her, he very generously,
2:21:54
as was thought, passed over the young lady to him. Of course,
2:21:58
the young lady herself had nothing to say in the case. She was obliged
2:22:03
to acquiesce submissively in any arrangement which her father and the other Khans thought proper
2:22:09
to make in respect to the disposal of her. The name of the prince
2:22:15
her father was Hakkambu. He came into Temujin's camp with many misgivings, fearing
2:22:20
that as he was a brother of Vang Khan, Temijen might feel a special
2:22:26
resentment against him, and perhaps refused to accept his submission and his proffered presence.
2:22:33
When therefore he found how kindly he was received, his mind was greatly
2:22:39
relieved, and he asked Temijen to appoint him to some command in his army.
2:22:45
Temijen replied that he would do it with great pleasure, and the more
2:22:48
readily because it was the brother of Vang Khan who asked it. Indeed,
2:22:54
he said to Hakambu, I owe you all the kind treatment in my power
2:22:58
for your brother's lie, in return for the succor and protection for which I
2:23:03
was indebted to him in my misfortunes in former times. When he received me
2:23:09
a fugitive and an exile at his court and bestowed upon me so many favors,
2:23:16
I have never forgotten and never shall forget, the great obligations I am
2:23:20
under to him. And although in later years he turned against me, still
2:23:26
I have never blamed either him or his son Sankum for this, but have
2:23:33
constantly attributed it to the false representations and evil influence of Yemuka, who has
2:23:39
always been my implacable enemy. I do not therefore feel any resentment against vang
2:23:46
Khan for having thus turned against me, nor do I any the less respect
2:23:52
his memory on that account, and I am very glad that an opportunity now
2:23:56
occurs for me to make through you his brother, some small acknowledgment of the
2:24:03
debt of gratitude which I owe him. So Temijin gave Hakembu an honorable post
2:24:09
in his army and treated him in all respects with great consideration. If he
2:24:16
acted usually in this generous manner, it is not at all surprising that he
2:24:22
acquired that boundless influence over the minds of his followers, which aided him so
2:24:28
essentially in attaining his subsequent greatness and renown. In the meantime, although Sankum
2:24:35
was killed, Yamuka had succeeded in making his escape, and after meeting with
2:24:41
various adventures, he finally reached the country of Taian. He led with him
2:24:46
there all that portion of Vang Khan's army that had saved themselves from being killed
2:24:52
or made prisoners, and also a great number of officers. These broken troops
2:24:58
Yamukah had reorganized as well as he could by collecting the scattered remnants and rearranging
2:25:05
the broken squadrons, and in this manner, accompanied by such of the sick
2:25:09
and wounded as were able to ride, had arrived in Tayian's dominions. He
2:25:16
was known to be a general of great abilities, and he was very favorably
2:25:20
received in Tayian's court. Indeed, Tayian, having heard rumors of the rapid
2:25:26
manner in which Temujin was extending his conquests and his power, began to be
2:25:31
somewhat jealous of him, and to think that it was time for him to
2:25:37
take measures to prevent this aggrandizement of his son in law from going too far.
2:25:43
Of course, Tayian held a great many conversations with Yamaca in respect to
2:25:48
Temujin's character and schemes. These Yamaka took care to represent in the most unfavorable
2:25:56
light in order to increase as much as possible Tayian's feelings of suspicion and jealousy.
2:26:03
He represented Temajen as a very ambitious man, full of schemes for his
2:26:07
own aggrandizement, and without any sentiments of gratitude or of honor to restrain him
2:26:15
in the execution of them. He threw wholly upon him the responsibility of the
2:26:20
war with vang Khan. It grew, he said, out of plots which
2:26:24
Temajen had formed to destroy both bang Khan and his son, notwithstanding the great
2:26:31
obligations he had been under to them for their kindness to him in his misfortunes.
2:26:37
Yamuka urged Tayan also to arouse himself before it was too late to guard
2:26:43
himself from the danger. He is your son, it is true, said
2:26:46
he, and he professes to be your friend. But he is so treacherous
2:26:52
and unprincipled that you can place no reliance upon him whatever. And notwithstanding all
2:26:58
your pasas kindness to him and the tie of relationship which ought to bind him
2:27:03
to you, he will as readily form plans to compass your destruction as he
2:27:09
would that of any other man the moment he imagines that you stand in the
2:27:13
way of the accomplishment of his ambitious schemes. These representations, acting upon Tayian's
2:27:22
natural apprehensions and fears produced a very sensible effect, and at length Tayian was
2:27:28
induced to take some measures for defending himself from the threatened danger. So he
2:27:35
opened negotiations with the cons of various tribes which he thought likely to join him,
2:27:41
and soon formed quite a powerful league of the enemies of Temigen and of
2:27:46
all who were willing to join in an attempt to restrict his power. These
2:27:52
steps were all taken with great secrecy, for Yamaka and Tayian were very desirous
2:27:58
that temijun and should know nothing of the league which they were forming against him
2:28:03
until their arrangements were fully matured and they were ready for action. They did
2:28:09
not, however, succeed in keeping the secret. As long as they intended.
2:28:15
They were generally careful not to propose to any khan or chieftain to join
2:28:20
them in their league until they had first fully ascertained that he was favorable to
2:28:24
the object of it. But growing less cautious as they went on, they
2:28:30
at last made a mistake. Taian sent proposals to a certain prince or khan
2:28:35
named Olcus, inviting him to join the league. These proposals were contained in
2:28:41
a letter which was sent by a special messenger. The letter specified all the
2:28:46
particulars of the league, with the statement of the plans which the allies were
2:28:50
intending to pursue, and an enumeration of the principal cons or tribes that were
2:28:58
already engaged. So it happened that this Olicus, who reigned over a nation
2:29:03
of numerous and powerful tribes on the confines of China, was for some reason
2:29:09
or other inclined to take Temigen's side in the quarrel. So he detained the
2:29:15
messenger who brought the letter as a prisoner, and sent the letter itself,
2:29:20
containing all the particulars of the conspiracy, at once, to Temigen. Temijen
2:29:26
was greatly surprised at receiving the intelligence, for up to that moment he had
2:29:31
considered his father in law Taian as one of his best and most trustworthy friends.
2:29:37
He immediately called a Grand Council of War to consider what was to be
2:29:41
done. Temijen had a son named Jukie, who had now grown up to
2:29:46
be a young man. Jukhi's father thought it was now time for his son
2:29:52
to begin to take his place and act his part among the other princes and
2:29:56
chieftains of his court, and he accordingly gave him a seat at this council
2:30:03
and thus publicly recognized him for the first time as one of the chief personages
2:30:09
of the state. The council, after hearing a statement of the case in
2:30:13
respect to the league which Tayian and the others were forming, were strongly inclined
2:30:18
to combine their forces and march at once to attack the enemy before their plans
2:30:24
should be more fully matured. But there was a difficulty in respect to horses.
2:30:30
The horses of the different hordes that belonged to Temigen's army had become so
2:30:35
much exhausted by the long marches and other fatigues that they had undergone in the
2:30:39
late campaigns that they would not be in a fit condition to commence a new
2:30:45
expedition until they had had some time to rest and recruit. But a certain
2:30:50
khan named Boulat, and uncle of temigens At once removed this objection by offering
2:30:58
to furnish a full supply of front horses for the whole army from his own
2:31:01
herds. This circumstance shows on what an immense scale the pastoral occupations of the
2:31:09
great Asiatic chieftains were conducted in those days. Temajen accepted this offer on the
2:31:15
part of his uncle, and preparations were immediately made for the marching of the
2:31:20
expedition. As soon as the news of these preparations reached Yemuka, he urged
2:31:26
Teyan to assemble the allied troops immediately and go out to meet Temagen and his
2:31:31
army before they should cross the frontier. It is better, said he addressing
2:31:37
Taeyan, that you should meet and fight him on his own ground, rather
2:31:41
than to wait until he has crossed the frontier and commenced his ravages in yours.
2:31:46
No, said Teeyan in reply, it is better to wait. The
2:31:52
farther he advances on his march, the more his horses and his men will
2:31:56
be spent with fatigue, the scantier will be their supplies, and the more
2:32:01
difficult will he find it to affect his retreat after we shall have gained a
2:32:05
victory over him in battle. So Tayian, though he began to assemble his
2:32:11
forces, did not advance, and when Temagen, at the head of his
2:32:16
host, reached the name in frontier for the country over which Tayian reigned was
2:32:22
called the country of the Naemans, he was surprised to find no enemy there
2:32:26
to defend it. He was the more surprised at this from the circumstance that
2:32:31
the frontier, being formed by a river, might have been very easily defended.
2:32:37
But when he arrived at the bank of the river the way was clear.
2:32:41
He immediately crossed the stream with all his forces, and then marched on
2:32:46
into the Naman territory. Temagen took good care as he advanced to guard against
2:32:52
the danger into which Tayan had predicted that he would fall, that of exhausting
2:32:56
the strength of his men and of his onamimals, and also his stores of
2:33:01
food. He took good care to provide and to take with him abundant supplies,
2:33:07
and also to advance so carefully and by such easy stages as to keep
2:33:11
both the men and the horses fresh and in full strength all the way.
2:33:16
In this order and condition, he at last arrived at the spot where Tayian
2:33:22
had formed his camp and assembled his armies. Both sides immediately marshaled their troops
2:33:28
in order of battle. Yamaka was chief in command on Tayian's side. He
2:33:35
was assisted by a young prince, the son of Tayan, whose name was
2:33:39
Kushluk. On the other hand, Chuki, the young son of Temijen,
2:33:43
who had been brought forward at the council, was appointed to a very prominent
2:33:48
position on his father's side. Indeed, these two young princes, who were
2:33:54
animated by an intense feeling of rivalry and emulation toward each other, were pointed
2:34:00
to lead the van on their respective sides in commencing the battle, Chuki advancing
2:34:05
first to the attack and being met by Kushluk, to whom was committed the
2:34:11
charge of repelling him. The two princes fought throughout the battle with the utmost
2:34:16
bravery, and both of them acquired great renown. The battle was commenced early
2:34:22
in the morning and continued all day. In the end, Temajen was completely
2:34:26
victorious. Tahyan was mortally wounded early in the day. He was immediately taken
2:34:31
off the field, and every possible effort was made to save his life,
2:34:37
but he soon ceased to breathe. His son, the Prince, Kushluk,
2:34:41
fought valiantly during the whole day, but toward night, finding that all was
2:34:46
lost, he fled, taking with him as many of the troops as he
2:34:50
could succeed in getting together. In the confusion and at the head of this
2:34:56
band, made the best of his way into the dominions of one of his
2:34:58
uncle his father's brother, where he hoped to find a temporary shelter until he
2:35:05
should have time to determine what was to be done. As for Yamaca,
2:35:09
after fighting with desperate fury all day, he was at last, toward night
2:35:13
surrounded and overpowered, and so made prisoner. Temigen ordered his head to be
2:35:20
cut off immediately after the battle was over. He considered him not as an
2:35:24
honorable and open foe, but rather as a rebel and traitor, and consequently
2:35:31
undeserving of any mercy. End of Chapter ten, Chapter eleven, Establishment of
2:35:39
the Empire twelve hundred and three. There was now a vast extent of country,
2:35:46
comprising a very large portion of the interior of the Asiatic continent, and
2:35:50
indeed an immense number of wealthy, powerful hordes under Tumagen's dominion, and he
2:35:58
at once resolved to consolidate his dominion by organizing a regular imperial government over the
2:36:05
whole. There were a few more battles to be fought in order to subdue
2:36:09
certain cons who still resisted, and some cities to be taken, but these
2:36:16
victories were soon obtained, and in a very short time after the great Battle
2:36:20
with Tayian, Temagen found himself the undisputed master of what to him was almost
2:36:28
the whole known world. All open opposition to his rule had wholly disappeared,
2:36:33
and nothing now remained for him to do but to perfect the organization of his
2:36:39
army, to enact his code of laws, to determine upon his capital,
2:36:43
and to inaugurate generally a system of civil government, such as is required for
2:36:50
the management of the internal affairs of a great empire. Temagen determined upon making
2:36:56
Karakorum his capital, accordingly proceeded to that city at the head of his troops,
2:37:03
and entered it in great state. Here he established a very brilliant court,
2:37:09
and during all the following winter, while he was occupied with the preliminary
2:37:13
arrangements for the organization and consolidation of his empire, there came to him there
2:37:20
a continual succession of ambassadors from the various nations and tribes of Central Asia,
2:37:26
to congratulate him on his victories and to offer the allegiance or the alliance of
2:37:33
the Khans, which they respectively represented. These ambassadors all came attended by troops
2:37:39
of horsemen splendidly dressed and fully armed, and the gaiety and magnificence of the
2:37:45
scenes which were witnessed in Caracorum during the winter surpassed all that had ever been
2:37:50
seen there before. In the meantime, while the attention of the masses of
2:37:56
the people was occupied and amused by these parades, Temijen was revolving in his
2:38:01
mind the form of constitution which he should establish for his empire, and the
2:38:07
system of laws by which his people should be governed. He conferred privately with
2:38:13
some of his ablest counselors on this subject, and caused a system of government
2:38:18
and a code of laws to be drawn up by secretaries. The details of
2:38:22
these proposed enactments were discussed in the Privy Council, and when the whole had
2:38:28
been well adjusted and matured, Temagen early in the spring, sent out a
2:38:33
summons calling upon all the great princes and khans throughout his dominions to assemble at
2:38:41
an appointed day in order that he might lay his proposed system before them.
2:38:46
Temajen determined to make his government a sort of elective monarchy. The Grand Khan
2:38:52
was to be chosen by the votes of all the other Khans, who were
2:38:56
to be assembled in a general convocation for this purpose. Whenever a new Khan
2:39:01
was to be installed, any person who should cause himself to be proclaimed Grand
2:39:07
Khan, or who should in any other way attempt to assume the supreme authority
2:39:13
without having been duly elected by the other khans, was to suffer death.
2:39:18
The country was divided into provinces, over which of each as subordinate Khan ruled
2:39:24
as governor. These governors were, however, to be strictly responsible to the
2:39:28
Grand Khan. Whenever summoned by the Grand Khan, they were required to repair
2:39:33
at once to the capital, there to render an account of their administration,
2:39:39
and to answer any charges which had been made against them. Whenever any serious
2:39:45
case of disobedience or maladministration was proved against them, they were to suffer death.
2:39:50
Temijen remodeled and reorganized the army on the same or similar principles. The
2:39:56
men were divided into companies of about one hundred men each, and every ten
2:40:01
of these companies was formed into a regiment, which of course contained about one
2:40:07
thousand men. The regiments were formed into larger bodies of about ten thousand each.
2:40:13
Officers were appointed of all the various necessary grades to command these troops,
2:40:18
and arrangements were made for having supplies of arms and ammunition provided and stored in
2:40:26
magazines under the care of the officers, ready to be distributed to the men
2:40:30
whenever they should require. Temijen also made provision for the building of cities and
2:40:35
palaces, the making of roads, and the construction of fortifications, by ordaining
2:40:41
that all the people should work one day in every week on these public works
2:40:46
whenever required. Although the country over which this new government was to be established
2:40:52
was now at peace, Temijen was very desirous that the people should not lose
2:40:58
the Marshal's spirit which had thus far characterized them. He made laws to encourage
2:41:03
and regulate hunting, especially the hunting of wild beasts among the mountains, and
2:41:09
subsequently he organized many hunting excursions himself in connection with the lords of his court
2:41:16
and the other great chieftains, in order to awaken an interest in the dangers
2:41:20
and excitements of the chase among all the cohns. He also often employed bodies
2:41:26
of troops in these expeditions, which he considered as a sort of substitute for
2:41:31
war. He required that none of the natives of the country should be employed
2:41:37
as servants or allowed to perform any menial duties whatever. For these purposes,
2:41:41
the people were required to depend on captives taken in war and enslaved. One
2:41:48
reason why he made this rule was to stimulate the people on the frontiers to
2:41:54
make hostile excursions among their neighbors in order to supply themselves and the country generally
2:42:00
with slaves. The right of property in the slaves thus taken was very strictly
2:42:05
guarded, and very severe laws were made to enforce it. It was forbidden,
2:42:11
on pain of death, to harbor a slave, or give him meat
2:42:13
or drink, clothing, or shelter without permission from his master. The penalty
2:42:20
was death too if a person meeting a fugitive slave neglected to seize and secure
2:42:26
him and deliver him to his master. Every man could marry as many wives
2:42:31
as he pleased, and his female slaves were all, by law entirely at
2:42:35
his disposal, to be made concubines. There was one very curious arrangement which
2:42:43
grew out of the great importance which, as we have already seen, was
2:42:46
attached to the ties of relationship and family connection among these pastoral nations, two
2:42:54
families could bind themselves together and make themselves legally one in respect their connection by
2:43:01
a fictitious marriage arranged between children no longer living. In such a case,
2:43:07
the contracts were regularly made just as if the children were still alive, and
2:43:11
the ceremonies were all duly performed. After this, the two families were held
2:43:16
to be legally allied, and they were bound to each other by all the
2:43:20
obligations which would have arisen in the case of a real marriage. This custom
2:43:26
is said to be continued among some of the Tarder nations to the present day.
2:43:31
The people think. It is said that such a wedding ceremony duly solemnized
2:43:37
by the parents of children who are dead, takes effect upon the subjects of
2:43:41
it in the world of spirits, and that thus their union, though arranged
2:43:46
and consecrated on earth, is confirmed and consummated in heaven. Besides these peculiar
2:43:52
and special enactments, there were the ordinary laws against robbery, theft, murder,
2:43:58
adultery, and false witness. The penalties for these offenses were generally severe,
2:44:05
the punishment for stealing cattle with death. For petty thefts, the criminal
2:44:09
was to be beaten with a stick, the number of the blows being proportioned
2:44:13
to the nature and aggravation of the offense. He could, however, if
2:44:18
he had the means, by himself, off from this punishment by paying nine
2:44:24
times the value of the thing stolen. In respect to religion, the constitution
2:44:30
which Temagen made declared that there was but one God, the creator of heaven
2:44:35
and earth, and it acknowledged him as the supreme ruler and governor of all
2:44:41
mankind, the being who alone gives life and death, riches and poverty,
2:44:46
who grants and denies whatever he pleases, and exercises over all things, and
2:44:50
absolute power. This one fundamental article of faith was all that was required for
2:44:58
the rest. Temagen left the various nations and tribes throughout his dominions to adopt
2:45:03
such modes of worship and to celebrate such religious rites as they severally preferred,
2:45:11
and forbade that anyone should be disturbed or molested in any way on account of
2:45:16
his religion, whatever form it might assume. At length, the time arrived
2:45:20
for the Grand Assembly of the Khans to be convened. The meeting was called
2:45:26
not at Karakorum, the capital, but at a central spot in the interior
2:45:31
of the country called dylan Ildak. Such a spot was much more convenient than
2:45:37
any town or city would have been for the place of meeting, on account
2:45:41
of all the great troops of horses and the herds of animals by which the
2:45:45
Khans were always accompanied in all their expeditions, and which made it necessary that
2:45:50
whenever any considerable number of them were to be convened, the place chosen should
2:45:56
be suitable for a grand encampment, with extensive and fertile pasture grounds extending all
2:46:03
around. As the several cons came in, each at the head of his
2:46:07
own troop of retainers and followers, they severally chose their ground, pitched their
2:46:13
tents, and turned their herds of horses, sheep and oxen out to pasture
2:46:18
on the plains. Thus, in the course of a few days, the
2:46:22
whole country in every direction became dotted with villages of tents, among which groups
2:46:28
of horsemen were now and then to be seen galloping to and fro, and
2:46:33
small herds of cattle, each under the care of herdsmen and slaves, moved
2:46:37
slowly cropping the grass as they advanced along the hillsides and through the valleys.
2:46:43
At length, when all had assembled, a spot was selected in the center
2:46:48
of the encampment for the performance of the ceremonies. A raised seat was prepared
2:46:52
for Temagen in a situation suitable to enable him to address the assembly from it.
2:47:00
Before and around this, the various Khans and their attendants and followers gathered,
2:47:05
and Tumagen made them an oration, in which he explained the circumstances under
2:47:09
which they had come together, and announced to them his plans and intentions in
2:47:16
respect to the future. He stated to them that, in consequence of the
2:47:20
victories which he had gained through their cooperation and assistance, the foundation of a
2:47:26
great empire had been laid, and that he had now called them together in
2:47:31
order that they might join with him in organizing the requisite government for such a
2:47:35
dominion, and in electing a prince or sovereign to rule over it. He
2:47:41
called upon them first to proceed to the election of this ruler. The Khans
2:47:46
accordingly proceeded to the election. This was in fact only a form for Tumigen
2:47:52
himself was, of course to be chosen. The election was, however,
2:47:58
made, and one of the oldest and most venerable of the kNs was commissioned
2:48:03
to announce the result. He came forward with great solemnity, and, in
2:48:07
the presence of the whole assembly, declared that the choice had fallen upon Temagen.
2:48:13
He then made and addressed to Temagen himself, who was seated during this
2:48:16
part of the ceremony, upon a carpet of black felt spread upon the ground.
2:48:22
In the address, the Khan reminded Temagen that the exalted authority with which
2:48:28
he was now invested came from God, and that to God he was responsible
2:48:33
for the right exercise of his power. If he governed his subjects well,
2:48:37
God, he said, would render his reign prosperous and happy. But if,
2:48:43
on the other hand, he abused his power, he would come to
2:48:46
a miserable end. After the conclusion of the address, seven of the khans,
2:48:52
who had been designated for this purpose came and lifted Temagen up and bore
2:48:56
him away to a throne which had been set up for him in the midst
2:49:01
of the assembly, where all the khans and their various bodies of attendants came
2:49:05
and offered him their homage. Among others, there came a certain old prophet
2:49:11
named Coxe, who was held in great veneration by all the people on account
2:49:18
of his supposed inspiration and the austere life which he led. He used to
2:49:22
go very thinly clad and with his feet bare, summer and winter, and
2:49:28
it was supposed that his power of enduring the exposures to which he was thus
2:49:33
subject was something miraculous and divine. He had received accordingly from the people a
2:49:39
name which signified the image of God, and he was everywhere looked upon as
2:49:46
inspired. He said moreover that a white horse came to him from time to
2:49:50
time and carried him up to Heaven, where he conversed face to face with
2:49:54
God, and received the revelations which he was commission to make to men.
2:50:01
All this the people fully believed the man may have been an impostor, or
2:50:07
he may have been insane. Oftentimes, in such cases, the inspiration which
2:50:11
the person supposes he is the subject of arises from a certain spiritual exaltation,
2:50:18
which, though it does not wholly unfit him for the ordinary avocations and duties
2:50:24
of life, still verges upon insanity, and often finally lapses into it entirely.
2:50:31
This old prophet advanced toward tumagen while he was seated on his carpet of
2:50:35
felt and made a solemn address to him in the hearing of the assembled cons
2:50:41
He was charged, he said, with a message from Heaven in respect to
2:50:46
the kingdom and dominion of Temagen, which had been, he declared, ordained
2:50:50
of God, and had now been established in fulfillment of the divine will,
2:50:56
he was commissioned. Moreover, he said, to give to Tumagen the style
2:51:01
and title of Jengas Khan, and to declare that his kingdom should not only
2:51:07
endure while he lived, but should descend to his posterity from generation to generation
2:51:13
to the remotest times. The people, on hearing this address, at once
2:51:18
adopted the name which the prophet had given to their new ruler, and saluted
2:51:22
Tumagen with it in long and loud acclamations. It was thus that our hero
2:51:30
received the name of Jengas Khan, and soon extended its fame through every part
2:51:35
of Asia, and has since become so greatly renowned through all the world.
2:51:41
Tumagen, or Jengas Khan, as we must now henceforth call him, having
2:51:46
thus been proclaimed by the acclamations of the people under the new title with which
2:51:52
the old prophet had invested him, sat upon his throne, while his subjects
2:51:56
came to render him their homage. First, the Khans themselves came up and
2:52:03
kneeled nine times before him in token of their absolute and complete submission to his
2:52:09
authority. After they had retired, the people themselves came and made their obeisance
2:52:15
in the same manner as they rose from their knees. After the last prostration,
2:52:20
they made the air resound once more with their shouts, crying long Live
2:52:26
Great Djengas Khan in repeated and prolonged acclamations. After this, the new emperor
2:52:33
made what might be called his inaugural address. The Khans and their followers gathered
2:52:37
once more before his throne, while he delivered an oration to them, in
2:52:43
which he thanked them for the honor which they had done him in raising him
2:52:48
to the supreme power, and announced to them the principles by which he should
2:52:52
be guided in the government of his empire. He promised to be just in
2:52:58
his dealings with his subjects, and also to be merciful. He would defend
2:53:01
them, he said, against all their enemies. He would do everything in
2:53:07
his power to promote their comfort and happiness. He would lead them to honor
2:53:11
and glory, and would make their names known throughout the earth. He would
2:53:16
deal impartially too, with all the different tribes and hordes, and would treat
2:53:22
the Mongols and the Tartars, the two great classes of his subjects, with
2:53:26
equal favor. When the speech was concluded, Jenga's Khan distributed presence to all
2:53:31
the subordinate khans, both great and small. He also made magnificent entertainments,
2:53:37
which were continued for several days. After thus spending some time in feasting and
2:53:43
rejoicings, the khans, one after another took their leave of the emperor.
2:53:48
The great encampment was broken up, and the different tribes set out on their
2:53:52
return to their several homes. End of Chapter eleven, Chapter twelve Minions of
2:54:00
Jengas Khan twelve hundred and three. After the ceremonies of the inauguration were concluded,
2:54:07
Jengas Khan returned with the officers of his court and his immediate followers to
2:54:11
Karakorum. This town, though nominally the capital of the empire, was after
2:54:18
all quite an insignificant place. Indeed, but little importance was attached to any
2:54:24
villages or towns in those days, and there were very few fixed places of
2:54:28
residence that were of any considerable account. The reason is that towns are the
2:54:35
seats of commerce and manufactures, and they derived their chief importance from those pursuits,
2:54:41
whereas the Mongols and Tartars led almost exclusively a wandering and pastoral life,
2:54:48
and all their ideas of wealth and grandeur were associated with great flocks and herds
2:54:54
of cattle, and handsome tents and long trains of wagons loaded with store of
2:55:00
clothing, arms and other movables, and vast encampments in the neighborhood of rich
2:55:05
and extended pasture grounds. Those who lived permanently in fixed houses they looked down
2:55:11
upon as an inferior class, confined to one spot by their poverty or their
2:55:18
toil, while they themselves could roam at liberty with their flocks and herds over
2:55:22
the plains, riding fleet horses or dromedaries, and in camping where they pleased
2:55:28
in the green valleys or on the banks of the meandering streams. Carracorum was,
2:55:35
accordingly, by no means a great and splendid city. It was surrounded
2:55:39
by what was called a mud wall, that is, a wall made of
2:55:43
blocks of clay dried in the sun. The houses of the inhabitants were mere
2:55:48
hovels, and even the palace of the king and all of the other public
2:55:52
buildings were of very frail construction. For all, the architecture of the Mongols
2:55:58
in those days took its character from the tent, which was the type and
2:56:03
model, so to speak, of all other buildings. The new emperor,
2:56:07
however, did not spend a great deal of his time at Karakorum. He
2:56:11
was occupied for some years in making excursions at the head of his troops to
2:56:16
various parts of his dominions, for the purpose of putting down insurrections, overawing
2:56:22
discontented and insubordinate cons and settling disputes of various kinds arising between the different hordes.
