The Successors of Genghis Khan - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian ...

THE SUCCESSORS OF GENGHIS KHAN
the yarligh and ruled herself in her husband's stead. When Mongke
Qa'an passed away, Qubilai Qa'an sent Abishqa, who was the eldest
son of Biiri, the second son of Mo'etiiken, to marry Orqina Khatun
and rule the ulus of Chaghatai in place of Qara-Hulegii. At that time
there were hostilities between Qubilai Qa'an and Ariq Boke. He
ordered Asutai, the son of Mongke Qa'an, to put [Abishqa] to death.
Alghu, the son of Baidar, the sixth son of Chaghatai, was with Ariiq
Boke. He gave him a. yarligh appointing him ruler of the ulus of Chaghatai
and commanding him to guard those frontiers against the army
of Qubilai Qa'an and that of Chaghatai's descendants and to collect
money, provisions, and equipment for the army from the province of
Turkistan and to send it all to him so that he might proceed with an
easy mind to make war on the army of Qubilai Qa'an. Alghu arrived
and communicated the yarligh, and established himself as ruler.
Orqina Khatun went to Ar'iq Boke and made complaints about
Alghu. She remained there for awhile, and after some time Ariq
Boke sent envoys to those parts to levy two out of every ten cattle and
to arrange [the supply of] great quantities of money and arms for the
army. The names of those envoys were: Erkegiin, Biiritei Bitikchi,
and Shadi. They set off and, having delivered the yarligh to Alghu,
began to collect the cattle, money, and arms in that province. When a
certain amount had been assembled, they sent it off. In 661/1262-1263
Alghu detained them, saying: "When the other nokers have completed
their task and arrived, go all together." Some time afterward, when
[the envoys] arrived, they rebuked the nokers, saying: "Why did you
delay ? " They replied that Alghu had held them up. Thereupon they
went to the gate of Alghu's ordo and sent the following message: "We
came in accordance with Ariq Boke's yarligh and collected imposts.
What authority has thou over us to hold up our nokers?" Being covetous
of all those goods, Alghu was angered with the ambassadors'
sharp words and seized and imprisoned them. He then consulted his
emirs, saying, "What is the best course of action?" They answered:
"Thou shouldst have consulted us before seizing them. Now that we
have risen against Ariq Boke the only course is to break with him
entirely and render assistance to Qubilai Qa'an." Accordingly, he
put the ambassadors to death and retained all those goods and arms.
His position was greatly strengthened thereby, and, Orqina Khatun
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