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

BEGINNING OF THE HISTORY OF OGETEI QA AN
[iv] One of the rulers of Persia374 sent a messenger to Qa'an and
accepted allegiance, sending among other gifts a polished ruby which
he had inherited from his forefathers. The blessed name of the Prophet
had been engraved at the top and the names of the sender's ancestors
beneath. He ordered the jewelers to leave the name of the Prophet
for luck's sake but to erase the other names and engrave his own
name beneath that of the Prophet. And then he sent it back.
[v] An Arabic-speaking apostate from Islam came to Qa'an and,
kneeling, said: "I saw Chingiz-Khan in a dream and he said: 'Tell
my son to kill many of the Muslims, for they are exceedingly evil
people.'" After reflecting for a moment Qa'an asked whether he had
spoken to him through an interpreter or personally with his own
tongue. "With his own tongue" said the man. "Dost thou know the
Mongol language" asked Qa'an. "No", said the man. "There is no
doubt," said Qa'an, "that thou art lying. I know for certain that
Chingiz-Khan knew no language but Mongol." And he ordered the
man to be put to death.375
[vi] There was a poor man who was unable to earn a living and had
learnt no trade. He sharpened pieces of iron into the shape of awls
and mounted them on pieces of wood. He then sat waiting where Qa'an
would pass. His auspicious glance fell upon him from afar and he
sent someone to inquire into his circumstances. The poor man told
him that he was of feeble condition and small property and had a
large family; and he had brought these awls for Qa'an. He gave the
awls to that emir, who told Qa'an about him but did not show him the
awls because they were so ill-made. Qa'an said; "Bring me what he
has brought." And taking those awls into his auspicious hand he
said: "Even this kind will serve for herdsmen to mend the seams in
their kumys skins with." And for each awl, which was not worth a
barley-corn, he bestowed a balish.
[vii] A very old and feeble man came to Qa'an and asked for 200
gold balish to form a company with him. He ordered them to give that
amount to him. His courtiers said: "The day of this man's life has
reached its evening, and he has no dwelling, children, or kin, and no
374 "A certain ruler from . . ." (HWC, p. 207). One MS. of Juvaini has: "Someone
sent a messenger to him who was son of the king [pddshd/i] of Badakhshan . . . ."
375 This story occurs further on in Juvaim (No. [xl] in HWC).
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