CHAPTER XVII.
HOW ARGON WAS RECOGNISED AS SOVEREIGN.
And when Argon had done as you have heard, and remained in possession of
the Throne and of the Royal Palace, all the Barons of the different
Provinces, who had been subject to his father Abaga, came and performed
homage before him, and obeyed him, as was his due.[NOTE 1] And after
Argon was well established in the sovereignty he sent CASAN, his son, with
30,000 horse to the Arbre Sec, I mean to the region so-called, to
watch the frontier. Thus then Argon got back the government. And you must
know that Argon began his reign in the year 1286 of the Incarnation of
Jesus Christ. Acomat had reigned two years, and Argon reigned six years;
and at the end of those six years he became ill and died; but some say
'twas of poison.[NOTE 2]
NOTE 1. - Arghun, a prisoner (see last note), and looking for the worst,
was upheld by his courageous wife BULUGHAN (see Prologue, ch. xvii.), who
shared his confinement. The order for his execution, as soon as the camp
should next move, had been issued.
BUKA the Jelair, who had been a great chief under Abaka, and had
resentments against Ahmad, got up a conspiracy in favour of Arghun, and
effected his release as well as the death of ALINAK, Ahmad's
commander-in-chief. Ahmad fled towards Tabriz, pursued by a band of the
Karaunas, who succeeded in taking him. When Arghun came near and saw his
uncle in their hands, he called out in exultation Morio! - an exclamation,
says Wassaf, which the Mongols used when successful in archery, - and with a
gesture gave the signal for the prisoner's death (10th August 1284).
Buka is of course the Boga of Polo; Alinak is his Soldan. The
conspirators along with Buka, who are named in the history of Wassaf, are
Yesubuka, Gurgan, Aruk, Kurmishi, and Arkasun Noian. Those named
by Polo are not mentioned on this occasion, but the names are all Mongol.
TAGAJAR, ILCHIDAI, TUGHAN, SAMAGHAR, all appear in the Persian history of
those times. Tagajar appears to have had the honour of a letter from the
Pope (Nicolas IV.) in 1291, specially exhorting him to adopt the Christian
faith; it was sent along with letters of like tenor addressed to Arghun,
Ghazan, and other members of the imperial family. Tagajar is also
mentioned by the continuator of Abulfaraj as engaged in the conspiracy to
dethrone Kaikhatu. ULATAI was probably the same who went a few years later
as Arghun's ambassador to Cambaluc (see Prologue, ch. xvii.); and Polo may
have heard the story from him on board ship.
(Assem. III. pt. 2, 118; Mosheim, p. 80; Ilchan., passim.)
Abulfaragius gives a fragment of a letter from Arghun to Kublai, reporting
the deposition of Ahmad by the princes because he had "apostatized from
the law of their fathers, and adopted that of the Arabs." (Assemani,
u.s. p. 116.) The same historian says that Ahmad was kind and liberal to
the Christians, though Hayton speaks differently.