2:56:31
In these expeditions, he was accustomed to move by easy marches across the
2:56:35
plains at the head of his army, and sometimes would establish himself in a
2:56:41
sort of permanent camp, where he would remain, perhaps as in a fixed
2:56:46
residence, for weeks or months at a time. Not only Jengas Khan himself,
2:56:50
but many of the other great chieftains were accustomed to live in this manner,
2:56:56
and one of their encampments, if we could have seen it, have
2:57:00
been regarded by us as a great curiosity. The ground was regularly laid out,
2:57:05
like a town, into quarters, squares, and streets, and the
2:57:09
space which it covered was sometimes so large as to extend nearly a mile in
2:57:15
each direction. The tent of the Khan himself was in the center. A
2:57:20
space was reserved for it there, large enough not only for the grand tent
2:57:24
itself, but also for the rows of smaller tents near, for the wives
2:57:30
and for other women belonging to the Khan's family, and also for the rows
2:57:35
of carts or wagons containing the stores of provisions, the supplies of clothing and
2:57:39
arms, and the other valuables which these wandering chieftains always took with them in
2:57:46
all their peregrinations. The tent of the Khan in summer was made of a
2:57:50
sort of talico, and in winter a felt which was much warmer. It
2:57:54
was raised very high so as to be seen above all the rest of the
2:58:00
encampment, and it was painted in gay colors and adorned with other barbaric decorations.
2:58:07
The dwellings in which the women were lodged, which were around or near
2:58:11
the great tent, were sometimes tents, and sometimes little huts made of wood.
2:58:16
When they were of wood, they were made very light and were constructed
2:58:20
in such a manner that they could be taken to pieces at the shortest notice
2:58:24
and packed on carts or wagons in order to be transported to the next place
2:58:30
of encampment whenever, for any reason it became necessary for their lord and master
2:58:35
to remove his domicil to a different ground. A large portion of the country
2:58:41
which was included within the limits of Jenga's CON's dominions was fertile ground, which
2:58:46
produced abundance of grass for the pasturage of the flocks and herds, and many
2:58:52
springs and streams of water. There were, however, several districts of mountainous
2:58:56
country which were the refuge of de higers, leopards, wolves, and other
2:59:01
ferocious beasts a prey. It was among these mountains that the great hunting parties,
2:59:07
which Jengas Khan organized from time to time, went in search of their
2:59:13
game. There was a great officer of the kingdom called the Grand Huntsmen,
2:59:18
who had the superintendence and charge of everything related to hunting and to game throughout
2:59:24
the empire. The Grand Huntsman was an officer of the very highest rank.
2:59:30
He even took precedence of the first ministers of state. Jengas Khan appointed his
2:59:35
son Djuki, who has already been mentioned in connection with the Great Council of
2:59:39
War called by his father, and with the battle which was subsequently fought,
2:59:46
and in which he gained great renown to the office of Grand Huntsmen, and
2:59:50
at the same time made two of the older and more experienced cons his ministers
2:59:56
of state. The hunting of wild beasts as Farochia as those that infested the
3:00:01
mountains of Asia is a very dangerous amusement, even at the present day,
3:00:07
notwithstanding the advantage which the huntsman derives from the use of gunpowder and rifled barrels
3:00:13
and fulminating bullets. But in those days when the huntsmen had no better weapons
3:00:18
than bows and arrows, javelins and spears, the undertaking was dangerous in the
3:00:24
extreme. An African lion of full size used to be considered as a match
3:00:30
for forty men in the days when only ordinary weapons were used against him,
3:00:35
and it was considered almost hopeless to attack him with less than that number,
3:00:41
and even with that number to waylay and assail him. He was not usually
3:00:46
conquered until he had killed or disabled two or three of his foes. Now,
3:00:52
however, with the terrible artillery invented in modern times, a single man,
3:00:58
if he has the requisite goes courage, coolness, and steadiness of nerve,
3:01:03
is a match for such a lion. The weapon used is a double
3:01:05
barreled carabine, both barrels being rifled, that is provided with spiral grooves within
3:01:13
that operate to give the bullets a rotary motion as they issue from the muzzle,
3:01:18
by which they bore their way through the air, as it were,
3:01:22
to their destination, with a surprising directness and precision. The bullets discharged by
3:01:28
these carabines are not balls, but cylinders pointed with a cone at the forward
3:01:33
end. They are hollow and are filled with a fulminating composition which is capable
3:01:39
of exploding with a force vastly greater than that of gunpowder. The conical point
3:01:46
at the end is made separate from the body of the cylinder and slides into
3:01:50
it by a sort of shank, which, when the bullet strikes the body
3:01:54
of the lion or other wild beast, acts like a sort of percussion cap
3:02:00
to explode the fulminating powder. And thus the instant that the missile enters the
3:02:05
animal's body, it bursts with a terrible explosion, and scatters the iron fragments
3:02:11
of the cylinder among his vitals. Thus, while an ordinary musketball might lodge
3:02:16
in his flesh, or even pass entirely through some parts of his body,
3:02:22
without producing any other effect than to arouse him to a frenzy and redouble the
3:02:28
forest with which he would spring upon his foe, the bursting of one of
3:02:33
these fulminating bullets, almost anywhere within his body, brings him down in an
3:02:37
instant, and leaves him writhing and rolling upon the ground in the agonies of
3:02:43
death. On the boulevard day Italians in Paris is the manufactory of the Visma,
3:02:50
who makes these carabines for the lion hunters of Algier's promenaders. In passing
3:02:56
by his windows stop to look at specimens of these bullets exhibited there. They
3:03:01
are of various sizes, adapted to barrels of different bores. Some are entire,
3:03:07
others are rent and torn in pieces, having been fired into a bank
3:03:11
of earth, that they might burst there, as they would do in the
3:03:15
body of a wild beast, and then be recovered and preserved to show the
3:03:20
effect of the explosion. Even with such terrible weapons as these, it requires
3:03:24
at the present day great courage, great coolness, and very extraordinary steadiness of
3:03:31
nerve to face a lion or a tiger in his mountain fastness with any hope
3:03:37
of coming off victorious in the contest. But the danger was of course infinitely
3:03:41
greater in the days of Jengas Khan, when pikes and spears and bows and
3:03:48
arrows were the only weapons with which the body of huntsmen could arm themselves for
3:03:52
the combat. Indeed, in those days, wild beasts were even in some
3:03:58
respects more formidable enemies than men. For men, however, excited by angry
3:04:03
passions, are in some degree under the influence of fear. They will not
3:04:09
rush headlong upon absolute and certain destruction, but may be driven back by a
3:04:15
mere display of force, if it is obvious that it is a force which
3:04:20
they are wholly incapable of resisting. Thus, a party of men, however
3:04:24
desperate, may be attacked without much danger to the assailants, provided that the
3:04:31
force which the assailants bring against them is overwhelming. But it is not so
3:04:37
with wild beasts. A lion, a tiger or a panther, once aroused,
3:04:41
is wholly insensible to fear. He will rush headlong upon his foes,
3:04:46
however numerous they may be, and however formidably armed. He makes his own
3:04:52
destruction, sure, it is true, But at the same time he renders
3:04:58
almost inevitable the destruction of someone or more of his enemies, and in going
3:05:03
out to attack him, no one can be sure of not becoming himself one
3:05:07
of the victims of his fury. Thus the hunting of wild beasts in the
3:05:13
mountains was very dangerous work, and it is not surprising that the office of
3:05:18
grand Huntsmen was one of great consideration and honor. The hunting was, however,
3:05:24
not all of the dangerous character above described. Some animals are timid and
3:05:30
inoffensive by nature, and attempt to save themselves only by flight. Such animals
3:05:35
as these were to be pursued and overtaken by the superior speed of horses and
3:05:41
dogs, or to be circumvented by stratagem. There was a species of deer
3:05:46
in certain parts of the Mongol country that the huntsmen were accustomed to take in
3:05:52
this way. Namely, the huntsmen, when they began to draw near to
3:05:56
a place where a herd of deer were feeding, divide themselves into two parties.
3:06:01
One party would provide themselves with the antlers of stags, which they arranged
3:06:07
in such a manner that they could hold them up over their heads in the
3:06:11
thickets as if real stags were there. The others, armed with bows and
3:06:16
arrows, javelins, spears, and other such weapons, would place themselves in
3:06:20
ambush nearby. Those who had the antlers would then make a sort of cry
3:06:26
imitating that uttered by the hinds. The stags of the herd hearing the cry,
3:06:31
would immediately come toward the spot. The men in the thicket then would
3:06:35
raise the antlers and move them about so as to deceive the stags and excite
3:06:41
their feelings of rivalry and ire, while those who were appointed to that office
3:06:46
continued to counterfeit the cry of the hind The stags immediately would begin to paw
3:06:52
the ground and to prepare for a conflict. And then, while their attention
3:06:56
was thus wholly taken up by the tossing of the false antlers in the thicket,
3:07:01
the men in ambush would creep up as near as they could take good
3:07:05
aim and shoot their poor deluded victims through the heart. Of course, it
3:07:11
required a great deal of practice and much skill to perform successfully such feats as
3:07:18
these, and there were many other branches of the huntsman's art, as practiced
3:07:22
in those days, which could only be acquired by a systematic and special course
3:07:28
of training. One of the most difficult things was to train the horses so
3:07:33
that they would advance to meet tigers and other wild beasts without fear. Horses
3:07:39
have naturally a strong and instinctive terror for such beasts, and this terror it
3:07:43
was very difficult to overcome. The Mongol huntsmen, however, contrived means to
3:07:50
inspire the horses with so much courage in this respect that they would advance to
3:07:56
the encounter of these terrible foes with as much ardor as a trained charger shows
3:08:01
in advancing to meet other horses and horsemen on the field of battle. Besides
3:08:07
the mountainous regions above described, there were several deserts in the country of the
3:08:11
Mongols. The greatest of these deserts extends through the very heart of Asia,
3:08:16
and is one of the most extensive districts of barren land in the world.
3:08:20
Unlike most other deserts. However, the land is very elevated, and it
3:08:26
is to this elevation that its barrenness is in a great measure due a large
3:08:31
part of this desert consists of rocks and barren sands, and in the time
3:08:35
of which we are riding was totally uninhabitable. It was so cold, too,
3:08:41
on account of the great elevation of the land, that it was almost
3:08:46
impossible to traverse it, except in the warmest season of the year. Other
3:08:50
parts of this district, which were not so elevated, and where the land
3:08:54
was not quite so barren, produced grass and herbage on which the flows and
3:09:00
herds could feed, and thus in certain seasons of the year people resorted to
3:09:05
them for pasturage. Throughout the whole country there were no extensive forests. There
3:09:11
were a few tangled thickets among the mountains, where the wild beasts concealed themselves
3:09:16
and made their lairs, but this was all One reason why forests did not
3:09:20
spring up, was, as is supposed, the custom of the people to
3:09:26
burn over the plains every spring, as the Indians were accustomed to do on
3:09:31
the American prairies. In the spring, the dead grass of the preceding year
3:09:35
lay dry and withered, and sometimes closely matted together on the ground, thus
3:09:41
hindering, as the people thought, the fresh grass from growing up. So
3:09:46
the people were accustomed on some spring morning, when there was a good breeze
3:09:50
blowing, to set it on fire. The fire would run rapidly over the
3:09:54
plains, burning up everything in its way that was above the ground, but
3:09:58
the roots of the grass being below were safe from it. Very soon afterward
3:10:03
the new grass would spring up with great luxuriance. The people thought that the
3:10:07
rich verdure which the new grass displayed and its subsequent rapid growth were owing simply
3:10:13
to the fact that the old, dead grass was out of the way.
3:10:18
It is now known, however, that the burning of the old grass leaves
3:10:22
an ash upon the ground, which acts powerfully as a fertilizer, and that
3:10:26
the richness of the fresh vegetation is due in a great measure to this cause.
3:10:33
Such was the country which was inhabited by the wandering pastoral tribes that were
3:10:39
now under the sway of Jenga's khan. His dominion had no settled boundaries,
3:10:43
for it was a dominion over certain tribes rather than over a certain district of
3:10:48
country. Nearly all the tribes composing both the Mongol and the Tartar nations had
3:10:54
now submitted to him, though he still had some small wars to wage from
3:11:00
time to time with some of the more distant tribes before his authority was fully
3:11:05
and finally acknowledged. The history of some of these conflicts will be narrated in
3:11:11
the next chapter end of chapter twelve, Chapter thirteen, Adventures of Prince Kushluk
3:11:18
twelve O three to twelve O eight. Prince Kushluk, as the reader will
3:11:24
perhaps recollect, was the son of Tayan, the Khan of the Naemans,
3:11:28
who organized the Grand League of Khans against Temagen at the instigation of Yemuka.
3:11:35
As related in a preceding chapter, he was the young prince who was opposed
3:11:41
to Juggi, the son of Temagen, in the Great Final Battle. The
3:11:45
reader will recollect that in that battle, Tayan himself was slain, as was
3:11:50
also Yemuka, but the young Prince succeeded in making his escape. He was
3:11:56
accompanied in his flight by a certain general or chieftain named Tukta Bay. This
3:12:03
tuk To Bay was the khan of a powerful tribe the name of the town
3:12:07
or village which he considered his capital, was Kashin. It was situated towards
3:12:13
the southwest, not far from the borders of China. Tuk to Bee,
3:12:18
taking Kushluk with him, retreated to this place, and there began to make
3:12:22
preparations to collect a new army to act against Temijen. I say Temijen for
3:12:30
these circumstances took place immediately after the battle, and before Temijen had received his
3:12:35
new title of Jengas Khan. Temijen, having learned that tuk to Bai and
3:12:41
the young Prince had gone to Kashin, determined at once to follow them there.
3:12:46
As soon as Tuktabei heard that he was coming, he began to strengthen
3:12:52
the fortifications of his town and to increase the garrison. He also laid in
3:12:56
supplies of food and military stores of all kinds. While he was making these
3:13:01
preparations, he received the news that Tumagen was advancing into his country at the
3:13:07
head of an immense force. The force was so large that he was convinced
3:13:13
that his town could not long stand out against it. He was greatly perplexed
3:13:18
to know what to do. Now it happened that there was a brother of
3:13:22
Taian Khan's named Boyrak, the chief of a powerful horde that occupied a district
3:13:28
of country not very far distant from Tuk de Bay's dominions. Tuk de Bay
3:13:33
thought that this Boyrak would be easily induced to aid him in the war,
3:13:39
as it was a war waged against the mortal enemy of his brother. He
3:13:43
determined to leave his capital to be defended by the garrison which he had placed
3:13:48
in it, and to proceed himself to Boyrak's country to obtain reinforcements. He
3:13:54
first sent off the prince Kushluk so that he might be as soon as possible
3:14:00
in a place of safety. Then, after completing the necessary arrangements and dispositions
3:14:05
for the defense of his town in case it should be attacked during his absence,
3:14:11
he took his oldest son, for whose safety he was also greatly concerned,
3:14:16
and set out at the head of a small troop of horsemen to go
3:14:20
to Boyrak. Accordingly, when Temagen, at the head of his forces,
3:14:24
arrived at the town of Kashin, he found that the fugitives whom he was
3:14:30
pursuing were no longer there. However, he determined to take the town.
3:14:35
He accordingly at once invested it and commenced the siege. The garrison made a
3:14:41
very determined resistance, but the forces under Temagen's command were too strong for them.
3:14:46
The town was soon taken. Temigen ordered his soldiers to slay without mercy
3:14:52
all who were found in arms against him within the walls, and the walls
3:14:58
themselves, and all other defenses of the place he caused to be leveled with
3:15:03
the ground. He then issued his proclamation offering peace and pardon to all the
3:15:09
rest of the tribe, on condition that they would take the oath of allegiance
3:15:13
to him. This they readily agreed to do. There were a great many
3:15:18
subordinate cohns, both of this tribe and of some others that were near,
3:15:22
who thus yielded to Temigen and promised to obey him. All this took place,
3:15:28
as has already been said, immediately after the Great Battle with Tayan,
3:15:33
and before Temigen had been enthroned as emperor or had received his new title of
3:15:39
Jengas Khan. Indeed, Temagen, while making this expedition to Kashin in pursuit
3:15:45
of Kushluk and Tuck de Bay, had been somewhat uneasy at the loss of
3:15:50
time which the campaign occasioned him, as he was anxious to go as soon
3:15:54
as possible to Caricorum in order to take the necessary measures there for arranging and
3:16:01
consolidating his government. He accordingly now determined not to pursue the fugitives any farther,
3:16:09
but to proceed at once to Karakorum and postpone all further operations against Kushluk
3:16:16
and Tukta until the next season. So he went to Karakorum, and there,
3:16:20
during the course of the winter, formed the constitution of his new empire
3:16:26
and made arrangements for convening a grand assembly of the Khans the next spring,
3:16:31
as related in the last chapter. In the meantime, took to Bay and
3:16:35
the Prince Kushluk were very kindly received by Boyrak, Tayian's brother. For a
3:16:41
time, they all had reason to expect that Tumagen, after having taken and
3:16:46
destroyed Kashin, would continue his pursuit of the prince, and Boyrak began accordingly
3:16:54
to make preparations for defense. But when at length they learned that Tumagen had
3:17:00
given up the pursuit and had returned to Caracorum, their apprehensions were for the
3:17:05
moment relieved. They were, however, well aware that the danger was only
3:17:11
postponed, and Boyrak, being determined to defend the cause of his nephew and
3:17:16
to avenge, if possible, his brother's death, occupied himself diligently with increasing
3:17:22
his army, strengthening his fortifications, and providing himself with all possible means of
3:17:28
defense against the attack which he expected would be made upon him in the coming
3:17:33
season. Boyrak's expectations of an attack were fully realized. Temadjen, after having
3:17:41
settled the affairs of his government and having now become Jengas Khan, took the
3:17:46
first opportunity in the following season to fit out an expedition against touk Tebay and
3:17:52
Boyrak. He marched into Boyrak's dominions at the head of a strong force.
3:17:58
Boyrak came forth to me him. A great battle was fought. Boyrak was
3:18:03
entirely defeated. When he found that the battle was lost, he attempted to
3:18:07
fly. He was, however, pursued and taken, and was then brought
3:18:11
back to the camp of Jengas Khan, where he was put to death.
3:18:16
The conqueror undoubtedly justified this act of cruelty toward his helpless prisoner, on the
3:18:22
plea that, like Yamaka, he was not an open and honorable foe,
3:18:28
but a rebel and traitor, and consequently that the act of putting him to
3:18:31
death was the execution of a criminal and not the murder of a prisoner.
3:18:37
But although Boyrak himself was thus taken and slain, Kushluk and took to Bay
3:18:43
succeeded in making their escape. They fled to the northward and westward, scarcely
3:18:50
knowing it would seem where they were to go, They at last found a
3:18:54
place of refuge on the banks of the river Erdish. This river rises not
3:18:58
far from the center of the Asiatic continent and flows northward into the Northern Ocean.
3:19:05
The country through which it flows lay to the northwestward of Jengas Khan's dominions
3:19:11
and beyond the confines of it. Through this country, Prince Kushluk and Tuk
3:19:16
to Bay wandered on, accompanied by the small troop of followers that still adhered
3:19:20
to them, until they reached a certain fortress called Ardish, where they determined
3:19:26
to make a stand. They were among friends here, for Ardish, it
3:19:31
seems, was on the confines of territory that belonged to Tuk de Bay.
3:19:37
The people of the neighborhood immediately flocked to Tukta's standard, and thus the fugitive
3:19:41
Khan soon found himself at the head of a considerable force. This force was
3:19:48
farther increased by the coming in of broken bands that had made their escape from
3:19:54
the battle at which Boyrak had been slain at the same time with Tuk to
3:19:58
Bay, but had become separated from him in their flight. It would seem
3:20:03
that at first Jengas Khan did not know what was become of the fugitives.
3:20:09
At any rate, it was not until the next year that he attempted to
3:20:13
pursue them. Then, hearing where they were and what they were doing,
3:20:16
he prepared an expedition to penetrate into the country of the Irtish and attack them.
3:20:24
It was in the dead of winter when he arrived in the country.
3:20:26
He had hurried on at that season of the year in order to prevent took
3:20:31
to Bay from having time to finish his fortifications. Took to Bey, and
3:20:37
those who were with him were amazed when they heard that their enemy was coming
3:20:41
at that season of the year. The defenses which they were preparing for their
3:20:46
fortress were not fully completed. But they were at once convinced that they could
3:20:52
not hold their ground against the body of troops that Jengas Khan was bringing against
3:20:56
them in the open field, and so they took shelter in and near the
3:21:01
fortress and awaited their enemy there. The winters in that latitude are very cold,
3:21:07
and the country through which Jengas Khan had to march was full of difficulty.
3:21:13
The branches of the river which he had to cross were obstructed with ice,
3:21:16
and the roads were in many places rendered almost impassable by snow. The
3:21:22
emperor did not even know the way to the fortress where it took to bay,
3:21:26
and his followers were concealed, and it would have been almost impossible for
3:21:31
him to find it had it not been for certain tribes through whose territories he
3:21:37
passed on the way, who furnished him with guides. These tribes, perceiving
3:21:41
how overwhelming was the force which Djengas Khan commanded, knew that it would be
3:21:48
useless for them to resist him. So they yielded submission to him at once,
3:21:52
and detached parties of horsemen to go with him down the river to show
3:21:58
him the way. Under the conduct of these guides, Jengas Khan passed on.
3:22:03
In due time, he arrived at the fortress of Ardish and immediately forced
3:22:07
took to bay and his allies to come to an engagement. Tookd A's army,
3:22:13
was very soon defeated and put to flight, took to himself, and
3:22:16
many other khans and chieftains who had joined him were killed, But the prince
3:22:22
Kushluk was once more fortunate enough to make his escape. He fled with a
3:22:28
small troop of followers, all mounted on fleet horses, and after various wanderings
3:22:33
in the course of which he and those who were with him endured a great
3:22:37
deal of privation and suffering, the unhappy fugitive at last reached the dominions of
3:22:45
a powerful prince named Gurkhan, who reigned over a country which is situated in
3:22:50
the western part of Asia toward the Caspian Sea, and is named Turkestan.
3:22:56
This is the country from which the people called the Turks, who afterwards spread
3:23:01
themselves so widely over the western part of Asia and the eastern part of Europe.
3:23:05
Originally sprung. Gurkhan received Kushluk and his party in a very friendly manner,
3:23:11
and Jengas Khan did not follow them. Whether he thought that the distance
3:23:16
was too great or that the power of Gurkhan was too formidable to make it
3:23:22
prudent for him to advance into his dominions without a stronger force, does not
3:23:26
appear at any rate. For the time being, he gave up the pursuit,
3:23:31
and after fully securing the fruits of the victory which he had gained at
3:23:35
Artish, and receiving the submission of all the tribes and khans that inhabited that
3:23:41
region of country, he set out on his return home. It is related
3:23:46
that one of the khans who gave in his submission to Jengas Khan at this
3:23:50
time made him a present of a certain bird called a shangar. According to
3:23:56
a custom often observed among the people of that region, the shangar was a
3:24:01
very large and fierce bird of prey, which, however, could be trained
3:24:05
like the falcons, which were so much prized in the Middle Ages by the
3:24:09
princes and nobles of Europe. It seems it was customary for an inferior khan
3:24:16
to present one of these birds to his superior on great occasions as an emblem
3:24:22
and token of his submission to his superior's authority. The bird in such a
3:24:26
case was very richly decorated with gold and precious stones, so that the present
3:24:31
was sometimes of a very costly and magnificent character. Jengas Khan received such a
3:24:39
present as this from a chieftain named Ursus Ennol, who was among those that
3:24:43
yielded to his sway in the country of the Irtish after the battle at which
3:24:50
Tuk Debay was defeated and killed. The bird was presented to Jengas Khan by
3:24:54
Urus with great ceremony as an act of submission and homage. What in the
3:25:01
end was the fate of Prince Kushluk will appear in the next chapter. End
3:25:05
of chapter thirteen, Chapter fourteen, Eticutt twelve eight Itticut the old system of
3:25:15
farming revenues evils of farming the revenue. There was another great and powerful khan
3:25:22
named Ittikut, whose tribe had hitherto been under the dominion of Gurkhan, the
3:25:28
Prince of Turkestan, where Kushluk had sought refuge, but who about this time
3:25:35
revolted from Gurkhan and went over to Jengas Khan under circumstances which illustrate in some
3:25:43
degree the peculiar nature of the political ties by which these different tribes and nations
3:25:50
were bound to each other. It seems that the tribe over which Ittiicutt ruled
3:25:56
was tributary to Turkestan, and that Gurkhan had an officer stationed in Itticutt's country
3:26:03
whose business it was to collect and remit the tribute. The name of this
3:26:07
collector was showocom He was accustomed, it seems like almost all tax gatherers in
3:26:15
those days, to exact more than was his due. The system generally adopted
3:26:20
by governments in that age of the world for collecting their revenues from tributary or
3:26:26
conquered provinces was to farm them, as the phrase was, that is,
3:26:33
they sold the whole revenue of a particular district in the gross to some rich
3:26:39
man who paid for it a specific sum, considerably less, of course,
3:26:43
than the tax itself would really yield, and then he reimbursed himself for his
3:26:50
outlay and for his trouble by collecting the tax in detail from the people.
3:26:56
Of course, it was for the interest of the tax gatherer in such a
3:27:00
case, after having paid the round sum to the government to extort as much
3:27:05
as possible from the people, since all that he obtained over and above the
3:27:11
sum that he had paid was his profit on the transaction. Then if the
3:27:16
people complained to the government of his exactions, they could seldom obtain any redress,
3:27:24
for the government knew that if they rebuked or punished the farmer of the
3:27:28
revenue, or interfered with him in any way, they would not be able
3:27:33
to make so favorable terms with him for the next year. Modern system disinterested
3:27:41
collectors, independent and impartial courts, waste of the public money. The plan
3:27:48
of farming the revenues thus led to a great deal of extortion and oppression,
3:27:54
which the people were compelled patiently to endure, as there was generally no remedy.
3:28:01
In modern times, and among civilized nations this system has been almost universally
3:28:07
abandoned. The taxes are now always collected for the government directly by officers,
3:28:13
who have to pay over not a fixed sum but simply what they collect.
3:28:18
Thus, the tax gatherers are in some sense impartial, since if they collect
3:28:24
more than the law entitles them to demand, the benefit in hers almost wholly
3:28:28
to the government. They themselves gaining little or no advantage by their extortion.
3:28:35
Besides this, there are courts established, which are in a great measure independent
3:28:41
of the government, to which the taxpayer can appeal at once in a case
3:28:46
where he thinks he is aggrieved. This, it is true, often puts
3:28:50
him to a great deal of trouble and expense, but in the end he
3:28:54
is pretty sure to have justice done him. While under the old system there
3:29:00
was ordinarily no remedy at all. There was nothing to be done but to
3:29:05
appeal to the king or chieftain himself, and these complaints seldom received any attention,
3:29:11
for, besides the natural unwillingness of the sovereign to trouble himself about such
3:29:16
disputes, he had a direct interest in not requiring the extorted money to be
3:29:22
paid back, or rather in not having it proved that it was extorted.
3:29:28
Thus, the poor taxpayer found that the officer who collected the money and the
3:29:33
umpire who was to decide in case of disputes, were both directly interested against
3:29:39
him, and he was continually wronged. Whereas at the present day, by
3:29:45
means of a system which provides disinterested officers to determine and collect the tax and
3:29:52
independent judges to decide all cases of dispute. The evils are almost wholly avoided.
