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

BEGINNING OF THE HISTORY OF QUBILAI O_A AN
provisions, and then to proceed against Nangiyas. Those two provinces
are called, in the language of Khitai, Dai-Liu,22 that is, "Great
Empire;" in the Indian language, Qandar; and in the language of
these parts, Qandahar.23 They border on Tibet, Tangqut, some of the
countries and mountains of India, and the countries of Khitai and
Zar-Dandan.24
Mongke Qa'an approved these words and gave permission; and in
the lu fil,25 corresponding to Muharram of the year 654 [January-
February, 1256] Qubilai Qa'an slaughtered and pillaged throughout
that province and, having captured their ruler, Maharaz26 by name,
that is, "Great King," took him with him and left the army [behind].
Afterward, when Mongke Qa'an set out to conquer the country of
Nangiyas, he decreed that since Qubilai had gout and had previously
fought a campaign and subjugated a hostile country he should now
repose at home. In accordance with this command, [Qubilai] rested
in his own ordos in Qara'un-Jidun27 in Mongolia. A year later, when
Taghachar Noyan and the princes of the left hand who had gone to
Nangiyas had returned without profit, Mongke Qa'an sent them a
severe reprimand, and a yarligh was issued to the following effect:
Qubilai had sent a message, saying: "My gout is better. How is it
fitting that Mongke Qa'an should go on a campaign whilst I sit at
home?" He should therefore take the troops which Taghachar Noyan
had commanded and set out for Nangiyas. In obedience to this command,
[Qubilai] set out with i tumen of his own troops and i o lumens
of Jauqut, which belonged to Taghachar Noyan and which he took
from him. When he reached the frontiers of Nangiyas, he conquered
many of the cities and provinces. At that time Mongke Qa'an was
22 Pelliot (Polo I, p. 177) suggests that Dai-Liu is "a weakened pronunciation of
*Dai-li-gu = Ta-li-kuo, 'Kingdom of Ta-li.'" Ta-li was the name of the non-Chinese
kingdom which afterward became the province of Yunnan.
23 On the application of these names to Yunnan, see Polo I, p. 177.
2*In Persian, "Gold-Teeth," Polo's Qardandan, the Chinese Chin-Ch'in. "The
territory of the Chin-ch'ih proper lay to the west of the Salween, either on the Nam-ti
and Ta-ping, or on the Shweli River, all of them tributaries of the Irawadi. . . ."
See Polo I, pp. 603-606.
25 Year of the Dragon: T. lu, "dragon."
26 A variant of the Indian title maharaja. See Polo I, pp. 177-78.
27 Qara'un-Jidun is mentioned in SH (§§183 and 206) as a mountain ridge between
the Onon and Lake Baljuna. It has not been identified.
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