Near This Place The Tartars Used To Assemble In Old Times,
And Here Therefore I Shall Explain The Original Of Their Empire.
They dwelt at first in the northern parts called Curza and Bargu[2], where
there are many vast plains without cities and towns, but abounding in
pastures, lakes, and rivers.
They had no prince of their own nation, but
paid tribute to a certain great king, named, as I have been told, in their
language, Umcan, and which some people believe to signify, in the
languages of Europe, Prester-John[3]; and to whom the Tartars gave yearly a
tenth part of the increase of their flocks and herds, and of their horses.
In process of time, the Tartars so increased in numbers, that Umcan became
afraid of them, and endeavoured to disperse them into several parts of his
empire; and when any of them rebelled, he used to send parties into their
territories to reduce them to obedience; for which purpose, he even
frequently deputed some of their own nobles. At length it became obvious to
the whole nation, that their ruin was intended; and being unwilling to be
separated from each other, they retired into the northern deserts, where
they might be safe from the power of Umcan, to whom they refused the
accustomed tribute. After continuing in the north for some time, they chose
a king among themselves, named Zingis-khan, who was a wise and valiant man,
and reigned with such justice, that he was beloved and feared of all as a
god rather than as a prince, so that by his fame and prowess, he soon
reduced all the Tartars in these parts under his authority.
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