3:29:58
The only difficult culty now is the extravagance and waste with which the public
3:30:03
money is expended, making it necessary to collect a much larger amount than would
3:30:09
otherwise be required. Perhaps some future generation will discover some plain and simple remedy
3:30:16
for this evil too. Shoewocom, the name of the officer who had the
3:30:22
general charge of the collection of the taxes in Ittikuatt's territory for Gurkhin, King
3:30:28
of Turkestan, was, as has already been said, Showocom, he oppressed
3:30:35
the people, exacting more from them than was really due. Whether he had
3:30:39
farmed the revenue and was thus enriching himself by his extortions, or whether he
3:30:46
was acting directly in Gurkhin's name and made the people pay more than he ought
3:30:52
from zeal in his master's service, and a desire to recommend himself to favor
3:30:56
by sending home to Turkestan as large a revenue from the provinces as possible does
3:31:03
not appear at all events. The people complained bitterly. They had, however,
3:31:09
no access to Gurkhin Showacom's master, and so they carried their complaints to
3:31:16
itticut their own con Icut's quarrel with Gurkhin's tax gatherers. Itticutt remonstrated with Showocam,
3:31:24
but he, instead of taking the remonstrance in good part and relaxing the
3:31:30
severity of his proceedings, resented the interference of Itticutt and answered him in a
3:31:35
haughty and threatening manner. This made Itticutt very angry. Indeed, he was
3:31:41
angry before, as it might naturally be supposed that he would have been at
3:31:46
having a person owing allegiance to a foreign prince exercising authority in a proud and
3:31:52
domineering manner within his dominions. And the reply which Showocam made when he remonstrated
3:32:01
with him on account of his extortions, exasperated him beyond all bounds. He
3:32:07
immediately caused Shuwakam to be assassinated. He also slew all the other officers of
3:32:13
Gurkhin within his country, those probably who were employed to assist Shuwakam in collecting
3:32:20
the taxes. Rebellion he sends to Jengas Khan. The murder of these officers
3:32:26
was of course an act of open rebellion against Kirkhan and Ittikut. In order
3:32:33
to shield himself from the consequences of it, determined to join himself and his
3:32:37
tribe at once to the empire of Jengas Khan. So he immediately dispatched two
3:32:43
ambassadors to the Mongol emperor with his proposals. The envoys, accompanied by a
3:32:50
suitable troop of guards and attendants, went into the Mongol country and presently came
3:32:56
up with Jengas Khan while he was on a march to war the country of
3:33:01
some tribe or horde that had revolted from him. They were very kindly received,
3:33:07
for although Djenghas Khan was not prepared at present to make open war upon
3:33:11
Gurkhan or to invade his dominions in pursuit of Prince Kushluk, he was intending
3:33:18
to do this at some future day, and in the meantime he was very
3:33:22
glad to weaken his enemy by drawing off from his empire any tributary tribes that
3:33:28
were at all disposed to revolt from him his reception of the embassy. He
3:33:35
accordingly received the ambassadors of Itticut in a very cordial and friendly manner, he
3:33:41
readily acceded to the proposals which Icut made through them, and in order to
3:33:46
give full proof to Ittiqutt of the readiness and sincerity with which he accepted his
3:33:52
proposals, he sent back to ambassadors of his own to accompany Ittikut's ambassadors on
3:33:58
their return and to join them in assuring that prince of the cordiality with which
3:34:05
Jengas Khan accepted his offers of friendship, and to promise his protection. Edicut's
3:34:11
visit to Jengas Khan. Ittiicut was very much pleased when his messengers returned to
3:34:18
learn that his mission had been so successful. He immediately determined to go himself
3:34:24
and visit Jengas Khan in his camp in order to confirm the new alliance by
3:34:28
making a personal tender to the Emperor of his homage and his services. He
3:34:35
accordingly prepared some splendid presence, and, placing himself at the head of his
3:34:39
troop of guards, he proceeded to the camp of Jengas Khan. That emperor
3:34:46
received him in a very kind and friendly manner. He accepted his presence,
3:34:50
and in the end was so much pleased with Itiicut himself that he gave him
3:34:54
one of his daughters in marriage. Gurkhan in a rage. As for Gurkhin,
3:35:01
when he first heard of the murder of Shuwakam and the other officers,
3:35:05
he was in a terrible rage. He declared that he would revenge his servant
3:35:09
by laying waste Ittikut's territories with fire and sword. But when he heard that
3:35:16
Ittikut had placed himself under the protection of Djengas Khan, and especially when he
3:35:22
learned that he had married the Emperor's daughter, he thought it more prudent to
3:35:26
postpone his vengeance, not being quite willing to draw upon himself the hostility of
3:35:31
so great a power. Subsequent history of Kushluk Jenna Prince Kushluk remained for many
3:35:39
years in Turkestan and in the countries adjoining it. He married a daughter of
3:35:45
Gurkhin, his protector. Partly in consequence of this connection and of the high
3:35:50
rank which he had held in his own native land, and partly perhaps in
3:35:54
consequence of his personal courage and other military qualities, rapidly acquired great influence among
3:36:01
the Khans of Western Asia, and at last he organized a sort of rebellion
3:36:07
against Gurkhon made war against him and deprived him of more than half his dominions.
3:36:13
He then collected a large army and prepared to make war upon Jengas Khan.
3:36:18
Jengas Khan sent one of his best generals at the head of a small,
3:36:24
but very compact and well disciplined force against him. The name of this
3:36:28
general was Jena. Kushluk was not at all intimidated by the danger which now
3:36:35
threatened him. His own army was much larger than that of Jena, and
3:36:39
he accordingly advanced to meet his enemy without fear. He was, however,
3:36:45
beaten in the battle, and when he saw that the day was lost,
3:36:48
he fled, followed by a small party of horsemen who succeeded in saving themselves
3:36:54
with him. Kushluk's final defeat and flight hotly pursued by Jenna. Jenna set
3:37:01
out immediately in pursuit of the fugitive, accompanied by a small body of men
3:37:07
mounted on the fleetest horses. The party who were with Kushluk, being exhausted
3:37:13
by the fatigue of the battle and bewildered by the excitement and terror of their
3:37:18
flight, could not keep together, but were overtaken One by one and slain
3:37:22
by their pursuers, until only three were left. These three kept close to
3:37:28
Kushluk and with him went on until Jenna's party lost the track of them.
3:37:33
At length, coming to a place where two roads met, Jenna asked a
3:37:39
peasant if he had seen any strange horsemen pass that way. The peasant said
3:37:43
that four horsemen had passed a short time before, and he told Jenna which
3:37:48
road they had taken Kushluk's death. Jenna and his party rode on in that
3:37:54
direction which the peasant had indicated, and, pushing forward with redouble speed,
3:38:01
they soon overtook the unhappy fugitives. They fell upon Kushluk without mercy and killed
3:38:07
him on the spot. They then cut off his head and turned back to
3:38:11
carry it to Jengas Khan. Jengis Khan's triumph. Jengas Khan rewarded Jenna in
3:38:18
the most magnificent manner for his successful performance of this exploit, and then putting
3:38:24
Kushluk's head upon a pole. He displayed it in all the camps and villages
3:38:30
through which he passed, where it served at once as a token and a
3:38:33
trophy of his victory against an enemy. And at the same time as a
3:38:39
warning to all other persons of the terrible danger which they would incur in attempting
3:38:45
to resist his power. End of Chapter fourteen. Chapter fifteen, The Story
3:38:52
of Hujaku twelve eleven, China. The Chinese Wall counts given us of the
3:39:01
events and transaction of Jengas Khan's reign after he acquired the supreme power over the
3:39:07
Mongol and Tartar nations are imperfect and in many respects confused. It appears,
3:39:13
however, from them, that in the year twelve eleven, that is,
3:39:18
about five years after his election as Grand Khan, he became involved in a
3:39:22
war with the Chinese, which led in the end to very important consequences.
3:39:28
The Kingdom of China lay to the southward of the Mongol territories, and the
3:39:33
frontier was defended by the famous Chinese Wall, which extended from east to west,
3:39:39
over hills and valleys, from the Great Desert to the sea for many
3:39:43
hundred miles. The Wall was defended by towers built here and there in commanding
3:39:50
positions along the whole extent of it, and at certain distances there were fortified
3:39:56
towns where powerful garrisons were stationed and reserves of troops were held, ready to
3:40:03
be marched to different points along the wall wherever there might be occasion for their
3:40:07
services. The frontier the wall was not strictly the Chinese front tier, for
3:40:15
the territory on the outside of it to a considerable distance was held by the
3:40:20
Chinese government, and there were many large towns and some very strong fortresses in
3:40:24
this outlying region, all of which were held and garrisoned by Chinese troops outside
3:40:31
the wall. The inhabitants, however, of the countries outside the wall,
3:40:37
were generally of the Tartar or Mongol race. They were of a nation or
3:40:41
tribe called the Kitten, and were somewhat inclined to rebel against the Chinese rule.
3:40:48
In order to assist in keeping them in subjection, one of the Chinese
3:40:52
emperors issued a decree which ordained that the governors of those provinces should place in
3:40:58
all the large hounds and other strongholds outside the wall twice as many families of
3:41:05
the Chinese as there were of the Kitten. This regulation greatly increased the discontent
3:41:11
of the Kitten and made them more inclined to rebellion than they were before.
3:41:16
Origin of the quarrel with the Chinese yang Sea. Besides this, there had
3:41:22
been for some time a growing difficulty between the Chinese government and Jengas Khan.
3:41:28
It seems that the Mongols had been for a long time accustomed to pay some
3:41:33
sort of tribute to the Emperor of China, and many years before, while
3:41:37
Jengas Khan, under the name of Tumigen was living at Karakorum, a subject
3:41:43
of Vang Khan, the Emperor sent a certain royal prince named yang Si to
3:41:50
receive what was due. While Yang Si was in the Mongol territory, he
3:41:54
and Tumagen met, but they did not agree together at all. The Chinese
3:42:00
prince put some slight upon Tumajen, which Temagen resented. Very likely, Temigen,
3:42:07
whose character at that time as well as afterward, was marked with a
3:42:11
great deal of pride and spirit, opposed the payment of the tribute at any
3:42:16
rate. Yong Tsi became very much incensed against him, and on his return,
3:42:22
made serious charges against him to the Emperor, and urged that he should
3:42:28
be seized and put to death, But the Emperor declined engaging in so dangerous
3:42:33
an undertaking. Yong SI's proposal, however, became known to Temajen, and
3:42:39
he secretly resolved that he would one day have his revenge at length. About
3:42:45
three or four years after Temijen was raised to the throne, the Emperor of
3:42:50
the Chinese died, and yong Si succeeded him. The very next year,
3:42:56
he sent an officer to Jengis Khan to demand the usual trip. When the
3:43:01
officer came into the presence of Jengis Khan in his camp and made his demand,
3:43:05
Jengis Khan asked him who was the emperor that had sent him with such
3:43:09
a message. The officer replied that yong Si was at that time Emperor of
3:43:16
the Chinese. Jengis Khan's contempt for him, Yang Si repeated Jengas Khan in
3:43:24
a tone of great contempt, that Chinese have a proverb. He added that
3:43:28
such a people as they ought to have a god for their emperor, but
3:43:33
it seems they do not know how to choose even a decent man. It
3:43:37
was true that they had such a proverb. They were as remarkable, it
3:43:43
seems, in those days as they are now for their national self importance and
3:43:48
vanity. Go and tell your emperor, added Jengis Khan, that I am
3:43:54
a sovereign ruler, and that I will never acknowledge him as my master,
3:44:00
raised Hujaku. When the messenger returned with this defiant answer, yong Si was
3:44:05
very much enraged and immediately began to prepare for war. Jengas Khan also at
3:44:13
once commenced his preparations. He sent envoys to the leading Khans who occupied the
3:44:18
territories outside the wall, inviting them to join him. He raised a great
3:44:24
army and put the several divisions of it under the charge of his ablest generals.
3:44:30
Yang Si raised a great army too. The historians say that it amounted
3:44:35
to three hundred thousand men. He put this army under the command of a
3:44:39
great general named Hujaku, and ordered him to advance with it to the northward,
3:44:46
so as to intercept the army of Jengas Khan on its way and to
3:44:50
defend the wall and the fortresses on the outside of it from his attacks.
3:44:56
Many of the Khans come over on Jengus's side. The campaign which ensued Jengas
3:45:01
Khan was most successful. The Mongols took possession of a great many towns and
3:45:07
fortresses beyond the wall, and every victory that they gained made the tribes and
3:45:11
nations that inhabited those provinces more and more disposed to join them. Many of
3:45:18
them revolted against the Chinese authority and turned to their side. One of these
3:45:24
was a chieftain so powerful that he commanded an army of one hundred thousand men
3:45:31
in order to bind himself solemnly to the covenant which he was to make with
3:45:35
Jengas Khan. He ascended a mountain in company with the envoy and with others
3:45:39
who were to witness the proceedings, and there performed this ceremony customary on such
3:45:46
occasions. This ceremony consisted of sacrificing a white horse and a black ox,
3:45:52
and then breaking an arrow at the same time pronouncing an oath by which he
3:45:56
bound himself under the most sanctions, to be faithful to Jengas Khan. To
3:46:03
reward the Prince for this act of adhesion to his cause, Jengas Khan made
3:46:07
him king over all that portion of the country, and caused him to be
3:46:13
everywhere so proclaimed. This encouraged a great many other khans and chieftains to come
3:46:18
over to his side, and at length, one who had the command of
3:46:22
one of the gates of the great wall and of the fortress which defended it
3:46:28
joined him. By this means, Jengas Khan obtained access to the interior of
3:46:33
the Chinese dominions, and Yang Si and his great general Hujaku became seriously alarmed.
3:46:41
Victory over Hujaku at length. After various marchings and counter marchings, Jengas
3:46:48
Khan learned that Hujaku was encamped with the whole of his army in a very
3:46:54
strong position at the foot of a mountain, and he determined to proceed thither
3:46:58
and attack him. He did so, and the result of the battle was
3:47:03
that Hujaku was beaten and was forced to retreat. He retired to a great
3:47:09
fortified town, and Jengas Khan followed him and laid siege to the town.
3:47:13
Hujaku, finding himself in imminent danger, fled, and Jengas Khan was on
3:47:20
the point of taking the town when he was suddenly stopped in his career by
3:47:24
being one day wounded severely by an arrow which was shot at him from the
3:47:30
wall. Jengas Khan is wounded. The wound was so severe that, while
3:47:35
suffering under it, Jengas Khan found that he could not successfully direct the operations
3:47:41
of the army, and so he withdrew his troops and retired into his own
3:47:46
country to wait there until his wound should be healed. In a few months
3:47:52
he was entirely recovered, and the next year he fitted out a new expedition
3:47:58
and advanced again into China. Hujaku disgraced. In the meantime, Houjaku,
3:48:03
who had been repeatedly defeated and driven back the year before by Jengas Khan,
3:48:09
had fallen into disgrace. His rivals and enemies among the other generals of the
3:48:15
army and among the officers of the court, conspired against him and represented to
3:48:20
the Emperor that he was unfit to command, and that his having failed to
3:48:26
defend the towns and the country that had been committed to him, was owing
3:48:30
to his cowardice and incapacity. In consequence of these representations, Hujaku was cashiered,
3:48:37
that is, dismissed from his command in disgrace restored again. This made
3:48:43
him very angry, and he determined that he would have his revenge. There
3:48:48
was a large party in his favor at court, as well as a party
3:48:54
against him, and after a long and bitter contention, the former once more
3:48:58
prevailed and induced the emperor to restore Pujaku to his command. Again dissensions among
3:49:05
the Chinese. The quarrel, however, was not ended, and so when
3:49:11
Jengas Khan came the next year to renew the invasion, the councils of the
3:49:16
Chinese were so distracted and their operations so paralyzed by this feud, that he
3:49:22
gained very easy victories over them. The Chinese generals, instead of acting together
3:49:28
in a harmonious manner against the common enemy, were intent only on the quarrel
3:49:33
which they were waging against each other. At length, the animosity proceeded to
3:49:39
such an extreme that Hujaku resolved to depose the Emperor, who seemed inclined rather
3:49:46
to take part against him, assassinate all the chiefs of the opposite party,
3:49:50
and then finally to put the emperor to death and cause himself to be proclaimed
3:49:56
in his stead advance of the Mongols. In order to prepare the way for
3:50:01
the execution of this scheme, he forebore to act vigorously against Jengas Khan and
3:50:07
the Mongols, but allowed them to advance farther and farther into the country.
3:50:13
This of course increased the general discontent and excitement, and prepared the way for
3:50:18
the revolt which Hoojaku was plotting, Hujaku's rebellion death of yong Si. At
3:50:26
length, the time for action arrived, Hoojaku suddenly appeared at the head of
3:50:31
a large force at the gates of the capital and gave the alarm that the
3:50:35
Mongols were coming. He pressed forward into the city to the palace and gave
3:50:41
the alarm there. At the same time, files of soldiers whom he had
3:50:46
ordered to this service went to all parts of the city, arresting and putting
3:50:52
to death all the leaders of the party opposed to him, under pretense that
3:50:56
he had discovered a plot or conspiracy in which which they were engaged to betray
3:51:01
the city to the enemy. The excitement and confusion which was produced by this
3:51:07
charge, and by the alarm occasioned by the supposed coming of the Mongols,
3:51:11
so paralyzed the authorities of the town that nobody resisted Hujaku or attempted to save
3:51:18
the persons whom he arrested. Some of them he caused to be killed on
3:51:22
the spot. Others he shut up in prison, finding himself thus undisputed master
3:51:28
of the city. He next took possession of the palace, seized the emperor,
3:51:35
deposed him from his office, and shut him up in a dungeon.
3:51:39
Soon afterward he put him to death. This was the end of yong Si.
3:51:43
But Hujaku did not succeed after all in his design of causing himself to
3:51:50
be proclaimed emperor in his stead. He found that there would be very great
3:51:54
opposition to this, and so he gave up this part of his plan,
3:52:00
and finally raised a certain prince of the royal family to the throne, while
3:52:05
he retained his office of commander in chief of the forces. Having thus,
3:52:11
as he thought, effectually destroyed the influence and power of his enemies at the
3:52:16
capitol, he put himself once more at the head of his troops and went
3:52:20
forth to meet Jengas Khan. Hujaku advances. Some accident happened to him about
3:52:26
this time, by which his foot was hurt, so that he was in
3:52:31
some degree disabled, But still he went on. At length. He met
3:52:35
the vanguard of Jengas Khan's army at a place where they were attempting to cross
3:52:39
a river by a bridge, who Jaku determined immediately to attack them. The
3:52:46
state of his foot was such that he could not walk or even mount a
3:52:50
horse, but he caused himself to be put upon a sort of car,
3:52:54
and was by this means carried into the battle. The battle KU's victory,
3:53:01
the Mongols were completely defeated and driven back. Perhaps this was because Jengas Khan
3:53:07
was not there to command them. He was at some distance in the rear
3:53:13
with the main body of the army. Hujaku was very desirous of following up
3:53:16
his victory by pursuing and attacking the Mongol vanguard the next day. He could
3:53:22
not, however, do this personally, for on account of the excitement and
3:53:28
exposure which he had endured in the battle, and the rough movements and joltings
3:53:33
which, notwithstanding all his care he had to bear in being conveyed to and
3:53:37
fro about the field, his foot grew much worse. Inflammations set in during
3:53:43
the night, and the next day the wound opened afresh. So he was
3:53:48
obliged to give up the idea of going out himself against the enemy and to
3:53:52
send one of his generals instead. The general to whom he gave the command
3:53:58
was named Khan Ki Kan Ki's expedition failure. Hoojaku enraged. Kanki went out
3:54:07
against the enemy, but after a time returned unsuccessful. Hoojaku was very angry
3:54:13
with him when he came to hear his report. Perhaps the wound in his
3:54:16
foot made him impatient and unreasonable. At any rate, he declared that the
3:54:22
cause of kan Ki's failure was his diletoriness in pursuing the enemy, which was
3:54:28
cowardice or treachery, and in either case he deserved to suffer death for it.
3:54:33
He immediately sent to the Emperor a report of the case, asking that
3:54:37
the sentence of death which he had pronounced against con Qi might be confirmed,
3:54:43
and that he might be authorized to put it into execution. But the Emperor,
3:54:48
knowing that kan Ki was a courageous and faithful officer, would not consent.
3:54:54
In the meanwhile, before the Emperor's answer came back, the wrath of
3:54:58
whose Shaku had had time to cool a little. Accordingly, when he received
3:55:03
the answer, he said to kan Ki that he would after all try him
3:55:09
once more. Take the command of the troops again, said he, and
3:55:13
go out against the enemy. If you beat them, I will overlook your
3:55:16
first offense and spare your life, but if you are beaten yourself a second
3:55:22
time, you shall die. Kan Ki's second trial the sand storm. So
3:55:28
kan Ki placed himself at the head of his detachment and went out again to
3:55:33
attack the Mongols. They were to the northward and were posted, it seems,
3:55:39
upon or near a sandy plain. At any rate. A strong north
3:55:43
wind began to blow at the time when the attack commenced, and blew the
3:55:48
sand and dust into the eyes of his soldiers so that they could not see,
3:55:52
while their enemies, the Mongols, having their backs to the wind,
3:55:56
were very little incommoded. The result was that Conqi was repulsed with considerable loss,
3:56:03
and was obliged to make the best of his way back to Hoojaku's quarters
3:56:07
to save the remainder of his men. Knki's desperate resolution. He now was
3:56:13
desperate. Hoojaku had declared that if he came back without having gained a victory,
3:56:20
he should die, and he had no doubt that the man was violent
3:56:24
and reckless enough to keep his word. He determined not to submit. He
3:56:30
might as well die fighting, he thought, at the head of his troops,
3:56:33
as to be ignobly put to death by Hoojaku's executioner. So he arranged
3:56:39
it with his troops, who probably hated Hoojaku as much as he did,
3:56:43
that on returning to the town, they should march in under arms, take
3:56:48
possession of the place, surround the palace, and seize the general and make
3:56:52
him prisoner or kill him if he should attempt any resistance the attack. Hoojaqokoup's
3:57:00
flight, he is killed in the gardens. The troops, accordingly, when
3:57:05
they arrived at the gates of the town, seized and disarmed the guards,
3:57:09
and then marched in, brandishing their weapons and uttering loud shouts and outcries,
3:57:16
which excited first a feeling of astonishment and then of terror among the inhabitants.
3:57:22
The alarm soon spread to the palace. Indeed, the troops themselves soon reached
3:57:28
and surrounded the palace and began thundering at the gates to gain admission. They
3:57:33
soon forced their way in. Hoojaku, in the meantime, terrified and panic
3:57:37
stricken, had fled from the palace into the gardens in hopes to make his
3:57:43
escape by the garden walls. The soldiers pursued him. In his excitement and
3:57:48
agitation, he leaped down from a wall too high for such a descent,
3:57:52
and in the fall broke his leg. He lay writhing helplessly on the ground.
3:57:58
When the soldiers came up, they were wild and furious with the excitement
3:58:03
of pursuit, and they killed him with their spears where he lay. Conki
3:58:07
took the head of his old enemy and carried it to the capital, with
3:58:11
the intention of offering it to the Emperor, and also of surrendering himself to
3:58:18
the officers of justice, in order, as he said, that he might
3:58:22
be put to death for the crime of which he had been guilty in heading
3:58:26
a military revolt and killing his superior officer. By all the laws of war,
3:58:33
this was a most heinous and a wholly unpardonable offense. Conki is pardoned
3:58:39
and promoted, but the Emperor was heartily glad that the turbulent and unmanageable old
3:58:46
general was put out of the way. For a man so unprincipled, so
3:58:50
ambitious, and so reckless as Houjaku was, is always an object of aversion
3:58:56
and terror to all who have anything to do with him. The Emperor accordingly
3:59:03
issued a proclamation in which he declared that Hujaku had been justly put to death
3:59:09
in punishment for many crimes which he had committed, and soon afterward he appointed
3:59:15
Kanqi Commander in chief of the forces in his stead. End of Chapter fifteen,
3:59:22
Chapter sixteen Conquests in China twelve eleven to twelve sixteen war continued, rich
3:59:31
and fertile country, grand invasion simultaneous attack by four armies. After the death
3:59:39
of Hujaku, the Emperor of China endeavored to defend his dominions against Jengas Khan
3:59:46
by means of his other generals, and the war was continued for several years,
3:59:50
during which time Jengas Khan made himself master of all the northern part of
3:59:56
China and ravaged the whole country in the mode most reckless and cruel manner.
4:00:01
The country was very populous and very rich. The people, unlike the Mongols
4:00:07
and Tartars, lived by tilling the ground, and they practiced in great perfection
4:00:11
many manufacturing and mechanic arts. The country was very fertile, and in the
4:00:18
place of the boundless pasturages of the Mongol territories, it was covered in all
4:00:22
directions with cultivated fields, gardens, orchards, and mulberry groves. While thriving
4:00:30
villages and busy towns were scattered over the whole face of it. It was
4:00:35
to protect this busy hive of wealth and industry that the Great Wall had been
4:00:41
built ages before, For the Chinese had always been stationary, industrious, and
4:00:46
peaceful, while the territories of Central Asia lying to the north of them had
4:00:52
been filled from time immemorial with wild, roaming and unscrupulous troops of marauders,
4:00:58
like those who were now united under the banner of Jengas Khan. The Wall
4:01:03
had afforded for some hundreds of years and adequate protection, for no commander had
4:01:09
appeared of sufficient power to organize and combine the various hordes on a scale great
4:01:16
enough to enable them to force so strong a barrier. But now that Jengas
4:01:22
Khan had come upon the stage, the barrier was broken through, and the
4:01:26
terrible and reckless hordes poured in with all the force and fury of an inundation.
4:01:33
In the year twelve fourteen, which was the year following that in which
4:01:37
Hujaku was killed, Jengas Khan organized a force so large for the invasion of
4:01:43
China that he divided it into four different battalions, which were to enter by
4:01:48
different roads and ravage different portions of the country. Each of these divisions was
4:01:54
by itself a great and powerful army, and the simultaneous inn invasion of four
4:02:01
such masses of reckless and merciless enemies filled the whole land with terror and dismay.
4:02:09
Enthusiasm of the troops. The Chinese Emperor sent the best bodies of troops
4:02:13
under his command to guard the passes in the mountains, and the bridges and
4:02:18
fording places on the rivers, hoping in this way to do something towards stemming
4:02:24
the tide of these torrents of invasion. But it was all in vain.
4:02:28
Chenghas Khan had raised and equipped his forces by means in a great measure of
4:02:33
the plunder which he had obtained in China the year before, and he had
4:02:37
made great promises and glowing representations to his men in respect to the booty to
4:02:43
be obtained in this new campaign. The troops were consequently full of ardor and
4:02:50
enthusiasm, and they pressed on with such impetuosity as to carry all before them
4:02:56
captives immense plunder. The Emperor of China, in pursuing his measures of defense,
4:03:03
had ordered all the men capable of bearing arms in the villages and in
4:03:09
the open country, to repair to the nearest large city or fortress, there
4:03:13
to be enrolled and equipped for service. The consequence was that the Mongols found
4:03:18
in many places, as they advanced through the country, nobody but in firm
4:03:24
old men and women and children. In the hamlets and villages. A great
4:03:28
many of these, especially such as seemed to be of most consequence. The
4:03:33
handsomest and best of the women, and the oldest children, they seized and
4:03:39
took with them in continuing their march, intending to make slaves of them,
4:03:43
and also of all the silks and other rich and valuable merchandise which they found,
4:03:50
and distributed it as plunder. The spoil which they obtained, too,
4:03:56
in sheep and cattle, was enormous. From it they made out immense flocks
4:04:01
and herds, which were driven off into the Mongol country. The rest were
4:04:05
slaughtered and used to supply the army with food. Dreadful ravages. It was
4:04:11
the custom of the invaders, after having pillaged a town and its environs and
4:04:16
taken away all which they could convert to any useful purpose for themselves, to
4:04:22
burn the town itself and then to march on, leaving in the place only
4:04:26
a smoking heap of ruins, with the miserable remnant of the population which they
4:04:31
had spared wandering about the scene of desolation. In misery and despair, base
4:04:39
use made of the captives. They made a most cowardly and atrocious use too,
4:04:45
of the prisoners, whom they conveyed away. When they arrived at a
4:04:48
fortified town where there was a garrison or any other armed force prepared to resist
4:04:56
them, they would bring forward these helpless captives and put them them in the
4:05:00
forefront of the battle, in such a manner that the men on the walls
4:05:03
could not shoot their arrows at their savage assailants without killing their own wives and
4:05:09
children. The officers commanded the men to fire, notwithstanding, but they were
4:05:15
so moved by the piteous cries which the women and children made that they could
4:05:20
not bear to do it, and so they refused to obey, And in
4:05:24
the excitement and confusion thus produced, the Mongols easily obtained possession of the town.
4:05:31
Extent of Mongol conquests. There are two great rivers in China, both
4:05:37
of which flow from west to east, and they are at such a distance
4:05:41
from each other and from the frontiers that they divide the territory into three nearly
4:05:46
equal parts. The northernmost of these rivers is the wang Ho. The Mongols,
4:05:52
in the course of two years overran and made themselves masters of almost the
4:05:58
whole country lying north of this river, that is, of about one third
4:06:03
of China proper. There were, however, some strongly fortified towns which they
4:06:07
found it very difficult to conquer. The Siege of Yen King, among other
4:06:13
places, there was the imperial city of yen King, where the Emperor himself
4:06:18
resided, which was so strongly defended that for some time the Mongols did not
4:06:24
venture to attack it. At length. However, Jengas Khan came himself to
4:06:28
the place and concentrated there a very large force. The Emperor and his court
4:06:35
were very much alarmed, expecting an immediate assault. Still, Jengas Khan hesitated.
