His Son
Also Was Put To Death With All His Family, And His Immense Wealth
Confiscated.
714 persons were punished, one way or other, for their share
in Ahmad's malversations.
(De Mailla, IX. 413-414.)
What is said near the end of this chapter about the Kaan's resentment
against the Saracens has some confirmation in circumstances related by
Rashiduddin. The refusal of some Mussulman merchants, on a certain
occasion at Court, to eat of the dishes sent them by the Emperor, gave
great offence, and led to the revival of an order of Chinghiz, which
prohibited, under pain of death, the slaughter of animals by cutting their
throats. This endured for seven years, and was then removed on the strong
representation made to Kublai of the loss caused by the cessation of the
visits of the Mahomedan merchants. On a previous occasion also the
Mahomedans had incurred disfavour, owing to the ill-will of certain
Christians, who quoted to Kublai a text of the Koran enjoining the killing
of polytheists. The Emperor sent for the Mullahs, and asked them why they
did not act on the Divine injunction? All they could say was that the time
was not yet come! Kublai ordered them for execution, and was only appeased
by the intercession of Ahmad, and the introduction of a divine with more
tact, who smoothed over obnoxious applications of the text. (D'Ohsson, II.
492-493.)
CHAPTER XXIV.
HOW THE GREAT KAAN CAUSETH THE BARK OF TREES, MADE INTO SOMETHING LIKE
PAPER, TO PASS FOR MONEY OVER ALL HIS COUNTRY.
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