- 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.
