April 14, 2025 • 31 mins
THE RISE OF TEMUDJIN "GENGHIS KHAN" - Chapter 8. Death and Burial of the Conqueror.
THE MONGOLS HISTORY - by Jeremiah Curtin - HQ Full Book.
Chapter 8: Death and Burial of the Conqueror of Jeremiah Curtin's The Mongols: A History presents a vivid and sweeping account of the final years of Genghis Khan—known in the text as Jinghis Khan—and the events that followed his death, which shaped the Mongol Empire's future. This chapter encapsulates the transition from the relentless campaigns of conquest to the delicate moment of imperial succession, offering rich insight into Mongol leadership, warfare, mythology, and cultural practices surrounding death and legacy. The chapter begins in the winter of 1222–1223, with Jinghis Khan encamped near the Indus River, after his tremendous campaigns across Central Asia and into the Islamic world.
This pause marks a rare moment of rest for the conqueror and his armies. While there, Jinghis contemplates a return to Mongolia, a homeland both spiritual and strategic. His decision to head back north in 1223 is portrayed as momentous, even shrouded in myth and legend. Curtin explores the folklore that sprang up around this decision: some claimed the spirits of his ancestors called him home, others suggested omens or supernatural forces were involved. These myths underscore the semi-divine status Mongols attributed to their khan.
Jinghis's departure from the western front was not without bloodshed. As part of his ongoing strategy to instill fear and maintain absolute control, he issued a brutal command—to slaughter all prisoners deemed useless, especially those incapable of contributing to the Mongol war effort. This reflects a grim aspect of Mongol pragmatism and the uncompromising ruthlessness of their leadership. The narrative then shifts to Chepé Noyon, one of Jinghis Khan’s trusted generals, who is dispatched westward with a specific and devastating mission: to exterminate the Polovtsi, also known as the Cumans—a nomadic Turkic people inhabiting the steppe regions. The Mongols saw them as threats and obstacles to future expansion. Chepé’s march to Tiflis (Tbilisi) marks a continuation of Mongol incursions into the Caucasus. Curtin meticulously follows Chepé’s movements as he enters into a temporary alliance with the Polovtsi, exploiting their disunity and lack of preparation. This alliance, however, was a calculated deception. Once Chepé achieved his strategic goals, the Mongols betrayed the Polovtsi, attacking them and forcing them to flee westward, ultimately seeking refuge in the Kievan Rus'.
This movement sets in motion a wider conflict. The Polovtsi appeal to the Rus’ princes for aid, and Prince Mstislav of Kiev, among others, rallies to their side. Curtin details the uneasy alliance of Russian principalities, noting their internal divisions and lack of cohesive command. The resulting confrontation in 1224 culminates in the Battle of the Kalka River, one of the most decisive early Mongol victories against European forces. The Rus’-Polovtsi coalition is crushed, and Curtin vividly describes the tactical genius of the Mongols in exploiting their enemies’ weaknesses. The battle’s aftermath spreads terror throughout Southern Russia, where the Mongols’ fearsome reputation becomes solidified in local lore and politics. With the western campaign secured, the narrative returns to Jinghis Khan, who by 1225 is finally home on the Kerulon River in Mongolia. This marks a symbolic return to his roots and the beginning of the end of his life. Curtin uses this moment to reflect on the life of a man who had risen from tribal obscurity to become ruler of the greatest contiguous empire in history.
At this point, Curtin introduces a retrospective account of Mukuli, one of the khan’s most loyal generals. Mukuli had led successful campaigns against the Kin dynasty in northern China as early as 1216, expanding Mongol influence further into East Asia. His death in 1223, although briefly mentioned, symbolizes the passing of the first generation of Mongol commanders—those who had risen with Jinghis from the start. In 1226, Jinghis once again leads a campaign, this time into the Tangut kingdom, located in what is now western China. The siege of Ling Chau is recounted with particular attention to the combination of military might and psychological warfare that defined Mongol conquests. The city’s submission does little to stop the Mongol advance, and Curtin emphasizes that Jinghis’s ambition and strategic vision remained undiminished even in his final years. However, in 1227, Jinghis Khan dies during the Tangut campaign under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Curtin recounts several accounts of his death—some attribute it to illness, others to wounds suffered in battle. The ambiguity surrounding his passing adds a mythic quality to his final days. The burial of Jinghis Khan is portrayed with an almost sacred secrecy. His body is t
THE MONGOLS HISTORY - by Jeremiah Curtin - HQ Full Book.
Chapter 8: Death and Burial of the Conqueror of Jeremiah Curtin's The Mongols: A History presents a vivid and sweeping account of the final years of Genghis Khan—known in the text as Jinghis Khan—and the events that followed his death, which shaped the Mongol Empire's future. This chapter encapsulates the transition from the relentless campaigns of conquest to the delicate moment of imperial succession, offering rich insight into Mongol leadership, warfare, mythology, and cultural practices surrounding death and legacy. The chapter begins in the winter of 1222–1223, with Jinghis Khan encamped near the Indus River, after his tremendous campaigns across Central Asia and into the Islamic world.
This pause marks a rare moment of rest for the conqueror and his armies. While there, Jinghis contemplates a return to Mongolia, a homeland both spiritual and strategic. His decision to head back north in 1223 is portrayed as momentous, even shrouded in myth and legend. Curtin explores the folklore that sprang up around this decision: some claimed the spirits of his ancestors called him home, others suggested omens or supernatural forces were involved. These myths underscore the semi-divine status Mongols attributed to their khan.
Jinghis's departure from the western front was not without bloodshed. As part of his ongoing strategy to instill fear and maintain absolute control, he issued a brutal command—to slaughter all prisoners deemed useless, especially those incapable of contributing to the Mongol war effort. This reflects a grim aspect of Mongol pragmatism and the uncompromising ruthlessness of their leadership. The narrative then shifts to Chepé Noyon, one of Jinghis Khan’s trusted generals, who is dispatched westward with a specific and devastating mission: to exterminate the Polovtsi, also known as the Cumans—a nomadic Turkic people inhabiting the steppe regions. The Mongols saw them as threats and obstacles to future expansion. Chepé’s march to Tiflis (Tbilisi) marks a continuation of Mongol incursions into the Caucasus. Curtin meticulously follows Chepé’s movements as he enters into a temporary alliance with the Polovtsi, exploiting their disunity and lack of preparation. This alliance, however, was a calculated deception. Once Chepé achieved his strategic goals, the Mongols betrayed the Polovtsi, attacking them and forcing them to flee westward, ultimately seeking refuge in the Kievan Rus'.
This movement sets in motion a wider conflict. The Polovtsi appeal to the Rus’ princes for aid, and Prince Mstislav of Kiev, among others, rallies to their side. Curtin details the uneasy alliance of Russian principalities, noting their internal divisions and lack of cohesive command. The resulting confrontation in 1224 culminates in the Battle of the Kalka River, one of the most decisive early Mongol victories against European forces. The Rus’-Polovtsi coalition is crushed, and Curtin vividly describes the tactical genius of the Mongols in exploiting their enemies’ weaknesses. The battle’s aftermath spreads terror throughout Southern Russia, where the Mongols’ fearsome reputation becomes solidified in local lore and politics. With the western campaign secured, the narrative returns to Jinghis Khan, who by 1225 is finally home on the Kerulon River in Mongolia. This marks a symbolic return to his roots and the beginning of the end of his life. Curtin uses this moment to reflect on the life of a man who had risen from tribal obscurity to become ruler of the greatest contiguous empire in history.
