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

THE SUCCESSORS OF GENGHIS KHAN
laying siege to the fortress of Do Li Shang.28 Because of the unhealthiness
of the climate there was an epidemic of cholera, and Mongke
Qa'an fell ill and died. News of his death reached Qubilai on the banks
of the River Quiqa Moren.2' He consulted with Bahadur Noyan, the
grandson30 of Muqali Guyang, the father of Han turn Noyan of the
Jalayir bone, saying: "We have come hither with an army like ants
or locusts: how can we turn back, our task undone, because of rumors ? "
He set out for Nangiyas and made a sudden attack upon their army,
taking their scouts prisoner. Then he crossed the River Keng, which
flows like a sea and is 2 parasangs in breadth, by means of a talisman
which he had fashioned out of birch-bark31 and laid siege to Oju,32
which is a great city. Previous to this, Mongke Qa'an had sent against
the other side of Nangiyas, an army amounting to 3 ttimens, led by
Uriyangqadai, the son of Siibedei Bahadur; with him he had sent
Abishqa, a grandson of Chaghatai, and fifty of the princes of the left
hand.33 And since the roads were difficult and the places and castles
hard to capture, they had repeatedly given battle, and entry and
exit had been made difficult for them. Moreover, on account of the
unhealthy climate, many of that army had fallen sick and died, so
that of their total number more than five thousand had perished.
Receiving news of Qubilai's arrival, they set out toward him and after
20 days suddenly joined him in the neighborhood of that town. The
people of the town, in their impotence, sent envoys to him and tendered
submission. Then, all of a sudden, the army which had been sent
against Mongke Qa'an returned rejoicing at his death, and the townspeople
were heartened by their arrival. Meantime the messengers
of Chabui Khatun and the emirs of her ordo, Taichi'utai and Yekii,
arrived and delivered the following message: "The great emirs Dorji
and 'Alam-Dar have come from Ar'iq Boke and are raising turgaqs
from the Mongols and Jauqut, and the reason for this is unknown.
28 See above, p. 226 and note 112. 29 The Mongol name of the Hwai Ho.
30 This is correct. See above, p. 227, note 119.
31 It is a pity that Rashid al-Dm provides no further details about this charm, the
purpose of which was, apparently, to placate the water spirits. For the practices adopted
in various parts of the world "to propitiate the fickle and dangerous spirits of the
water at fords," see J. G. Frazer, Folk-Lore in the Old Testament (London, 1918), Vol.
II, pp. 414 ff.
32 See above, p. 229 and note 133. 33 See above, p. 204, and note 34.
248