It was proved
that he and seven of his sons (for they were not all bad) had forced no
end of women to be their wives, besides those whom they had ravished. The
Great Kaan then ordered all the treasure that Achmath had accumulated in
the Old City to be transferred to his own treasury in the New City, and it
was found to be of enormous amount. He also ordered the body of Achmath to
be dug up and cast into the streets for the dogs to tear; and commanded
those of his sons that had followed the father's evil example to be flayed
alive.[NOTE 4]
These circumstances called the Kaan's attention to the accursed doctrines
of the Sect of the Saracens, which excuse every crime, yea even murder
itself, when committed on such as are not of their religion. And seeing
that this doctrine had led the accursed Achmath and his sons to act as
they did without any sense of guilt, the Kaan was led to entertain the
greatest disgust and abomination for it. So he summoned the Saracens and
prohibited their doing many things which their religion enjoined. Thus, he
ordered them to regulate their marriages by the Tartar Law, and prohibited
their cutting the throats of animals killed for food, ordering them to rip
the stomach in the Tartar way.
Now when all this happened Messer Marco was upon the spot.][NOTE 5]
NOTE 1. - This narrative is from Ramusio's version, and constitutes one of
the most notable passages peculiar to that version.
The name of the oppressive Minister is printed in Ramusio's Collection
Achmach. But the c and t are so constantly interchanged in MSS. that
I think there can be no question this was a mere clerical error for
Achmath, and so I write it. I have also for consistency changed the
spelling of Xandu, Chingis, etc., to that hitherto adopted in our text
of Chandu, Chinkin, etc.
NOTE 2. - The remarks of a Chinese historian on Kublai's administration may
be appropriately quoted here: "Hupilai Han must certainly be regarded as
one of the greatest princes that ever existed, and as one of the most
successful in all that he undertook. This he owed to his judgment in the
selection of his officers, and to his talent for commanding them. He
carried his arms into the most remote countries, and rendered his name so
formidable that not a few nations spontaneously submitted to his
supremacy. Nor was there ever an Empire of such vast extent. He cultivated
literature, protected its professors, and even thankfully received their
advice. Yet he never placed a Chinese in his cabinet, and he employed
foreigners only as Ministers.