At this point, Curtin introduces a retrospective account of Mukuli, one of the khan’s most loyal generals. Mukuli had led successful campaigns against the Kin dynasty in northern China as early as 1216, expanding Mongol influence further into East Asia. His death in 1223, although briefly mentioned, symbolizes the passing of the first generation of Mongol commanders—those who had risen with Jinghis from the start. In 1226, Jinghis once again leads a campaign, this time into the Tangut kingdom, located in what is now western China. The siege of Ling Chau is recounted with particular attention to the combination of military might and psychological warfare that defined Mongol conquests. The city’s submission does little to stop the Mongol advance, and Curtin emphasizes that Jinghis’s ambition and strategic vision remained undiminished even in his final years. However, in 1227, Jinghis Khan dies during the Tangut campaign under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Curtin recounts several accounts of his death—some attribute it to illness, others to wounds suffered in battle. The ambiguity surrounding his passing adds a mythic quality to his final days. The burial of Jinghis Khan is portrayed with an almost sacred secrecy. His body is t
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter eight, Death and Burial of the Conqueror. Jingas had
passed the winter of one thousand, two hundred twenty two
to three near the Indus, and in the spring of
twelve twenty three he resolved, rather suddenly, as it seemed,
to march up the Indus and return through Tibet to
Tangut and China. The reasons given by historians for this
(00:20):
move are various. There were troubles in Tangut, and there
was no imperative reason for remaining in quarism, since that
empire was utterly helpless. It had been depopulated and ruined
in most parts. Some people thought that Jinghis, if not horrified,
was at least set to thinking by the boundless slaughters
committed at his direction. We have two accounts touching this matter,
(00:42):
which are of interest, though both bear the myths stamp
and our opinions of other men. As to Jinghis, not
the Great Khan's own thoughts, as expressed by his words
or his actions. In the Chinese history Tungki and Kongmu.
The following cause is given for his sudden decision. When
Jingyas was at the Iron Gate of nor India, his
guard saw a creature which resembled a deer, but its
(01:03):
head was like that of a horse, with one horn
on its forehead, and there was green hair on its body.
This creature had power of speech, for it said to
the guards, it is time for your master to return
to his own land. Jing His troubled by this message,
consulted ye lu chut Tsai, who said that creature is Caughtwan.
It knows every language. It appears as a sign that
(01:26):
bloodshed is needless at present. For four years the Great
Army is warring in western regions. Heaven, which has a
horror of bloodshed, gives warning through Kotwan. Spare the empire
for Heaven's sake. Moderation will give boundless pleasure. The other
account is quite different in character and import. I was,
(01:47):
says a Gurgistan Coddi in Herod, on a tower which
stood just in front of Tullery's headquarters. Arrows came in
such numbers that I went down and was lost in
a dust among mongols. They and took me then to Tului.
When he heard my adventure, he wondered, an angel, or
it may be a demon, is trifling with thee said
(02:08):
he neither replied, I how then art thou here, asked he.
I looked at all things with the eye of a sovereign,
was my answer, Hence no harm struck me. This answer
so pleased Toului that he showed me much favor. Take
this gift, added he, For thou art a man of
rare wisdom. Be true to Jing is the great Khan,
(02:30):
For thou wilt now serve him. He sent me then
to his father, who received me in Tailcan with high favor.
Jing has spoke to me of Turkish sufferings repeatedly. Dost
thou think, asked he one day that the blood which
I have shed will be remembered against me by mankind.
He held a dart in his hand while he looked
in my face and put questions. I will answer, replied I.
(02:55):
If your majesty secures life to me, speak, said the Khan,
and I answer, If your majesty slays as many persons
as you please, men will give you whatever fame pleases them.
His face colored at these words, and he shouted in
rage till the dark dropped from his fingers. I felt
death standing near me that moment, but he soon recovered
(03:16):
and said, I have thought on the wisdom of sages,
and see that I have plundered and slain without the
right knowledge in that region where Mohammed's horse lost his way.
But what care I for men? And he went from
the chamber, I could remain in those places no longer.
Such was my fear in that horde, and I fled
from it before starting for home. Jing has gave command
(03:36):
to kill all superfluous prisoners, that is, all who had
done the work because of which they had been spared
from death on the day when they were taken. Only
artisans were left, men needed for their skill in Mongolia.
This command was not carried out, however, till the captives
had hold an immense store of rice for the Mongols.
That done, they were slain in one night without any exception.
(03:57):
The Mongols took the road toward Tibet, but after some
days they turned back from that difficult region and went
to Peshore, where were the roads along which they had
come in the first place. As he passed bulk on
the Samarkand road, Jing his Khan issued orders to slay
all who had made their way back to that city.
After the death of Shah Mohammed. Cheap Noian and Sabatai,
(04:18):
two of the three who had hunted him down to extinction,
plundered Persian, that is, eastern Irakan, ruined it and also
the lands between that vast province and the Caspian on
the west. They went great distances inland, including parts of
Armenia and also Georgia, as far as Tiflis. In twelve
twenty two, those commanders received from Jing his reinforcements with
(04:40):
a command to conquer the Polazzi, a people akin to
the Mongols. These Polazzi led a nomad life in that
region which stretches westward from the Caspian to the Dniepere.
They were neighbors of the Russians, whom they had harassed
for centuries. The Mongols had obtained from the Shrvan shot
ten guards to conduct them. The commanders began, and very strangely,
(05:02):
they cut off the head of one of these ten
and declared that the other nine would die by the
same kind of death if they should deceive them or
use any treachery. Despite this cruel act, the guides led
the army into ambush among northern foothills of the Caucasus
and slipped away safely. The Mongols Austrayan mountains and woods
were attacked upon all sides by various strong peoples. Among
(05:24):
these were the Polazzi, to whom they were bringing destruction.
Pressed hard at all points, they sent to those Polazzi
this message, Ye, and we are one people. Why war
with us? Make peace? We will give all the gold
that ye need and many rich garments. Ye, and we
can work together with great profit. Seduced by these words
(05:46):
and by presence, the Polazzi gave help and aid to
the Mongols, gave them victory first, and then led them
out to the open country. When towns in the Caucasus
foothills and near them were ruined, the Mongols turned on
the Palazzi, slew their chief men in numbers of others,
took back the bribes to treachery, took every other thing
of value, and cut down and slaughtered on all sides.
(06:07):
The Polazzi fled and spread terror with their accounts of
the Mongols. The whole people left the best pastures and
moved toward their northern and western boundaries. Ten thousand families
passed into Byzantine regions. John Ducas, the Emperor, took those
people then to his service and gave them land in
Macedonia and Thrace. Great numbers fled into Russia, which for
(06:30):
two centuries had been scourged with their raids and their outrages.
Among the fugitives was Codian, a khan whose daughter had
married the Gallich prince Mistislav the Gallant. Codian implored his
son in law to help him. To day, said he,
the Mongols have taken our land. They will take yours tomorrow.
Assist us. If not, we shall be beaten on one day,
(06:52):
and you the day following. Mistislav called the Russian princes
to a council, at which they resolved to give aid
to the Polazzi. Unless we help them, said Mistislav, they
will go with the Mongols and strengthen them. A deputation
went north to ascade of the princes in Szdl. Troops
were collected, and the Russian princes moved against the enemy
(07:13):
in confidence. On the way they met Mongol envoys who
delivered this message. We have heard that, convinced by the Polazzi,
ye are marching against us. But we have not come
to attack you. We have come against our own horse
boys and slaves, the vile Polazzi. We are not at
war with you. If the Polazzi flee to your country,
(07:33):
drive them out of it and seize all their property.
They have harmed you, as men tell us, they have
harmed us also. That is why we attack them. The
Russian princes gave answer by killing the envoys. Some distance
down that great river, the Niepere, a new Mongol embassy
met the Russian princes with these words, if through obedience
(07:54):
to the Palazzi, ye have cut down our envoys and
are now bringing war on us, Heaven will judge your action.
