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

THE SUCCESSORS OF GENGHIS KHAN
The Qa'an was offended and commanded: " Henceforth Muslims and
People of the Book211 shall not slaughter sheep but shall split open
the breast and side in the Mongol fashion. And whoever slaughters
sheep shall be slaughtered likewise and his wife, children, house, and
property given to the informer."212
'Isa Tarsa Kelemechi,213 Ibn Ma'ali, and Baidaq, some of the
mischievous, wicked, and corrupt men of their age, availed themselves
of this decree to obtain a yarligh that whoever slaughtered a sheep
in his house should be executed. On this pretext they extorted much
wealth from the people and tempted the slaves of Muslims, saying:
"If you inform against your master we will set you free." And for the
sake of their freedom they calumniated their masters and accused
them of crimes. 'Isa Kelemechi and his accursed followers brought
matters to such a pass that for 4 years Muslims could not circumcise
their children. They also brought false charges against Maulana
Burhan al-DIn Bukhari, a disciple of the godly Shaikh al-Islam Saif
al-Din Bakharzl (may God have mercy on him!}, and he was sent to Manzi,
where he died. Conditions became such that most Muslims left the
country of Khitai. Thereupon most of the chief Muslims of those parts
—Baha al-DIn Qunduzi, Shadi Zo-Cheng, 'Umar Qirqizi, Nasir
al-Din Malik Kashghari, Hindu Zo-Cheng and other notables—
jointly offered many presents to the vizier, so that he made the following
representation [to the Qa'an]: "All the Muslim merchants have
departed from hence and no merchants are coming from the Muslim
countries; the tamghas are inadequate and they do not bring tangsuqs;214
and all this because for the past 7 years they have not slaughtered
sheep. If it be so commanded, the merchants will come and go and the
tamgha will be collected in full." Permission was given for the issue of a
yarligh to this effect.
Again, the Christians in the Qa'an's reign showed great fanaticism
against the Muslims and sought to attack them by representing to the
211 That is, Christians and Jews.
212 According to the Tiian shih, the edict forbidding ritual slaughter was issued on the
ayth January, 1280. See Polo I, pp. 77-78.
213 That is, Jesus the Christian, the Interpreter, the Ai-hsieh of the Chinese texts.
On this Arabic-speaking Christian, who passed the whole of his life in the service
of the Mongols and who took part in an embassy to the Pope, see Moule 1930, pp.
228-29. 2'4 See Glossary.
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