Back and tell you more about Great Turkey - But in good sooth
we have told you all about Great Turkey and the history of Caidu,
and there is really no more to tell. So we will go on and tell you of the
Provinces and nations in the far North.
NOTE 1. - The Christian writers often ascribe Christianity to various
princes of the Mongol dynasties without any good grounds. Certain coins of
the Ilkhans of Persia, up to the time of Ghazan's conversion to Islam,
exhibit sometimes Mahomedan and sometimes Christian formulae, but this is
no indication of the religion of the prince. Thus coins not merely of the
heathen Khans Abaka and Arghun, but of Ahmad Tigudar, the fanatical
Moslem, are found inscribed "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost." Raynaldus, under 1285, gives a fragment of a letter addressed by
Arghun to the European Powers, and dated from Tabriz, "in the year of the
Cock," which begins "In Christi Nomen, Amen!" But just in like
manner some of the coins of Norman kings of Sicily are said to bear the
Mahomedan profession of faith; and the copper money of some of the
Ghaznevide sultans bears the pagan effigy of the bull Nandi,
borrowed from the coinage of the Hindu kings of Kabul.
The European Princes could not get over the belief that the Mongols were
necessarily the inveterate enemies of Mahomedanism and all its professors.
Though Ghazan was professedly a zealous Mussulman, we find King James of
Aragon, in 1300, offering Cassan Rey del Mogol amity and alliance with
much abuse of the infidel Saracens; and the same feeling is strongly
expressed in a letter of Edward II. of England to the "Emperor of the
Tartars," which apparently was meant for Oljaitu, the successor of Ghazan.
(Fraehn de Ilchan. Nummis, vi. and passim; Raynald. III. 619;
J.A.S.B. XXIV. 490; Kington's Frederick II. I. 396; Capmany,
Antiguos Tratados, etc. p. 107; Rymer, 2d Ed. III. 34; see also p. 20.)
There are other assertions, besides our author's, that Baidu professed
Christianity. Hayton says so, and asserts that he prohibited Mahomedan
proselytism among the Tartars. The continuator of Abulfaraj says that
Baidu's long acquaintance with the Greek Despina Khatun, the wife of
Abaka, had made him favourable to Christians, so that he willingly allowed
a church to be carried about with the camp, and bells to be struck
therein, but he never openly professed Christianity. In fact at this time
the whole body of Mongols in Persia was passing over to Islam, and Baidu
also, to please them, adopted Mahomedan practices. But he would only
employ Christians as Ministers of State. His rival Ghazan, on the other
hand, strengthened his own influence by adopting Islam, Baidu's followers
fell off from him, and delivered him into Ghazan's power. He was put to
death 4th of October, 1295, about seven months after the death of his
predecessor. D'Ohsson's authorities seem to mention no battle such as the
text speaks of, but Mirkhond, as abridged by Teixeira, does so, and puts
it at Nakshiwan on the Araxes (p. 341).
NOTE 2. - Hayton testifies from his own knowledge to the remarkable
personal beauty of Arghun, whilst he tells us that the son Ghazan was as
notable for the reverse. After recounting with great enthusiasm instances
which he had witnessed of the daring and energy of Ghazan, the Armenian
author goes on, "And the most remarkable thing of all was that within a
frame so small, and ugly almost to monstrosity, there should be assembled
nearly all those high qualities which nature is wont to associate with a
form of symmetry and beauty. In fact among all his host of 200,000 Tartars
you should scarcely find one of smaller stature or of uglier and meaner
aspect than this Prince."
[Illustration: Tomb of Oljaitu Khan, the brother of Polo's "Casan" at
Sultaniah. (From Fergusson.)]
Pachymeres says that Ghazan made Cyrus, Darius, and Alexander his
patterns, and delighted to read of them. He was very fond of the mechanical
arts; "no one surpassed him in making saddles, bridles, spurs, greaves,
and helmets; he could hammer, stitch, and polish, and in such occupations
employed the hours of his leisure from war." The same author speaks of the
purity and beauty of his coinage, and the excellence of his legislation.
Of the latter, so famous in the East, an account at length is given by
D'Ohsson. (Hayton in Ramus. II. ch. xxvi., Pachym. Andron. Palaeol.
VI. 1; D'Ohsson, vol iv.)
Before finally quitting the "Tartars of the Levant," we give a
representation of the finest work of architecture that they have left
behind them, the tomb built for himself by Oljaitu (see on this page), or,
as his Moslem name ran, Mahomed Khodabandah, in the city of Sultaniah,
which he founded. Oljaitu was the brother and successor of Marco Polo's
friend Ghazan, and died in 1316, eight years before our traveller.
CHAPTER XX.
CONCERNING KING CONCHI WHO RULES THE FAR NORTH.
You must know that in the far north there is a King called CONCHI. He is a
Tartar, and all his people are Tartars, and they keep up the regular
Tartar religion. A very brutish one it is, but they keep it up just the
same as Chinghis Kaan and the proper Tartars did, so I will tell you
something of it.
You must know then that they make them a god of felt, and call him
NATIGAI; and they also make him a wife; and then they say that these two
divinities are the gods of the Earth who protect their cattle and their
corn and all their earthly goods. They pray to these figures, and when
they are eating a good dinner they rub the mouths of their gods with the
meat, and do many other stupid things.
