The war in question is related in Rashiduddin's history, and by Polo
himself towards the end of the work. It began in the summer of 1262, and
ended about eight months later. Hence the Polos must have reached Barka's
Court in 1261.
Marco always applies to the Mongol Khans of Persia the title of "Lords of
the East" (Levant), and to the Khans of Kipchak that of "Lords of the
West" (Ponent). We use the term Levant still with a similar specific
application, and in another form Anatolia. I think it best to preserve
the terms Levant and Ponent when used in this way.
[Robert Parke in his translation out of Spanish of Mendoza, The Historie
of the great and mightie kingdome of China ... London, printed by I.
Wolfe for Edward White, 1588, uses the word Ponent: "You shall
understande that this mightie kingdome is the Orientalest part of all
Asia, and his next neighbour towards the Ponent is the kingdome of
Quachinchina ... (p. 2)." - H. C.]
NOTE 4. - UCACA or UKEK was a town on the right bank of the Volga, nearly
equidistant between Sarai and Bolghar, and about six miles south of the
modern Saratov, where a village called Uwek still exists. Ukek is not
mentioned before the Mongol domination, and is supposed to have been of
Mongol foundation, as the name Ukek is said in Mongol to signify a dam of
hurdles.