In the early centuries of the Christian
era we hear that the Khan of the Turks had his twelve grandees, divided
into those of the Right and those of the Left, probably a copy from a
Chinese order then also existing.
But to return to Rashiduddin: "As the Kaan generally resides at the
capital, he has erected a place for the sittings of the Great Council,
called Sing.... The dignitaries mentioned above are expected to attend
daily at the Sing, and to make themselves acquainted with all that passes
there."
The Sing of Rashid is evidently the Shieng or Sheng (Scieng) of Polo.
M. Pauthier is on this point somewhat contemptuous towards Neumann, who,
he says, confounds Marco Polo's twelve Barons or Ministers of State with
the chiefs of the twelve great provincial governments called Sing, who
had their residence at the chief cities of those governments; whilst in
fact Polo's Scieng (he asserts) has nothing to do with the Sing, but
represents the Chinese word Siang "a minister," and "the office of a
minister." [There was no doubt a confusion between Siang [Chinese] and
Sheng [Chinese]. - H. C.]
It is very probable that two different words, Siang and Sing, got
confounded by the non-Chinese attaches of the Imperial Court; but it seems
to me quite certain that they applied the same word, Sing or Sheng, to
both institutions, viz.
