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

BEGINNING OF THE HISTORY OF MONGKE QA AN
tasks, to return to Court. And he ordered each of them to investigate
and inquire into the previous taxes because he was concerned with
alleviating the lot of the people, not increasing the wealth in the
treasury. And he issued ayarligh about reducing the people['s taxes].
And since after the death of Giiyuk Khan many of the khatuns and
princes had issued yarlighs and paizas without number to the people,
had dispatched ambassadors to all parts of the Empire, and had given
protection to noble and base on the pretext of their being ortaqs, etc.,
he issued a yarligh instructing each one of them to conduct an inquiry
in his own territory and call in all the yarlighs and paizas which the
people had received from them and the other princes during the reigns
of Chingiz-Khan, Ogetei Qa'an, and Giiyiik Khan. Henceforth the
princes were not to write or issue instructions in any matter relating
to the administration of the provinces without consulting the ministers
of the Court. As for the great ambassadors, they were not to have the
use of more than fourteen post horses: they should proceed from yam
to yam and not seize the people's animals en route. In the reign of
Qa'an it had been the custom for merchants to come to Mongolia on
post horses. He denounced this practice, saying: "Merchants journey
to and fro for the sake of gain. What is the point in their riding post
horses?" And he commanded them to travel on their own animals.77
He likewise commanded ambassadors not to enter any town or village
in which they had no business and not to take more than the amount of
provisions allotted to them. Furthermore, since injustice and oppression
had gained the upper hand and the peasants in particular had been
driven to despair by the quantity of troubles and requisitions and the
collection of levies to such an extent that the produce of their crops did
not amount to the half of the requisitions, he gave orders that noble
and base, ortaqs and financial and administrative agents should
tread the path of lenity and compassion with their subordinates. Each
should pay in proportion to his circumstances and ability the amount
due from him according to the assessment without excuses or delay,
except those who were exempt from inconveniences and exactions, in
accordance with iheyarltgh of Chingiz-Khan and Qa'an, that is, of the
Muslims, the great saiyids and shaikhs and the excellent imams, of the
77 The ban on the use of post horses by merchants is not mentioned by Juvaini.
219