We have not harmed you this time. The princes spared
the envoys. When the Russians and Polazzi had assembled at
the Nieper, Mistislav crossed with one thousand men. He attacked
the Mongol outposts and scattered them. After some hesitation, the
(08:16):
Mongols retired. Moving eastward, they lured on the Russians, who
soon met a larger detachment of warriors. These they attacked
and defeated, driving them far into the steppe land and
seizing all their cattle. Encouraged by this success, the Russians
moved forward eight days in succession till they neared the
river Kolka. Then came an action with outposts and a
(08:39):
third Russian victory. Mistislov ordered Daniel of Galich, son of
Roman to cross the Kalka. After him went all the
other princes and encamped on the step beyond the river.
The polazzi were posted in advance, some of them serving
as sentries. Mistislov rode forward to reconnoiter. Being satisfied with
(08:59):
what was revealed to him, he returned hastily ordered out
his own men and also Daniel, giving no command to
other princes who were left in their camp awaiting orders.
There was keen rivalry between him and them. Mistislov thought,
as it seems to win victory without them, and believed
that he had power thus to win it. He knew
not that he was to meet cheap Noyan, who had
(09:20):
hunted to death both gutch Luck and Mahomet, the sovereigns
of two empires. He knew nothing of the Mongols, their numbers,
their power, or their methods. The battle was opened by Daniel, who,
in the forefront himself attacked with great valor and was
wounded very early in the action, which was obstinate. Observing
the danger, Mistislov supported him, and the Mongols were repulsed
(09:42):
to some extent. At this point, for some unknown cause,
the whole force of the Polazzi stampeded, turned, rushed back
in panic terror, and filled the Russian camp with disorder.
The Mongols rallied quickly, brought up fresh forces, and swept
all before them. The Russians, not engaged for the greater part,
were waiting near the river. The Polazzi not only left
(10:06):
the field, but in fact helped the enemy. Hence victory
was perfect for the Mongols. Never in Russia, states the chronicler,
was there a defeat so disastrous as this one. Twelve
twenty four, three Russian princes, who had not taken part
in the battle, held their ground firmly near the river,
on a hill which they fortified with palisades. They fought
(10:28):
there with two divisions of Mongols, which remained at the Kalka.
The others followed Mistislav toward the Dnieper. Three days did
those brave men fight at the river, till assured that
they would be freed on surrender. If ransomed, they trusted
the plighted word of the Mongols and yielded. The Mongol
chiefs bound those three princes hand and foot, and laid
(10:50):
them side by side on the ground at some distance
one from another. They then placed a heavy platform upon them,
sat on that platform, and ate and drank while the
princes were lying beneath in desperate torture. Thus the three
Russians died while the Mongols were feasting above them. Six
princes and a great number of their men perished. While
fleeing toward the Dnieper. Mistislav and those in his company,
(11:14):
including Daniel, reached the river and crossed it. The prince
burned his boats on the west bank, or had them
cut into pieces, lest the enemy might follow him farther,
But the Mongols turned back before reaching the Dniepeer. The
northern contingent, commanded by the Rostov Prince Vasilko, heard at
Tchernigov of the Kalka disaster and returned home, being too weak,
(11:36):
as they thought, to face such an enemy. On their
way eastward, the Mongols used fire and sword without mercy
wherever they found men and property. They filled southern Russia
with terror. They swept through the Crimea and ravaged it.
They captured Bulger on the Volga and ruined that opulent city.
Sated with bloodshed and laden with booty, they returned that
(11:57):
same year to headquarters east of the Caspian. Thus, one
division of jing His Khan's great army overran an immense
part of Europe without meeting effective resistance in any place.
On leaving Samarkan from Mongolia, jing His gave command to
the mother, the widows and the kinsfolk of Shah Mohammed
to stand at the roadside and take a farewell look
at their native land. They did this and wailed in
(12:19):
loud voices as they saw it for the last time.
In February of twelve twenty five, the Mighty man Slayer
had returned to his home land between the rivers, where
we may leave him for a time and turn to China.
After jing has left the Kin Empire in twelve sixteen,
the kins reoccupied the land seized from them, excepting chong
Tu and the northern rim of Pi Chi Li and Shannasai. Mukulai,
(12:43):
the Great Mongol general, re entered China in twelve seventeen.
During that year and the five years which followed, he
conquered all the lands of the Qin dynasty excepting one province, Honan,
which lies south of the hong Ho and extends from
the bend of that river at tung Kwan to its
mouth at the Yellow Mukilai died in April twelve twenty three,
(13:04):
leaving his title and command to his only son Boro.
After the death of this renowned warrior, both Chinese dynasties
became increasingly active and hostile. The king in Tangut followed, also,
their council and influence beyond doubt. It was to meet
this new growth of enmity that Jinghis had returned to Mongolia.
(13:24):
The kin Emperor had sent an embassy to Jinghis in
the west with the offer to yield up all places
north of the hong Ho and to be a younger brother.
This was refused. Jinghis answered that the kin Emperor must
be content with the title of Prince of Honan and
the position of a vassal. During the two years following
their rose great and very active resistance, Tangut favored the Kins,
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and its monarch prepared for armed action against the Mongols.
In view of this, Jinghis toward the end of twelve
twenty five, left his headquarters to make war on Tangut.
His formal complaint was that foes of the Mongol Khan
had been favored and taken into service by the king,
who had refused also to send his son as a hostage.
Jing has entered Tangut in twelve twenty six during February.
(14:12):
Between that time and the autumn following, he passed from
north to south, harassing the country most savagely. He laid
siege to ling Chao, the capital. Li Tii. The king
died in August, leaving the throne to Lihien, his son
and successor. A new Tangut army was sent to strengthen
ling Chao. Jing His return northward put that new army
(14:35):
to flight. Stormed Ling Chao, took the city, sacked it,
and slaughtered its inhabitants, leaving a corps there. He advanced
to the south, seized si Ning with Lin Tao, and
sacked both those cities, establishing headquarters in western Shinnesai. He
captured places all around in that region till the hot
summer came, when he retired to the lu Pan mountains
(14:55):
and rested. The condition of the country at that time,
as described by Chinese analysts, is as follows. Men strive
in vain to hide in caverns and in mountains. As
to the Mongols, sword hardly two in a hundred escape it.
The fields are covered with the bones of slaughtered people.
In the month of July twelve twenty seven, lihi En
(15:18):
sent an embassy with submission. He asked merely one month
in which to surrender his capital. The favor was granted,
and Jing His promise to regard him as his son
in the future. Soon after, the mongol Man slator was
taken ill and died eight days later. He had time, however,
to instruct his sons how to live and his generals
(15:39):
how to capture Nanking and destroy the king dynasty. He
told them also how to deal with Tangut and its sovereign.
They were to hide the death of Jing His very carefully,
and when Lihien came out of his capital at the
time fixed for surrender, they were to slay him and
put all people of that city to the sword without exception.
Jing His He died August eighteenth, twelve twenty seven, when
(16:03):
sixty six years of age. He had reigned twenty two years.
The order to slay the Tangut sovereign and the people
of the city was carried out strictly, and the Kingdom
of Tangut was added to the Mongol Empire since the
beginning of time, writes the Chinese historian, no barbarous people
have ever been so mighty as the Mongols are at present.
(16:24):
They destroy empires as a man plucks out herbs by
the roots. Such as the power in their possession, Why
does Heaven let them have it? The remains of the
Great Khan were taken back to his birthplace lest his
death might be known. The troops who conducted them slew
every person whom they met as they traveled. Only when
they arrived at the home of Jinghis was his death
(16:46):
published to all men. As the life of Jinghis was
unique and original, so were the circumstances of his death
and the details of his funeral. A great number of
causes were given for his death. It was ascribed to
an arrow, to poison, to drowning, to lightning, to the
witchery of Kerbaljingoa, the Tangut queen who had the fame
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of great beauty, and whom Jinghis had taken, as it seems,
from her husband, and added to the number of his
many wives. It is stated by some historians that he
had more than four hundred wives and concubines, but Bortai,
the mother of Juchi, Jagatai, o Gootai, and Tului always
held the first place. Senang Setzen, the chronicler, a descendant
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himself of Jinghis, describes the last days, death and funeral
of his ancestor. This account reads like one of those
myth tales which I found in Siberia. First we have
the life and death struggle between Jinghis and the king
of Tangut, whose name in the chronicle is Shidurgo. Shidurgo
opens the struggle by becoming a serpent. Jinghas becomes king
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of all birds, and then Shidurgo turns into a tiger.
