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CHINGHIZ KHAN AND HIS ANCESTORS.
OCTOBER, 1884.]
as it was known they killed everybody. Eventually two old men devoted themselves to the task, and having brought their children to me, recommended them to my care if they should be killed. They did, in fact, kill them." They then spread themselves over Khorasan. "When they entered a district," says Nissavi, "they assembled the peasants, and took them with them to the town they meant to attack, using them in working the siege machinery. Terror and desolation spread everywhere, so that he who was made prisoner was more at ease than he who awaited events at home. The gentry with their servants and weapons were also obliged to help in these siege operations. Those who refused were attacked in their houses, and slaughtered with their households."**
Tagachar now marched upon Nishapur, where vigorous preparations had been made to receive him. Besides catapults and balistas, there were 3,000 machines for discharging iron projectiles filled with inflammable composition, in shape like rockets, naphtha in flasks, and 300 ghirarahs (some unknown projectiles), etc. etc. The place was attacked in December 1220. Three days later Tugachar was struck at the time of mid-day prayer by some projectile, and was killed. Thereupon the next in command, whose name Major Raverty reads as the Noyan Nurka, deeming it impossible to capture the place with the force he had with him, divided his army into two sections; with one of these he assailed Sebzevar, which he captured in three days and put the inhabitants to the sword to the number of 70,000, and then apparently went to join Subutai and Chepe, who had sent for reinforcements. The other division he sent to assist Timur, who had gone to Tus, as we have mentioned. He speedily captured the strong fortresses in that district which still held out, including Kar and Nokan. Major Raverty says the fortress of Jand, near Tus.
Let us now turn to Tului and his doings. He marched apparently straight upon Merv, otherwise known as. Merv Shah-i-Jihan, i.e. king of the world, situated five leagues to the north of Merv-ar-Rud. The Seljuk Sultan Malik Shah made it his capital, and
D'Ohsson, vol. I, p. 277.
D'Ohsson, vol. I, p. 278.
Jihan Kushai, in D'Ohsson, vol. I, pp. 278 and 279; Erdmann, pp. 418 and 419; Tabakat-i-Nasiri, pp. 1027 and 1028 note.
297
was buried there. It produced several learned men, and Yakut tells us how he had seen its three public libraries, one of which contained 12,000 MSS. It was twelve days distant from Nishapur, Herat, Balkh, and Bukhara respectively, and the three rivers that watered it made it very fertile. When Muḥammad Khuârezm Shâh retired he advised such of the people of Merv who could do so to remove to the neighbouring fortress, and those who could not were to submit. Its former governor, Majir-ul-Mulk, had been displaced for some fault by Nejm-u'd-din, styled Bahai-ul-Mulk, who, on the approach of Subutai and Chepe retired to a neighbouring fortress, whose name is a good instance of the difficulties created by Eastern orthography. D'Ohsson calls it Méraga, Erdmann Szeraghah, Abalghazi Yaraz, and Raverty Tak. It was perhaps Maruchak. Presently, not deeming himself safe there, he went on to Alatagh, a very powerful fortress of Taberistan. Several other chiefs presently returned to Merv, while the rest dispersed. Nejm-u'd-dîn's deputy at Merv, as well as the mufti, were in favour of submitting to the Mongols; the Kadhi and chief of the Sayids, on the contrary, wished to resist them. The former apparently prevailed, and when Chepe and Subutai arrived at Maruchak, a deputation from Merv went to offer submission. But about this time a Turcoman officer, named Buka, who had formed part of the escort of Muhammad, having collected a body of his people threw himself into the town, and was joined by all those who were in favour of resistance, and who had suffered severely at the hands of the Mongols. His domination did not last long. The former governor of Merv, Mujir-ul-Mulk, after Muḥammad's death, had travelled partly on foot and partly on a lame ass he had with him to the fortress of Salug (Major Raverty places it in Ghilan), where he was received with much consideration by the governor, and afterwards went on to Merv, and took up his quarters in the garden, named Mahi-abad, near the Sermad-shihan Gate. Major Raverty says the Dar-i-Sarrajan, or Gate of the Saddlers. He was joined by many
De la Croix, pp. 294 and 295. Erdmann, pp. 389 and 390.
D'Ohsson, vol. I, p. 279; Erdmann, p. 390; Abulghazi, p. 131; Tabakat-i-Nasiri, p. 1028 note.
* D'Ohsson, vol. I, p. 280 note.
