The Travels Of Marco Polo - Volume 2 Of 2 By Marco Polo And Rustichello Of Pisa











































 - 

[Illustration: Facsimile of the Letters sent to Philip the Fair King of
France, by Arghun Khan in A.D. 1289 - Page 464
The Travels Of Marco Polo - Volume 2 Of 2 By Marco Polo And Rustichello Of Pisa - Page 464 of 701 - First - Home

Enter page number    Previous Next

Number of Words to Display Per Page: 250 500 1000

[Illustration: Facsimile Of The Letters Sent To Philip The Fair King Of France, By Arghun Khan In A.D. 1289 And By Oljaitu In A.D. 1305.]

NOTE 2.

- Arghun obtained the throne on Ahmad's death, as just related, and soon after named his son Ghazan (born in 1271) to the Government of Khorasan, Mazanderan, Kumis, and Rei. Buka was made Chief Minister. The circumstances of Arghun's death have been noticed already (supra, p. 369).

CHAPTER XVIII.

HOW KIACATU SEIZED THE SOVEREIGNTY AFTER ARGON'S DEATH.

And immediately on Argon's death, an uncle of his who was own brother[1] to Abaga his father, seized the throne, as he found it easy to do owing to Casan's being so far away as the Arbre Sec. When Casan heard of his father's death he was in great tribulation, and still more when he heard of KIACATU'S seizing the throne. He could not then venture to leave the frontier for fear of his enemies, but he vowed that when time and place should suit he would go and take as great vengeance as his father had taken on Acomat. And what shall I tell you? Kiacatu continued to rule, and all obeyed him except such as were along with Casan. Kiacatu took the wife of Argon for his own, and was always dallying with women, for he was a great lechour. He held the throne for two years, and at the end of those two years he died; for you must know he was poisoned.[NOTE 1]

NOTE 1. - KAIKHATU, of whom we heard in the Prologue (vol. i. p. 35), was the brother, not the uncle, of Arghun. On the death of the latter there were three claimants, viz., his son Ghazan, his brother Kaikhatu, and his cousin Baidu, the son of Tarakai, one of Hulaku's sons. The party of Kaikhatu was strongest, and he was raised to the throne at Akhlath, 23rd July 1291. He took as wives out of the Royal Tents of Arghun the Ladies Bulughan (the 2nd, not her named in the Prologue) and Uruk. All the writers speak of Kaikhatu's character in the same way. Hayton calls him "a man without law or faith, of no valour or experience in arms, but altogether given up to lechery and vice, living like a brute beast, glutting all his disordered appetites; for his dissolute life hated by his own people, and lightly regarded by foreigners." (Ram. II. ch. xxiv.) The continuator of Abulfaraj, and Abulfeda in his Annals, speak in like terms. (Assem. III. Pt. 2nd, 119-120; Reiske, Ann. Abulf. III. 101.)

Baidu rose against him; most of his chiefs abandoned him, and he was put to death in March-April, 1295. He reigned therefore nearly four years, not two as the text says.

[1] Frer carnaus (I. p. 187).

CHAPTER XIX.

HOW BAIDU SEIZED THE SOVEREIGNTY AFTER THE DEATH OF KIACATU.

When Kiacatu was dead, BAIDU, who was his uncle, and was a Christian, seized the throne.[NOTE 1] This was in the year 1294 of Christ's Incarnation.

Enter page number   Previous Next
Page 464 of 701
Words from 241238 to 241748 of 370046


Previous 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 Next

More links: First 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200
 210 220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300
 310 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
 410 420 430 440 450 460 470 480 490 500
 510 520 530 540 550 560 570 580 590 600
 610 620 630 640 650 660 670 680 690 700
 Last

Display Words Per Page: 250 500 1000

 
Africa (29)
Asia (27)
Europe (59)
North America (58)
Oceania (24)
South America (8)
 

List of Travel Books RSS Feeds

Africa Travel Books RSS Feed

Asia Travel Books RSS Feed

Europe Travel Books RSS Feed

North America Travel Books RSS Feed

Oceania Travel Books RSS Feed

South America Travel Books RSS Feed

Copyright © 2005 - 2022 Travel Books Online