Jingius changes at once to a lion. At last, Shidurgo
is a boy, and Jingas appears as chief of the
Tenjerry or heavenly divinities, and Shidurgo is at his mercy.
If thou kill me, said Shidurgo, the act will be
fatal to thee. If thou spare me, it will be
fatal to thy children. Jing is struck, but the blow
(18:12):
did not harm his opponent. There is only one weapon
in the world that can kill me, a triple dagger
made of magnet, which is now between my first and
second boots. Als. With that, the Tangut king drew forth
the blade and gave it to his enemy. Kill me.
If milk comes from the wound, it will foretoken ill
to thee, if blood ill to thy posterity. Before taking Kerbaljingoa,
(18:35):
my wife looked to her previous life very carefully. Jing
has stabbed Shidurgo in the neck. Blood flowed, and he died.
Next the queen was brought in. All wondered when they
saw her. I had much greater beauty before, said she,
I am grimy from dust now, But when I bathe
in the river, my beauty will come to me. She
(18:58):
went to the karamurin the hongh and plunged into it.
When she returned she had all her former great beauty.
The following night, while Jing has lay asleep, she bewitched him.
He grew feeble and ill, and never gained strength again.
She left him, went down to the Karamurin and disappeared
in that river. Jing has lay helpless in bed, and
(19:19):
at last death was near him. He spoke then to Kolokan,
his old comrade, the gray hero, be thou a true
friend to my widow Bortai, Fudgen, and to my sons
O Gotai and Tului. Be thou true to them fearlessly.
The precious jade has no crust, the polished dagger no
dirt on it. Man born to life is not deathless.
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He must go hence without home, without resting place. The
glory of a deed is in being finished. Firm and unbending.
Is he who keeps a plighted word faithfully, follow not
the will of another, And thou wilt have the good
will of many to me, it is clear that I
must leave all and go hence from you. The words
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of the boy Kubili are very weighty. Note what he says,
noted all of you. He will sit on my throne
some day and will, as I have done, secure high prosperity.
Kolokan and many princes went to bear the corpse of
their mighty leader back to the Kennikhan region, through the
greater part of Tangut and across the broad Gobi along
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An immense train of people followed it. As they marched,
they wailed and raised their voices together, lamenting Calokan, leading
as follows in times which are gone, Thou didst swoop
like a falcon before us. Today a car bears thee
on as it rumbles advancing, O Thou my Khan, hast
thou left us, Indeed, hast thou left wife and children,
(20:43):
O Thou my Khan. Hast thou left us, Hast thou
left the Kuroltai of thy nation, O Thou my Khan,
sweeping forward and pride as sweeps forward and eagle. Thou
didst lead us aforetime, O Thou my Khan. But now
thou hast stumbled and art down like a bolt still unbroken,
O Thou my Khan. Thou didst bring peace and joy
(21:05):
to thy people for sixty and six years, But now
thou art leaving them, O Thou my Khan. When the
procession had reached the Mona Khan Mountains, the funeral car
stopped in blue myrie clay, and the best horses could
not move it. All were discouraged and grief stricken. When
a new chant rose, led by Kolokan, the gray hero
O Lion of the Tenjerry, Thou, our lord, wilt thou
(21:27):
leave us? Wilt thou desert wife and nation? In this quagmire,
thy firmly built state with its laws and its much
devoted people, Thy golden palace, thy state raised on justice,
the numerous clans of thy nation, all these are awaiting
the off There. Thy birth land, the rivers in which
thou didst bathe, All these are awaiting the off There.
(21:50):
Thy subjects, the Mongols, devoted and fruitful, are awaiting the
off There, Thy chiefs, thy commanders, thy great kinsfolk are
awaiting the off There. Thy birthplace, Deligon Bulak on the
Onon is awaiting the off there. Thy standard of yak tales,
thy drums, fifes and trumpets, Thy golden house and all
(22:11):
that is in it are awaiting THEE. Off There. The
fields of the Carolin, where first thou didst sit on
thy throne as Jinghis, are awaiting the off There. Bore
Thai Fudgen, the wife of thy youth, Bourchu and Mulkuli,
Thy faithful friends, thy fortunate land, and thy great golden mansion,
that wonderful building are awaiting THEE. Off There. Wilt thou
(22:32):
leave us now here in this quagmire, because this land
pleases thee, because so many Tanguts are vanquished, because Kerbaljingoa
was beautiful, we could not save thy noble life in
this kingdom. So let us bear thy remains to their
last home and resting place. Let us bear thy remains,
which are as fair as the jade stone. Let us
(22:54):
give consolation to thy people. After this chant, the car
moved from the blue clay, went forward, passed over the
mountain range easily, and across the immense Gobi desert. It
moved on amid wailing and chanting, and at last reached
the home of the mighty and merciless Manslayer. The body
was buried in a ken Khan forest, near a majestic
(23:14):
tree which had pleased Jing his Khan very greatly in
his lifetime. There were many smaller trees near this single
large one, but soon after the burial, all trees in
the forest had grown equal in size and appearance, so
that no man knew or could learn where the body
of the conqueror was hidden. Jings Khan is one of
the great characters of history, perhaps the greatest that has
(23:35):
appeared in the world to the present day. A man
who never hampered by conscience, advanced directly toward the one
supreme object of his life. Power. His executive ability was wonderful,
as was also his utter disregard for human life. Beginning
with a few huts on the Carolin, he drew in
tribe after tribe, country after country, till at his death
(23:57):
he was master of more territory than had ever been
ruled by one sovereign. He stands forth also as the
greatest man slayer the world has ever known. From twelve
eleven to twelve twenty three, in China and Tangat Alone,
Jinghi and his assistants killed more than eighteen million, five
hundred thousand human beings. He demanded blind obedience from all men.
(24:18):
The slightest infringement was punished with death. Even his most
distinguished general submitted to the bastinado or to execution. In
jing His Khan's code of laws, the homicide, the adulter,
the cattle thief, and the person who for the third
time lost a prisoner confided to his care was put
to death. Torture was used to force confession. When an
(24:39):
animal was to be slaughtered, it must be thrown on
its back, an incision made in its breast, and the
heart torn out. This custom prevails among the Mongols of
the Baikal the Buriats to the present day. When killing
animals for sacrifice. Jing his Khan left great possessions to
each of his sons and heirs. To Juchi the eldest,
(25:00):
he left the immense region north of Lake Eril and
westward to the uttermost spot on which the hoof of
a horse had been planted by Mongols At any time.
The dominions of Jagatai extended from Kaylak in the Weiger
land to the sir Daria or yaxarts. Ogotai received the
country watered by the Imil, while Tullui, the youngest, inherited
his father's home places between Karakuram and the Onon River region.
(25:24):
These dispositions made somewhat earlier agreed with Mongol custom and
usage by which elder sons received portions as they came
to maturity. His father's house and all that belonged to
it fell to the youngest son. Always when the last
rites had been rendered and the last honors paid to
the great conqueror, each of the four sons returned to
his possessions, and it was only after two years that
(25:46):
the family held the Kuoltai of election. In the spring
of twelve twenty nine, all assembled again on the Carolin.
