Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 10
Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

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Page 410
________________ 862 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY. [DECEMBER, 1881. efforts seemed vain, Khuri Subaju went to the disagrees with D'Ohsson's Turkish etymology of commanders and warriors, saying, "If any the name, and says it is the well-known Budstrength remained in him, or if a breath were dhist name, Injana Belge Bilik, Injana left in his soul, these words would have moved being the ordinary Mongol corruption of the him. He is helplessly huddled together. Happier Sanskrit Jñána, of which Belge Bilik is the is the lot of Temujin, who springs from the earth translation. This is very interesting, as it on to his horse, and links its bridle to life and points to the Naimans having been Buddhists. triumph." Doubting their master's recovery, | Carpini tells us that after Chinghiz bad conthe chiefs said to one another—"If we stay herequered the Tartars, the Merkit and the Mecrit, we must be witnesses of his death, and must the Naimans became very jealons at his become prisoners to the enemy, we had better elevation, for they had had a ruler who had join issue with the foe, and surrender our lives been very vigorous, and to whom these tribes in the presence of our Padishah. It may be had paid tribute. On his death however his that when he sees the death of his followers Bons, who were young and ignorant, and could he will come down from his place of refuge, not restrain their people, succeeded him and and go and join them." With these words quarrelled. Nevertheless they made a raid they rushed into the fight, and struggled bravely upon the territories of the tribes above named till they were killed. Temujin would willingly which were now subject to Chinghiz and killed have given them quarter, but they refused it, a number of men, women and boys. When and preferred to die. Chinghiz Khan remarked: Chinghiz heard of this he collected his people and " What misfortune may happen even to one who attacked the Naimans and the Kara-kitai (!) in has such warriors." Rashid also speaks of a narrow Valley between two mountains through the large number of Naimans who perished in which Carpini says he himself travelled. The the flight among the precipices of the mountain Mongols defeated the confederates with great Nakhukhun, which D'Obsson reads Naku." In slaughter, reducing those to slavery who were regard to Tayang Khan, Abu'lgházi says that not killed. The site of the battle is perhaps those who were left in charge of him seeing all also mentioned in the itinerary of the Tanist their companions were killed, took their chief on monk Ch'ang-ch'un, who visited Chin. horseback and fled, but Tayang died on the way." ghiz Khân in Western Asia during the years Mirkbawend seems to say that he had been 1221-1224. On his way his conductor Chinkai left alone, and that aroused by the gruesome noise or Chen-hai, who was one of Chinghiz Kban's about, he slipped away, and after much suffer- officers, said to him "We are now come to ing, reached a place whose name is read Ai by the most difficult part of the road ... we Erdmann, where he died a few days later from have before us the po-kou-tsien." .... "What the effect of his wounds and the loss of blood." do you mean by the field of white bones P" said Ssanang Setzen puts the campaign against Tay- the traveller. “That is an old battlefield, a ang, whom he calls Tayan Khakban, in the year field of death," said Chen-hai. "One time a 1200. He says that Tayang assembled the eight whole army perished there by exhaustion; no one tribes of the Beteken, and led out his army of escaped. A short time ago at the same place 80,000 men. The fight, he says, took place on the army of the Naimans was destroyed by the river Sakirun. He says that Bughurul Chinghis. Who ever crosses that place in the Noyan, of the tribe Ugashin, Ukulen Tsarbi, son day-time and in clear weatheres will die from of Boghorji, of the tribe Arulad, and Khuchar fatigue, and his horses also. Only when starting Dashi, of the Olkhonod, commanded the army of in the evening and travelling the whole night, Chinghiz. Schmidt explains the Beteken of is it possible to reach water and grass on the this notice as a mistaken reference to the Po-ta- next day by noon." The locality seems too ta of the Chinese. Naiman means eight. He far to the south-west for the great fight with also adds an interesting note in reference to Tayan, and it may be that some later battle the father of Tayang, Inanj Belga Buku. He with the Naimans is here referred to. - Erdmann, pp. 303-304 ; D'Ohnson, vol. I, pp. 86-88. Op. cit., ed. D'Avesso, pp. 647 and 648. * Op. cit., p. 90. 57 Erdmann, p. 304. The field of white bones. i.e. exposed to the sun. "Op. cit., 87. * Id., noto 63, page 388. "Bretschneider, Notes on Chinese Travellera, ato . .. the Kerait. pp. 28 and 29.

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