Rashid in 798 had to perform the "ceremony of kneeling and striking the
forehead against the ground." And M. Pauthier can scarcely be right in
saying that the practice was disused by the Ming Dynasty and only
reintroduced by the Manchus; for in the story of Shah Rukh's embassy the
performance of the K'o-tow occurs repeatedly.
["It is interesting to note," writes Mr. Rockhill (Rubruck, p. 22),
"that in A.D. 981 the Chinese Envoy, Wang Yen-te, sent to the Uigur Prince
of Kao-chang, refused to make genuflexions (pai) to him, as being
contrary to the established usages as regards envoys. The prince and his
family, however, on receiving the envoy, all faced eastward (towards
Peking) and made an obeisance (pai) on receiving the imperial presents
(shou-tzu)." (Ma Twan-lin, Bk 336, 13.) - H. C.]
(Gaubil, 142; Van Braam, I. 20-21; Baber, 106; N. et E. XIV. Pt.
I. 405, 407, 418.)
The enumeration of four prostrations in the text is, I fancy, quite
correct. There are several indications that this number was used instead
of the three times three of later days. Thus Carpini, when introduced to
the Great Kaan, "bent the left knee four times." And in the Chinese bridal
ceremony of "Worshipping the Tablets," the genuflexion is made four times.
At the court of Shah Abbas an obeisance evidently identical was repeated
four times. (Carp. 759; Doolittle, p. 60; P. Della Valle, I. 646.)
[1] Gaubil, cited in Pauthier's Hist. des Relations Politiques de la
Chine, etc., p. 226.
CHAPTER XVI.
CONCERNING THE TWELVE THOUSAND BARONS WHO RECEIVE ROBES OF CLOTH OF GOLD
FROM THE EMPEROR ON THE GREAT FESTIVALS, THIRTEEN CHANGES A-PIECE.
Now you must know that the Great Kaan hath set apart 12,000 of his men who
are distinguished by the name of Keshican, as I have told you before;
and on each of these 12,000 Barons he bestows thirteen changes of raiment,
which are all different from one another: I mean that in one set the
12,000 are all of one colour; the next 12,000 of another colour, and so
on; so that they are of thirteen different colours. These robes are
garnished with gems and pearls and other precious things in a very rich
and costly manner.[NOTE 1] And along with each of these changes of
raiment, i.e. 13 times in the year, he bestows on each of those 12,000
Barons a fine golden girdle of great richness and value, and likewise a
pair of boots of Camut, that is to say of Borgal, curiously wrought
with silver thread; insomuch that when they are clothed in these dresses
every man of them looks like a king![NOTE 2] And there is an established
order as to which dress is to be worn at each of those thirteen feasts.
The Emperor himself also has his thirteen suits corresponding to those of
his Barons; in colour, I mean (though his are grander, richer, and
costlier), so that he is always arrayed in the same colour as his Barons,
who are, as it were, his comrades.