They were met and received by Tullui, acting as region
till they should choose a new sovereign. From the res
juins north and west of Lake Eril came the descendants
of Juchi, that eldest son who had dared to defy
his own terrible father. Jagatai brought his sons and grandsons
(26:09):
from the Ili, and Ogotai came from the Imil near
which he had been living. After three days of the
Kurotai had been passed in feasting and pleasure, the assembly
proceeded to choose a grand Khan or sovereign. Many were
in favor of Tului, but Yelu chu Tsai, the great
sage and Minister, begged them to settle on Ogotai the
choice of jinghis and avoid all dissensions and discord. Tului
(26:34):
did not hesitate in following this council, and read immediately
the ordinance of his father, in which Ogoti was named
as sovereign. The princes turned then to Ogotai and declared
him the ruler. Ogotai answered that his brothers and uncles
were far better fitted than he for the sovereignty. He
mentioned especially as the right man Tului, who had remained
with his father or near him at all times, and
(26:56):
was trained beyond any in the wisdom of the conqueror Jinghi,
as himself has chosen. Thee cried the others to Ogoti,
how act against his command and his wishes. Ogotai still resisted,
and forty days passed in feasting air. He yielded on
the forty first day, which was pointed out by magicians
as the time most propitious. He was conducted to the
(27:17):
throne by Jaggati and by Utchik, and his uncle Jinghis
Khan's youngest brother, Tului, gave him the goblet used on
occasions of that kind. And then all who were in
the pavilion and those outside bared their heads, put their
girdles on their shoulders, and fell prostrate. Nine times did
they fall before Ogoti, invoke on him prosperity and salute
(27:38):
him with his title kah Khan or Khan, the White
Khan of the Mongols. The newly made monarch, followed by
the assembly, went out then and bowed down three times
to the sun in due homage. The immense throngs of
people their present gave the like homage. Also when Ogoti
re entered the tent, a great feast was served straightway.
(27:59):
In choosing Ogotai, the family swore to adhere to his descendants,
and the following strange words were used by them. We
swear not to seat on the throne another branch of
our family, so long as there shall be of thy descendants.
A morsel of flesh, which cast upon grass might stop
a bullet from eating, or cast into fat, might stop
a dog from devouring. Jingh His Khan's treasures were spoils
(28:21):
from a great part of Asia, and Ogoti commanded to
bring them before him. That done, he distributed those precious
objects to the princes, commanders, and warriors. During three entire days,
they made offerings to the shade of Jinghis their great ancestor.
Ogotai chose from the families of princes and commanders forty
most beautiful virgins. He had them attired in the richest
(28:43):
of garments and adorned with rare jewels. These forty virgins
were slain and thus sent to attend the mighty conqueror
in that world which he occupied with The virgins were
slain and sent also the best in the costliest stallions
of Northern Asia. The first work of Ogotai was to
establish the code of Jinghi and pardon offenses committed since
(29:04):
the death of the conqueror. Ye Lu Chutsai, the sage
who had exercised on Jing his so much influence and
whose powers still continued, prevailed then on Ogotai to fix
the rank of each officer an official, and to define
every difference between princes of jingis Khan's house and other subjects.
He wished also to restrain the boundless power of Mongol
(29:26):
chiefs in conquered places. Those men disposed of human life
as each whim of their shaped itself. Whenever they chose
to condemn a man, he died, as did also his family.
At Chute SI's advice, O Gootai refixed all forms of
action in cases of this kind. The amount of yearly
tribute was settled for the first time since the Mongol
(29:46):
conquest in the West. It was a tax on every
male person of legal age in China. The system of
the country was chosen and the tribute was levied on houses.
Lands taken from the king dynasty were divided in into
ten provinces. In each of these was established a tribunal
for assessment and collection of tribute. Chutsai even proposed to
(30:07):
the White Khan to use in governing his possessions the
rules of Confucius. The empire has been conquered on horseback,
said the sage, but no man can rule it from
the saddle. The advice was listened to with benevolence, and
scholars were placed by degrees in public office. Now that
the Mongols again had a sovereign, they gave more force
(30:28):
to their conquests along those vast lines of action which
Jinghus had explained on his deathbed, three great expeditions were
arranged at the Kurultai of election. An army of thirty
thousand was sent to destroy the rising power of Gilo
Yudi Din, who had returned from land south of the
Indus and regained some part of his father's dominions. A
second army of similar numbers was sent under kuyukin Subataie
(30:51):
to conquer the Kipchaks and other peoples. This Juci would
have done had he followed the advice of his father.
On the third expedition, O Gotai I, the Grand Khan,
set out with Tului and other princes to end the
Qin Empire. These expeditions we will follow in the order
mentioned
Chapter eight, Death and Burial of the Conqueror. Jingas had
passed the winter of one thousand, two hundred twenty two
to three near the Indus, and in the spring of
twelve twenty three he resolved, rather suddenly, as it seemed,
to march up the Indus and return through Tibet to
Tangut and China. The reasons given by historians for this
(00:20):
move are various. There were troubles in Tangut, and there
was no imperative reason for remaining in quarism, since that
empire was utterly helpless. It had been depopulated and ruined
in most parts. Some people thought that Jinghis, if not horrified,
was at least set to thinking by the boundless slaughters
committed at his direction. We have two accounts touching this matter,
(00:42):
which are of interest, though both bear the myths stamp
and our opinions of other men. As to Jinghis, not
the Great Khan's own thoughts, as expressed by his words
or his actions. In the Chinese history Tungki and Kongmu.
The following cause is given for his sudden decision. When
Jingyas was at the Iron Gate of nor India, his
guard saw a creature which resembled a deer, but its
(01:03):
head was like that of a horse, with one horn
on its forehead, and there was green hair on its body.
This creature had power of speech, for it said to
the guards, it is time for your master to return
to his own land. Jing His troubled by this message,
consulted ye lu chut Tsai, who said that creature is Caughtwan.
It knows every language. It appears as a sign that
(01:26):
bloodshed is needless at present. For four years the Great
Army is warring in western regions. Heaven, which has a
horror of bloodshed, gives warning through Kotwan. Spare the empire
for Heaven's sake. Moderation will give boundless pleasure. The other
account is quite different in character and import. I was,
(01:47):
says a Gurgistan Coddi in Herod, on a tower which
stood just in front of Tullery's headquarters. Arrows came in
such numbers that I went down and was lost in
a dust among mongols. They and took me then to Tului.
When he heard my adventure, he wondered, an angel, or
it may be a demon, is trifling with thee said
(02:08):
he neither replied, I how then art thou here, asked he.
I looked at all things with the eye of a sovereign,
was my answer, Hence no harm struck me. This answer
so pleased Toului that he showed me much favor. Take
this gift, added he, For thou art a man of
rare wisdom. Be true to Jing is the great Khan,
(02:30):
For thou wilt now serve him. He sent me then
to his father, who received me in Tailcan with high favor.
Jing has spoke to me of Turkish sufferings repeatedly. Dost
thou think, asked he one day that the blood which
I have shed will be remembered against me by mankind.
He held a dart in his hand while he looked
in my face and put questions. I will answer, replied I.
(02:55):
If your majesty secures life to me, speak, said the Khan,
and I answer, If your majesty slays as many persons
as you please, men will give you whatever fame pleases them.
His face colored at these words, and he shouted in
rage till the dark dropped from his fingers. I felt
death standing near me that moment, but he soon recovered
(03:16):
and said, I have thought on the wisdom of sages,
and see that I have plundered and slain without the
right knowledge in that region where Mohammed's horse lost his way.
But what care I for men? And he went from
the chamber, I could remain in those places no longer.
Such was my fear in that horde, and I fled
from it before starting for home. Jing has gave command
(03:36):
to kill all superfluous prisoners, that is, all who had
done the work because of which they had been spared
from death on the day when they were taken. Only
artisans were left, men needed for their skill in Mongolia.
This command was not carried out, however, till the captives
had hold an immense store of rice for the Mongols.
That done, they were slain in one night without any exception.
(03:57):
The Mongols took the road toward Tibet, but after some
days they turned back from that difficult region and went
to Peshore, where were the roads along which they had
come in the first place. As he passed bulk on
the Samarkand road, Jing his Khan issued orders to slay
all who had made their way back to that city.