4:06:41
Some of his generals urged him to scale the walls and so force his
4:06:46
way into the city, but he thought it more politic to adopt a different
4:06:50
plan proposed terms of arrangement, So he sent an officer into the town with
4:06:56
proposals of peace to be communicated to the Emperor in these proposals, Jenkas Khan
4:07:03
said that he himself was inclined to spare the town, but that to appease
4:07:09
his soldiers, who were furious to attack and pillage the city, it would
4:07:13
be necessary to make them considerable presence, and that if the Emperor would agree
4:07:18
to such terms with him as should enable him to satisfy his men in this
4:07:22
respect, he would spare the city and would retire. Difference of opinion.
4:07:28
The Emperor and his advisers were much perplexed at the receipt of this proposal.
4:07:33
There was great difference of opinion among the councilors in respect to the reply which
4:07:39
was to be made to it. Some were in favor of rejecting it at
4:07:43
once. One general, not content with a simple rejection of it, proposed
4:07:48
that to show the indignation and resentment which they felt in receiving it, the
4:07:54
garrison should march out of the gates and attack the Mongols in their camp consultation
4:08:00
on the subject. There were other ministers, however, who urged the Emperor
4:08:03
to submit to the necessity of the case and make peace with the conqueror.
4:08:09
They said that the idea of going out to attack the enemy in their camp
4:08:13
was too desperate to be entertained for a moment, And if they waited within
4:08:18
the walls and attempted to defend themselves there, they exposed themselves to a terrible
4:08:22
danger, without any countervailing hope of advantage at all commensurate with it. For
4:08:30
if they failed to save the city, they were all utterly and irretrievably ruined.
4:08:35
And if, on the other hand, they succeeded in repelling the assault,
4:08:39
it was only a brief respite that they could hope to gain, for
4:08:43
the Mongols would soon return, in greater numbers and in a higher state of
4:08:48
excitement and fury than ever. Besides, they said, the garrison was discontented
4:08:52
and depressed in spirit, and would make but a feeble resistance. It was
4:08:58
composed mainly of troops brought in from the country, away from their families and
4:09:03
homes, and all that they desired was to be released from duty in order
4:09:09
that they might go and see what had become of their wives and children.
4:09:13
The conditions accepted, terms of peace agreed upon. The Emperor in the end
4:09:18
adopted this council, and he sent a commissioner to the camp of Jengas Khan
4:09:24
to ask on what terms peace could be made. Jengas Khan stated the conditions.
4:09:30
They were very hard, but the emperor was compelled to submit to them.
4:09:33
One of the stipulations was that Jengas Khan was to receive one of the
4:09:39
Chinese princesses, a daughter of the late Emperor yong Si, to add to
4:09:43
the number of his wives. There were also to be delivered to him for
4:09:48
slaves five hundred young boys and as many girls, three thousand horses, a
4:09:54
large quantity of silk, and an immense sum of money. As soon as
4:09:58
these conditions were fulfilled, after dividing the slaves and the booty among the officers
4:10:03
and soldiers of his army, Jengas Khan raised the siege and moved off to
4:10:09
the northward. In respect to the captives that his soldiers had taken in the
4:10:13
towns and villages, the women and children spoken of above, the army carried
4:10:18
off with them all that were old enough to be of any value as slaves.
4:10:24
The little children who would only they thought be in the way they massacred.
4:10:30
The Emperor's uneasiness consultations, the emperor was by no means easy. After
4:10:35
the Mongol army had gone. A marauding enemy like that bought off by the
4:10:41
payment of a ransom is exceedingly apt to find some pretext for returning, and
4:10:46
the emperor did not feel that he was safe. Very soon after the Mongols
4:10:52
had withdrawn, he proposed to his council the plan of removing his court southward
4:10:56
to the other side of the wang Ho, to a large city in the
4:11:01
province of Henan. Some of his councilors made great objections to this proposal.
4:11:07
They said that if the Emperor withdrew in that manner from the northern provinces,
4:11:13
that portion of his empire would be irretrievably lost. Djengas Khan would soon obtain
4:11:18
complete and undisputed possession of the whole of it. The proper course to be
4:11:24
adopted, they said, was to remain and make a firm stand in defense
4:11:28
of the capital and of the country. They must levy new troops, repair
4:11:33
the fortifications, recruit the garrison, and lay in supplies of food and other
4:11:39
military stores, and thus prepare themselves for a vigorous and efficient resistance in case
4:11:45
the enemy should return. But the Emperor could not be persuaded. He said
4:11:50
that the treasury was exhausted, the troops were discouraged, the cities around the
4:11:54
capital were destroyed, and the whole country was so depopulated by the devastations of
4:12:01
the Mongols that no considerable number of fresh levies could be obtained, and that
4:12:07
consequently the only safe course for the government to pursue was to retire to the
4:12:11
southward beyond the river. He would, however, he added, leave his
4:12:16
son with a strong garrison to defend the capital. Abandonment of the capital revolt
4:12:24
of the guards. He accordingly took with him a few favorites of his immediate
4:12:28
family and a small body of troops, and commenced his journey, a journey
4:12:33
which was considered by all the people as a base and a noble flight.
4:12:39
He involved himself in endless troubles by this step. A revolt broke out on
4:12:43
the way among the guards who accompanied him. One of the generals who headed
4:12:48
the revolt sent a messenger to Jengas Khan, informing him of the emperor's abandonment
4:12:54
of his capital and offering to go over with all the troops under his command
4:13:00
to the service of Jengas Khan. If Jengas Khan would receive him the siege
4:13:05
of the capital renewed. When Jengas Khan heard thus of the retreat of the
4:13:09
Emperor from his capital, he was, or pretended to be much incensed.
4:13:16
He considered the proceeding as in some sense an act of hostility against himself,
4:13:22
and as such an infraction of the treaty and a renewal of the war.
4:13:26
So he immediately ordered one of his leading generals, a certain chieftain named Mingan,
4:13:33
to proceed southward at the head of a large army and lay siege to
4:13:37
Yen King again. The old Emperor, who seems now to have lost all
4:13:43
spirit and to have given himself up entirely to despondency and fear, was greatly
4:13:48
alarmed for the safety of his son, the Prince, whom he had left
4:13:52
in command at Yen King. He immediately sent orders to his son to leave
4:13:58
the city and come to him. The departure of the prince in obedience to
4:14:03
these orders, of course, threw an additional gloom over the city, and
4:14:07
excited still more the general discontent which the Emperor's conduct had awakened. One Yen
4:14:15
and mon Yen their perplexity, the prince, on his departure left two generals
4:14:20
in command of the garrison. Their names were Wan Yen and Mon Yen.
4:14:26
They were left to defend the city as well as they could from the army
4:14:31
of Mongols under Mingen, which was now rapidly drawing near. The generals were
4:14:37
greatly embarrassed and perplexed with the difficulties of their situation. The means of defense
4:14:43
at their disposal were wholly inadequate, and they knew not what to do.
4:14:48
Suicide proposed at length. One of them, one Yen, proposed to the
4:14:52
other that they should kill themselves. This Mon Yen refused to do. Manyen,
4:15:00
the commander on whom the troops chiefly relied, and he considered suicide a
4:15:05
mode of deserting one's post, scarcely less dishonorable than any other. He said
4:15:11
that his duty was to stand by his troops, and if he could not
4:15:16
defend them where they were, to endeavor to draw them away while there was
4:15:20
an opportunity to a place of safety. One Yen in despair. So one
4:15:26
Yen, finding his proposal rejected, went away in a rage. He retired
4:15:31
to his apartment and wrote a despatch to the emperor, in which he explained
4:15:37
the desperate condition of affairs and the impossibility of saving the city, and in
4:15:41
the end declared himself deserving of death for not being able to accomplish the work
4:15:46
which his Majesty had assigned to him. He enveloped and sealed this dispatch,
4:15:52
and then, calling his domestics together, he divided among them in a very
4:15:58
calm and composed manner all his personal effects, and then took leave of them
4:16:03
and dismissed them his suicide. A single officer only now remained with him.
4:16:10
In the presence of this officer, he wrote a few words and then sent
4:16:14
him away. As soon as the officer had gone, he drank a cup
4:16:18
of poison which he had previously ordered to be prepared for him, and in
4:16:22
a few minutes was a lifeless corpse. Monyen's plan petition of the wives.
4:16:30
In the meantime, the other General Monyen, had been making preparations to leave
4:16:34
the city. His plan was to take with him such troops as might be
4:16:40
serviceable to the Emperor, but to leave all the inmates of the palace,
4:16:44
as well as the inhabitants of the city, to their fate. Among the
4:16:48
people of the palace were it seems a number of the emperor's wives whom he
4:16:53
had left behind at the time of his own flight, he having taken with
4:16:57
him at that time only if few of the more favored ones. These women,
4:17:02
who were left when they heard that mon Yen was intending to abandon the
4:17:07
city with a view of joining the emperor in the south, came to him
4:17:11
in a body and begged him to take them with him sacking of the city
4:17:15
by Mingen in order to relieve himself of their solicitations. He said that he
4:17:22
would do so, but he added that he must leave the city himself with
4:17:26
the guards to prepare the way, and that he would return immediately for them.
4:17:32
They were satisfied with this promise and returned to the palace to prepare for
4:17:36
the journey. Mon Yen at once left the city, and very soon after
4:17:41
he had gone, Mingan, the Mongol general, arrived at the gates,
4:17:45
and, meeting with no effectual resistance, he easily forced his way in,
4:17:51
and a scene of universal terror and confusion ensued. The soldiers spread themselves over
4:17:56
the city in search of plunder and kill all who came in their way.
4:18:02
They plundered the palace and then set it on fire. So extensive was the
4:18:07
edifice, and so vast were the stores of clothing and other valuables which it
4:18:11
contained. Even after all the treasures which could be made available to the conquerors
4:18:17
had been taken away, that the fire continued to burn among the ruins for
4:18:22
a month or more. Massacres. What became of the unhappy women who were
4:18:27
so cruelly deceived by Monnen in respect to their hopes of escape does not directly
4:18:33
appear. They doubtless perished with the other inhabitants of the city in the general
4:18:40
massacre. Soldiers at such a time, while engaged in the sack and plunder
4:18:45
of a city, are always excited to a species of insane fury, and
4:18:49
take a savage delight in thrusting their pikes into all that come in their way.
4:18:56
Fate of Monyen. Mognene excused himself when he arrived at the quarters of
4:19:00
the Emperor for having thus abandoned the women to their fate. By the alleged
4:19:06
impossibility of saving them. He could not have succeeded, he said, in
4:19:11
effecting his own retreat and that of the troops who went with him, If
4:19:15
he had been encumbered in his movements by such a company of women. The
4:19:19
Emperor accepted this excuse and seemed to be satisfied with it, though not long
4:19:25
afterward Manyen was accused of conspiracy against the Emperor and was put to death.
4:19:30
Treasures Mingan took possession of the Imperial treasury, where he found great stores of
4:19:37
silk, and also of gold and silver plate. All these things he sent
4:19:41
to Jengas Khan, who remained still at the north at a grand encampment,
4:19:47
which he had made in tartary conquests extended governors appointed after this, other campaigns
4:19:55
were fought by Jengas Khan in China, in the course of which he extended
4:19:59
his conquests still farther to the southward, and made himself master of a very
4:20:04
great extent of country. After confirming these conquests, he selected from among such
4:20:11
Chinese officers as were disposed to enter into his service suitable persons to be appointed
4:20:17
governors of the provinces, and in this way annexed them to his dominions.
4:20:22
These officers, thus transferring their allegiance from the emperor to him, and covenanting
4:20:29
to send to him the tribute which they should annually collect from their respective dominions.
4:20:34
Everything being thus settled in this quarter, Jenghas Khan next turned his attention
4:20:41
to the western frontiers of his empire, where the Tartar and Mongol territory bordered
4:20:47
on Turkestan and the dominions of the Mohammedan's end of Chapter sixteen, Chapter seventeen
4:20:56
the Sultan Mohammad twelve seventeen. The portion of China which Jengas Khan had added
4:21:03
to his dominions by the conquest described in the last chapter was called Katai,
4:21:10
and the possession of it, added to the extensive territories which were previously under
4:21:15
his sway, made his empire very vast. The country which he now held
4:21:22
either under his direct government or as tributary provinces and kingdoms, extended north and
4:21:27
south through the whole interior of Asia, and from the shores of the Japan
4:21:33
and China seas on the east nearly to the Caspian Sea on the west,
4:21:38
a distance of nearly three thousand miles. Beyond his western limits lay Turkestan and
4:21:45
other countries governed by the Mohammedans. Among the other Mohammadan princes, there was
4:21:52
a certain Sultan Mohammed, a great and very powerful sovereign who reigned over an
4:21:59
extensive reggion in the neighborhood of the Caspian Sea. Though the principal seat of
4:22:04
his power was a country called Charism. He was, in consequence sometimes styled
4:22:11
Mohammed Charism. It might perhaps have been expected that Jengas Khan, having subdued
4:22:18
all the rivals within his reach in the eastern part of Asia, and being
4:22:23
strong and secure in the possession of his power, would have found some pretext
4:22:30
for making war upon the Sultan, with a view of conquering his territories too,
4:22:34
and adding the countries bordering on the Caspian to his dominions. But for
4:22:41
some reason or other he concluded in this instance to adopt a different policy.
4:22:47
Whether it was that he was tired of war and wished for repose, or
4:22:52
whether the Sultan's dominions were too remote or his power too great to make it
4:22:57
prudent to attack him. He determined on sending an embassy instead of an army,
4:23:03
with a view of proposing to the Sultan a treaty of friendship and alliance.
4:23:10
The time when this embassy was sent was in the year twelve seventeen,
4:23:15
and the name of the principal ambassador was Makinut Macanut set out on his mission,
4:23:22
accompanied by a large retinue of attendants and guards. The journey occupied several
4:23:27
weeks, but at length he arrived in the Sultan's dominions. Soon after his
4:23:33
arrival he was admitted to an audience of the Sultan, and there, accompanied
4:23:38
by his own secretaries and in the presence of all the chief officers of the
4:23:44
Sultan's court, he delivered his message. He gave an account in his speech
4:23:48
of the recent victories which his sovereign Jengus Khan had won, and of the
4:23:55
great extension which his empire had in consequence attained. He was now become master,
4:24:02
he said, of all the countries of Central Asia, from the eastern
4:24:06
extremity of the continent up to the frontiers of the Sultan's dominions. And having
4:24:11
thus become the Sultan's neighbor, he was desirous of entering into a treaty of
4:24:17
amity and alliance with him, which would be obviously for the mutual interest of
4:24:22
both. He had accordingly been sent an ambassador to the Sultan's court to propose
4:24:29
such an alliance. In offering it the Emperor, he said, was actuated
4:24:34
by a feeling of the sincerest goodwill. He wished the Sultan to consider him
4:24:41
as a father, and he would look upon the Sultan as a son.
4:24:45
According to the patriarchal ideas of government which prevailed in those days, the relation
4:24:51
of father to son involved not merely the idea of a tie of affection connecting
4:24:57
and older with a younger person, but it implied something of pre eminence and
4:25:03
authority on the one part, and dependence and subjection on the other. Perhaps
4:25:08
Jengas Khan did not mean his proposition to be understood in this sense, but
4:25:15
made it solely in reference to the disparity between his own and the Sultan's years,
4:25:21
for he was himself now becoming considerably advanced in life. However this may
4:25:26
be, the Sultan was at first not at all pleased with the proposition in
4:25:32
the form in which the ambassador made it. He, however, listened quietly
4:25:37
to Macinett's words and said nothing until the public audience was ended. He then
4:25:44
took Macinet alone into another apartment in order to have some quiet conversation with him.
4:25:51
He first asked him to tell him the exact state of the case in
4:25:55
respect to all the pretended victories which Jengas Khan had gained, and in order
4:26:00
to propitiate him and induce him to reveal the honest truth, he made him
4:26:07
a present of a rich scarf splendidly adorned with jewels. How is it said,
4:26:12
he has the Emperor really made all those conquests, and is his empire
4:26:18
as extensive and powerful as he pretends? Tell me the honest truth about it.
4:26:25
What I have told, your majesty is the honest truth about it,
4:26:29
replied Macinet, my master, the Emperor is as powerful as I have represented
4:26:33
him, and this your Majesty will soon find out in case you come to
4:26:40
have any difficulty with him. This bold and defiant language on the part of
4:26:45
the ambassador greatly increased the irritation which the Sultan felt before. He seemed much
4:26:52
incensed and replied in a very angry manner, I know not what your master
4:26:56
means, said he by sending such messages to me telling me of the provinces
4:27:03
that he has conquered and boasting of his power, or upon what ground he
4:27:08
pretends to be greater than I and expects that I shall honor him as my
4:27:14
father, and be content to be treated by him only as his son.
4:27:18
Is he so very great a personage as this. Macknat now found that perhaps
4:27:25
he had spoken a little too plainly, and he began immediately to soften and
4:27:30
modify what he had said, and to compliment the Sultan himself, who,
4:27:34
as he was well aware, was really superior in power and glory to Jengis
4:27:41
Khan, notwithstanding the great extension to which the empire of the latter had recently
4:27:47
attained. He also begged that the Sultan would not be angry with him for
4:27:52
delivering the message with which he had been entrusted. He was only a servant,
4:27:56
he said, and he was bound to open bay the orders of his
4:28:00
master. He assured the Sultan moreover, that if any unfavorable construction could by
4:28:07
possibility be put upon the language which the Emperor had used, no such meaning
4:28:12
was designed on his part, but that in sending the embassage and in everything
4:28:18
connected with it, the Emperor had acted with the most friendly and honorable intentions.
4:28:26
By means of conciliating language like this, the Sultan was at length appeased,
4:28:30
and he finally was induced to agree to everything which the ambassador proposed.
4:28:37
A treaty of peace and commerce was drawn up and signed, and after everything
4:28:42
was concluded, Macnet returned to the Mongol country loaded with presents, some of
4:28:48
which were for himself and his attendants, and others were for Jengis Khan.
4:28:53
He was accompanied to by a caravan of merchants, who, in consequence of
4:28:59
the new treaty were going into the country of Jengas Khan with their goods to
4:29:03
see what they could do in the new market thus opened to them. This
4:29:07
caravan traveled in company with Macnet on his return in order to avail themselves of
4:29:14
the protection which the guard had attended him could afford in passing through the intervening
4:29:18
countries. These countries being filled with hordes of Tartars who were very little under
4:29:25
the dominion of law, it would have been unsafe for a caravan of rich
4:29:30
merchandise to pass through them without an escort. Jengas Khan was greatly pleased with
4:29:36
the result of his embassy. He was also much gratified with the presence that
4:29:41
the Sultan had sent him, which consisted of costly stuffs for garments, beautiful
4:29:47
and highly wrought arms, precious stones, and other similar articles. He welcomed
4:29:52
the merchants too, and opened facilities for them to travel freely throughout his dominions
4:29:57
and dispose of their goods. In order that future caravans might go and come
4:30:03
at all times in safety, he established guards along the roads between his country
4:30:07
and that of the Sultan. These guards occupied fortresses built at convenient places along
4:30:14
the way, and especially at the crossing places on the rivers and in the
4:30:18
passes of the mountains, and their orders were given to these guards to scour
4:30:23
the country in every direction around their respective posts in order to keep it clear
4:30:29
of robbers. Whenever a band of robbers was formed, the soldiers hunted them
4:30:34
from one lurking place to another until they were exterminated. In this way,
4:30:40
after a short time, the country became perfectly safe, and the caravans of
4:30:45
merchants could go and come with the richest goods and even with treasures of gold
4:30:49
and silver, without any fear. At first, it would seem some of
4:30:55
the merchants from the countries of Mohammet asked too much for their goods. At
4:31:00
least, a story is told of a company who came very soon after the
4:31:03
opening of the treaty and who offered their goods first to Djengis Khan himself.
4:31:08
But they asked such high prices for them that he was astonished, I suppose,
4:31:15
said he. By your asking such prices as these, you imagine that
4:31:18
I have never bought any goods before. He then took them to see his
4:31:22
treasures and showed them over a thousand large chests filled with valuables of every description,
4:31:30
gold and silver, utensils, rich silks, arms and accouterments specially adorned
4:31:36
with precious stones, and other such commodities. He told them that he showed
4:31:41
them these things in order that they might see that he had had some experience
4:31:47
in respect to dealings in merchandise of that sort before, and knew something of
4:31:52
its just value, And that since they had been so exorbitant in their demands,
4:31:56
presuming probably upon the ignorant of those whom they came to deal with,
4:32:02
he should send them back with all their goods and not allow them to sell
4:32:06
them anywhere in his dominions at any price. This threat he put in execution.
4:32:12
The merchants were obliged to go back without selling any of their goods at
4:32:18
all. The next company of merchants that came having heard of the adventure of
4:32:22
the others, determined to act on a different principle. Accordingly, when they
4:32:27
came into the presence of the Khan with their goods, and he asked them
4:32:30
the prices of some of them, they replied that his Majesty might himself fix
4:32:37
the price of the articles, as he was a far better judge of the
4:32:41
value of such things than they were. Indeed, they added that if his
4:32:45
Majesty chose to take them without paying anything at all, he was welcome to
4:32:51
do so. This answer pleased the Emperor very much. He paid them double
4:32:56
price for the articles which he selected from their stores, and he granted them
4:33:00
peculiar privileges in respect to trading with his subjects while they remained in his dominions.
4:33:07
The trade which was thus opened between the dominions of the Sultan and those
4:33:11
of Jengas Khan was not, however, wholly in the hands of merchants coming
4:33:15
from the former country. Soon after the coming of the caravan last mentioned,
4:33:22
Jengas Khan fitted out a company of merchants from his own country, who were
4:33:26
to go into the country of the Sultan, taking with them such articles the
4:33:30
products of the country of the Mongols, as they might hope to find a
4:33:34
market for there. There were four principal merchants, but they were attended by
4:33:40
a great number of assistants, servants, camel drivers, et cetera, so
4:33:45
that the whole company formed quite a large caravan. Jengas Khan sent with them
4:33:49
three ambassadors, who were to present to the Sultan renewed assurances of the friendly
4:33:56
feelings which he entertained for him, and of his desire to encourage and promote
4:34:00
as much as possible the commercial intercourse between the two countries which had been so
4:34:07
happily begun. The three ambassadors whom Jengas Khan selected for this service were themselves
4:34:14
Mohammedans. He had several persons of this faith among the officers of his court.
4:34:18
Although the Mongols had a national religion of their own which was very different
4:34:23
from that of the Mohammedans. Still all forms of worship were tolerated in Jengas
4:34:30
Khan's dominions, and the emperor was accustomed to take good officers into his service
4:34:36
wherever he could find them, without paying any regard to the nature of their
4:34:40
religious belief so far as their general duties were concerned. But now In sending
4:34:45
this deputation to the Sultan, he selected the ambassadors from among the Mohammedans of
4:34:51
his court, thinking that it would please the Sultan better to receive his message
4:34:56
through persons of his own religious faith. Besides, the three persons whom he
4:35:00
appointed were natives of Turkestan, and they were of course well acquainted with the
4:35:06
language of the country and with the country itself. Besides the merchants and the
4:35:11
ambassadors, Jenghas Khan gave permission to each of his wives, and also to
4:35:17
each of the great lords of his court, to send a servant or messenger
4:35:21
with the caravan, to select and purchase for their masters and mistresses whatever they
4:35:26
might find most curious or useful in the Mohammedan cities which the caravan might visit.
4:35:33
The lords and ladies were all very glad to avail themselves of the opportunity
4:35:37
thus afforded them. All these persons, The ambassadors and their suite, the
4:35:42
merchants and their servants, and the special messengers sent by the lords and ladies
4:35:47
of the court, formed, as may well be supposed, a very numerous
4:35:52
company. It is said that the caravan, when ready to commence its march
4:35:56
contained no less than four hundred and fifty persons. Everything being at last made
4:36:03
ready, the caravans set out on its long journey. It was accompanied by
4:36:07
a suitable escort, and in order to provide still more effectually for the safety
4:36:12
of the rich merchandise and the valuable lives committed to it, Jengas Khan sent
4:36:18
on orders beforehand to all the military stations on the way, directing the captains
4:36:25
to double the guard on their respective sections of the road while the caravan was
4:36:29
passing. By means of these and other similar precautions, the expedition accomplished the
4:36:34
journey in safety and arrived without any misfortune in the Mohammedan country. Very serious
4:36:41
misfortunes, however, awaited them there immediately after their arrival, arising out of
4:36:48
a train of events which had been for some time in progress, and which
4:36:52
I must now go back a little to describe. It seems that some difference
4:36:57
had arisen some time before this between the Sultan Mohammad and the Caliph of Baghdad,
4:37:03
who was the great head of the Mohammedan power. Mohammad applied to the
4:37:07
Caliph to grant him certain privileges and powers which had occasionally been bestowed on other
4:37:14
sultans who had rendered great services to the Mohammedan Empire. He claimed that he
4:37:19
had merited these rewards by the services which he had rendered. He had conquered,
4:37:26
he said, more than one hundred princes and chieftains, and had cut
4:37:30
off their heads and annexed their territories to his dominions, thus greatly enlarging and
4:37:36
extending the Mohammedan power. Mohammed made this demand of the Caliph through the medium
4:37:41
of an ambassador, whom he sent to Baghdad. The Caliph, after hearing
4:37:47
what the ambassador had to say, refused to comply. He said that the
4:37:51
services which Mohammad had rendered were not of sufficient importance and value to merit the
4:37:56
honors and privileges which Mohammed demanded. But although he thus declined complying with Mohammad's
4:38:03
request, he showed a disposition to treat the Sultan himself with all proper deference
4:38:10
by sending an ambassador of his own to accompany Mohammad's ambassador on his return,
4:38:15
with instructions to communicate their reply, which the Caliph felt bound to make in
4:38:21
a respectful and courteous manner. Mohammad received the Caliph's ambassador very honorably, and
4:38:27
in his presence concealed the anger which the answer of the Caliph excited in his
4:38:33
mind. As soon as the ambassador was gone, however, he convened a
4:38:37
grand council of all the great chieftains and generals and ministers of state in his
4:38:42
dominions, and announced to them his determination to raise an army and march to
4:38:48
Baghdad with a view of deposing the Caliph and reigning in his stead. The
4:38:55
great personages assembled at the council were very ready to enter into this scheme,
4:39:00
for they knew that if it was successful, there would be a great many
4:39:03
honors and a great deal of booty that would fall to their share in the
4:39:08
final distribution of the spoil. So they all engaged with great zeal in aiding
4:39:15
the Sultan to form and equip his army. In due time, the expedition
4:39:19
was ready and the Sultan commenced his march, But as often happens in such
4:39:25
cases, the preparations had been hindered by various causes of delay, and it
4:39:30
was too late in the season when the army began to move. The forces
4:39:34
moved slowly too, after they commenced their march, so that the winter came
4:39:38
on while they were among the passes of the mountains. The winter was unusually
4:39:44
severe, and the troops suffered so much from the frosts and the reins,
4:39:48
and from the various hardships to which they were in consequence exposed, that the
4:39:53
Sultan found it impossible to go on. He was consequently obliged to return and
4:40:00
begin his work over again. And the worst of it was that the Caliph
4:40:03
was now aware of his designs and would be able He knew before the next
4:40:08
season to take effectual measures to defend himself. When the Caliph heard of the
4:40:14
misfortunes which had befallen the Sultan's army and his narrow escape from the dangers of
4:40:21
a formidable invasion, he was at first overjoyed, and he resolved at once
4:40:26
on making war upon the rebellious Sultan. In forming his plans for the campaign,
4:40:32
the idea occurred to him of endeavoring to incite Jengas Khan to invade the
4:40:37
Sultan's dominions from the east, while he himself attacked him from the west.
