The Naymani, To Whom All The
Surrounding Tribes Then Paid Tribute, Were Much Indignant At The Elevation
Of Zingis; But
Their great emperor had lately died, leaving the authority
divided among his sons, who were young and foolish, and knew
Not how to
rule the people; yet they invaded the territories of the Mongals, slaying
the inhabitants and carrying off much prey. On this Zingis collected the
whole strength of his subjects, and the Naymani, united with the
Cara-Cathayans, gathered a mighty army in a certain narrow valley to oppose
him, in which a great battle was fought, and the Mongals obtained the
victory, the confederates being mostly slain, and those who escaped were
reduced to subjection. Zingis established his son Occoday, Ug dai, or
Octai-Khan, in the land of the Kara-Kitayans, where he built a town called
Omyl or Chamyl[1]; near which, and to the south, there is a vast desert, in
which there are said to be certain wild men, who do not speak, and have no
joints in their legs, yet have sufficient art to make felt of camels wool
for garments, to protect them from the weather.
[1] Called Chamil or Hami in the maps, in lat. 43 deg. N. and long.
92 deg. E It stands in a province of the same name, on the north side of
the great desert of Cobi, and to the N.E. of the land of the Kalmuks,
or little Bucharia. - E.
SECTION IX.
Of the Mutual Victories of the Mongals and Cathayans.
After their return from conquering the Naymani and Cara-Cathayans, the
Mongals prepared to go to war with the Kythaos, or Cathayans[1]; but the
Mongals were defeated in a great battle, and all their nobles were slain
except seven. Zingis and the rest who had escaped from this defeat, soon
afterwards attacked and conquered the people called Huyri[2], who were
Nestorian Christians, from whom they learned the art of writing. After this
they conquered the land of Sarugur, and the country of the Karanites, and
the land of Hudirat, and returning into their own country, took a short
respite from war. Again assembling a great army, they invaded Cathay, and
after a long struggle, they conquered the greater part of that country, and
besieged the emperor in his greatest city. The siege lasted so long, that
the army of the Mongals came to be in want of provisions, and Zingis is
said to have commanded that every tenth man of his own army should be slain
as food for the rest. At length, by great exertions, the Mongals dug a mine
underneath the walls of the city, through which a party entered and opened
the gates for the rest of the army, so that the city was carried, and the
emperor and many of the citizens put to the sword. Having appointed
deputies to rule over his conquests, Zingis returned into Mongalia with
immense quantities of gold and silver and other precious spoil.
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