After the death of Shah Mohammed. Cheap Noian and Sabatai,
(04:18):
two of the three who had hunted him down to extinction,
plundered Persian, that is, eastern Irakan, ruined it and also
the lands between that vast province and the Caspian on
the west. They went great distances inland, including parts of
Armenia and also Georgia, as far as Tiflis. In twelve
twenty two, those commanders received from Jing his reinforcements with
(04:40):
a command to conquer the Polazzi, a people akin to
the Mongols. These Polazzi led a nomad life in that
region which stretches westward from the Caspian to the Dniepere.
They were neighbors of the Russians, whom they had harassed
for centuries. The Mongols had obtained from the Shrvan shot
ten guards to conduct them. The commanders began, and very strangely,
(05:02):
they cut off the head of one of these ten
and declared that the other nine would die by the
same kind of death if they should deceive them or
use any treachery. Despite this cruel act, the guides led
the army into ambush among northern foothills of the Caucasus
and slipped away safely. The Mongols Austrayan mountains and woods
were attacked upon all sides by various strong peoples. Among
(05:24):
these were the Polazzi, to whom they were bringing destruction.
Pressed hard at all points, they sent to those Polazzi
this message, Ye, and we are one people. Why war
with us? Make peace? We will give all the gold
that ye need and many rich garments. Ye, and we
can work together with great profit. Seduced by these words
(05:46):
and by presence, the Polazzi gave help and aid to
the Mongols, gave them victory first, and then led them
out to the open country. When towns in the Caucasus
foothills and near them were ruined, the Mongols turned on
the Palazzi, slew their chief men in numbers of others,
took back the bribes to treachery, took every other thing
of value, and cut down and slaughtered on all sides.
(06:07):
The Polazzi fled and spread terror with their accounts of
the Mongols. The whole people left the best pastures and
moved toward their northern and western boundaries. Ten thousand families
passed into Byzantine regions. John Ducas, the Emperor, took those
people then to his service and gave them land in
Macedonia and Thrace. Great numbers fled into Russia, which for
(06:30):
two centuries had been scourged with their raids and their outrages.
Among the fugitives was Codian, a khan whose daughter had
married the Gallich prince Mistislav the Gallant. Codian implored his
son in law to help him. To day, said he,
the Mongols have taken our land. They will take yours tomorrow.
Assist us. If not, we shall be beaten on one day,
(06:52):
and you the day following. Mistislav called the Russian princes
to a council, at which they resolved to give aid
to the Polazzi. Unless we help them, said Mistislav, they
will go with the Mongols and strengthen them. A deputation
went north to ascade of the princes in Szdl. Troops
were collected, and the Russian princes moved against the enemy
(07:13):
in confidence. On the way they met Mongol envoys who
delivered this message. We have heard that, convinced by the Polazzi,
ye are marching against us. But we have not come
to attack you. We have come against our own horse
boys and slaves, the vile Polazzi. We are not at
war with you. If the Polazzi flee to your country,
(07:33):
drive them out of it and seize all their property.
They have harmed you, as men tell us, they have
harmed us also. That is why we attack them. The
Russian princes gave answer by killing the envoys. Some distance
down that great river, the Niepere, a new Mongol embassy
met the Russian princes with these words, if through obedience
(07:54):
to the Palazzi, ye have cut down our envoys and
are now bringing war on us, Heaven will judge your action.
We have not harmed you this time. The princes spared
the envoys. When the Russians and Polazzi had assembled at
the Nieper, Mistislav crossed with one thousand men. He attacked
the Mongol outposts and scattered them. After some hesitation, the
(08:16):
Mongols retired. Moving eastward, they lured on the Russians, who
soon met a larger detachment of warriors. These they attacked
and defeated, driving them far into the steppe land and
seizing all their cattle. Encouraged by this success, the Russians
moved forward eight days in succession till they neared the
river Kolka. Then came an action with outposts and a
(08:39):
third Russian victory. Mistislov ordered Daniel of Galich, son of
Roman to cross the Kalka. After him went all the
other princes and encamped on the step beyond the river.
The polazzi were posted in advance, some of them serving
as sentries. Mistislov rode forward to reconnoiter. Being satisfied with
(08:59):
what was revealed to him, he returned hastily ordered out
his own men and also Daniel, giving no command to
other princes who were left in their camp awaiting orders.
There was keen rivalry between him and them. Mistislov thought,
as it seems to win victory without them, and believed
that he had power thus to win it. He knew
not that he was to meet cheap Noyan, who had
(09:20):
hunted to death both gutch Luck and Mahomet, the sovereigns
of two empires. He knew nothing of the Mongols, their numbers,
their power, or their methods. The battle was opened by Daniel, who,
in the forefront himself attacked with great valor and was
wounded very early in the action, which was obstinate. Observing
the danger, Mistislov supported him, and the Mongols were repulsed
(09:42):
to some extent. At this point, for some unknown cause,
the whole force of the Polazzi stampeded, turned, rushed back
in panic terror, and filled the Russian camp with disorder.
The Mongols rallied quickly, brought up fresh forces, and swept
all before them. The Russians, not engaged for the greater part,
were waiting near the river. The Polazzi not only left
(10:06):
the field, but in fact helped the enemy. Hence victory
was perfect for the Mongols. Never in Russia, states the chronicler,
was there a defeat so disastrous as this one. Twelve
twenty four, three Russian princes, who had not taken part
in the battle, held their ground firmly near the river,
on a hill which they fortified with palisades. They fought
(10:28):
there with two divisions of Mongols, which remained at the Kalka.
The others followed Mistislav toward the Dnieper. Three days did
those brave men fight at the river, till assured that
they would be freed on surrender. If ransomed, they trusted
the plighted word of the Mongols and yielded. The Mongol
chiefs bound those three princes hand and foot, and laid
(10:50):
them side by side on the ground at some distance
one from another. They then placed a heavy platform upon them,
sat on that platform, and ate and drank while the
princes were lying beneath in desperate torture. Thus the three
Russians died while the Mongols were feasting above them. Six
princes and a great number of their men perished. While
fleeing toward the Dnieper. Mistislav and those in his company,
(11:14):
including Daniel, reached the river and crossed it. The prince
burned his boats on the west bank, or had them
cut into pieces, lest the enemy might follow him farther,
But the Mongols turned back before reaching the Dniepeer. The
northern contingent, commanded by the Rostov Prince Vasilko, heard at
Tchernigov of the Kalka disaster and returned home, being too weak,
(11:36):
as they thought, to face such an enemy. On their
way eastward, the Mongols used fire and sword without mercy
wherever they found men and property. They filled southern Russia
with terror. They swept through the Crimea and ravaged it.
They captured Bulger on the Volga and ruined that opulent city.
Sated with bloodshed and laden with booty, they returned that
(11:57):
same year to headquarters east of the Caspian. Thus, one
division of jing His Khan's great army overran an immense
part of Europe without meeting effective resistance in any place.
On leaving Samarkan from Mongolia, jing His gave command to
the mother, the widows and the kinsfolk of Shah Mohammed
to stand at the roadside and take a farewell look
at their native land. They did this and wailed in
(12:19):
loud voices as they saw it for the last time.
In February of twelve twenty five, the Mighty man Slayer
had returned to his home land between the rivers, where
we may leave him for a time and turn to China.
After jing has left the Kin Empire in twelve sixteen,
the kins reoccupied the land seized from them, excepting chong
Tu and the northern rim of Pi Chi Li and Shannasai. Mukulai,
(12:43):
the Great Mongol general, re entered China in twelve seventeen.
During that year and the five years which followed, he
conquered all the lands of the Qin dynasty excepting one province, Honan,
which lies south of the hong Ho and extends from
the bend of that river at tung Kwan to its
mouth at the Yellow Mukilai died in April twelve twenty three,
(13:04):
leaving his title and command to his only son Boro.
