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NOVEMBER, 1881.)
CHINGHIZ KHAN AND HIS ANCESTORS.
387
the histories of Ogotai and Kuynk, Chin- with his people in time and concealed himself. ghiz Khan's successors. He devotes a chapter Abulfaraj then tells us how a battle was fought to the history of the Uighurs, a second one at Balshuia between the rivals in which Chinghiz to that of the Kara Khitai; and the story was unfortunate. This was followed by a second, of the Khuarezm Shahs and of the Mongol in which he was victorious. His rival was governors in Persia from the retreat of Chin- killed and his wives and children made prighiz Khân to the invasion of Khulag u. The soners. He then describes how the two youths second part of his work describes the events of were rewarded as we have already mentioned. the earlier years of Manga Khân, including Abulfaraj accounts for Unach Khan's defeat a fall account of Khulagu's expedition in Persia by the fact that he had married a daughter of and his destruction of the Ismaelites or the ruler of Kara Khitai, who had persuaded A38&ssing, whose history both in Persia and him to apostatise. Abulfaraj dates this strugEgypt he tells, as well as the origin of that of gle as we have seen in 1202-3, in which he agrees the Battinang, a branch of the Shiahg.* with Rashidu'd-dîn and the Yuan-shi.” It is Juveni is an excellent authority for the later curious that in the year 1202 the Mongols are period of Chinghiz Khan's career, but for first mentioned in the European Chronicles. the earlier part his narrative is very jejune. Martin of Troppan, generally called Martinus
For this part of the story he had neither the Polonus, whose account concludes in 1277, and • materials nor the skill of Rashidu'd-din. the Chronicon Citizensi have under that year
He does however mention the struggle be- the phrase-Anno. 1202 Tatari cum uxoribus tween Chinghiz Khan and Wang Khân. ex Indiae montibus egressi," while Vincent of He calls the two herdsmen who warned the Beauvais in his Speculum Historiale, which former of his danger Geleg and Tadeh (the ends in 1249, gives 1203 as the year of the Kishlikh and Badai of Rashidu'd-dîn), and tells beginning of the Tartar supremacy.se ns they were rewarded by being created Rubruquis has a confused account of Wang Terkhans. Mirkhawend tells us the title carried Khan whom he calls Unk, and makes him the the privilege of exemption from taxes, of enti- brother of Johannes. He tells us he ruled over tling the bearer to keep for himself any booty the Crit and Merkit who were Nestorian he might capture in battle, of free access to the Christians, but that he had become an apostate palace at all times, and of exemptions from and a worshipper of idols, and had surrounded punishment until more offences had been com- himself with idolatrous priests who had remitted. The privileges extended to a descend- course to necromancy, &c. He says he was ant of a Terkhan down to the ninth generation. master of a certain town called Caracarum. On Mirkhawend tells us that when Shah Rukh the death of his brother Johannes, Rubruquis Sultan was governor of Herat, many of says Unk caused himself to be proclaimed Khân, these privileged descendants of the Terkhans and moved with his flocks and herds to the were at his court."
frontiers of Moal, i.e. of the Mongols. At that Abulfaraj, whose narrative at this period is time Chingis, a certain Mongol who was a largely constructed on the basis of that of smith, harried some of Unk Khân's animals. Juveni, tells us that in 599 Hijra, i.e. the year The latter marched an army against him, wherefrom 20th September 1202 to 9th September upon he fled among the Tartars and there con1203, A.D. When Unach Khân, who is the same cealed himself. Unk Khin having plundered with the Christian king John, ruled over a the Moals and Tartars returned home, thereupon certain race of the barbarous Huns called Chinghiz addressed the Tartars and Moals, Kherith, Chinghiz Khân was in his service. saying "It is because we have no leader that He became jealous of him, and secretly deter- our neighbours oppress us." They thereupon mined his ruin and death; of this Chinghiz made him the chief of the Tartars and Moals. was warned by two youths. Unach Khán fell Having collected an army furtively he fell upon suddenly upon his tent but he had withdrawn Unk, and defeated him. He fled to Cathaia.
P. 83.
34 D'Ohsson, vol. I, pp. xvii.-. 35 Erdmann, notes 125 and 129. 36 Chron. Syr, pp. 447 and 448. 31 Berezine, vol. II, p. 148; Hyacinthe, p. 24; Douglas,
3. Von Hammer, Golden Horde, P. 64, note 5. 20 Wolff, Gesch, der Mong. &c., p. 44, rote 59.
By this Bubraquis no doubt means Kara Khitai.
