Many Gifts Are Demanded Of
Them, Both By The Princes And Others, And If These Are Refused They Are
Contemned.
Owing to this, we were constrained to expend in presents, a
large portion of what had been bestowed upon us by well disposed persons to
defray our expences.
In fine, every thing whatever belongs to the emperor,
so that no one dare to say that any thing is his own; and the dukes and
princes exercise an equally incontrollable dominion upon all below them.
SECTION XV.
Of the Election of the Emperor Occoday, and of the Expedition of Duke
Bathy.
On the death of Zingis-chan, the dukes assembled and elected his son
Occoday, Ugadai, or Oktai-khan, emperor in his place; who immediately, in a
council of the nobles, divided the army, and sent Bathy, or Baatu-khan, who
was next in authority, against the land of Altissodan and the country of
the Bissermini[1], who were Saracens, though they spoke the language of the
Comanians. Bathy defeated these people in battle; but the city of Barchin,
which was surrounded with strong walls, resisted for a long while, until
the Tartars filled up the ditches and won the place, which they destroyed.
Sargat surrendered without resistance, for which the city was not
destroyed, but many of the citizens were slain and made captives, and much
spoil was taken, and the city was filled with new inhabitants. The Tartars
marched next against the rich and populous city of Orna, in which were many
Christian Gassarians, Russians, and Alanians, and many Saracens, the lord
of the city being of that nation. This town stands on a large river, and is
a kind of port, exercising great trade. Being unable to reduce this place
by force, the Tartars dammed up the river, and drowned the whole city, with
the inhabitants and their goods. Hence they invaded Russia, and besieged
Kiow a long while, which they at length took, and massacred the
inhabitants. This was a large and populous city, but is now reduced to
nothing, and scarcely has two hundred houses: and when we passed through
Russia, we found immense numbers of human skulls and bones scattered about.
From Russia and Comania they proceeded against the Hungarians and
Polonians, where many of them were slain: and had the Hungarians withstood
them manfully, the Tartars had been utterly defeated. In their return from
thence, they invaded and defeated the pagan Morduans: whence they marched
against the Byleri of greater Bulgaria, which they almost entirely
destroyed. Thence they proceeded to the north against the Bastarci of
greater Hungary, whom they conquered; and going farther north, they came to
the Parossitae, and thence to the Samogetae, reaching even to the ocean;
and from thence returned into Comania.
[1] The Busurmen, Musurmen, or Mahometan inhabitants of Turkestan. - E.
SECTION XVI.
Of the Expedition of Duke Cyrpodan.
At the same time Occoday-khan sent duke Cyrpodan with an army to the south,
against the pagan Kergis, who have no beards, whom he subdued.
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