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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JUNE, 1885.
eldest son of Chingbiz, who had him put to Kuriltai or Assembly, and a hunt. He then set death.100
out for his home. The biography of Subutai The Mongols now, in January 1224, marebed in the Yuan-shi tells us that general returned upon great Bulgaria on the Volga. The home by way of Imil (i.e. the Chaguchak passage of Ibn-al-Athir describing this last of our day) and Hoji, by which some event has been differently translated by D'Ohs- neighbouring town is donbtless meant,108 and the son and Quatremère. One makes the Mongols | Yuan-ch'ao-pi-shi says Chingbiz returned home and the other the Bulgars to be successful. Qua- by way of the Irtish, where be passed the sumtremère says the Bulgars planted themselves in mer of 1225. We are elsewhere told that two various ambushes and the Tartars being attacked of his grandsons, who afterwards became very before and behind the greater part of them famous, namely Khubilai and Khulagu, went were killed, only 4,000 escaping. D'Ohsson to meet him at Anmarhu Dear Itel Kujin, says it was the Bulgars who thus suffered. west of the river Ili. The former was eleven
The invaders now seem to have marched down years old, and had on the way killed a bare, while the Volga to Saksin. Saksin, according to the latter who was only nine had captured a deer, the geographer Bacuyi, was a large town in and as it was the Mongol custom to rub the the country of the Khazars, whose inhabitants middle finger of the hand with the flesh and fat were divided into 40 tribes, most of them the first time that boys went hunting, Chinghiz Musalmans. It was a famous mart and fre- performed this ceremony in person for the two quented by a large concourse of merchants. boys. Further on, at a place called Buka It was traversed by a great river, abounding Su'hiku, he erected a great Golden Ordu, i.e. a in fish, one of which produced a large quantity | tent, and held a grand feast. The camp, we are of oil. Saksin, he adds, is at present submerged, told, was planted on yielding and uncertain but close by is the Serai of Bereke, the ground which was much broken. He ordered residence of the ruler of this country.108 From each one to place stones round the margin of this description it would seem that it was his ordu. All did this except his brother Uchi, situated on the Akhtuba. De la Croix says i.e. Ochigin, who, instead of stone, used wood. the invaders also captured Astrakhan, but this For some days after he devoted himself to is not mentioned by the older authorities, Ibn- hunting. Uchi of all his people did not go, but al-Athir, Juveni, and Rashidu'd-dîn, and I am stayed at home. For this, his disobedience, he disposed to think that he has mistaken Saksin was denied access to the ordu for a week, but for that town, which only became famous at a on his making due apologies, he was forgiven.sor jater day. On the other hand, we read in the Chinghiz reached his home which was at this
biography of H0-sze-mai-la, i.e. Ismael, in the time on the river Tula in the spring of the New · Yuan-shi, that the Mongols defeated the Kankalis year Zafar 622 H., 1225 A.D.109 The Yuan
(who lived east of the Volga) and their Khân ch'ao-pi-shi says he returned to his chief camp Ho-to-sze (? Kuttuz) and captured their town 'Karatun which is translated in the Chinese text Bo-tze-baligh (perhaps Seraichuk on the Jaik.) by Heilin, and which answers to the Karaun Subutai now formed a special corps of Merkits, Kabjal, i.e. the defile of the Black forest on the Naimans and Kipchals, with which he returned river Tula''' where he and his people once more home.104 Ibn-al-Athir tells us how this raid upon met their families. Bulgaria and the neighbouring districts, which What a wonderful gathering that must have were the fur countries of that day, interrupted been.. We are much impressed in reading the the trade in furs, and how it was renewed again history of the Middle Ages with the effect of on the Mongol withdrawal 105
the Crusades, which brought the parochialSubutai and Chepe after their wonderful minded chivalry of Western Europe into conmarch rejoined Chinghiz Khân at Kulan Taishi, tact with the land of so much gorgeous where, as we have seen, he held a great romance as the East, and gave an impetus to 20 Bretschneider, op. cit. p. 72.
20. Bretschneider, op. cit. pp. 71-72 21 Jour. Anat., 4th Ser., Vol. XIV, p. 460; D'Ohsson, 101 D'Ohsson, Vol. 1. p. 440 note. Vol. 1. p. 346, and 146.
100 Bretachneider, Noticos, etc. p. 71. wi D'Ohason, Vol. I. p. 446.
101 Erdmann, p. 439. 105 id. 23 D'Ohason, Vol. 1. p. 346, note.
10. Brotachneider, Notices, etc., p. 66, noto.
