Chapter XV.

OF THE GREAT POWER OF CUBLAI-KHAN, OF HIS GOVERNMENT, FAMILY, DOMINIONS, ETC.

In this book I purpose to write all the great and marvellous acts of the present Khan, called Cublai-Khan, which is, if expressed in our tongue, Lord of Lords, the greatest prince in people, cities, and treasures, that ever was in the world, he being descended from the progeny of Zingis, the first prince of the Tartars, the sixth emperor of that country, beginning to reign in the year of our Lord 1256, being twenty-seven years old, and ruling the people with great wisdom and gravity. He is a valiant man, exercised in arms, strong of body, and of a lofty mind, for the performance of matters before he attained to the dignity of the empire, which by his wisdom he did, against the will of his brethren. He often showed himself a valiant soldier in the wars, and carried himself like a wiser and bolder captain than ever the Tartars had; yet since he swayed the kingdom, he went but once into the field, and sends his sons and other captains on expeditions.

In the year of our Lord 1286, his uncle, whose name was Naiam, being thirty years of age, and having the command of many people and countries, so that he was able easily to bring together four hundred thousand horse, being puffed up through youthful vanity, would no longer be subject, but would needs take away the kingdom from his Lord Cublai, and sent to another great lord named Cadu, Lord of the parts towards Great Turkey, who was nephew of the Emperor Cublai, yet hated him, who, yielding to his motion for rebellion, promised to come in person with a hundred thousand horse.

Both of them began to gather forces, which could not be done so secretly but Cublai heard of it, and presently took order to set guards on the ways that no intelligence might pass, and then assembled all the forces within ten days’ journey of Cambalu with great speed, so that in twenty days were gathered together three hundred and sixty thousand horse, and one hundred thousand foot, a great part of them falconers, and men of his household. With these he made haste day and night towards Naiam’s country, where, at the end of twenty-five days, he, arrived, altogether unlooked for, and rested his men two days; then he called his astrologers, and caused them, before all the army, to divine who should have victory; a thing they use to encourage their men, and they promised it to Cublai. One morning, while Naiam was sleeping negligently in his tent, having not so much as sent out any scouts to gain intelligence, Cublai made show of his army upon a hill, himself sat in a certain castle of wood full of archers and cross-bow men, borne by four elephants, on the top whereof was the royal standard, with the images of the sun and moon. He divided his army into three bodies, of which he sent that on the right hand, and the other on the left against Naiam’s army. To every ten thousand horse were assigned five hundred foot, with lances, taught to leap up behind the horsemen, if any occasion of flight happened, and suddenly, on advantage, to alight, and kill the enemies’ horses with their lances. Caydu was not yet come.

The battles joined, and made a cruel fight, which continued from morning till noon, and then was Naiam taken and brought before Cublai, who commanded that he should be sewed betwixt two carpets, which should be tossed up and down till the breath was out of his body, that so the imperial blood might not be exposed to the sun or to the air. The remainder of his people swore obedience to Cublai, which were four nations, Ciazza, Carli, Barscol, and Sitinqui. Naiam was secretly baptised, and by profession a Christian, but no follower of the works of faith, yet he signed his principal ensign with the sign of the cross, having with him infinite numbers of Christians who were all slain.

The Jews and the Saracens that were in the army of Cublai, began to upbraid the Christians with this disaster of the cross, who complained of it to Cublai; he sharply reproved the Jews and Saracens for this behaviour, and then turning to the Christians, he said, “Surely, your God and his cross would not give any aid to Naiam; but be not you therefore ashamed, because God being good and just ought not to defend injustice or iniquity. Naiam was a traitor to his Lord, and contrary to all equity, raised rebellion, and sought the help of your God in his mischievous purpose; but he, as a good and upright God, would not favour his designs.”

He returned after this with great triumph to Cambula, and stayed there till Easter. On that day he called the Christians before him, and kissed their gospels, and made his barons do the same. He does the like on the great feasts of the Saracens, Jews, and Heathens, that Segomamber-Khan, the God of the idols, Mohammed, Moses, or whosoever is greatest in heaven, might help him; yet he made best show of liking to the Christian faith, but pretended the ignorance of the Nestorian priests, and the mighty acts of the sorcerers, hindered his professing it.

For the better rewarding his soldiers, he kept twelve barons or counsellors, who gave him notice of each captain’s merit; and accordingly he raised them from the command of one hundred to a thousand, and from one thousand to ten thousand, and so on, giving them vessels of plate and tablets. The captain of one hundred hath a tablet of silver; and the captain of a thousand of gold, or silver gilded; the captain of ten thousand has a tablet of gold, and a lion’s head on it. The weight of the tablets differs also according to the dignity. On the said tablet is written a command in this manner: “By the strength and power of the great God, and by the grace which he hath given to our empire, the name of Khan be blessed, and let them all die and be destroyed which will not obey him.” All officers who have these tablets have privileges in writing of all things, which they are to do and demand; and the generals when they ride in public have a cloth borne over their heads, and when they sit, it is on a chair of silver. Their tablet is of three hundred sagi, which is equal to fifty ounces of gold, with the images of the sun and moon; such as have a tablet with a ger-falcon thereon, may take with them for their guard the whole army of a great commander. Cublai is a comely handsome man, of middle stature, of a very fresh complexion, black and bright eyes, well fashioned nose, and all the lineaments of his body consisting of due proportion. He has four wives, who are esteemed lawful, and the first born of them is to succeed him in the kingdom, and every one of them is called Empress, and holdeth a peculiar court, and that in a magnificent palace, having about three hundred women to attend her, and many eunuch servants, and at least ten thousand persons in their families.

The Grand Khan hath also many concubines. There is likewise a nation of fair people among the Tartars called Virgut, where every second year he sends ambassadors to make search for the fairest young women for him; who returning, bring him four or five hundred more or less, as they see cause. There are examiners appointed to take a view of all their beauties, examining eyes, nose, mouth, &c., apart, and set a price on them at sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, or more carats, and they bring those of that rate which their commission appoints; these he causes to be received by other examiners, and of so many perhaps chooses thirty of the chief for his chamber, which he puts to some of his barons’ wives to see if they snore not in their sleep, or if in behaviour they be not offensive; those which are approved are by fives divided, each fifth part waiting three days and nights in his chamber by course, the other in the next lodgings preparing whatsoever these command them. The less prized are put to cookery and other offices; and sometimes the Khan bestows them on gentlemen, with great portions. The men of that country esteem it a grace and credit to have daughters worthy his liking; and think themselves born under an ill planet if they are not kept when sent to court.

Cublai had two-and-twenty sons by his four legitimate wives, and the first-born of his first wife was called Zingis, who would have succeeded him in the empire if he had not died before his father. He left a son named Timur, a valiant man, wise, and experienced in arms, who is to succeed his grandfather in the empire, instead of his deceased father; but by his concubines he hath five-and-twenty sons, all which are daily exercised in feats of arms, and are great lords; seven of his sons by his wives are Kings of great provinces, and maintain their states with great reputation.