4:40:42
For Baghdad, the capital of the Caliph was to the westward of the Sultan's
4:40:47
country, as the empire of the Mongols was to the eastward of it.
4:40:52
But when the caliph proposed his plan to his councilors, some of them objected
4:40:56
to it very strenuously. The Sultan and the people of his country were,
4:41:02
like the caliph himself, Mohammedans, while the Mongols were of another religion altogether,
4:41:08
or as the Mohammedans called them, unbelievers or infidels. And the councilors
4:41:14
who objected to the caliph's proposal said that it would be very wrong to bring
4:41:18
the enemies of God into the country of the faithful to guard against a present
4:41:23
and temporary danger, and thereby perhaps in the end occasioned the ruin both of
4:41:30
their religion and their empire. It would be an impious deed, they thought,
4:41:36
thus, to bring in a horde of barbarian infidels to wage war with
4:41:40
them against their brethren. To this, the Caliph replied that the emergency was
4:41:45
so critical that they were justified in availing themselves of any means that offered to
4:41:51
save themselves from the ruin with which they were threatened. And as to the
4:41:56
possibility that Jengas Khan, if admitted to the country as their ally, would
4:42:00
in the end turn his armies against them. He said that they must watch
4:42:06
and take measures to guard against such a danger. Besides, he would rather
4:42:10
have an open unbeliever like jings Khan for a foe than a Mohammedan traitor and
4:42:15
rebel like the Sultan. He added moreover that he did not believe that the
4:42:21
Mongol Emperor felt any animosity or ill will against the Mohammedans or against their faith.
4:42:27
It was evident, indeed, that he did not, for he had
4:42:30
a great many Mohammedans in his dominions, and he allowed them to live there
4:42:36
without molestation. He even had Mohammedan officers of very high rank in his court.
4:42:41
So it was finally decided to send a message and invite him to join
4:42:47
the Caliph in making war on the Sultan. The difficulty was now to contrive
4:42:52
some means by which this message could be conveyed through the Sultan's territories, which
4:42:57
of course lay between the dominions of the Caliph and those of Jengis Khan.
4:43:03
To accomplish this purpose, the Caliph resorted to a very singular device. Instead
4:43:08
of writing his communication in a letter. He caused it to be pricked with
4:43:12
a needle and some indigo, by a sort of tattooing process upon the messenger's
4:43:18
head in such a manner that it was concealed by his hair. The messenger
4:43:23
was then disguised as a countryman and sent forth. He succeeded in accomplishing the
4:43:30
journey in safety, and when he arrived, Jengas Khan had only to cause
4:43:34
his head to be shaved when the inscription containing the Caliph's proposal to him at
4:43:40
once became legible. This method of making the communication was considered very safe,
4:43:47
for even if from any accident the man had been intercepted on the way on
4:43:52
suspicion of being a messenger, the Sultan's men would have found nothing in searching
4:43:56
him to confirm their suspicions, or it is not at all probable that they
4:44:02
would have thought of looking for a letter among his hair. Jengas Khan was
4:44:07
well pleased to receive the proposals of the Caliph, but he sent back word
4:44:11
in reply that he could not at present engage in any hostile movement against the
4:44:17
Sultan on account of the treaty of peace and commerce which he had recently established
4:44:22
with him. So long as the Sultan observed the stipulations of the treaty,
4:44:26
he felt bound in honor. He said not to break it. He knew,
4:44:30
however, He added, that the restless spirit of the Sultan would not
4:44:36
long allow things to remain in the posture they were then in, and that
4:44:41
on the first occasion given he would not fail to declare war against him.
4:44:45
Things were in this state when the grand caravan of merchants and ambassadors which Jengas
4:44:52
Khan had sent arrived at the front tiers of the Sultan's dominions. After passing
4:44:56
the frontier, the first important place which they reached was a city called Otrar.
4:45:03
They were received very courteously by the governor of this place, and were
4:45:07
much pleased with the opportunity afforded them to rest from the fatigues of their long
4:45:12
journey. It seems, however, after all, that the governor's friendship for
4:45:17
his guests was only pretended, for he immediately wrote to the Sultan informing him
4:45:22
that a party of persons had arrived at his city from the Mongol country who
4:45:27
pretended to be merchants and ambassadors, but that he believed that they were spies,
4:45:33
for they were extremely inquisitive about the strength of the garrisons and the state
4:45:37
of the defenses of the country. Generally, he had no doubt. He
4:45:41
added that they were emissaries sent by Jengas Khan to find out the best way
4:45:47
of invading his dominions. One account states that the motive which induced the governor
4:45:52
to make these representations to the Sultan was some offense which he took at the
4:45:57
familiar manner in which he was addressed by one of the ambassadors, who was
4:46:03
a native of Otrar and had known the governor in former times when he was
4:46:07
a private person. Another says that his object was to have the expedition broken
4:46:12
up in order that he might seize for himself the rich merchandise and the valuable
4:46:18
presence which the merchants and ambassadors had in their possession. At any rate,
4:46:23
he wrote to the Sultan denouncing the whole party as foreign emissaries and spies,
4:46:29
and in a short time he received a reply from the Sultan directing him to
4:46:33
put them all to death, or otherwise to deal with them as he thought
4:46:37
proper. So he invited the whole party to a grand entertainment in his palace,
4:46:44
and then, at a given signal, probably after most of them had
4:46:47
become in some measure helpless from the influence of the wine, a body of
4:46:52
his guards rushed in and massacred them all, or rather they attempted to massacre
4:46:57
them all, but one of the merchant's men contrived in the confusion to make
4:47:03
his escape. He succeeded in getting back into the Mongol country, where he
4:47:07
reported what had happened to Jengas Khan. Jengas Khan was greatly exasperated when he
4:47:14
heard these tidings. He immediately called together his sons and all the great lords
4:47:18
and chieftains of his court, and recited to them the story of the massacre
4:47:25
of the merchants in such a manner as to fill their hearts with indignation and
4:47:29
rage, and to inspire them all with a burning thirst for revenge. He
4:47:33
also immediately sent word to the Sultan that, since by so infamous an action
4:47:40
he had violated all the engagements which had subsisted between them, he from that
4:47:45
instant declared himself his mortal enemy, and would take vengeance upon him for his
4:47:52
treacherousness and cruelty by ravaging his country with fire and sword. This message was
4:47:57
sent, it was said, by three ambassadors, whose persons ought to have
4:48:03
been considered sacred according to every principle of international law. But the Sultan,
4:48:07
as soon as they had delivered their message, ordered their heads to be cut
4:48:11
off. This new massacre excited the rage and fury of Jengas Khan to a
4:48:18
higher pitch than ever. For three days, it is said, he neither
4:48:22
ate nor slept, and seemed almost beside himself with mingled vexation, grief and
4:48:29
anger. And afterward he busied himself night and day with the arrangements for assembling
4:48:34
his army and preparing to march, And he allowed himself no rest until everything
4:48:41
was ready. End of Chapter seventeen. Chapter eighteen The War with the Sultan
4:48:48
twelve seventeen to twelve eighteen. Jengas Khan made his preparations for a war on
4:48:56
an immense scale. He sent messengers in every direct to all the princes,
4:49:00
khans, governors, and other chieftains throughout his empire, with letters explaining to
4:49:07
them the cause of the war and ordering them to repair to the places of
4:49:11
rendezvous, which he appointed with all the troops that they could raise. He
4:49:15
gave particular directions in respect to the manner in which the men were to be
4:49:21
armed and equipped. The arms required were the saber, the bow with a
4:49:26
quiver full of arrows, and the battle axe. Each soldier was to also
4:49:30
carry a rope, ropes and cordage, being continually in demand among people living
4:49:37
on horseback and intents. The officers were to wear armor as well as to
4:49:41
carry arms. Those who could afford it were to provide themselves with a complete
4:49:47
coat of mail. The rest were to wear helmets and breastplates only. The
4:49:52
horses were also to be protected, as far as possible by breastplates either of
4:49:57
iron or of leather thids and tough enough to prevent an arrow from penetrating.
4:50:03
When the troops thus called for appeared at the place of rendezvous appointed for them,
4:50:08
Jengas Khan found as is said that he had an army of seven hundred
4:50:14
thousand men. The army being thus assembled, Jingas Khan caused certain rules and
4:50:19
regulations, or articles of war as they might be called, to be drawn
4:50:25
up and promulgated to the troops. One of the rules was that no body
4:50:29
of troops were ever to retreat without first fighting whatever the imminence of the danger
4:50:34
might be. He also ordered that, where a body of men were engaged,
4:50:40
if any subordinate division of them, as one company in a regiment or
4:50:45
one regiment in a battalion, should break ranks and fly before the order for
4:50:49
a retreat should have been given by the proper authority. The rest were to
4:50:53
leave fighting the enemy and attack the portion flying, and kill them all upon
4:50:59
the spot. The Emperor also made formal provision for the event of his dying
4:51:04
in the course of the campaign. In this case, a grand assembly of
4:51:08
all the khans and chieftains of the Empire was to be convened, and then
4:51:14
in the presence of these khans and of his sons, the Constitution and laws
4:51:18
of the Empire as he had established them were to be read, and after
4:51:22
the reading, the assembly were to proceed to the election of a new Khan
4:51:27
according to the forms which the constitution had provided. After all these affairs had
4:51:33
been arranged, Jengas Khan put his army in motion. He was obliged,
4:51:38
of course, to separate it into several grand divisions, and to send the
4:51:42
several divisions forward by different roads and through different sections of the country. So
4:51:48
large a body can never be kept together on a long march on account of
4:51:52
the immense quantity of food that is required both for the horses and the men,
4:51:57
and which must be applied in the main by the country itself which they
4:52:03
traverse, since neither horses nor men can carry food with them for more than
4:52:07
a very few days. Jengas Khan put one of the largest divisions under the
4:52:14
command of his son, Djuki, the prince who distinguished himself so much in
4:52:18
the conflicts by which his father raised himself to the supreme power. Djuki was
4:52:25
ordered to advance with his division through Turkestan, the country where the prince Kushluk
4:52:30
had sought refuge and which still remained in some degree disaffected toward Jengas Khan.
4:52:37
Jengas Khan himself, with the main body of the army, took a more
4:52:41
southerly route, directly toward the dominions of the Sultan. In the meantime,
4:52:47
the Sultan himself had not been idle. He collected together all the forces that
4:52:52
he could command. When they were mustered, the number of men was found
4:52:56
to be four hundred thousand. This was a large army, me though much
4:53:00
smaller than that of Jengas Khan. The sultans set out upon his march with
4:53:04
his troops to meet the invaders. After advancing for some distance, he learned
4:53:11
that the army of Djuki, which had passed through Turkestan, was at the
4:53:15
northward of his position, and he found that by turning in that direction,
4:53:19
he might hope to meet and conquer that part of the Mongol force before it
4:53:25
could have time to join the main body. He determined at once to adopt
4:53:29
this plan. He accordingly turned his course and marched forward into the part of
4:53:34
the country where he supposed Juki to be. At length, he came to
4:53:40
a place where his scouts found near a river a great many dead bodies lying
4:53:45
on the ground. Among the others who had fallen, there was one man
4:53:48
who was wounded, but was not dead. This wounded man told the scouts
4:53:53
that the bodies were those of persons who had been slain by the army of
4:53:57
Djuki, which had just us that way. The Sultan accordingly pressed forward and
4:54:03
soon overtook them. Juki was hastening on in order to join his father.
4:54:10
Ju Ki consulted his generals in respect of what it was best to do.
4:54:14
They advised him to avoid a battle. We are not strong enough, said
4:54:18
they, to encounter alone the whole of the Sultan's army. It is better
4:54:23
that we should retreat, which we can do in an orderly manner, and
4:54:27
thus join the main body before we give the enemy battle. Or if the
4:54:33
Sultan should attempt to pursue us, he cannot keep his army together. In
4:54:37
doing so, they will necessarily become divided into detachments on the road, and
4:54:42
then we can turn and destroy them in detail, which will be a much
4:54:48
surer mode of proceeding than for us to attack them in the mass. Juki
4:54:53
was not willing to follow this advice. What will my father and my brothers
4:54:59
think, said he, when they see us coming to them flying from the
4:55:03
enemy without having fought them, contrary to his express commands. No, we
4:55:08
must stand our ground, trusting to our valor, and do our best.
4:55:12
If we are to die at all, we had better be slain in battle
4:55:17
than in flight. You have done your duty in admonishing me of the danger
4:55:22
we are in, and now it remains for me to do mine in trying
4:55:26
to bring you out of it with honor. So he ordered the army to
4:55:30
halt and to be drawn up in order of battle. The battle was soon
4:55:34
commenced, and it was continued throughout the day. The Mongols, though fewer
4:55:38
in numbers, were superior to their enemies in discipline and in courage, and
4:55:44
the advantage was obviously on their side, though they did not gain a decisive
4:55:48
victory. Toward night, however, the Sultan's troops evinced everywhere a disposition to
4:55:56
give way, and it was with great difficulty that the officers could induce them
4:56:00
to maintain their ground until the darkness came on and put an end to the
4:56:04
conflict. When at length the combatants could no longer see to distinguish friend from
4:56:11
foe, the two armies withdrew to their respective camps and built their fires for
4:56:15
the night. Juki thought that by fighting during this day he had done all
4:56:22
that his father required of him to vindicate the honor of the army, and
4:56:26
that now it would be most prudent to retreat without risking another battle on the
4:56:32
morrow. So he caused fresh supplies of fuel to be put upon the camp
4:56:37
fires in order to deceive the enemy, and then marched out of his camp
4:56:41
in the night with all his men. The next morning, by the time
4:56:45
that the Sultan's troops were again under arms, he had advanced far on his
4:56:49
march to join his father and was beyond their reach. He soon rejoined his
4:56:56
father and was received by him with great joy. Jane As Khan was extremely
4:57:00
pleased with the corps which his son had pursued, and bestowed upon him many
4:57:07
public honors and rewards. After this, other great battles were fought between the
4:57:11
two armies. At one of them, a great trumpet fifteen feet long is
4:57:17
mentioned, among the other martial instruments that were used to excite the men to
4:57:22
ardor in making the charge. In these battles, the Mongols were victorious.
4:57:26
The Sultan, however, still continued to make head as well as he could
4:57:32
against the invaders, until at length he found that he had lost one hundred
4:57:37
and sixty thousand of his men. This was almost half of his army,
4:57:41
and the loss enfeebled him so much that he was convinced that it was useless
4:57:45
for him any longer to resist the Mongols in the open field. So he
4:57:51
sent off his army in detachments to the different towns and fortresses of his kingdom,
4:57:56
ordering the several divisions to shut themselves up and defend themselves as well as
4:58:00
they could in the places assigned to them, until better times should return.
4:58:07
The Sultan, however, did not seek shelter in this way for himself.
4:58:11
He selected from his troope a certain portion of those who were most active and
4:58:15
alert and were best mounted, and formed of them a sort of flying squadron,
4:58:21
with which he could move rapidly from place to place through the country wherever
4:58:25
his aid might be most required. Jengas Khan, of course, now prepared
4:58:30
to attack the cities where the several divisions of the Sultan's army had entrenched themselves.
4:58:36
He wished first to get possession of Otrar, which was the place where
4:58:41
the ambassadors and the merchants had been massacred. But the city was not very
4:58:45
large, and so instead of marching toward it himself, he gave the charge
4:58:51
of capturing it to two of his younger sons, whom he sent off for
4:58:55
the purpose at the head of a suitable detachment. He himself self, with
4:59:00
the main body, set off upon a march toward the cities of Samarcand and
4:59:04
Bokhara, which were the great central cities of the Sultan's dominions. End of
4:59:11
chapter eighteen, Chapter nineteen, The Fall of Bokhara twelve hundred seventeen to twelve
4:59:18
hundred nineteen. Bokhara was a great and beautiful city. It was situated in
4:59:25
the midst of a very fine and fertile country, in a position very favorable
4:59:32
for the trade and commerce of those days. It was also a great seat
4:59:37
of learning and of the arts and sciences. It contained many institutions in which
4:59:42
were taught such arts and sciences as were then cultivated, and students resorted to
4:59:48
it from all the portions of Western Asia. The city proper was enclosed with
4:59:55
a strong wall. Besides this, there was an outer wall thirty miles in
5:00:00
circumference, which enclosed the suburbs of the town, and also a beautiful region
5:00:07
of parks and gardens which contained the public places of amusement and the villas of
5:00:12
the wealthy inhabitants. It was this peaceful seat of industry and wealth that Jengas
5:00:19
Khan, with his hordes of ruthless barbarians, was coming now to sack and
5:00:26
plunder. The first city which the Mongols reached on their march toward Bokhara was
5:00:32
one named Zarnuk. In approaching it, a large troop rode up toward the
5:00:37
walls, uttering terrific shouts and outcries. The people shut the gates in great
5:00:42
terror. Jenga's Khan, however, sent an officer to them to say that
5:00:48
it was useless for them to attempt to resist him, and to advise them
5:00:53
to surrender at once. They must demolish their citadel, he said, and
5:00:59
send out all the young and able bodied men to Jengas Khan. The officer
5:01:04
advised them too to send out presents to Jengas Khan as an additional means of
5:01:11
propitiating him and inducing him to spare the town. The inhabitants yielded to this
5:01:18
advice. The gates were thrown open. All the young men who were capable
5:01:22
of bearing arms were marshaled and marched out to the Mongol camp. They were
5:01:27
accompanied by the older men among the inhabitants, who took with them the best
5:01:33
that the town contained for presents. Jengas Khan accepted the presence, ordered the
5:01:40
young men to be enrolled in his army, and then dismissing the older ones
5:01:45
in peace, he resumed his march and went on his way. He next
5:01:49
came to a town named Nur. One of the men from Zarnak served as
5:01:55
a guide to show the detachment which was sent to summon the city a near
5:02:00
way to reach it. Nur was a sort of sacred town, having many
5:02:06
holy places in it, which were resorted to by many pilgrims and other devotees.
5:02:12
The people of Nur shut the gates and for some time refused to surrender,
5:02:18
but at last, finding that it was useless to attempt to resist,
5:02:22
they opened the gates and allowed the Mongols to come in. Jengas Khan to
5:02:27
punish the inhabitants, as he said, for even thinking of resisting him,
5:02:33
set aside a supply of cattle and other provisions to keep them from starving,
5:02:40
and then gave up all the rest of the property found in the town to
5:02:44
be divided among his soldiers as plunder. At length, the army reached the
5:02:48
great plain in which Bokharil was situated and encamped before the town. Bogharil was
5:02:56
very large and very populous, as may well be opposed from its outer wall
5:03:02
of thirty miles in circuit, and Jengas Khan did not expect to make himself
5:03:07
master of it. Without considerable difficulty and delay. He was, however,
5:03:12
very intent on besieging and taking it, not only on account of the general
5:03:18
wealth and importance of the place, but also because he supposed that the Sultan
5:03:25
himself was at this time within the walls. He had heard that the Sultan
5:03:30
had retreated there with his flying squadron, taking with him all his treasure.
5:03:37
This was, however, a mistake. The Sultan was not there. He
5:03:41
had gone there, it is true, at first, and had taken with
5:03:45
him the most valuable of his treasures. But before Jengas Khan arrived, he
5:03:51
had secretly withdrawn to Samarkand, thinking that he might be safer there. In
5:03:57
truth, the Sultan was beginning to be very much disheartened and discouraged. Among
5:04:03
other things which occurred to disturb his mind, certain letters were found and brought
5:04:07
to him as if they had been intercepted. Which letters gave accounts of a
5:04:12
conspiracy among his officers to desert him and go over to the side of Jengas
5:04:18
Khan. These letters were not signed, and the Sultan could not discover who
5:04:23
had written them, But the pretended conspiracy which they revealed filled his soul with
5:04:30
anxiety and distress. It was only a pretended conspiracy after all, for the
5:04:37
letters were written by a man in Jengis Khan's camp and with Jengis Khan's permission
5:04:44
or connivance. This man was a Mohammedan and had been in the Sultan's service.
5:04:49
But the Sultan had put to death his father and his brothers on account
5:04:53
of some alleged offense, and he had become so incensed at the act that
5:05:00
he had deserted to Jengas Khan. And now he was determined to do his
5:05:04
former sovereign all the mischief in his power. His intimate knowledge of persons and
5:05:11
things connected with the Sultan's court and army enabled him to write these letters in
5:05:17
such a way as to deceive the Sultan completely. It was past Midsummer when
5:05:22
the army of Jengas Khan laid siege to Bokhara, and it was not until
5:05:26
the spring of the following year that they succeeded in carrying the outer wall.
5:05:32
So strongly was the city fortified and so well was it defended. After having
5:05:37
forced the outer wall, the Mongols destroyed the suburbs of the town, devastating
5:05:42
the cultivated gardens and grounds and pillaged the villas. They then took up their
5:05:48
position around the inner wall and commenced the siege of the city itself. In
5:05:53
due form, the Sultan had left three of his greatest generals in command of
5:05:59
the town. These men determined not to wait the operations of Jengas Khan in
5:06:04
attacking the walls, but to make a sudden sally from the gates with the
5:06:08
whole force that could be spared, and attack the besiegers in their entrenchments.
5:06:15
They made this sally in the night, at a time when the Mongols were
5:06:18
least expecting it. They were, however, wholly unsuccessful. They were driven
5:06:23
back into the city with great loss. The generals, it seems, had
5:06:27
determined to risk all on this desperate attempt, and in case it failed at
5:06:33
once, to abandon the city to its fate. Accordingly, when driven into
5:06:37
the city through the gates on one side, they marched directly through it and
5:06:42
passed out through the gates on the other side, hoping to save themselves and
5:06:47
the garrison by this retreat, with a view of ultimately rejoining the Sultan.
5:06:52
They however, went first in a southerly direction from the city toward the river
5:06:57
Amoor. The RULs took their families and those of the principal officers of the
5:07:03
garrison with them. The night was dark, and they succeeded in leaving the
5:07:07
city without being observed. In the morning, however, all was discovered and
5:07:12
Jengas Khan sent off a strong detachment of well mounted troops in pursuit. These
5:07:18
troops, after about a day's chase, overtook the flying garrison near the river.
5:07:23
There was no escape for the poor fugitives, and the merciless mongols destroyed
5:07:30
them almost everyone by riding over them, trampling them down with their horses hoofs,
5:07:36
and cutting them to pieces with their sabers. In the meantime, while
5:07:41
this detachment had been pursuing the garrison, Jengas Khan, knowing that there were
5:07:45
no longer any troops within the city to defend it and that everything there was
5:07:51
in utter confusion, determined on a grand final assault. But while his men
5:07:57
were getting the engines ready to batter down the walls, a procession consisting of
5:08:03
all the magistrates and clergy and a great mass of the principal citizens, came
5:08:08
forth from one of the gates, bearing with them the keys of the city.
5:08:14
These keys they offered to Jenghis Khan in token of surrender and begged him
5:08:18
to spare their lives. The emperor received the keys and said to the citizens
5:08:23
that he would spare their lives on condition that if there were any of the
5:08:30
Sultan's soldiers concealed in the city, they would give them up, and that
5:08:34
they would also seize and deliver to him any of the citizens that were suspected
5:08:41
of being in the Sultan's interest. This they took a solemn oath that they
5:08:45
would do. The soldiers, however, that is, those that remained in
5:08:49
the town were not delivered up. Most of them retired to the castle,
5:08:55
which was a sort of citadel, and put themselves under the command of the
5:09:00
governor of the castle, who, being a very energetic and resolute man,
5:09:04
declared that he would never surrender. There were a great many of the young
5:09:10
men of the town, sons of the leading citizens, who also retired to
5:09:15
the castle, determined not to yield to the conqueror. Jengas Khan, having
5:09:21
thus obtained the keys of the city itself, caused the gates to be opened,
5:09:26
and his troops marched in and took possession. He had promised the citizens
5:09:32
that his soldiers should spare the lives of the people and should not pillage the
5:09:37
houses, on condition that the magistrates delivered up peaceably the public magazines of grain
5:09:44
and other food to supply his army. Also that all the people who had
5:09:48
buried or otherwise concealed gold and silver or other treasures should bring them forth again
5:09:55
and give them up, or else make known where they were concealed. This
5:10:00
the people promised that they would do. After having entered the town, Djengas
5:10:04
Khan was riding about the streets on horseback at the head of his troop of
5:10:10
guards, when he came to a large and very beautiful edifice. The doors
5:10:15
were wide, and he drove his horse directly in. His troops and the
5:10:19
other soldiers who were there followed him in. There were also with him some
5:10:25
of the magistrates of the town who were accompanying him in his progress about the
5:10:30
city. After the whole party had entered the edifice, Jengas Khan looked around
5:10:36
and then asked them in a jeering manner, if that was the Sultan's palace.
5:10:41
No, they said, it is the House of God. The building
5:10:45
was a mosque. On hearing this, Jengas Khan alighted from his horse,
5:10:51
and giving the bridle to one of the principal magistrates to hold, he went
5:10:56
up in a very irreverent manner to a sacred place where the priests were accustomed
5:11:02
to sit. He seized the copy of the Koran which he found there,
5:11:07
and threw it down under the feet of the horses. After amusing himself for
5:11:11
a time in desecrating the temple by these and other similar performances, he caused
5:11:18
his soldiers to bring in their provisions and allowed them to eat and drink in
5:11:22
the temple in a riotous manner, without any regard to the sacredness of the
5:11:27
place or to the feelings of the people of the town, which he outraged
5:11:33
by this conduct. A few days after this, Chenghas Khan assembled all the
5:11:37
magistrates and principal citizens of the town and made a speech to them from an
5:11:44
elevated stand or pulpit, which was erected for the purpose. He began his
5:11:48
speech by praising God and claiming to be an object of his special favor,
5:11:53
in proof of which he recounted the victories which he had obtained, as he
5:11:59
said, through the divine aid. He then went on to denounce the perfidious
5:12:04
conduct of the Sultan toward him in making a solemn treaty of peace with him,
5:12:11
and then treacherously murdering his merchants and ambassadors. He said that the Sultan
5:12:17
was a detestable tyrant, and that God had commissioned him to rid the earth
5:12:22
of all such monsters. He said in conclusion that he would protect their lives
5:12:27
and would not allow his soldiers to take away their household goods, provided they
5:12:33
surrendered to him fairly and honestly all their money and other treasures, And if
5:12:38
any of them refused to do this, or to tell where their treasures were
5:12:42
hid, he would put them to torture and compel them to tell. The
5:12:48
wretched inhabitants of the town, feeling that they were entirely at the mercy of
5:12:53
the terrible hordes that were in possession of the city, did not attempt to
5:12:59
conceal anything. They brought forward their hidden treasures, and even offered their household
5:13:04
goods to the conqueror if he was disposed to take them. They were only
5:13:08
anxious to save, if possible, their dwellings and their lives. Jengas Khan
5:13:15
appeared at first to be pleased with this submissive spirit which they manifested. But
5:13:21
at last, under pretense that he heard of some soldiers being concealed somewhere,
5:13:26
and perhaps irritated at the citadels holding out so long against him, he ordered
5:13:32
the town to be set on fire. The buildings were almost all of wood,
5:13:37
and the fire raged among them with great fury. Multitudes of the inhabitants
5:13:42
perished in the flames, and great numbers died miserably afterward from want and exposure.
