Bathy, Or Baatu, Ordu, Siba, And Boru Are
The Sons Of Thosut-Khan.
Baatu is richer and mightier than all the rest,
being next in power to the emperor; but Ordu is the superior of all the
dukes.
The sons of Thiaday are Hurin and Cadan. The sons of the son of
Zingis whose name I could not learn, are Mengu, Bithat, and several others.
The mother of Mengu was Seroctan, the greatest lady among the Tartars, and
the most honoured except the emperor's mother, and more powerful than any
subject except Bathy. The following is a list of their dukes: Ordu, Bathy,
Huryn, Cadan, Syban, and Ouygat, who were all in Hungary; Cyrpodan, who
remains beyond the sea[2], making war against certain soldans of the
Saracens, and other transmarine nations. Mengu, Chyrinen, Hubilai, Sinocur,
Cara, Gay, Sybedey, Bora, Berca, and Corensa, all remain in Tartary. But
there are many other dukes whose names I could not learn.
[1] Other authors give a different account of the family of Zingis.
According to Harris, I. 556, Zuzi, or Tuschi, was his eldest son, who
died six months before his father, and his son Baatu got a great part
of Tartary for his share. Zagathai, a son of Zingis, got Transoxiana,
or the country of the Kirguses. Tuli, another son, had Chorassan,
Persia, and western India. Octai had Mongalia and Cathay, or Northern
China. Carpini, or rather Vincentius, has sadly confounded all
authentic history, by his rambling colloquial collections from
ignorant relators, and has miserably corrupted the orthography of
names of nations, places, and persons. - E.
[2] Probably meaning in Persia, beyond the Caspian Sea. - E
SECTION XIV.
Of the Power of the Emperors, and of his Dukes..
The Tartar emperor enjoys incontrollable power over all his subjects,
insomuch, that no man dare abide in any other place than he has assigned;
and he even appoints the residences of all the dukes. The dukes appoint the
residence of the millenaries, or commanders of a thousand men; the
millenaries do the same with the centurions, or captains of hundreds; and
the centurions direct in what place the decurions or commanders of tens are
to dwell. Whatsoever order any of these officers receive from their
immediate superiors must be instantly and implicitly obeyed. If the emperor
demands the virgin daughter or sister of any one, she is instantly
delivered up; nay, he often collects the virgins from all the Tartar
dominions, and retains such as he pleases for himself, giving away others
among his followers. All his messengers must be everywhere provided with
horses and necessaries without delay: and all messengers coming to him with
tribute or otherwise, must be provided on their way with horses, carriages,
and all necessaries; yet messengers from strange countries, suffer great
distresses and much want of provisions and clothing, especially when sent
to any of the princes, and when they have to make any stay; as they often
allot for ten men, what would hardly suffice for two, and if they suffer
any injury it is even dangerous to complain.
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