King George appears again in Marco's own book (Bk. IV. ch. ii.) as one of
Kublai's generals against Kaidu, in a battle fought near Karakorum.
(Journ. As. IX. 299 seqq.; D'Ohsson, I. 123; Huc's Tartary, etc.
I. 55 seqq.; Koeppen, II. 381; Erdmann's Temudschin; Gerbillon in
Astley, IV. 670; Cathay, pp. 146 and 199 seqq.)
NOTE 2. - Such a compact is related to have existed reciprocally between
the family of Chinghiz and that of the chief of the Kungurats; but I have
not found it alleged of the Kerait family except by Friar Odoric. We find,
however, many princesses of this family married into that of Chinghiz.
Thus three nieces of Aung Khan became wives respectively of Chinghiz
himself and of his sons Juji and Tului; she who was the wife of the
latter, Serkukteni Bigi, being the mother of Mangu, Hulaku, and Kublai.
Dukuz Khatun, the Christian wife of Hulaku, was a grand-daughter of Aung
Khan.
The name George, of Prester John's representative, may have been
actually Jirjis, Yurji, or some such Oriental form of Georgius. But it is
possible that the title was really Gurgan, "Son-in-Law," a title of
honour conferred on those who married into the imperial blood, and that
this title may have led to the statements of Marco and Odoric about the
nuptial privileges of the family.
