OF THE GREAT POWER OF CUBLAI-KHAN, OF HIS
GOVERNMENT, FAMILY, DOMINIONS, ETC.
In this book I purpose to write all the great and marvellous acts of
the present Khan, called Cublai-Khan, which is, if expressed in our
tongue, Lord of Lords, the greatest prince in people, cities, and
treasures, that ever was in the world, he being descended from the
progeny of Zingis, the first prince of the Tartars, the sixth emperor
of that country, beginning to reign in the year of our Lord 1256,
being twenty-seven years old, and ruling the people with great wisdom
and gravity. He is a valiant man, exercised in arms, strong of body,
and of a lofty mind, for the performance of matters before he
attained to the dignity of the empire, which by his wisdom he did,
against the will of his brethren. He often showed himself a valiant
soldier in the wars, and carried himself like a wiser and bolder
captain than ever the Tartars had; yet since he swayed the kingdom,
he went but once into the field, and sends his sons and other
captains on expeditions.
In the year of our Lord 1286, his uncle, whose name was Naiam, being
thirty years of age, and having the command of many people and
countries, so that he was able easily to bring together four hundred
thousand horse, being puffed up through youthful vanity, would no
longer be subject, but would needs take away the kingdom from his
Lord Cublai, and sent to another great lord named Cadu, Lord of the
parts towards Great Turkey, who was nephew of the Emperor Cublai, yet
hated him, who, yielding to his motion for rebellion, promised to
come in person with a hundred thousand horse.
Both of them began to gather forces, which could not be done so
secretly but Cublai heard of it, and presently took order to set
guards on the ways that no intelligence might pass, and then
assembled all the forces within ten days' journey of Cambalu with
great speed, so that in twenty days were gathered together three
hundred and sixty thousand horse, and one hundred thousand foot, a
great part of them falconers, and men of his household. With these
he made haste day and night towards Naiam's country, where, at the
end of twenty-five days, he, arrived, altogether unlooked for, and
rested his men two days; then he called his astrologers, and caused
them, before all the army, to divine who should have victory; a thing
they use to encourage their men, and they promised it to Cublai. One
morning, while Naiam was sleeping negligently in his tent, having not
so much as sent out any scouts to gain intelligence, Cublai made show
of his army upon a hill, himself sat in a certain castle of wood full
of archers and cross-bow men, borne by four elephants, on the top
whereof was the royal standard, with the images of the sun and moon.
He divided his army into three bodies, of which he sent that on the
right hand, and the other on the left against Naiam's army. To every
ten thousand horse were assigned five hundred foot, with lances,
taught to leap up behind the horsemen, if any occasion of flight
happened, and suddenly, on advantage, to alight, and kill the
enemies' horses with their lances. Caydu was not yet come.
The battles joined, and made a cruel fight, which continued from
morning till noon, and then was Naiam taken and brought before
Cublai, who commanded that he should be sewed betwixt two carpets,
which should be tossed up and down till the breath was out of his
body, that so the imperial blood might not be exposed to the sun or
to the air. The remainder of his people swore obedience to Cublai,
which were four nations, Ciazza, Carli, Barscol, and Sitinqui. Naiam
was secretly baptised, and by profession a Christian, but no follower
of the works of faith, yet he signed his principal ensign with the
sign of the cross, having with him infinite numbers of Christians who
were all slain.
The Jews and the Saracens that were in the army of Cublai, began to
upbraid the Christians with this disaster of the cross, who
complained of it to Cublai; he sharply reproved the Jews and Saracens
for this behaviour, and then turning to the Christians, he said,
"Surely, your God and his cross would not give any aid to Naiam; but
be not you therefore ashamed, because God being good and just ought
not to defend injustice or iniquity. Naiam was a traitor to his
Lord, and contrary to all equity, raised rebellion, and sought the
help of your God in his mischievous purpose; but he, as a good and
upright God, would not favour his designs."
He returned after this with great triumph to Cambula, and stayed
there till Easter. On that day he called the Christians before him,
and kissed their gospels, and made his barons do the same. He does
the like on the great feasts of the Saracens, Jews, and Heathens,
that Segomamber-Khan, the God of the idols, Mohammed, Moses, or
whosoever is greatest in heaven, might help him; yet he made best
show of liking to the Christian faith, but pretended the ignorance of
the Nestorian priests, and the mighty acts of the sorcerers, hindered
his professing it.
For the better rewarding his soldiers, he kept twelve barons or
counsellors, who gave him notice of each captain's merit; and
accordingly he raised them from the command of one hundred to a
thousand, and from one thousand to ten thousand, and so on, giving
them vessels of plate and tablets. The captain of one hundred hath a
tablet of silver; and the captain of a thousand of gold, or silver
gilded; the captain of ten thousand has a tablet of gold, and a
lion's head on it. The weight of the tablets differs also according
to the dignity. On the said tablet is written a command in this
manner: "By the strength and power of the great God, and by the grace
which he hath given to our empire, the name of Khan be blessed, and
let them all die and be destroyed which will not obey him." All
officers who have these tablets have privileges in writing of all
things, which they are to do and demand; and the generals when they
ride in public have a cloth borne over their heads, and when they
sit, it is on a chair of silver. Their tablet is of three hundred
sagi, which is equal to fifty ounces of gold, with the images of the
sun and moon; such as have a tablet with a ger-falcon thereon, may
take with them for their guard the whole army of a great commander.
Cublai is a comely handsome man, of middle stature, of a very fresh
complexion, black and bright eyes, well fashioned nose, and all the
lineaments of his body consisting of due proportion. He has four
wives, who are esteemed lawful, and the first born of them is to
succeed him in the kingdom, and every one of them is called Empress,
and holdeth a peculiar court, and that in a magnificent palace,
having about three hundred women to attend her, and many eunuch
servants, and at least ten thousand persons in their families.
The Grand Khan hath also many concubines. There is likewise a nation
of fair people among the Tartars called Virgut, where every second
year he sends ambassadors to make search for the fairest young women
for him; who returning, bring him four or five hundred more or less,
as they see cause. There are examiners appointed to take a view of
all their beauties, examining eyes, nose, mouth, &c., apart, and set
a price on them at sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, or
more carats, and they bring those of that rate which their commission
appoints; these he causes to be received by other examiners, and of
so many perhaps chooses thirty of the chief for his chamber, which he
puts to some of his barons' wives to see if they snore not in their
sleep, or if in behaviour they be not offensive; those which are
approved are by fives divided, each fifth part waiting three days and
nights in his chamber by course, the other in the next lodgings
preparing whatsoever these command them. The less prized are put to
cookery and other offices; and sometimes the Khan bestows them on
gentlemen, with great portions. The men of that country esteem it a
grace and credit to have daughters worthy his liking; and think
themselves born under an ill planet if they are not kept when sent to
court.
Cublai had two-and-twenty sons by his four legitimate wives, and the
first-born of his first wife was called Zingis, who would have
succeeded him in the empire if he had not died before his father. He
left a son named Timur, a valiant man, wise, and experienced in arms,
who is to succeed his grandfather in the empire, instead of his
deceased father; but by his concubines he hath five-and-twenty sons,
all which are daily exercised in feats of arms, and are great lords;
seven of his sons by his wives are Kings of great provinces, and
maintain their states with great reputation.