5:13:48
The citadel immediately afterwards surrendered, and it would seem that Jengas Khan began
5:13:55
to feel satisfied with the amount of misery which he had caused, for it
5:14:00
is said that he spared the lives of the governor and of the soldiers,
5:14:04
although we might have expected that he would have massacred them all. The citadel
5:14:11
was, however, demolished, and thus the town itself and all that pertained
5:14:15
to it, became a mass of smoking ruins. The property pillaged from the
5:14:21
inhabitants was divided among the Mongol troops, while the people themselves went away to
5:14:26
roam as vagabonds and beggars over the surrounding country and to die of want and
5:14:33
despair. What difference is there between such a conqueror as this and the captain
5:14:40
of a band of pirates or of robbers, except in the immense magnitude of
5:14:45
the scale on which he perpetrates his crimes. The satisfaction which Jingas Khan felt
5:14:51
at the capture of Bokhara was greatly increased by the intelligence which he received soon
5:14:57
afterward from the two princes whom he had sent to lay siege to Otrar,
5:15:03
informing him that the city had fallen into their hands, and that the governor
5:15:07
of it, the officer who had so treacherously put to death the ambassadors and
5:15:12
the merchants, had been taken and slain. The name of this governor was
5:15:18
Geyor Khan. The Sultan, knowing that Jengas Khan would doubtless make this city
5:15:23
one of his first objects of attack, left the governor a force of fifty
5:15:27
thousand men to defend it. He afterwards sent him an additional force of ten
5:15:33
thousand men under the command of a general named Kariakas. With these soldiers,
5:15:40
the governor shut himself up in the city. He knew very well that if
5:15:45
he surrendered or was taken, he could expect no mercy, and he went
5:15:48
to work accordingly, strengthening the fortifications and laying in stores of provisions, determined
5:15:56
to fight to the last extremity. The captain of the Guard, who came
5:16:00
to assist him, had not the same reason for being so very obstinate in
5:16:04
the defense of the town, and this difference in the situation of the two
5:16:08
commanders led to difficulty in the end. As we shall presently see, the
5:16:14
Mongol princes began the siege of Otrar by filling up the ditches that encircle the
5:16:19
outer wall of the town in the places where they wished to plant their battering
5:16:25
rams to make breaches in the walls. They were hindered a great deal in
5:16:30
their work, as is usual in such cases, by the sallies of the
5:16:34
besieged, who rushed upon them in the night in great numbers and with such
5:16:40
desperate fury that they often succeeded in destroying some of the engines or setting them
5:16:45
on fire before they could be driven back into the town. This continued for
5:16:51
some time, until at last the Mongol princes began to be discouraged, and
5:16:56
they sent word to their father, who was then engaged in the Sea of
5:17:00
Bokhara, informing him of the desperate defense which was made by the garrison of
5:17:04
Otrar, and asking his permission to turn the siege into a blockade, that
5:17:11
is, to withdraw from the immediate vicinity of the walls, and to content
5:17:15
themselves with investing the city closely on every side, so as to prevent anyone
5:17:22
from going out or coming in, until the provisions of the town should be
5:17:26
exhausted and the garrison be starved into a surrender. In this way, they
5:17:33
said, the lives of vast numbers of the troops would be saved. But
5:17:37
their fathers sent backward to them that they must do no such thing, but
5:17:41
must go on and fight their way into the town, no matter how many
5:17:47
of the men were killed. So the princes began again with fresh ardor,
5:17:52
and they pushed forward their operations with such desperate energy that in less than a
5:17:56
month the outer wall and the work of the besieged to defend it, were
5:18:02
all in ruins. The towers were beaten down, the ramparts were broken,
5:18:07
and many breaches were made through which the besiegers might be expected at any moment
5:18:12
to force their way into the town. The besieged were accordingly obliged to abandon
5:18:19
the outer walls and retire within the inner lines. The Mongols now had possession
5:18:26
of the suburbs, and after pillaging them of all that they could convert to
5:18:30
their own use and burning and destroying everything else, they advanced to attack the
5:18:37
inner works, and here at the contest between the besiegers and the garrison was
5:18:42
renewed more fiercely than ever. The besieged continued their resistance for five months,
5:18:49
defending themselves by every possible means from the walls and making desperate sallies from time
5:18:56
to time in order to destroy the Mongol's engines and kill the men at length.
5:19:03
Cariacus, the captain of the guard, who had been sent to assist
5:19:07
the governor in defense of the town, began to think it was time that
5:19:11
the carnage should cease and that the town should be surrendered. But the governor,
5:19:15
who knew that he would most assuredly be beheaded if in any way he
5:19:21
fell into the hands of the enemy, would not listen to any proposal of
5:19:25
the kind. He succeeded also in exciting among the people of the town and
5:19:30
among the soldiers of the garrison such a hatred of the Mongols, whom he
5:19:34
represented as infidels of the very worst character, the enemies alike of God and
5:19:40
man, that they joined him in the determination not to surrender. Karacus now
5:19:47
found himself an object of suspicion and distrust in the town and in the garrison,
5:19:52
on account of his having made the proposal to surrender, and feeling that
5:19:57
he was not safe derman to make a separate peace for himself and his ten
5:20:03
thousand by going out secretly in the night and giving himself up to the princes.
5:20:08
He thought that by doing this, and by putting the Mongols in possession
5:20:12
of the gate through which his troops were to march out, so as to
5:20:18
enable them to gain admission to the city, his life would be spared,
5:20:22
and that he might perhaps be admitted into the service of Jengas Khan. But
5:20:26
he was mistaken in this idea. The princess said that a man who would
5:20:32
betray his own countrymen would betray them if he ever had a good opportunity.
5:20:37
So they ordered him and all his officers to be slain, and the men
5:20:41
to be divided among the soldiers as slaves. They nevertheless took possession of the
5:20:48
gate by which the deserters had come out, and by this means gained admission
5:20:52
to the city. The governor fled to the citadel with all the men whom
5:20:57
he could assemble, and shut himself up in it. Here he fought desperately
5:21:02
for a month, making continual sallies at the head of his men, and
5:21:07
doing everything that the most resolute and reckless bravery could do to harass and beat
5:21:12
off the besiegers. But all was in vain. In the end, the
5:21:17
walls of the citadel were so broken down by the engines brought to bear upon
5:21:22
them, that one day the Mongols, by a determined and desperate assault made
5:21:27
on all sides, simultaneously, forced their way in through the most dreadful scenes
5:21:33
of carnage and destruction, and began killing without mercy every soldier that they could
5:21:40
find. The soldiers defended themselves to the last. Some took refuge in narrow
5:21:45
courts and lanes and on the roofs of the houses, for the citadel was
5:21:51
so large that it formed of itself quite a little town, and fought desperately
5:21:56
till they were brought down by the arrows of the Mongols. But the governor
5:22:00
took his position in company with two men who were with him, on a
5:22:03
terrace of his palace, and refused to surrender, but fought on furiously,
5:22:10
determined to kill anyone who attempted to come near him. His wife was near,
5:22:15
doing all in her power to encourage and sustain him. Djengis Khan had
5:22:21
given orders to the princes not to kill the governor, but to take him
5:22:25
alive. He wished to have the satisfaction of disposing of him himself. For
5:22:30
this reason, the soldiers who attempted to take him on the terrace were very
5:22:36
careful not to shoot their arrows at him, but only at the men who
5:22:40
were with him, And while they did so, a great many of them
5:22:44
were killed by the arrows which the governor and his two friends discharged at those
5:22:49
who attempted to climb up to the place where they were standing. After a
5:22:55
while, the two men were killed, but the governor remained alive. Yet
5:22:59
no he could come near him. Those that attempted it were shot and fell
5:23:03
back again among their companions below. The governor's wife supplied him with arrows as
5:23:10
fast as he could use them. At length, all the arrows were spent
5:23:14
and then she brought him stones, which he hurled down upon his assailants when
5:23:19
they tried to climb up to him. But at last so many ascended together
5:23:25
that the governor could not beat them all back, and he was at length
5:23:29
surrounded and secured, and immediately put in irons. The princes wrote word at
5:23:34
once to their father that the town was taken, and that the governor was
5:23:40
in their hands a prisoner. They received orders to return to bring him with
5:23:45
them to Bokhara. While on the way, however, another order came requiring
5:23:51
them to put the prisoner to death, and this order was immediately executed.
5:23:56
What was the fate of his courageous and devoted wife has never been known.
5:24:03
End of Chapter nineteen. Chapter twenty Battles and Sieges twelve nineteen to twelve twenty.
5:24:11
After the fall of Bokhara and Otrar, the war was continued for two
5:24:18
years with great vigor by Jengas Khan and the Mongols, and the poor Sultan
5:24:22
was driven from place to place by his merciless enemies, until at last his
5:24:29
cause was wholly lost, and he himself, as will appear in the next
5:24:33
chapter, came to a miserable end During the two years while Jengas Khan continued
5:24:40
the war against him, a great many incidents occurred, illustrating the modes of
5:24:45
warfare practiced in those days and the sufferings which were endured by the mass of
5:24:51
the people. In consequence of these terrible struggles between rival despots contending for the
5:24:57
privilege of governing them. At one time, Jengas Khan sent his son Djuki
5:25:03
with a large detachment to besiege and take a certain town named Saganak. As
5:25:10
soon as Chuki arrived before the place, he sent in a flag of truce
5:25:15
to call upon the people of the town to surrender, promising at the same
5:25:21
time to treat them kindly if they would do so. The bearer of the
5:25:25
flag was a Mohammedan named Hassan. Juki probably thought that the message would be
5:25:32
better received by the people of the town if brought to them by one of
5:25:37
their own countrymen, But he made a great mistake in this. The people,
5:25:41
instead of being pleased with the messenger because he was a Mohammedan, were
5:25:47
very much exasperated against him. They considered him a renegade and a traitor.
5:25:52
And although the governor had solemnly promised that he should be allowed to go and
5:25:59
come in Sae safety. So great a tumult arose that the governor found it
5:26:03
impossible to protect him, and the poor man was torn to pieces by the
5:26:08
mob. Juke he immediately assaulted the town with all his force, and as
5:26:15
soon as he got possession of it, he slaughtered without mercy all the officers
5:26:19
and soldiers of the garrison, and killed also about one half of the inhabitants.
5:26:26
In order to avenge the death of his murdered messenger, he also caused
5:26:32
a handsome monument to be erected to his memory in the principal square of the
5:26:37
town. Juke he treated the inhabitants of every town that dared to resist with
5:26:44
extreme severity, while those that yielded at once were in some degree spared and
5:26:49
protected. The consequence of this policy was that the people of many towns surrendered
5:26:56
without attempting to defend themselves at all. In one case, the magistrates and
5:27:03
other principal inhabitants of a town came out to meet him at a distance of
5:27:07
two days journey from them, bringing with them the keys of the town and
5:27:11
a great quantity of magnificent presence all of which they laid at the conqueror's feet
5:27:18
and employed his mercy. There was one town which Jukei's force took by a
5:27:23
kind of stratagem. A certain engineer whom he employed to make a reconnaissance of
5:27:30
the fortifications, reported that there was a place on one side of the town
5:27:34
where there was a ditch full of water outside of the wall, which made
5:27:40
the access to the wall there so difficult that the garrison would not be at
5:27:45
all likely to expect an attack on that side. The engineer proposed a plan
5:27:49
for building some light bridges, which the soldiers were to throw over the ditch
5:27:55
in the night, after having drawn off the attention of the garrison to some
5:28:00
other quarter, and then mounting upon the walls by means of ladders to get
5:28:04
into the town. This plan was adopted. The bridges and the ladders were
5:28:10
prepared, and then when the appointed night came, a feigned attack was made
5:28:15
in the opposite part of the town. The garrison were then all called off
5:28:21
to repel this pretended attack, and in this way the wall opposite to the
5:28:26
ditch was left undefended. The soldiers then threw the bridges over the ditch and
5:28:30
planted the ladders against the wall, and before the garrison could get intelligence of
5:28:37
what they were doing, they had made their way into the town and had
5:28:41
opened one of the gates, and by this means the whole army got in.
5:28:45
The engineer himself, who had proposed the plan, went up first on
5:28:51
the first ladder that was planted against the wall. To take the lead in
5:28:55
such an escalade required great coolness and courage, for it was dark, and
5:29:00
no one knew in going up the ladder how many enemies he might have to
5:29:04
encounter at the top of it. The next place which the army of Djuki
5:29:10
approached was a quiet and beautiful town, the seat of several institutions of learning
5:29:15
and the residents of learned men and men of leisure. It was a very
5:29:21
pleasant place, full of fountains, gardens, and delightful pleasure grounds, with
5:29:26
many charming public and private promenades. The name of this place was Tucat,
5:29:32
and the beauty and attractiveness of it were proverbial through all the country. Tucat
5:29:37
was a place rather of pleasure than of strength, and yet it was surrounded
5:29:42
by a wall, and the governor of it determined to make an effort to
5:29:45
defend it. The garrison fought bravely, and they kept the besiegers off for
5:29:52
three days. At the end of that time, the engines of the Mongols
5:29:56
had made so many breaches in the walls that the govern was convinced that they
5:30:00
would soon get in, and so he sent to Juki to ask for the
5:30:06
terms on which he would allow them to surrender. Juki replied that he would
5:30:11
not now make any terms with him at all. It was too late he
5:30:15
ought to have surrendered at the beginning. So the Mongol army forced its way
5:30:21
into the town and slaughtered the whole garrison without mercy. Djuki then ordered all
5:30:26
the inhabitants, men, women and children to repair to a certain place on
5:30:32
the plain outside the walls. In obedience to this command, all the people
5:30:37
went to the appointed place. They went with fear and trembling, expecting that
5:30:42
they were all to be killed. But they found in the end that the
5:30:47
object of Djuki, in bringing them thus out of the town, was not
5:30:51
to kill them, but only to call them away from the houses so that
5:30:55
the soldiers could plunder them more conveniently while the owners were aware. After being
5:31:00
kept out of the town for a time, they were allowed to return,
5:31:04
and when they went back to their houses, they found that they had been
5:31:08
pillaged and stripped of everything that the soldiers could carry away. There was another
5:31:15
large and important town named Kojend. It was situated two or three hundred miles
5:31:21
to the northward of Samarkand on the river sur which flows into Ral Lake.
5:31:27
The governor of this city was Timor Melik. He was a very powerful chieftain
5:31:33
and a man of great military renown, having often been in active service under
5:31:37
the Sultan as one of the principal generals of his army. When Timor heard
5:31:44
of the fall of Toukat, he presumed that his city of Kojend would be
5:31:48
next attack, as it seemed to come next in the way of the Mongol
5:31:52
army, so he began to make vigorous preparations for defense. He broke up
5:31:57
all the roads leading to war toward the town and destroyed the bridges. He
5:32:02
also laid in great supplies of food to maintain the inhabitants in case of a
5:32:07
protracted siege, and he ordered all the corn, fruits and cattle of the
5:32:12
surrounding country which he did not require for this purpose, to be taken away
5:32:18
and stowed in secret places at a distance to prevent their falling into the hands
5:32:23
of the enemy. Juki did not himself attack this town, but sent a
5:32:29
large detachment under the orders of a general named eLAC Nivian. eLAC advanced toward
5:32:36
the city and commenced his operations. The first thing that was to be done
5:32:41
was to rebuild a bridge over the river so as to enable him to gain
5:32:45
access to the town, which was on the opposite bank. Then he set
5:32:49
up immense engines at different points along the line, some of which were employed
5:32:56
to batter down the walls, and others at the same time to throw stones,
5:33:00
darts and arrows over the parapets in order to drive the garrison back from
5:33:06
them. These engines did great execution. Those built to batter down the walls
5:33:11
were of great size and power. Some of them, it was said,
5:33:15
threw stones over the wall as big as millstones. Timor Melek was equally active
5:33:22
in the defense of the town. He built a number of flat bottom boats,
5:33:26
which might be called floating batteries, since they were constructed for throwing missiles
5:33:32
of all sorts into the camp of the enemy. These batteries, it is
5:33:37
said, were covered over the top to protect the men, and they had
5:33:41
portholes in the sides, like a modern man of war, out of which
5:33:45
not cannon balls and bomb shells, indeed, but arrows, darts, javelins,
5:33:49
and stones were projected. The boats were sent out, some on the
5:33:55
upper side of the town and some on the lower, and were placed in
5:33:59
stations where they could most effectually reach the Mongol's works. They were the means
5:34:04
of killing and wounding great multitudes of men, and they greatly disturbed and hindered
5:34:11
the besiegers operations. Still, Elk persevered. He endeavored to shut up the
5:34:17
city on every side as closely as possible, But there was on one side
5:34:22
a large morass or jungle, which he could not guard, and Timor received
5:34:27
a great many reinforcements to take the place of the men who were killed on
5:34:32
the walls by that way. In the meantime, however, Elak was continually
5:34:37
receiving reinforcements too from Prince Jukie, who was not at a great distance,
5:34:44
and thus the struggle was continued with great fury. At last, Timor contrived
5:34:49
an ingenious stratagem by which he hoped to cause his enemy to fall into a
5:34:55
snare. It seems that there was a small island in the river, far
5:35:00
from the walls of the city, on which, before the siege commenced,
5:35:03
Timor had built a fortress to be held as a sort of advanced post,
5:35:08
and had garrisoned the fortress with about one thousand men. Timor, now,
5:35:15
in order to divert the attention of the Mongols from the city itself, sent
5:35:18
a number of men out from the city who pretended to be deserters, and
5:35:23
went immediately to the Mongol camp. Of course, Elect questioned them about the
5:35:29
defenses of the city in order to learn where the weak points were for him
5:35:33
to attack. The pretended deserters advised him to attack this fortress on the island,
5:35:40
saying that it could very easily be taken, and that its situation was
5:35:44
such that when it was taken, the city itself must surrender, for it
5:35:48
completely commanded the place. So Elect caused his principal engines to be removed to
5:35:55
the bank of the river opposite the island, and employed all his own energies
5:36:00
and spent all his ammunition in shooting at the fortress. But the river was
5:36:04
so wide and the walls of the fortress were so thick and so high,
5:36:10
that he made very little impression. At last, his whole supply of stones,
5:36:15
for stones served in those days instead of cannonballs, was exhausted, and
5:36:19
as the town was situated in an alluvial district in which no stones were to
5:36:25
be found, he was obliged to send ten or twelve miles to the upland
5:36:30
to procure a fresh supply of ammunition. All this consumed much time and enabled
5:36:37
the garrison to recruit themselves a great deal and to strengthen their defenses. The
5:36:42
operations of the siege were in a great measure suspended while the men were obtaining
5:36:48
a new supply of stones, and the whole disposable force of the army was
5:36:52
employed in going back and forth to bring them. At length an immense quantity
5:36:57
were collected. But then the Mongol general changed his plan. Instead of throwing
5:37:03
the stones from his engines toward the fortress on the island, which it had
5:37:07
been proved was beyond his reach, he determined to build out a jetty into
5:37:12
the river towards it, so as to get a standpoint for his engines nearer
5:37:18
the walls, where they could have some chance of doing execution. So he
5:37:23
set his men at work to prepare facines and bundles and rafts of timber which
5:37:30
were to be loaded with the stones and sunk in the river to form the
5:37:33
foundation for the proposed bank. The men would bring the stones down to the
5:37:38
bank in their hands, and then horsemen who were ready on the brink would
5:37:42
take them, and, resting them on the saddle, would drive their horses
5:37:47
in until they came near the place where the stones were to go, when
5:37:52
they would throw them down, and then return for others. In this way,
5:37:56
they would work upon the jetty in many parts at once, some being
5:38:00
employed in building at the end where it abutted on the shore, while the
5:38:04
horsemen were laying the foundations at the same time out in the middle of the
5:38:08
stream. The work of the horsemen was very difficult and dangerous on account of
5:38:15
holes in the sandy bottom of the river into which they were continually sinking.
5:38:19
Besides this, the garrison on the walls were doing their utmost all the time
5:38:25
to impede the work by shooting arrows, javelins, stones, and fiery darts
5:38:30
among the workmen, by which means vast numbers both of men and horses were
5:38:37
killed. The Mongols, however, persevered, and notwithstanding all the opposition which
5:38:42
the garrison made, they succeeded in advancing the mole which they were building,
5:38:48
so far that Timor was convinced that they would soon gain so advantageous a position
5:38:55
that it would be impossible for him to hold out against them, so determined
5:39:00
to attempt to make his escape. His plan was to embark on board his
5:39:04
boats with all his men, and go down the river in the night.
5:39:10
In order to prepare for this undertaking, he employed his men secretly in building
5:39:15
more boats, until he had, in all more than seventy. These boats
5:39:19
were kept out of sight in hidden places in the river until all were ready.
5:39:25
Each of them was covered with a sort of heavy awning or roof made
5:39:30
of wet felt, which was plastered over a coating of clay and vinegar.
5:39:34
This covering was intended both to defend the men from missiles and the boats themselves
5:39:41
from being set on fire. There was one obstacle to the escape of the
5:39:45
boats which it was necessary to remove beforehand, and that was the bridge which
5:39:51
the Mongols had built across the river just below the town. When they first
5:39:56
came to besiege it. To destroy this bridge, Timbor one night made a
5:40:00
sally from one of the gates and attacked the men who were stationed to guard
5:40:06
the bridge. At the same time, he sent down the current of the
5:40:08
river a number of great, flat bottomed boats filled with combustibles of various kinds
5:40:15
mixed with tar and naphtha. These combustibles were set on fire before they were
5:40:21
launched, and as the current of the river bore them down one after another
5:40:26
against the bridge, they set the wooden piers and posts that supported it on
5:40:32
fire. While the guard, being engaged with the party which had sallied from
5:40:36
the town, could not go extinguish the flames, and thus the bridge was
5:40:41
consumed, the way being thus opened. Timor Melik very soon afterward embarked his
5:40:48
family and the greater part of his army on board the boats in the night,
5:40:52
and while the Mongols had no suspicion of what was going on, the
5:40:56
boats were launched and sent off, one after or another swiftly down the stream.
5:41:02
Before morning came, all traces of the party had passed away. Very
5:41:07
soon, however, the Mongol general heard how his intended prey had escaped him,
5:41:12
and he immediately sent off a strong detachment to follow the southern bank of
5:41:17
the river and pursue the fugitives. The detachment soon overtook them, and then
5:41:22
a furious battle ensued between the Mongol horsemen on the banks and in the margin
5:41:29
of the water, and the men in the boats, who kept the boats
5:41:33
all the time as near as possible to the northern shore. Sometimes, however,
5:41:37
when the stream was narrow, or when a rocky point projected from the
5:41:41
northern shore so as to drive the boats nearer to the Mongol side, the
5:41:47
battle became very fierce and bloody. The Mongols drove their horses far into the
5:41:52
water so as to be as near as possible to the boats, and through
5:41:56
arrows, javelins, and fiery darts at them, while the Mohammedans defended themselves
5:42:03
as well as they could from their windows or portholes. Things went on this
5:42:08
way for some time, until at length the boats arrived at a part of
5:42:14
the river where the water was so shallow, being obstructed by sand bars and
5:42:18
shoals, that the boats fell aground. There was nothing now for Timor to
5:42:23
do but to abandon the boats and escape with his men to the land.
5:42:27
This he succeeded in doing, and after reaching the shore, he was able
5:42:33
to form his men in array on an elevated piece of ground before elect could
5:42:38
bring up a sufficient number of men to attack him. When the Mongols at
5:42:44
length came to attack him, he beat them off in the first instance,
5:42:48
but he was obliged soon afterwards to leave the field and continue his retreat.
5:42:53
Of course, he was hotly pursued by the Mongols. His men became rapidly
5:42:57
thinned in number, some being killed and others getting separated from the main body
5:43:03
in the confusion of the flight, until at last Timor was left almost alone.
5:43:10
At last he was himself on the very point of being taken. There
5:43:14
were three Mongols closely pursuing him. He turned round and shot an arrow at
5:43:19
the foremost of the pursuers. The arrow struck the mongol in the eye.
5:43:25
The agony which the wounded man felt was so great that the two others stopped
5:43:30
to assist him, and in the meantime Timur got out of the way in
5:43:33
due time, and after meeting with some other hair breadth escapes, he reached
5:43:38
the camp of the Sultan, who received him very joyfully loaded him with praises
5:43:44
for the indomitable spirit which he had evinced, and immediately made him governor of
5:43:49
another city. In the meantime, some of the boats which had been abandoned
5:43:53
by the soldiers were got off by the men who had been left in charge
5:43:57
of them, which contained the family of Timor. This boat went quietly down
5:44:04
the river and conveyed the family to a place of safety. The city of
5:44:10
Kojend from which Timur and his men had fled was of course now without any
5:44:15
means of defense, and it surrendered the very next day to the Mongols end
5:44:22
of Chapter twenty, Chapter twenty one, Death of the Sultan twelve hundred twenty.
5:44:27
In the meantime, while Juki and the other generals were ravaging the country
5:44:33
with their detachments and besieging and capturing all the secondary towns and fortresses that came
5:44:41
in their way. As related in the last chapter, Djengis Khan himself,
5:44:45
with the main body of the army, had advanced to Samarcand in pursuit of
5:44:51
the Sultan, who had, as he supposed, taken shelter there. Samarkand
5:44:56
was the capital of the country and was then, as it has been since,
5:45:02
a great and renowned city. Besides the Sultan himself, whom Jangas Khan
5:45:07
was pursuing, there were the ladies of his family whom he wished also to
5:45:12
capture. The two principal ladies were the Sultana and the Queen Mother. The
5:45:18
Queen Mother was a lady of very great distinction. She had been greatly renowned
5:45:23
during the lifetime of her husband, the former Sultan, for her learning,
5:45:29
her piety, the kindness of her heart, and the general excellence of her
5:45:33
character so far as her dealings with her subjects and friends were concerned, and
5:45:40
her influence throughout the realm had been unbounded. At some periods of her life
5:45:45
she had exercised a great deal of political power, and at one time she
5:45:51
bore the very grand title of protectress of the faith of the world. She
5:45:56
exercised the power which she then possessed in the main in a very wise and
5:46:03
beneficial manner. She administered justice impartially. She protected the weak and restrained the
5:46:11
oppressions of the strong. She listened to all the cases which were brought before
5:46:15
her with great attention and patience, and arrived almost always at just conclusions,
5:46:22
respecting them. With all this, however, she was very strict and severe,
5:46:27
and, as has almost always been the case with women raised to the
5:46:33
possession of irresponsible power, she was unrelenting and cruel in the extreme whenever,
5:46:40
as she judged, any political necessity required her to act with decision. Her
5:46:47
name was Cartoon Katoon was not now at Samarkand. She was at karasm,
5:46:53
a city which was the chief residence of the court. She had been living
5:46:57
there in retirement ever since the death of her husband, the present Sultan's father.
5:47:03
Samarcand itself, as has already been said, was a great and splendid
5:47:08
city. Like most of the other cities, it was enclosed in a double
5:47:14
wall, though in this case the outer wall surrounded the whole city, while
5:47:18
the inner one enclosed the mosque, the palace of the Sultan, and some
5:47:23
other public buildings. These walls were much better built and more strongly fortified than
5:47:30
those of Bokhara. There were twelve iron gates, it is said, in
5:47:34
the outer wall. These gates were a league apart from each other. At
5:47:40
every two leagues along the wall was a fort capable of containing a large body
5:47:45
of men. The walls were likewise strengthened with battlements and towers in which the
5:47:51
men could fight under shelter, and they were surrounded by a broad and deep
5:47:56
ditch to prevent an army from approaching too near to them in order to undermine
5:48:02
them or batter them down. The city was abundantly supplied with water by means
5:48:07
of hydraulic constructions as perfect and complete as could be made in those days.
5:48:15
The water was brought by leaden pipes from a stream which came down from the
5:48:19
mountains at some distance from the town. It was conveyed by these pipes to
5:48:25
every part of the town, and was distributed freely, so that every great
5:48:30
street had a little current of water running through it, and every house a
5:48:34
fountain in the court or garden. Besides this, in a public square or
5:48:40
park there was a mound where the water was made to spout up in the
5:48:44
center, and then flow down in little rivulets and cascades on every side.
