"Mirkhond, in the Tarikhi Wassaf, and other Mohammedan writers speak of
the Alans and As. However this may be, it is thought that the Oss or
Ossetes of the Caucasus are their modern representatives (Klaproth, Tabl.
hist., 180; De Morgan, i. 202, 231.)" Aas is the transcription of
A-soo (Yuen-shi, quoted by Deveria, Notes d'epig., p. 75). (See
Bretschneider, Med. Res., II., p. 84.) - H.C.]
NOTE 3. - The Chinese histories do not mention the story of the Alans and
their fate; but they tell how Chang-chau was first taken by the Mongols
about April 1275, and two months later recovered by the Chinese; how
Bayan, some months afterwards, attacked it in person, meeting with a
desperate resistance; finally, how the place was stormed, and how Bayan
ordered the whole of the inhabitants to be put to the sword. Gaubil
remarks that some grievous provocation must have been given, as Bayan was
far from cruel. Pauthier gives original extracts on the subject, which are
interesting. They picture the humane and chivalrous Bayan on this occasion
as demoniacal in cruelty, sweeping together all the inhabitants of the
suburbs, forcing them to construct his works of attack, and then
butchering the whole of them, boiling down their carcasses, and using the
fat to grease his mangonels! Perhaps there is some misunderstanding as to
the use of this barbarous lubricant. For Carpini relates that the
Tartars, when they cast Greek fire into a town, shot with it human fat,
for this caused the fire to rage inextinguishably.
Cruelties, like Bayan's on this occasion, if exceptional with him, were
common enough among the Mongols generally. Chinghiz, at an early period in
his career, after a victory, ordered seventy great caldrons to be heated,
and his prisoners to be boiled therein. And the "evil deed" of the citizens
of Chang-chau fell far short of Mongol atrocities. Thus Hulaku, suspecting
the Turkoman chief Nasiruddin, who had just quitted his camp with 300 men,
sent a body of horse after him to cut him off. The Mongol officers told the
Turkoman they had been ordered to give him and his men a parting feast;
they made them all drunk and then cut their throats. (Gaubil, 166, 167,
170; Carpini, 696; Erdmann, 262; Quat. Rashid. 357.)
[1] I must observe here that the learned Professor Bruun has raised doubts
whether these Alans of Marignolli's could be Alans of the Caucasus, and
if they were not rather Ohlans, i.e. Mongol Princes and nobles. There
are difficulties certainly about Marignolli's Alans; but obvious
difficulties also in this explanation.
CHAPTER LXXV.
OF THE NOBLE CITY OF SUJU.
Suju is a very great and noble city. The people are Idolaters, subjects of
the Great Kaan, and have paper-money. They possess silk in great
quantities, from which they make gold brocade and other stuffs, and they
live by their manufactures and trade.[NOTE 1]
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