After the death of this renowned warrior, both Chinese dynasties
became increasingly active and hostile. The king in Tangut followed, also,
their council and influence beyond doubt. It was to meet
this new growth of enmity that Jinghis had returned to Mongolia.
(13:24):
The kin Emperor had sent an embassy to Jinghis in
the west with the offer to yield up all places
north of the hong Ho and to be a younger brother.
This was refused. Jinghis answered that the kin Emperor must
be content with the title of Prince of Honan and
the position of a vassal. During the two years following
their rose great and very active resistance, Tangut favored the Kins,
(13:48):
and its monarch prepared for armed action against the Mongols.
In view of this, Jinghis toward the end of twelve
twenty five, left his headquarters to make war on Tangut.
His formal complaint was that foes of the Mongol Khan
had been favored and taken into service by the king,
who had refused also to send his son as a hostage.
Jing has entered Tangut in twelve twenty six during February.
(14:12):
Between that time and the autumn following, he passed from
north to south, harassing the country most savagely. He laid
siege to ling Chao, the capital. Li Tii. The king
died in August, leaving the throne to Lihien, his son
and successor. A new Tangut army was sent to strengthen
ling Chao. Jing His return northward put that new army
(14:35):
to flight. Stormed Ling Chao, took the city, sacked it,
and slaughtered its inhabitants, leaving a corps there. He advanced
to the south, seized si Ning with Lin Tao, and
sacked both those cities, establishing headquarters in western Shinnesai. He
captured places all around in that region till the hot
summer came, when he retired to the lu Pan mountains
(14:55):
and rested. The condition of the country at that time,
as described by Chinese analysts, is as follows. Men strive
in vain to hide in caverns and in mountains. As
to the Mongols, sword hardly two in a hundred escape it.
The fields are covered with the bones of slaughtered people.
In the month of July twelve twenty seven, lihi En
(15:18):
sent an embassy with submission. He asked merely one month
in which to surrender his capital. The favor was granted,
and Jing His promise to regard him as his son
in the future. Soon after, the mongol Man slator was
taken ill and died eight days later. He had time, however,
to instruct his sons how to live and his generals
(15:39):
how to capture Nanking and destroy the king dynasty. He
told them also how to deal with Tangut and its sovereign.
They were to hide the death of Jing His very carefully,
and when Lihien came out of his capital at the
time fixed for surrender, they were to slay him and
put all people of that city to the sword without exception.
Jing His He died August eighteenth, twelve twenty seven, when
(16:03):
sixty six years of age. He had reigned twenty two years.
The order to slay the Tangut sovereign and the people
of the city was carried out strictly, and the Kingdom
of Tangut was added to the Mongol Empire since the
beginning of time, writes the Chinese historian, no barbarous people
have ever been so mighty as the Mongols are at present.
(16:24):
They destroy empires as a man plucks out herbs by
the roots. Such as the power in their possession, Why
does Heaven let them have it? The remains of the
Great Khan were taken back to his birthplace lest his
death might be known. The troops who conducted them slew
every person whom they met as they traveled. Only when
they arrived at the home of Jinghis was his death
(16:46):
published to all men. As the life of Jinghis was
unique and original, so were the circumstances of his death
and the details of his funeral. A great number of
causes were given for his death. It was ascribed to
an arrow, to poison, to drowning, to lightning, to the
witchery of Kerbaljingoa, the Tangut queen who had the fame
(17:06):
of great beauty, and whom Jinghis had taken, as it seems,
from her husband, and added to the number of his
many wives. It is stated by some historians that he
had more than four hundred wives and concubines, but Bortai,
the mother of Juchi, Jagatai, o Gootai, and Tului always
held the first place. Senang Setzen, the chronicler, a descendant
(17:28):
himself of Jinghis, describes the last days, death and funeral
of his ancestor. This account reads like one of those
myth tales which I found in Siberia. First we have
the life and death struggle between Jinghis and the king
of Tangut, whose name in the chronicle is Shidurgo. Shidurgo
opens the struggle by becoming a serpent. Jinghas becomes king
(17:49):
of all birds, and then Shidurgo turns into a tiger.
Jingius changes at once to a lion. At last, Shidurgo
is a boy, and Jingas appears as chief of the
Tenjerry or heavenly divinities, and Shidurgo is at his mercy.
If thou kill me, said Shidurgo, the act will be
fatal to thee. If thou spare me, it will be
fatal to thy children. Jing is struck, but the blow
(18:12):
did not harm his opponent. There is only one weapon
in the world that can kill me, a triple dagger
made of magnet, which is now between my first and
second boots. Als. With that, the Tangut king drew forth
the blade and gave it to his enemy. Kill me.
If milk comes from the wound, it will foretoken ill
to thee, if blood ill to thy posterity. Before taking Kerbaljingoa,
(18:35):
my wife looked to her previous life very carefully. Jing
has stabbed Shidurgo in the neck. Blood flowed, and he died.
Next the queen was brought in. All wondered when they
saw her. I had much greater beauty before, said she,
I am grimy from dust now, But when I bathe
in the river, my beauty will come to me. She
(18:58):
went to the karamurin the hongh and plunged into it.
When she returned she had all her former great beauty.
The following night, while Jing has lay asleep, she bewitched him.
He grew feeble and ill, and never gained strength again.
She left him, went down to the Karamurin and disappeared
in that river. Jing has lay helpless in bed, and
(19:19):
at last death was near him. He spoke then to Kolokan,
his old comrade, the gray hero, be thou a true
friend to my widow Bortai, Fudgen, and to my sons
O Gotai and Tului. Be thou true to them fearlessly.
The precious jade has no crust, the polished dagger no
dirt on it. Man born to life is not deathless.
(19:39):
He must go hence without home, without resting place. The
glory of a deed is in being finished. Firm and unbending.
Is he who keeps a plighted word faithfully, follow not
the will of another, And thou wilt have the good
will of many to me, it is clear that I
must leave all and go hence from you. The words
(19:59):
of the boy Kubili are very weighty. Note what he says,
noted all of you. He will sit on my throne
some day and will, as I have done, secure high prosperity.
Kolokan and many princes went to bear the corpse of
their mighty leader back to the Kennikhan region, through the
greater part of Tangut and across the broad Gobi along
(20:20):
An immense train of people followed it. As they marched,
they wailed and raised their voices together, lamenting Calokan, leading
as follows in times which are gone, Thou didst swoop
like a falcon before us. Today a car bears thee
on as it rumbles advancing, O Thou my Khan, hast
thou left us, Indeed, hast thou left wife and children,
(20:43):
O Thou my Khan. Hast thou left us, Hast thou
left the Kuroltai of thy nation, O Thou my Khan,
sweeping forward and pride as sweeps forward and eagle. Thou
didst lead us aforetime, O Thou my Khan. But now
thou hast stumbled and art down like a bolt still unbroken,
O Thou my Khan. Thou didst bring peace and joy
(21:05):
to thy people for sixty and six years, But now
thou art leaving them, O Thou my Khan. When the
procession had reached the Mona Khan Mountains, the funeral car
stopped in blue myrie clay, and the best horses could
not move it. All were discouraged and grief stricken. When
a new chant rose, led by Kolokan, the gray hero
O Lion of the Tenjerry, Thou, our lord, wilt thou
(21:27):
leave us? Wilt thou desert wife and nation? In this quagmire,
thy firmly built state with its laws and its much
devoted people, Thy golden palace, thy state raised on justice,
the numerous clans of thy nation, all these are awaiting
the off There. Thy birth land, the rivers in which
thou didst bathe, All these are awaiting the off There.