5:48:49
The gates and towers which have been described were in the outer wall, and
5:48:55
beyond them in the environs were a great many fields, guarded orchards, and
5:49:00
beautifully cultivated grounds, which produced fruits of all sorts that were sent by the
5:49:07
merchants into all the neighboring countries at a little distance. The town was almost
5:49:11
entirely concealed from view by these gardens and orchards, there being nothing to be
5:49:18
seen but minarets and some of the loftier roofs of the houses rising above the
5:49:23
tops of the trees. There were so many people who flocked into Samarcand from
5:49:29
the surrounding country for shelter and protection when they learned that Jengas Khan was coming,
5:49:34
that the place would hardly contain them. In addition to these, the
5:49:40
sultans sent over one hundred thousand troops to defend the town, with thirty generals
5:49:45
to command them. There were twenty large elephants too, that were brought with
5:49:51
the army to be employed in any service which might be required of them during
5:49:56
the siege. This army, however, instead of entering the city at once
5:50:00
and camped about it. They strengthened the position of the camp by a deep
5:50:04
ditch, which they dug, throwing up the earth from the ditch on the
5:50:08
side toward the camp, so as to form a redoubt with which to defend
5:50:14
the ground from the Mongols. But as soon as Jengas Khan arrived, they
5:50:18
were speedily driven from this post and forced to take shelter within the walls of
5:50:22
the city. Here they defended themselves with so much vigor and resolution that Jengas
5:50:30
Khan would probably have found it very difficult to take the town had it not
5:50:34
been for dissensions within the walls. It seems that the rich merchants and other
5:50:40
wealthy men of the city, being convinced that the place would sooner or later
5:50:45
fall into the hands of the Mongols, thought it would be better to surrender
5:50:48
it at once while they were in a condition to make some terms by which
5:50:53
they might hope to save their lives and perhaps their property. But the generals
5:50:59
would not listened to any proposition of this kind. They had been sent by
5:51:03
the Sultan to defend the town, and they felt bound in honor in obedience
5:51:08
to their orders to fight in defense of it to the last extremity. The
5:51:15
dissension within the city grew more and more violent every day, until at length
5:51:19
the party of the inhabitants grew so strong and decided that they finally took possession
5:51:26
of one of the gates, and sent a large deputation consisting of priests,
5:51:32
magistrates, and some of the principal citizens to Djengas Khan, bearing with them
5:51:37
the keys of the town, and proposing to deliver them up to him if
5:51:41
he would spare the garrison and the inhabitants. But he said he would make
5:51:47
no terms except with those who were of their party and were willing to surrender.
5:51:52
In respect to the generals and the soldiers of the garrison, he would
5:51:56
make no promises. They gave up the keys, and Djengas Khan entered the
5:52:03
city. The inhabitants were spared, but the soldiers were massacred whenever they could
5:52:07
be found. A great many perished in the streets. A considerable body of
5:52:12
them, however, with the governor at their head, retreated within the inner
5:52:18
wall, and there defended themselves desperately for four days. At the end of
5:52:22
that time, finding that their case was hopeless, and knowing that they could
5:52:27
expect no quarter from the Mongols in any event, they resolved to make a
5:52:33
sally and cut their way through the ranks of their enemies at all hazards.
5:52:37
The governor accordingly put himself at the head of a troop of one thousand horse,
5:52:44
and, coming out suddenly from his retreat, he dashed through the camp.
5:52:48
At a time when the Mongols were off their guard, and so gained
5:52:52
the open country and made his escape. All the soldiers that remained behind in
5:52:57
the city were immediately put to the sword. In the meantime, the Sultan
5:53:03
himself, finding that his affairs were going to ruin, retreated from province to
5:53:08
province, accompanied by as large a force as he could keep together, and
5:53:14
vainly seeking to find some place of safety. He had several sons, and
5:53:18
among them two whose titles were Jelaludin and Kothboddin. Jelaladin was the oldest and
5:53:27
was therefore naturally entitled to be his father's successor. But for some reason or
5:53:33
other, the Queen Mother Cotton, had taken a dislike to him, and
5:53:37
had persuaded her son, the Sultan, to execute a sort of act or
5:53:41
deed, by which Jelaludin was displaced, and Kothbodden, who was a great
5:53:48
favorite of hers, was made heir to the throne in his place. The
5:53:52
Sultan had other sons who were governors of different provinces, and he fled from
5:53:57
one to another of these, seeking in vain for some safe retreat, but
5:54:03
he could find none. He was hunted from place to place by detachments of
5:54:07
the Mongols, and the number of his attendants and followers was continually diminishing,
5:54:14
until at last he began to be completely discouraged. At length, at one
5:54:18
of the cities where he made a short stay, he delivered to an officer
5:54:23
named Omar, who was the steward of his household, ten coffers sealed with
5:54:30
the royal signet, with instructions to take them secretly to a certain distant fortress
5:54:36
and lock them up carefully there, without allowing anyone to know that he did
5:54:40
it. These coffers contained the royal jewels, and they were of inestimable value.
5:54:48
After this, one of his sons joined him with quite a large force,
5:54:52
but very soon a large body of Mongols came up, and after a
5:54:56
furious battle, the Sultan's troops were defeated and scattered in all directions, and
5:55:02
he was again obliged to fly, accompanied by a very small body of officers,
5:55:07
who still contrived to keep near him. With these he succeeded at last
5:55:14
in reaching a very retired town near the Caspian Sea, where he hoped to
5:55:19
remain concealed. His strength was now spent, and all his courage gone,
5:55:25
He sank down in a condition of the greatest despondency and distress, and spent
5:55:30
his time in going to the mosque and offering of prayers to God to save
5:55:36
him from total ruin. He made confession of his sins and promised an entire
5:55:41
amendment of life if the Almighty would deliver him from his enemies and restore him
5:55:47
to his throne at last. The Mongol detachment that was in pursuit of him
5:55:52
in that part of the country were informed by a peasant where he was,
5:55:56
and one day, while he was at his prayers in the mosque, word
5:56:00
was brought to him that the Mongols were coming. He rushed out of the
5:56:04
mosque, and, guided by some friends, ran down to the shore and
5:56:08
got into a boat with a view of escaping by sea, all retreat by
5:56:14
land being now cut off. He had scarce got on board the boat.
5:56:18
When the Mongols appeared on the shore. The men in the boat immediately pushed
5:56:23
off. The Mongols, full of disappointment and rage, shot at them with
5:56:29
their arrows, but the Sultan was not struck by any of them, and
5:56:33
was soon out of reach of his pursuers. The Sultan lay in the boat
5:56:37
almost helpless, being perfectly exhausted by the terror and distress which he had endured.
5:56:45
He soon began to suffer too, from an intense pain in the chest
5:56:49
and side, which gradually became so severe that he could scarcely breathe. The
5:56:56
men with him in the boat, finding that he was seriously zi, made
5:57:00
the best of their way to a small island name Obuskin, which is situated
5:57:06
near the southeastern corner of the sea. Here they pitched a tent and made
5:57:11
up a bed in it as well as they could for the sufferer. They
5:57:15
also sent a messenger to the shore to bring off a physician. Secretly,
5:57:21
the physician did all that was in his power, but it was too late.
5:57:25
The inflammation and the pain subsided after a time, but it was evident
5:57:30
that the patient was sinking and that he was about to die. It happened
5:57:36
that the sultan's son Jelaliden, the one who had been set aside in favor
5:57:41
of his brother Kothboden, was at this time on the mainland not far from
5:57:47
the island, and intelligence was communicated to him of his father's situation. He
5:57:52
immediately went to the island to see him, taking with him two of his
5:57:56
brothers. They were obliged to manage the business very secretly to prevent the Mongols
5:58:03
from finding out what was going on. On the arrival of Jolalidin, the
5:58:08
Sultan expressed great satisfaction in seeing him, and he revoked the decree by which
5:58:15
he had been superseded in the succession. You, my son, said,
5:58:19
he are after all the one among all my children who is best able to
5:58:26
revenge me on the Mongols. Therefore, I revoke the act which I formerly
5:58:30
executed at the request of the Queen my mother in favor of Cauthboden. He
5:58:37
then solemnly appointed Jolalidin to be his successor, and enjoined upon the other princes
5:58:45
to be obedient and faithful to him as their sovereign. He also formally delivered
5:58:51
to him his sword as the emblem and badge of the supreme power, which
5:58:56
he thus conferred upon him. Soon after this, the Sultan expired. The
5:59:02
attendants buried the body secretly on the island for fear of the Mongols. They
5:59:07
washed it carefully before the interment according to custom, and then put on again
5:59:14
a portion of the same dress which the Sultan had worn when living. Having
5:59:18
no means of procuring or making any other shroud. As for Cotton, the
5:59:23
Queen mother, when she heard the tidings of her son's death, and was
5:59:29
informed at the same time that her favorite Couthboton had been set aside, and
5:59:34
Jelaladin, whom she hated and who she presumed hated her, had been made
5:59:40
his successor, she was in a great rage. She was at that time
5:59:44
at Karism, which was the capital, and she attempted to persuade the officers
5:59:49
and soldiers near her not to submit to the Sultan's decree, but to make
5:59:56
Couthbotten their sovereign. After all, while she engaged in forming this conspiracy,
6:00:02
the news reached the city that the Mongols were coming. Cotton immediately determined to
6:00:07
flee to save her life. She had, it seems, in her custody
6:00:11
at Karasm twelve children, the sons of various princes that reigned in different parts
6:00:18
of the empire or in the environs of it. These children were either held
6:00:22
as hostages or had been made captive in insurrections and wars, and were retained
6:00:29
in prison as a punishment to their fathers. The queen mother found that she
6:00:33
could not take these children with her, and so she ordered them all to
6:00:37
be slain. She was afraid that the Mongols, when they came, might
6:00:42
set them free. As soon as she was gone. The city fell into
6:00:47
great confusion on account of the struggles for power between the two parties of Jelalidin
6:00:52
and Kothbottom. But the sultana who had made the mischief did not trouble herself
6:00:59
to know how it was. Her only anxiety was to save her own life.
6:01:03
After various wanderings and adventures, she at last found her way into a
6:01:08
very retired district of country, lying on the southern shore of the Caspian,
6:01:15
between the mountains and the sea, and here she sought refuge in a castle
6:01:19
or fortress named Ilan, where she thought she was secure from all pursuit.
6:01:25
She brought with her to the castle her jewels and all her most valuable treasures.
6:01:30
But Jengis Khan had spies in every part of the country, and he
6:01:34
was soon informed where cotton was concealed. So he sent a messenger to a
6:01:41
certain Mongol general named Huba Nevian, who was commanding a detachment in that part
6:01:47
of the country, informing him that cotton was in the castle of Ilan,
6:01:52
and commanding him to go and lay siege to it, and to take it
6:01:56
at all hazards, and to bring Cotton to him, either dead or alive.
6:02:02
Huba immediately set off for the castle. The queen mother, however,
6:02:06
had notice of his approach, and the lords who were with her urged her
6:02:11
to fly. If she would go with them, they said they would take
6:02:15
her to Jolalidin and he would protect her. But she would not listen to
6:02:19
any such proposal. She hated Jelalidin so intensely that she would not, even
6:02:26
to save her life, put herself under his power. The very worst possible
6:02:30
treatment, she said that she could receive from the Mongols would be more agreeable
6:02:36
to her than the greatest favors from the hand of Jolalidin. The ground of
6:02:41
this extreme animosity which she felt towards Jolalidin was not any personal animosity to him.
6:02:48
It arose simply from an ancient and long continued dislike and hatred which she
6:02:56
had borne against his mother. So Cotton refused to retire from the danger,
6:03:02
and soon afterward the horde of Mongols arrived and pitched their camp before the castle
6:03:07
walls. For three months. Huba and his Mongols continued to ply the walls
6:03:12
of the fortress with battering rams and other engines in order to force their way
6:03:18
in, but in vain the place was too strong for them. At length,
6:03:23
Jengas Khan, hearing how the case stood, sent word to them to
6:03:27
give up the attempt to make a breach and to invest the place closely on
6:03:33
all sides, so as to allow no person to go out or to come
6:03:37
in. In that way, he said, the garrison would soon be starved
6:03:41
into a surrender. When the governor of the castle saw by the arrangements which
6:03:47
Huba made in obedience to this order, that this was the course that was
6:03:52
to be pursued, he said he was not uneasy, for his magazines were
6:03:57
full of provisions to water. The rain, which fell very copiously there among
6:04:03
the mountains, always afforded an abundant supply. But the governor was mistaken in
6:04:10
his calculations in respect to the rain. It usually fell very frequently in that
6:04:15
region, but after the blockade of the fortress commenced for three weeks there was
6:04:19
not the smallest shower. The people of the country around thought this failure of
6:04:26
the rain was a special judgment of heaven against the queen for the murder of
6:04:30
the children, and for her various other crimes. It was indeed remarkable,
6:04:36
for in ordinary times the rain was so frequent that the people of all that
6:04:41
region depended upon it entirely for their supply of water, and never found it
6:04:47
necessary to search for springs or to dig wells. The sufferings of the people
6:04:52
within the fortress for want of water were very great. Many of them died
6:04:57
in great misery. And at length the provisions began to fail too, and
6:05:03
Cotton was compelled to allow the governor to surrender. The Mongols immediately seized the
6:05:08
queen and took possession of all her treasures. They also took captive all the
6:05:15
lords and ladies who had attended her, and the women of her household,
6:05:18
and two or three of her great grandchildren whom she had brought with her in
6:05:22
her flight. All these persons were sent under a strong guard to Jengas Khan.
6:05:30
Jengas Khan retained the queen as a captive for some time and treated her
6:05:34
in a very cruel and barbarous manner. He would sometimes order her to be
6:05:40
brought into his tent at the end of his dinner, that he might enjoy
6:05:45
his triumph by insulting and deriding her. On these occasions, he would throw
6:05:49
her scraps of food from the table, as if she had been a dog.
6:05:53
He took away the children from her, two all but one, whom
6:05:57
he left with her a while to comfort her, as he said. But
6:06:02
one day an officer came and seized this one from her very arms while she
6:06:07
was dressing him and combing his hair. This last blow caused her a severer
6:06:14
pain than any that she had before endured, and left her utterly disconsolate and
6:06:19
heartbroken. Some accounts say that soon after this she was put to death,
6:06:26
but others state that Jengas Khan retained her several years as a captive and carried
6:06:32
her to and fro in triumph in his train through the countries over which she
6:06:37
had formerly reigned with so much power and splendor. She deserved her sufferings,
6:06:42
it is true, but Jengas Khan was nonetheless guilty on that account for treating
6:06:48
her so cruelly. End of Chapter twenty one, Chapter twenty two, Victorious
6:06:56
Campaigns twelve twenty to twelve twenty one. After this, Jengas Khan went on
6:07:03
successfully for several years, extending his conquests over all the western part of Central
6:07:10
Asia, while the generals whom he had left at home were extending his dominions
6:07:15
in the same manner. In the eastern portion, he overran nearly all of
6:07:19
Persia, went entirely around the Caspian Sea, and even approached the confines of
6:07:26
India. In this expedition toward India, he was in pursuit of Jolalidin.
6:07:33
Immediately after the death of his father, Jelaladin had done all in his power
6:07:37
to raise an army and carry on the war against Jengas Khan. He met
6:07:44
with a great deal of embarrassment and difficulty at first, on account of the
6:07:48
plots and conspiracies which his grandmother had organized in favor of his brother Kothbodom,
6:07:55
and the dissensions among his people to which they gave rise. At last,
6:08:00
in the course of a year he succeeded in some measure in healing this breach
6:08:06
and in raising an army, And though he was not strong enough to fight
6:08:10
the Mongols in a general battle, he hung about them in their march and
6:08:15
harassed them in various ways so as to impede their operations very essentially. Jengas
6:08:22
Khan from time to time sent off detachments from his army to take him.
6:08:26
He was often defeated in the engagements which ensued, but he always succeeded in
6:08:32
saving himself and in keeping together a portion of his men, and thus he
6:08:37
maintained himself in the field, though he was growing weaker and weaker all the
6:08:41
time. At last he became completely discouraged, and after signal defeat which he
6:08:48
met with from a detachment which had been sent against him by Jengas Khan,
6:08:53
he went with the few troops that remained together to a strong fortress among the
6:08:59
mountains, and told the governor that it seemed to him useless to continue the
6:09:03
struggle any longer, and that he had come to shut himself up in the
6:09:08
fortress and abandon the contest in despair. The governor, however, told him
6:09:15
that it was not right for a prince, the descendant of ancestors so illustrious
6:09:19
as his, and the inheritor of so resplendent a crown, to yield to
6:09:26
discouragement and despondency on account of the reverses of fortune. He advised him again
6:09:32
to take the field and to raise a new army and continue the contest to
6:09:37
the end. Jelaluden determined to follow this advice, and after a brief period
6:09:42
of repose at the castle, he again took the field. He made great
6:09:48
exertions, and finally succeeded in getting together about twenty thousand men. This was
6:09:53
a small force, it is true, compared with the numbers of the enemy,
6:09:59
but it was sufficient if well managed to enable the prince to undertake operations
6:10:04
of considerable importance, and Jolaladin began to feel somewhat encouraged again. With his
6:10:11
twenty thousand men. He gained one or two victories, too, which encouraged
6:10:17
him still more. In one of these cases he defeated rather a singular stratagem
6:10:22
which the Mongol general contrived. It seems that the Mongol detachment which was sent
6:10:29
out in this instance against Jolaladin was not strong enough, and the general,
6:10:34
in order to make Jolalidin believe that his force was greater than it really was,
6:10:40
ordered all the felt caps and cloaks that there were in the army to
6:10:45
be stuffed with straw and placed on the horses and camels of the baggage.
6:10:48
In order to give the appearance of a second line of reserve in the rear
6:10:53
of the line of real soldiers. This was to induce Jolaladin to surrender without
6:11:00
fighting. But in some way or other Jelaludin detected the deceit, and instead
6:11:06
of surrendering, fought the Mongols with great vigor and defeated them. He gained
6:11:11
a very decided victory, and perhaps this might have been the beginning of a
6:11:15
change of fortune for him, if unfortunately, his generals had not quarreled about
6:11:22
the division of the spoil. There was a beautiful Arabian horse which two of
6:11:27
his leading generals desired to possess, and each claimed it. The dispute became
6:11:33
at last so violent that one of the generals struck the other in his face
6:11:38
with the lash of his whip. Upon this, the feud became a deadly
6:11:42
one. Both parties appealed to Jelaludin. He did not wish to make either
6:11:48
general an enemy by deciding in favor of the other, and so he tried
6:11:53
to compromise the matter. He did not succeed in doing this, and one
6:11:59
of the generals, mortally offended, went off in the night, taking with
6:12:03
him all that portion of the troops which was under his command. Julaladin did
6:12:08
everything in his power to bring the disaffected general back again, but before he
6:12:15
could accomplish this purpose, Jengas Khan came up with a large force between the
6:12:18
two parties and prevented their affecting adjunction. Jelaladin had now no alternative but to
6:12:26
retreat. Jengas Khan followed him, and it was in this way that after
6:12:32
a time both the armies reached the banks of the Indus on the borders of
6:12:37
India. Jelaladin, being closely pursued, took his position in a narrow defile
6:12:44
near the bank of the river, and here a great battle was fought among
6:12:48
the rocks and precipices. Jelalidin, it is said, had only thirty thousand
6:12:53
men at his command, while Jengas Khan was at the head of an army
6:12:57
of three hundred thousand. The numbers in both cases are probably greatly exaggerated,
6:13:04
but the proportion may perhaps be true. It was only a small portion of
6:13:10
the Mongol army that could get into the defile where the Sultan's troops had posted
6:13:15
themselves, and so desperately did the latter fight that it is said they killed
6:13:21
twenty thousand of the Mongols before they gave in. In fact, they fought
6:13:26
like wild beasts, with desperate and unremitting fury all day long. Toward night,
6:13:33
it became evident to Jelalidin that it was all over with him. A
6:13:37
large portion of his followers were killed. Some had made their escape across the
6:13:41
river, though many of those who sought to do so were drowned in the
6:13:47
attempt. The rest of his men were completely exhausted and discouraged and wholly unable
6:13:52
to renew the contest. On the following day, Jelaladin had exposed himself very
6:13:59
freely in the fire, in hopes perhaps that he should be killed, but
6:14:03
Djengis Khan had given positive orders that he should be taken alive. He had
6:14:08
even appointed two of his generals to watch carefully and to see that no person
6:14:12
should, under any circumstances kill him. He wished to take him alive in
6:14:19
order to lead him through the country a prisoner and exhibit him to his former
6:14:25
subjects as a trophy of his victory, just as he had done and was
6:14:30
still doing with the old Queen Cotton, his grandmother but jelaluden was determined that
6:14:36
his conqueror should not enjoy this pleasure. He resolved to attempt to save himself
6:14:42
by swimming the river. He accordingly went first, breathless and covered with dust
6:14:48
and blood from the fight, to take a hurried leave of his mother,
6:14:52
his wives, and his children, who, as was customary in those countries
6:14:56
and times, had accompanied him in his campaign. He found them in his
6:15:00
tent, full of anxiety and terror. He took leave of them with much
6:15:06
sorrow and many tears, trying to comfort them with the hope that they should
6:15:11
meet again in happier times. Then he took off his armor and his arms
6:15:17
in order that he might not be impeded in crossing the river, Reserving,
6:15:21
however, his sword and bow and a quiver full of arrows. He then
6:15:26
mounted a fresh horse and rode toward the river. When he reached the bank
6:15:30
of the river, the horse found the current so rapid and the agitation of
6:15:34
the water so great, that he was very unwilling to advance. But Jelaludin
6:15:41
spurred him in. Indeed, there was no time to be lost, for
6:15:45
scarcely had he reached the shore when Jengas Khan himself, and a party of
6:15:49
Mongols appeared in view, advancing to seize him. They stopped on the bank
6:15:55
when they saw Jelaludin ride into the water among the rocks and whirlpools. They
6:16:00
did not dare to follow him, but they remained at the water side to
6:16:04
see how his perilous adventure would end. As soon as Jolalidan found that he
6:16:11
was out of their reach, he stopped at a place where his horse found
6:16:15
a foothold and turned round toward his pursuers with looks of hatred and defiance.
6:16:22
He then drew his bow and began to shoot at them with his arrows,
6:16:26
and he continued to shoot until all the arrows in his quiver were exhausted.
6:16:30
Some of the more daring of the Mongols proposed to Jengas Khan that they should
6:16:36
swim out and try to take him, but Jengas Khan would not allow them
6:16:40
to go. He said the attempt would be useless. You can do nothing
6:16:45
at all with him, said he a man of such cool and determined bravery
6:16:49
as that will defy and defeat all your attempts. Any father might be proud
6:16:56
to have such a son, and any son proud to be deceived from such
6:17:00
a father. When his arrows were all expended, Jelaludin took to the river
6:17:06
again, and his horse, after a series of most desperate struggles among the
6:17:11
whirlpools and eddies and the boiling surges which swept around the rocks, succeeded at
6:17:17
length in carrying his master over. The progress of the horse was watched with
6:17:22
great interest by Jengas Khan and his party from the shore as long as they
6:17:26
could see him. As soon as Jelaludin landed and had recovered a little from
6:17:32
the fatigue and excitement of the passage, he began to look around him and
6:17:37
to consider what was next to be done. He found himself entirely alone in
6:17:42
a wild and solitary place, which he had reason to fear was infested with
6:17:48
tigers and other ferocious beasts of prey, such as haunt the jungles in India.
6:17:53
Night was coming on too, and there were no signs of any habitations
6:17:59
or of any shelter. So he fastened his horse at the foot of a
6:18:03
tree and climbed up himself among the branches, and in this way passed the
6:18:08
night. The next morning he came down and began to walk along the bank
6:18:12
of the river to see what he could find. He was in a state
6:18:17
of great anxiety and distress. Suddenly, to his great relief and joy,
6:18:22
he came upon a small troop of soldiers accompanied by some officers who had escaped
6:18:27
across the river from the battle as he had done. Three of these officers
6:18:33
were his particular friends, and he was overjoyed to see them. They had
6:18:37
made their way across the river in a boat which they had found upon the
6:18:42
bank at the beginning of the defeat of the army. They had spent the
6:18:47
whole night in the boat, being in great danger from the shoals and shelving
6:18:52
rocks and from the impetuosity of the current. Finally, toward morning they had
6:18:57
landed, not far from the place where Jalalidin found them. Not long after
6:19:03
this, he came upon a troop of three hundred horsemen who had escaped by
6:19:08
swimming the river at a place where the water was more smooth, had some
6:19:12
distance below. These men told him that about six miles farther down the stream
6:19:18
there was a body of about four thousand men who had made their escape in
6:19:23
a similar manner. On assembling these men, Jelaludin found himself once more at
6:19:30
the head of a considerable force. The immediate wants of his men were,
6:19:34
however, extremely pressing, for they were all wholly destitute of food and of
6:19:41
every other necessary, and Jolalidin would have been greatly embarrassed to provide for them
6:19:47
had it not been for the thoughtfulness and fidelity of one of the officers of
6:19:52
his household on the other side of the river. This officer's name was jamalarized
6:19:57
as soon as he found his master had crossed the river, knowing too that
6:20:03
a great number of the troops had attempted to cross besides, and that in
6:20:07
all probability many of them had succeeded in reaching the other bank, who would
6:20:12
all be greatly in want of provisions and stores. The next morning, he
6:20:17
went to work at once during the night and loaded a very large boat with
6:20:22
provisions, arms, money, and stuff to make clothing for the soldiers.
6:20:27
He succeeded in getting off in this boat before his plan was discovered by the
6:20:32
Mongols, and in the course of the next morning he reached the opposite bank
6:20:37
with it, and thus furnished to Jelalidin an abundant provision for his immediate necessities.
6:20:44
Jelalidin was so much pleased with the conduct of Jamal Arazad in this affair
6:20:51
that he appointed him at once to a very high and responsible office in his
6:20:56
service, and gave him a new title of honor. In the meantime,
6:21:00
Jengas Khan, on the other side of the river took possession the next morning
6:21:06
of Jalaluddin's camp. Of course, the family of the sultan fell into his
6:21:11
hands. The emperor ordered all the males to be killed, but he reserved
6:21:15
the women for a different fate. Among the persons killed was a boy about
6:21:21
eight years old, Jolalidin's oldest son. Jelaladin had ordered his treasure to be
6:21:26
sunk in the river, intending probably to come back and recover it at some
6:21:30
future time. But Jengas Khan found out in some way where it was sunk,
6:21:37
and he sent divers down for it, and thus obtained possession of it
6:21:41
as a part of his booty. After this, Jolalidin remained five or six
6:21:45
years in India, where he joined himself and his army with some of the
6:21:51
princes of that country, and fought many campaigns there. At length, when
6:21:56
a favorable opportunity occurred, he came back to his life his own country and
6:22:00
fought some time longer against the Mongols there, but he never succeeded in gaining
6:22:06
possession of any substantial power. Jenghas Khan continued after this for two or three
6:22:12
years in the Mohammedan countries of the western part of Asia, and extended his
6:22:18
conquests there in every direction. It is not necessary to follow his movements in
6:22:23
detail. It would only be a repetition of the same tale of rapine,
6:22:29
plunder, murder and devastation. Sometimes a city would surrender at once when the
6:22:34
conqueror approached the gates, by sending out a deputation of the magistrates and other
6:22:40
principal inhabitants with the keys of the city and with magnificent presence, in hopes
6:22:45
to appease him. And they usually so far succeeded in this as to put
6:22:51
the Mongol soldiery in good humor, so that they would content themselves with ransacking
6:22:56
and plundering the place, leaving the inhabitants alive. At other times the town
6:23:03
would attempt to resist. The Mongols would then build engines to batter down the
6:23:07
walls and to hurl great stones over among the besieged. In many instances there
6:23:15
was great difficulty in obtaining a sufficient supply of stones, on account of the
6:23:19
alluvial character of the ground on which the city stood. In such cases,
6:23:26
after the stones found nearer were exhausted, the besiegers would cut down great trees
6:23:32
from the avenues leading to the town, or from the forests near, and
6:23:37
sawing the trunk up into short lengths. Would use the immense blocks thus formed
6:23:42
as ammunition for the engines. These great logs of heavy wood, when thrown
6:23:48
over the walls, were capable of doing almost as much execution as the stones,
6:23:53
though compared with a modern bombshell, a monstrous ball of iron, which,
6:23:59
after flying four or five miles from the battery leaving on its way a
6:24:03
fiery trained through the air, descends into a town and bursts into a thousand
6:24:08
fragments, which fly like iron hail in every direction around. They were very
6:24:15
harmless missiles in sawing up the trunks of the trees into logs and in bringing
6:24:21
stones for the engines. The Mongols employed the prisoners whom they had taken in
6:24:26
war, and made slaves of the amount of work of this kind which was
6:24:30
to be done at some of the sieges, was very great. It is
6:24:34
said that at the siege of Nishabur, a town whose inhabitants greatly offended Jengas
6:24:41
Khan by secretly sending arms, provisions, and money to Jelaliden after they had
6:24:47
once surrendered to the Mongols and pretended to be friendly to them. The army
6:24:52
of the Mongols employed twelve hundred of these engines, all of which were made
6:24:56
at a town at some distance from the place besieged, and were then transported
6:25:02
in parts by the slaves and put together by them under the walls. While
6:25:07
the slaves were employed in works of this kind, they were sometimes protected by
6:25:11
wooden shields covered with raw hides, which were carried before them by other slaves
6:25:18
to keep off and extinguish the fiery darts and arrows which were shot at them
6:25:22
from the wall. Sometimes, too, the places where the engines were set
6:25:26
up were protected by wooden bulwarks, which, together with the framework itself of
6:25:33
the engines, were covered with raw hides to prevent their being set on fire
6:25:37
by the enemy. The number of raw hides required for this purpose was immense,
6:25:44
and to obtain them the Mongols slaughtered vast herds of horses and cattle,
6:25:48
which they plundered from the enemy in order to embarrass the enemy in respect to
6:25:55
ammunition for their engines. The people of a town, when they heard that
6:25:59
the monks were coming, used to turn out, sometimes en mass, several
6:26:03
days before, and gather up all the stones they could find and throw them
6:26:07
into the river, or otherwise put them out of the way. In some
6:26:12
cases, the towns that were threatened, as has already been said, did
6:26:18
not attempt to resist, but submitted at once and cast themselves on the mercy
6:26:22
of the conqueror. In such cases, the Mongol generals usually spared the lives
6:26:29
of the inhabitants, though they plundered their property. It sometimes happened, too,
6:26:33
that after attempting to defend themselves for some time, the garrison would become
6:26:38
discouraged, and then would attempt to make some terms or conditions with the conqueror
6:26:45
before they surrendered. In these cases, however, the terms which the Mongols
6:26:49
insisted upon were often so hard that, rather than yield to them, the
6:26:55
garrison would go on fighting to the end. In one instance, their lived
6:27:00
a town that was to be assailed a certain sheikh or prince named Kubru,
6:27:06
who was a man of very exalted character as well as of high distinction.
