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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1880.
in Turkish means 'iron,' whence again the word curious that the years 1155, 1203, and 1227 Timurji, a smith." This Turkish word has should each of them correspond to a swine's apparently been adopted in Mongol, for Schmidt year in the cycle." Yessagei apparently won for says that in that tongue Temurchi or Temurchin himself an important position among the nomade means 'a smith.'13. It was probably from this frontagers of China. Not only did he receive name that the Saga was derived which is report the allegiance of the various Mongol tribes and ed by such various authorities as the Greek defeat the Tartars, but his assistance was also historian Pachymeres, the Arab Novairi, the sought by the chief of the Kirais, a Turkish race Armenian Haithon, and the Franciscan friar descended, as I believe, from the Uigburs, who Rubruquis, that Chinghiz Khan had formerly occupied the central and western parts of the been a smith. This Saga apparently still steppes of the Gobi, and about whom I shall survives in Mongolia, for we are told by M. have more to say presently. We are told by Timkofski that on Mt. Darkhan is still pre- Rashidu'd-dîn that the chief of the Tartars, who served the anvil of Chinghiz Khân, which is lived about Lake Buyur, having captured the made of a particular metal called Buryn, which ruler of the Kirais named Merghuz Buyuruk has the properties of iron and copper, being at Khân' sent him as a prisoner to the Kin once hard and flexible." Chinghiz Khân forged Emperor, who put him to death by nailing him iron at its foot, and on one of its southern on a wooden ass. His widow, Khutukti Haryeji heights there is an obo of stone set up by the (meaning bright and lively), took a characteristic Mongols, who go there annually to commemorate revenge. She sent word to the Tartar chief the memory of Chinghiz Khân." There is also that she wished to give him a feast. He accepted a mountain on the island of Olkhon, in the the invitation, when she sent him 10 oxen, midst of Lake Baikal, on which is fixed a tripod, 100 sheep, and 100 sacks of kumis. The last of and on this an iron kettle. This also is tra- these however, instead of containing drink, conditionally connected with Chinghiz Khån. We cealed a body of armed men, who cut their must now consider the date of the birth of the way out during the feast and killed the Tartar Mongol chief. According to Rashidu'd-dîn he chief. died on the 4th of Ramazan 624, i.e., the 18th of Merghuz left two sons, Kurjakhas Buyuruk, August 1227.16 This agrees with the Chinese (called Khurja-khosh-bilu, in the Yuan-shi, as authorities. Rashid and the Persian authors translated by Hyacinthe, and Khurjakha Sebutira generally state that he was then 72 years Khân in the Yuan-ch'ao-pi-shi), and secondly old, which would put his birth in 1155 A.D. The Gurkhân, equivalent to Khakbån or Great Khan. Chinese authors, and notably the Yuan-shi, and The sons of Karjakhus were Tughrol, Ergeh Kara, also the Altan Topchi and Ssanang Setzen agreo Tatimur Taishi, Buka Timur, and Ilka Sengun that he was but 66 years old, which would bring (Ilka is a proper name, and Sengun means born his birth to 1162. The Altan Topchi says distinctly in the purple'). He was also called Jagembo he was born in the year of the serpent, i.e. 1161, Keraiti. Jagembo is probably the Tibetan Dsanbo, and Ssanang Setzen in that of the horse, i e. which enters into the composition of many 1162. The latter is doubtless the correct Tibetan regal names, quoted by Ssanang Setzen date, and it is not improbable, as has been sugas Degum Deanbo, Dingthi Dsanbo, Mathi gested by Von Hammer, that the mistake of the Dsanbo, Mani Dsanbo, Murak Daanbo. The Persians had a certain method in it. It being whole name probably means the powerful Kirai calculated so that the great enemy of Islam prince, and was doubtless given him by the should be born, ascend the throne, and die in a Tibetans who on one occasion made him year which in the Mongol cycle was marked by prisoner. Tughrul is the name the eldest son the unclean beast, the swine. Rashidu'd-din bears in Rashidu'd-din's pages; and in the expressly says of Chinghiz that he was both born Yuan-ch'ao-pi-shi, where the name is written and died in a swine's year. It is certainly Tu-u-ril; in the Yuan-shi he is called To-li. He » D'OhBon, vol. I, p. 36, note.
17 Von Hammer's Golden Horde, pp. 56 and 32. 13 Seadang Setzen, p. 876.
** Merghuz was his name; Buyuruk is a Turkish title 1. Timkofski, vol. I., p. 178.
and means Emperor. D'Ohsson, op. cit. vol. I., p. 50, note. 15 D'Obsson, op. cit. p. 87, note.
10 Quatremere, Hist. des Mongols de h Perse, P, 91, * Erdmann, op. cit. pp. 443 and 574.
note 8. 10 Erdmann, op. cit. p. 233, note &