(21:50):
Thy subjects, the Mongols, devoted and fruitful, are awaiting the
off There, Thy chiefs, thy commanders, thy great kinsfolk are
awaiting the off There. Thy birthplace, Deligon Bulak on the
Onon is awaiting the off there. Thy standard of yak tales,
thy drums, fifes and trumpets, Thy golden house and all
(22:11):
that is in it are awaiting THEE. Off There. The
fields of the Carolin, where first thou didst sit on
thy throne as Jinghis, are awaiting the off There. Bore
Thai Fudgen, the wife of thy youth, Bourchu and Mulkuli,
Thy faithful friends, thy fortunate land, and thy great golden mansion,
that wonderful building are awaiting THEE. Off There. Wilt thou
(22:32):
leave us now here in this quagmire, because this land
pleases thee, because so many Tanguts are vanquished, because Kerbaljingoa
was beautiful, we could not save thy noble life in
this kingdom. So let us bear thy remains to their
last home and resting place. Let us bear thy remains,
which are as fair as the jade stone. Let us
(22:54):
give consolation to thy people. After this chant, the car
moved from the blue clay, went forward, passed over the
mountain range easily, and across the immense Gobi desert. It
moved on amid wailing and chanting, and at last reached
the home of the mighty and merciless Manslayer. The body
was buried in a ken Khan forest, near a majestic
(23:14):
tree which had pleased Jing his Khan very greatly in
his lifetime. There were many smaller trees near this single
large one, but soon after the burial, all trees in
the forest had grown equal in size and appearance, so
that no man knew or could learn where the body
of the conqueror was hidden. Jings Khan is one of
the great characters of history, perhaps the greatest that has
(23:35):
appeared in the world to the present day. A man
who never hampered by conscience, advanced directly toward the one
supreme object of his life. Power. His executive ability was wonderful,
as was also his utter disregard for human life. Beginning
with a few huts on the Carolin, he drew in
tribe after tribe, country after country, till at his death
(23:57):
he was master of more territory than had ever been
ruled by one sovereign. He stands forth also as the
greatest man slayer the world has ever known. From twelve
eleven to twelve twenty three, in China and Tangat Alone,
Jinghi and his assistants killed more than eighteen million, five
hundred thousand human beings. He demanded blind obedience from all men.
(24:18):
The slightest infringement was punished with death. Even his most
distinguished general submitted to the bastinado or to execution. In
jing His Khan's code of laws, the homicide, the adulter,
the cattle thief, and the person who for the third
time lost a prisoner confided to his care was put
to death. Torture was used to force confession. When an
(24:39):
animal was to be slaughtered, it must be thrown on
its back, an incision made in its breast, and the
heart torn out. This custom prevails among the Mongols of
the Baikal the Buriats to the present day. When killing
animals for sacrifice. Jing his Khan left great possessions to
each of his sons and heirs. To Juchi the eldest,
(25:00):
he left the immense region north of Lake Eril and
westward to the uttermost spot on which the hoof of
a horse had been planted by Mongols At any time.
The dominions of Jagatai extended from Kaylak in the Weiger
land to the sir Daria or yaxarts. Ogotai received the
country watered by the Imil, while Tullui, the youngest, inherited
his father's home places between Karakuram and the Onon River region.
(25:24):
These dispositions made somewhat earlier agreed with Mongol custom and
usage by which elder sons received portions as they came
to maturity. His father's house and all that belonged to
it fell to the youngest son. Always when the last
rites had been rendered and the last honors paid to
the great conqueror, each of the four sons returned to
his possessions, and it was only after two years that
(25:46):
the family held the Kuoltai of election. In the spring
of twelve twenty nine, all assembled again on the Carolin.
They were met and received by Tullui, acting as region
till they should choose a new sovereign. From the res
juins north and west of Lake Eril came the descendants
of Juchi, that eldest son who had dared to defy
his own terrible father. Jagatai brought his sons and grandsons
(26:09):
from the Ili, and Ogotai came from the Imil near
which he had been living. After three days of the
Kurotai had been passed in feasting and pleasure, the assembly
proceeded to choose a grand Khan or sovereign. Many were
in favor of Tului, but Yelu chu Tsai, the great
sage and Minister, begged them to settle on Ogotai the
choice of jinghis and avoid all dissensions and discord. Tului
(26:34):
did not hesitate in following this council, and read immediately
the ordinance of his father, in which Ogoti was named
as sovereign. The princes turned then to Ogotai and declared
him the ruler. Ogotai answered that his brothers and uncles
were far better fitted than he for the sovereignty. He
mentioned especially as the right man Tului, who had remained
with his father or near him at all times, and
(26:56):
was trained beyond any in the wisdom of the conqueror Jinghi,
as himself has chosen. Thee cried the others to Ogoti,
how act against his command and his wishes. Ogotai still resisted,
and forty days passed in feasting air. He yielded on
the forty first day, which was pointed out by magicians
as the time most propitious. He was conducted to the
(27:17):
throne by Jaggati and by Utchik, and his uncle Jinghis
Khan's youngest brother, Tului, gave him the goblet used on
occasions of that kind. And then all who were in
the pavilion and those outside bared their heads, put their
girdles on their shoulders, and fell prostrate. Nine times did
they fall before Ogoti, invoke on him prosperity and salute
(27:38):
him with his title kah Khan or Khan, the White
Khan of the Mongols. The newly made monarch, followed by
the assembly, went out then and bowed down three times
to the sun in due homage. The immense throngs of
people their present gave the like homage. Also when Ogoti
re entered the tent, a great feast was served straightway.
(27:59):
In choosing Ogotai, the family swore to adhere to his descendants,
and the following strange words were used by them. We
swear not to seat on the throne another branch of
our family, so long as there shall be of thy descendants.
A morsel of flesh, which cast upon grass might stop
a bullet from eating, or cast into fat, might stop
a dog from devouring. Jingh His Khan's treasures were spoils
(28:21):
from a great part of Asia, and Ogoti commanded to
bring them before him. That done, he distributed those precious
objects to the princes, commanders, and warriors. During three entire days,
they made offerings to the shade of Jinghis their great ancestor.
Ogotai chose from the families of princes and commanders forty
most beautiful virgins. He had them attired in the richest
(28:43):
of garments and adorned with rare jewels. These forty virgins
were slain and thus sent to attend the mighty conqueror
in that world which he occupied with The virgins were
slain and sent also the best in the costliest stallions
of Northern Asia. The first work of Ogotai was to
establish the code of Jinghi and pardon offenses committed since
(29:04):
the death of the conqueror. Ye Lu Chutsai, the sage
who had exercised on Jing his so much influence and
whose powers still continued, prevailed then on Ogotai to fix
the rank of each officer an official, and to define
every difference between princes of jingis Khan's house and other subjects.
He wished also to restrain the boundless power of Mongol
(29:26):
chiefs in conquered places. Those men disposed of human life
as each whim of their shaped itself. Whenever they chose
to condemn a man, he died, as did also his family.
At Chute SI's advice, O Gootai refixed all forms of
action in cases of this kind. The amount of yearly
tribute was settled for the first time since the Mongol
(29:46):
conquest in the West. It was a tax on every
male person of legal age in China. The system of
the country was chosen and the tribute was levied on houses.
Lands taken from the king dynasty were divided in into
ten provinces. In each of these was established a tribunal
for assessment and collection of tribute. Chutsai even proposed to
(30:07):
the White Khan to use in governing his possessions the
rules of Confucius. The empire has been conquered on horseback,
said the sage, but no man can rule it from
the saddle. The advice was listened to with benevolence, and
scholars were placed by degrees in public office. Now that
the Mongols again had a sovereign, they gave more force
(30:28):
to their conquests along those vast lines of action which
Jinghus had explained on his deathbed, three great expeditions were
arranged at the Kurultai of election. An army of thirty
thousand was sent to destroy the rising power of Gilo
Yudi Din, who had returned from land south of the
Indus and regained some part of his father's dominions. A
second army of similar numbers was sent under kuyukin Subataie
(30:51):
to conquer the Kipchaks and other peoples. This Juci would
have done had he followed the advice of his father.
On the third expedition, O Gotai I, the Grand Khan,
set out with Tului and other princes to end the
Qin Empire. These expeditions we will follow in the order
mentioned
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