6:27:11
The Mongol general whom Djengas Khan had commissioned to take the town, was his
6:27:17
third son, Oktay. Oktay had heard of the fame of the Sheikh and
6:27:22
had conceived a very high respect for him. So he sent a herald to
6:27:26
the wall with a passport for the Sheikh and for ten other persons, such
6:27:32
as he should choose, giving him free permission to leave the town and go
6:27:37
wherever he pleased. But the Sheikh declined the offer. Then Oktay sent in
6:27:41
another passport with permission to the Sheikh to take a thousand men with him,
6:27:48
but he still refused. He could not accept Oktay's bounty, he said,
6:27:52
unless it was extended to all the Mohammedans in the town. He was obliged
6:27:57
to take his lot with the rest, for he was bound to his people
6:28:02
by ties too strong to be easily sundered. So the siege went on,
6:28:07
and at the end of it, when the town was carried, the Sheek
6:28:11
was slain with the rest in the streets, where he stood his ground to
6:28:15
the last, fighting like a lion. All the Mohammedan chieftains, however,
6:28:19
did not possess so noble a spirit as this one chieftain, when he found
6:28:25
that the Mongols were coming, caused himself to be let down with ropes from
6:28:29
the wall in the night, and so made his escape, leaving the town
6:28:33
and the garrison to their fate. The garrisons of the towns, knowing that
6:28:38
they had little mercy to expect from their terrible enemies, fought, often very
6:28:44
desperately to the last, as they would have done against beasts of prey.
6:28:49
They would suddenly open the gates and rush out in large bands, provided with
6:28:55
combustibles of all kinds and torches with which they would set fire to the engines
6:29:00
of the besiegers, and then get back again within the walls before the Mongols
6:29:04
could recover sufficiently from the alarm and confusion to intercept them. In this manner
6:29:11
they destroyed a great many of the engines and killed vast numbers of men.
6:29:15
Still, the Mongols would persevere, and sooner or later the place was sure
6:29:21
to fall. Then, when the inhabitants found that all hope was over,
6:29:26
they had become so desperate in their hatred of their foes that they would sometimes
6:29:32
set the town on fire with their own hands and throw themselves and their wives
6:29:37
and children into the flames rather than fall into the hands of their infuriated enemies.
6:29:44
The cruelties which the Mongols perpetrated upon their unhappy victims, when after a
6:29:48
long resistance they finally gained possession of a town, were indeed dreadful. They
6:29:55
usually ordered all the people to come out to an open space on the plane,
6:30:00
and there after taking out all the young and able bodied men who could
6:30:04
be made useful in bringing stones and setting up engines and other such labors,
6:30:10
and also all the young and beautiful women, to be divided among the army
6:30:15
or sold as slaves. They would put the rest together in a mass and
6:30:18
kill them all by shooting at them with arrows, just as if they had
6:30:23
been beasts surrounded in a chase, excepting that the excitement and pleasure of shooting
6:30:29
into such a mass of human victims, and of hearing the shrieks and cries
6:30:33
of their terror, was probably infinitely greater to their brutal murderers than if it
6:30:40
had been a herd of lions, tigers, and wolves that they were destroying.
6:30:45
It is said by the historians that in one case the number of people
6:30:49
ordered out upon the plane was so great that it took four days for them
6:30:55
to pass out and assemble at the appointed place, and that after them those
6:31:00
who were to be spared had been separated from the rest. The number that
6:31:03
were left to be slain was over one hundred thousand, as recorded by the
6:31:08
secretaries who made an enumeration of them. In another case, the slaughter was
6:31:15
so great that it took twelve days to count the number of the dead.
6:31:18
Some of the atrocities which were perpetrated upon the prisoners were almost too horrible to
6:31:25
be described. In one case, a woman quite advanced in years begged the
6:31:30
Mongols to spare her life and promised that if they would do so, she
6:31:34
would give them a pearl of great value. They asked her where the pearl
6:31:38
was, and she said she had swallowed it. The Mongols then immediately cut
6:31:44
her down and ripped her body open with their swords to find the pearl.
6:31:48
They found it, and then, encouraged by the success and thinking it probable
6:31:53
that other women might have attempted to hide their jewels in the same way,
6:31:59
they proceeded to kill and cut open a great number of women to search for
6:32:03
pearls in their bodies, but they found no more. At the siege of
6:32:07
a certain city called Bamiyan, a young grandson of Jengas Khan, wishing to
6:32:12
please his grandfather by his daring, approached so near the wall that he was
6:32:18
reached by an arrow shot by one of the archers and killed. Jengas Khan
6:32:23
was deeply affected by this event, and he showed by the bitterness of his
6:32:27
grief, that though he was so utterly heartless and cruel in inflicting these woes
6:32:33
upon others, he could feel for himself very acutely when it came to his
6:32:38
turn to suffer. As for the mother of the child, she was rendered
6:32:44
perfectly furious by his death. She thought of nothing but revenge, and she
6:32:48
only waited for the town to be taken in order that she might enjoy it.
6:32:53
When at last a practicable breach was made and the soldiers began to pour
6:32:59
into the city, she went in with the rest and insisted that every man,
6:33:03
woman, and child should be put to death. Her special rage was
6:33:07
directed against the children, whom she seemed to take special pleasure in destroying in
6:33:14
vengeance for the death of her own child. The hatred and rage which she
6:33:18
manifested against children extended even to babes unborn, and these feelings she evinced by
6:33:26
atrocities too shocking to be described. The opinions which Jengas Khan entertained on religious
6:33:33
subjects appear from a conversation which he held at one time during the course of
6:33:38
his campaigns in Western Asia with some learned Mohammedan doctors at Bokhara, which was
6:33:45
the great seat at that time of science and philosophy. He asked the doctors
6:33:51
what were the principles of their religion. They replied that these principles consisted of
6:33:56
five fundamental points. One in believing in one God, the creator of all
6:34:03
things and the supreme ruler and governor of the universe. Two in giving one
6:34:08
fortieth part of their yearly income or gains to the poor. Three in praying
6:34:15
to God five times every day, four in setting apart one month in each
6:34:21
year for fasting. Five in making a pilgrimage to the temple in Mecca there
6:34:26
to worship God. Jengas Khan told them that he believed himself in the first
6:34:33
of these articles, and he approved of the three succeeding ones. It was
6:34:37
very well, he said, to give one fortieth of one's income to the
6:34:41
poor, and to pray to God five times a day, and to set
6:34:45
apart a month in the year for a fast. But as to the last
6:34:49
article, he could not but dissent from it entirely, for the whole world
6:34:55
was God's house, and it was ridiculous, he said, to imagine that
6:35:00
one place could really be any more fitting than another as a place for worshiping
6:35:04
him. The learned doctors were much dissatisfied with his answer. They were,
6:35:11
in fact more displeased with the descent which the Emperor expressed from this last article,
6:35:17
the only one which was purely and wholly ritual in its character, than
6:35:22
they were gratified with the concurrence which he expressed in all the other four.
6:35:27
This is not at all surprising, for from the times of the Pharisees down
6:35:32
to the present day, the spirit of sectarianism and bigotry in religion always plants
6:35:38
itself most strongly on the platform of externals. It is always contending strenuously for
6:35:45
rights, while it places comparatively in the background all that bears directly on the
6:35:52
vital and spiritual interests of the soul end of Chapter twenty two, Chapter twenty
6:35:59
three, and Celebrations twelve twenty one to twelve twenty four. When Djengs Khan
6:36:06
found that his conquests in Western Asia were in some good degree established and confirmed,
6:36:12
he illustrated his victory and the consequent extension of his empire by two very
6:36:18
imposing celebrations. The first was a grand hunt. The second was a solemn
6:36:26
convocation of all the estates of his immense realm and a sort of de it
6:36:30
or deliberative assembly. The accounts given by the historians of both these celebrations are
6:36:37
doubtless greatly exaggerated. Their description of the hunt is as follows. It was
6:36:44
after the close of the campaign in twelve twenty one that it took place while
6:36:48
the army were in winter quarters. The object of the hunt was to keep
6:36:53
the soldiers occupied, so as to avoid the relaxation of discipline and the devices
6:37:00
and disorder which generally creep into a camp where there are no active occupations to
6:37:07
engage the minds of the men. The hunt took place in a vast region
6:37:11
of uninhabited country which was infested with wild beefs of every kind. The soldiers
6:37:18
were marched out on this expedition in order of war, as if it were
6:37:22
a country occupied by armed men that they were going to attack. The different
6:37:27
detachments were conducted to the different points in the outskirts of the country, from
6:37:33
which they severally extended themselves to the right and left, so as completely to
6:37:40
enclose the ground. And the space was so large, it is said,
6:37:45
which was thus enclosed, that it took them several weeks to march into the
6:37:48
center. It is true that in such a case, the men would advance
6:37:53
very slowly, perhaps only a few miles each day, in order that they
6:37:57
might examine the ground thoroughly and leave no ravine or thicket or other lurking place
6:38:04
where beasts might conceal themselves unexplored. Still, the circle was doubtless immensely large.
6:38:11
When the appointed morning at length arrived, the men at the several stations
6:38:17
were arrayed, and they commenced their advance toward the center, moving to the
6:38:22
sound of trumpets, drums, timbrels, and other such instruments of martial music
6:38:27
as were in use in those days. The men were strictly forbidden to kill
6:38:33
any animal They were only to start them out from their lurking places and layers,
6:38:38
and drive them in toward the center of the field. Great numbers of
6:38:42
the men were provided with picks, spades, and other similar tools, with
6:38:48
which they were to dig out the burrows and holes of such animals as should
6:38:52
seek refuge underground. They went on in this way for some weeks. The
6:38:57
animals ran before them when they were disturbed by the men, that it was
6:39:03
only a momentary danger, which they could easily escape from as usual by running
6:39:07
forward into the next thicket. But soon the advancing line of the soldiers reached
6:39:14
them there and drove them out again. And if they attempted to turn to
6:39:18
the right or the left, they soon found themselves intercepted. Thus, as
6:39:23
the circle grew narrower and the space enclosed diminished, the animals began to find
6:39:30
themselves mixing with one another in great numbers, and being now irritated and angry,
6:39:37
they attacked one another in many instances, the strong falling upon and killing
6:39:41
the weak. Thus a great many were killed, though not by the hands
6:39:47
of the soldiers. At last, the numbers became so great, and the
6:39:51
excitement and terror of the animals so intense that the soldiers had great difficulty in
6:39:57
driving them forward. The poor beasts ran this way and that, half distracted,
6:40:03
while the soldiers pressed steadily on behind them and cut them off from every
6:40:08
chance of escape, by raising terrific shouts and outcries, and by brandishing weapons
6:40:15
before them wherever they attempted to turn. At length, the animals were all
6:40:19
driven into the inner Circle, a comparatively small space which had been previously marked
6:40:26
out. Around this space, double and triple lines of troops were drawn up,
6:40:30
armed with pikes and spears, which they pointed in towards the center,
6:40:36
thus forming a sort of wall by which the beasts were closely shut in.
6:40:41
The plan was now for the officers and cons and all the great personages of
6:40:47
the court and the army, to go into the circle and show their courage
6:40:51
and their prowess by attacking the beasts and slaying them. But the courage required
6:40:56
for such an exploit was not so great as it might seem, for it
6:41:02
was always found on these occasions that the beasts, though they had been very
6:41:07
wild and ferocious when first aroused from their layers, and had appeared excessively irritated
6:41:14
when they found the circle beginning to narrow around them, ended at last in
6:41:18
losing all their spirit and in becoming discouraged, dejected, and tame. This
6:41:23
was owing partly, perhaps to their having become in some degree familiar with the
6:41:30
sight of men, but more probably to the exhaustion produced by long continued fatigue
6:41:36
and excitement, and to their having been for so many days deprived in a
6:41:41
great degree of their accustomed food and rest. Thus, in this, as
6:41:47
in a great many other similar instances, the poor soldiers and common people incurred
6:41:52
the danger and the toil, and then the great men came in at the
6:41:56
end to reap the glory. Ingas Khon himself was the first to enter the
6:42:02
circle for the purpose of attacking the beasts. He was followed by the princes
6:42:07
of his family and by other great chieftains and cons As they went in,
6:42:11
the whole army surrounded the enclosure and completely filled the air with the sound of
6:42:17
drums, timbrels, trumpets, and other such instruments, and with the noise
6:42:22
of the most terrific shouts and outcries which they could make, in order to
6:42:26
terrify and over awe the beasts as much as possible, and to destroying them
6:42:33
all thought and hope of resistance. And indeed, so much effect was produced
6:42:37
by these means of intimidation, that the beasts, it is said, became
6:42:41
completely stupefied. They were so affrighted that they lost all their fierceness. The
6:42:48
lions and tigers became as tame as lambs, and the bears and wild boars,
6:42:53
like the most timorous creatures, became dejected and amazed. Still, the
6:43:00
going in of Jengas Khan and the princes to attack them was not wholly without
6:43:04
danger, for of course, it was a point of honor with them to
6:43:08
select the most ferocious and fierce of the animals. And some of these,
6:43:14
when they found themselves actually assailed, were aroused again, and, recovering in
6:43:19
some degree their native ferocity, seemed impelled to make a last desperate effort to
6:43:26
defend themselves. After killing a few of the lions, tigers and bears,
6:43:30
Jengas Khan and his immediate suite returned to a place at one side of the
6:43:36
enclosure, where a throne had been set up for the emperor on an eminence,
6:43:41
which afforded a good view of the field. Here, Jengas Khan took
6:43:45
his seat in order to enjoy the spectacle of the slaughter, and then an
6:43:51
immense number of men were allowed to go in and amuse themselves with killing and
6:43:56
destroying the poor beasts, till they were perfectly satiated with the sight of blood
6:44:02
and of suffering. At last, some of the Khan's grandsons, attended by
6:44:07
several other young princes, approached the throne where the Emperor was seated, and
6:44:11
petitioned him to order the carnage to cease and to allow the rest of the
6:44:17
animals to go free. This petition the Emperor granted. The lines were broken
6:44:22
up, the animals that had escaped being massacred made their way back into the
6:44:26
wilds again, and the hunt was over. The several detachments of the army
6:44:32
then set out on their march back to the camp again. But so great
6:44:36
was the scale on which this grand hunting expedition was conducted that four months elapsed
6:44:42
between the time of their setting out upon it till the time of their return.
6:44:48
The Grand Diet or general assembly of the states of Djengas Khan's Empire took
6:44:53
place two or three years later, when the conquest of Western Asia was complete,
6:44:59
and sons of the Emperor, and all the great generals could be called
6:45:03
together at the emperor's headquarters without much danger. The place chosen for this assembly
6:45:10
was a vast plain in the vicinity of the city of Twukat, which has
6:45:14
already been mentioned as one of the great cities conquered by Jings Khan. Twocat
6:45:19
lay in a central and convenient position for the purpose of this assembly. It
6:45:25
was, moreover, a rich and beautiful city, and could furnish all that
6:45:30
would be necessary for the wants of the assembly. The meeting, however,
6:45:34
was not to be held in the city itself, but upon a great plain
6:45:38
in the environs of it, where there was space for all the khans,
6:45:42
with their numerous retinues, to pitch their tents. When the khans and chieftains
6:45:48
began to assemble, there came first the sons of the king, returning from
6:45:52
the various expeditions on which their father had sent them, and bringing with them
6:45:57
magnificent presents. These presents, of course, consisted of the treasures and other
6:46:03
valuables which they had taken in plunder from the various cities which had fallen into
6:46:08
their hands. The presence which duke. He brought exceeded in value those of
6:46:15
all the others. Among the rest, there was a herd of horses one
6:46:18
hundred thousand in number. These horses had of course been seized in the pastures
6:46:25
of the conquered countries, and were now brought to the Emperor to be used
6:46:30
by him in mounting his troops. They were arrayed in bands according to the
6:46:34
color white, dappled, gray, bay, black, and spotted, of
6:46:38
each kind and equal number. The Emperor received and welcomed his sons with great
6:46:44
joy, and readily accepted their presence. In return, he made presents to
6:46:49
them from his own treasuries. After this, as other princes and cohns came
6:46:55
in and encamped with their troops and followers on the plain, the Emperor entertained
6:47:00
them all with a series of grand banquets and public diversions of all sorts,
6:47:06
among other things. A grand hunting party was organized somewhat similar in the general
6:47:11
plan to the one already described, only on a much smaller scale, of
6:47:15
course, in respect to the number of persons engaged and the time occupied.
6:47:22
While yet it greatly surpassed that one in magnificence and splendor. Several thousand beasts
6:47:29
were slain, it is said, and a great number and variety of birds
6:47:33
which were taken by the falcons. At the end of the hunt, a
6:47:37
great banquet was given which surpassed all the other feasts in munificence. They had
6:47:42
on the tables of this banquet a great variety of drinks, not only rich
6:47:48
wines from the southern countries, but beer and metheglen, and also sherbet,
6:47:53
which the army had learned to make in Persia. In the meantime, the
6:47:57
great space on the plain which had been set apart for the encampment, had
6:48:03
been gradually becoming filled up by the arrival of the Khans, until at length
6:48:07
in every direction, as far as the eye could reach, the whole plane
6:48:11
was covered with groups of tents and long lines of movable houses brought on wheels.
6:48:18
The ground which the encampment covered was said by the historians to have been
6:48:22
seven leagues in extent. If the space occupied was anything at all approaching this
6:48:29
magnitude, it could only be that the outer portions of it were occupied by
6:48:33
the herdsmen and other servants of the Khans, who had to take care of
6:48:38
the cattle and horses of the troops, and to provide them with suitable pasture.
6:48:44
Indeed, the great number of animals which these wandering tribes always took with
6:48:48
them on their journeys, rendered it necessary to appropriate a much larger space to
6:48:55
their encampments than would have been otherwise required. It is surprised see to us,
6:49:00
who are accustomed to look upon living in tents as so exclusively an irregular
6:49:06
and temporary expedient, to learn how completely this mode of life was reduced to
6:49:11
a system in those days, and how perfect and complete all the arrangements relating
6:49:17
to it were made. In this case, in the center of the encampment,
6:49:22
a space of two leagues in length was regularly laid out in streets,
6:49:26
squares, and marketplaces like a town. Here where the emperor's quarters, with
6:49:32
magnificent tents for himself and his immediate household, and multitudes of others of a
6:49:37
planar character for his servants and retainers. The tents of the other grand cons
6:49:44
were near. They were made of rich materials and ornamented in a sumptuous manner,
6:49:49
and silken streamers of various colors floated in the wind from the summits of
6:49:55
them. Besides these, there was an immense tent built for the Escsembly itself
6:50:00
to hold its sessions in. This tent was so large it is said that
6:50:06
it would contain two thousand persons. It was covered with white, which made
6:50:10
it very conspicuous. There were two entrance gates leading to the interior. One
6:50:15
of them was called the Imperial Gate and was for the use of Jengas Khan
6:50:21
alone. The other was the public gate and was used in general for the
6:50:26
members of the Assembly and for spectators. Within the tent was erected a magnificent
6:50:32
throne intended for the use of the Emperor during the sessions of the Assembly.
6:50:37
A great amount of important business was transacted by the Assembly while it continued in
6:50:42
session, and many important edicts were made by the Emperor. The Constitution and
6:50:48
laws of the Empire were promulgated anew and all necessary arrangements made for the government
6:50:56
of the various provinces, both near and remote. At length, when these
6:51:00
various objects had been accomplished and the business was concluded, the Emperor gave audience
6:51:07
individually to all the princes, khans, generals, governors of provinces and other
6:51:12
grand dignitaries who were present on the occasion in order that they might take their
6:51:18
leave preparatory to returning to their several countries. When this ceremony was concluded,
6:51:25
the encampment was broken up and the various khans set off, each at the
6:51:30
head of his own caravan on the road leading to his own home end of
6:51:34
Chapter twenty three, Chapter twenty four conclusion twelve twenty seven. After the grand
6:51:41
convocation described in the last chapter, Jengas Khan lived only three years. During
6:51:48
this time he went on extending his conquests with the same triumphant success that had
6:51:55
attended his previous operations. Having at length established his demi minion in Western Asia
6:52:00
on a permanent basis, he returned to the original seat of his empire in
6:52:06
the East after seven years absence, where he was received with great honor by
6:52:11
the Mongol nation. He began again to extend his conquests in China. He
6:52:18
was very successful. Indeed, with the exception of one great calamity which befell
6:52:22
him, his career was one of continued and unexampled prosperity. The calamity was
6:52:30
the death of his son Chuki, his oldest, most distinguished and best beloved
6:52:34
son. The news of This event threw the Khan into a deep melancholy,
6:52:41
so that for a time he lost all his interest in public affairs, and
6:52:45
even the news of victories obtained in distant countries by his armies ceased to awaken
6:52:52
any joyful emotions in his mind. The Khan was now too, becoming quite
6:52:57
advanced in life, being about sixty four years old, which is in age
6:53:03
at which the mind is slow to recover its lost elasticity. He did,
6:53:07
however, slowly recover from the effects of his grief, and he then went
6:53:12
on with his warlike preparations. He had conquered all the northern portion of China
6:53:19
and was now making arrangements for a grand invasion of the southern part, when
6:53:25
at length, in the spring of the year twelve twenty seven, he fell
6:53:29
set. He struggled against the disease during the summer, but at length in
6:53:33
August he found himself growing worse, and he felt that his end was drawing
6:53:38
nigh. His mind was occupied mainly during all this interval by arranging the details
6:53:45
of the coming campaign and making known to the officers around him all the particulars
6:53:51
of his plans, in order that they might carry them out successfully. After
6:53:56
his decease. He was chiefly concerned as well he might be, lest the
6:54:00
general should quarrel among each other after he should be gone, and he continually
6:54:06
exhorted them to be united, and on no account to allow discord or dissensions
6:54:12
to creep in and divide them. His oldest son, next to Juki,
6:54:17
was Jogatay, but he was of a mild and amiable temper, and not
6:54:22
so well qualified to govern so widely extended an empire as the next son,
6:54:27
whose name was Oktay. The next son to Oktay, whose name was Toley,
6:54:33
was with his father at the time when his sickness at last assumed an
6:54:38
immediately alarming character. This change for the worse, which convinced the emperor that
6:54:45
his death was drawing nigh, took place one day when he was traveling with
6:54:49
a portion of his army being born on a litter. On account of his
6:54:55
infirm and feeble condition, a halt was ordered, a camp was for and
6:55:00
the Great Conqueror was born to a tent which was pitched for him on the
6:55:04
spot near the borders of the forest. The physicians and the astrologers came around
6:55:10
him and tried to comfort him with encouraging predictions. But he knew, by
6:55:15
the pains that he felt, and by other inward sensations, that his hour
6:55:19
had come. He accordingly ordered that all of his sons who were in the
6:55:25
camp, and all the princes of his family, should be called in to
6:55:29
his bedside. When they had all assembled, he caused himself to be raised
6:55:33
up in his bed, and then made a short, but very solemn addressed
6:55:38
to them. I leave you, said he the greatest empire in the world,
6:55:44
but your preserving it depends upon your remaining always united. If discord steals
6:55:51
in among you, all will most assuredly be lost. Then, turning to
6:55:56
the great chieftains and cohns who were standing by the great nobles of his court,
6:56:02
he appealed to them, as well as to the princes of his family,
6:56:06
whether it was not just and reasonable that he who had established the empire
6:56:11
and built it up wholly from the very foundations, should have the right to
6:56:15
name a successor to inherit it after he was gone. They all expressed a
6:56:21
full assent to this proposition. His sons and the other princes of his family
6:56:26
fell on their knees and said, you are our father and our Emperor,
6:56:32
and we are your slaves. It is for us to bow in submission to
6:56:37
all the commands with which you honor us, and to render the most implicit
6:56:41
obedience to them. The Khan then proceeded to announce to the assembly that he
6:56:48
had made choice of his son Oktae as his successor, and he declared him
6:56:53
the Khan of Khans, which was the imperial title according to the constitution.
6:57:00
The whole assembly then kneeled again and solemnly declared that they accepted the choice which
6:57:07
the emperor had made, and promised allegiance and fidelity to the new sovereign so
6:57:11
soon as he should be invested with power. The aged emperor then gave to
6:57:18
his second son, Jagatay, a large country for his kingdom, which however,
6:57:23
he was of course, to hold under the general sovereignty of his brother.
6:57:29
He also appointed his son Toli, who was then present, to act
6:57:33
as regent until Octe should return. The Assembly was then dismissed, and very
6:57:38
soon afterward the Great Conqueror died totally. Of course, immediately entered upon his
6:57:45
office as regent, and under his direction, the body of his father was
6:57:49
interred with great magnificence under a venerable tree, where the Khan had rested himself
6:57:56
with great satisfaction a few days before he was taken sick. The spot was
6:58:02
a very beautiful one, and in due time a magnificent monument was erected over
6:58:07
the grave. Trees were afterward planted around the spot, and other improvements were
6:58:11
made in the grounds, by which it became at length, it was said,
6:58:17
one of the finest sepulchers in the world. As soon as Octae,
6:58:21
whom the emperor had designated as his successor, returned home, he was at
6:58:26
once proclaimed emperor and established himself at his father's court. The news of the
6:58:33
old emperor's death rapidly spread throughout Asia, and a succession of ambassadors were sent
6:58:40
from all the provinces, principalities and kingdoms throughout the Empire, and also from
6:58:47
such contiguous states has desired to maintain friendly relations with the new monarch, to
6:58:52
bring addresses and messages of condolence from their respective rulers. And so great was
6:58:59
the exc dent of country from which these ambassadors came that a period of six
6:59:04
months was consumed before these melancholy ceremonies were ended. The fate of the grand
6:59:11
Empire which Jengas Khan established was the same with that of all others that have
6:59:17
arisen in the world from time to time. By the extension of the power
6:59:21
of great military commanders over widely separated and heterogeneous nations. The sons and successors
6:59:29
to whom the vast possessions descended soon quarreled among themselves, and the immense fabric
6:59:34
fell to pieces in less time than it had taken to construct it. End
6:59:41
of Chapter twenty four, end of the History of Jengas Khan by Jacob Abbot