Indian Antiquary Vol 14

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 99

MARCH, 1885.)
CHINGHIZ KHAN AND HIS ANCESTORS.
81
imagined than described. The dreaded bhutas Mighty-of-his-mouth saved himself and his were at the foot of the very tree in which friend for the third time. he had taken up his abode for the night! The sun began to rise, and Mr. Mighty-of-his His hands trembled. His body shook. He hands thrice walked round Mr. Mighty-of-hislost his hold, and down he came with a mouth and said, "My dear friend, truly you horrible rustling of leaves. His friend, how- only of us two are mighty. Mere physical ever, was, as asual, ready with a device, and strength is of no use without skill in words. bawled out, "I wished to leave these poor beings
T wished to leave these poor beings The latter is far superior to the former, and if a to their own revelry. But you are hungry and man possess both, he is, as it were, a golden must needs jump down to catch some of them. lotus having a sweet scent. It is enough for Do not fail to lay your hands on the stontest me now to have arrived at this moral! With bhiita." Thegoblins heard the voice which was your kind permission I shall return to my already very familiar to their ears, for was it village." Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth asked his not the kiita whose son had roasted up three friend not to consider himself under any obligabhútas for sweetmeats that spoke? So they tion, and, after honouring him as became his ran away at once, crying out, “Alas, what position he let him return to his village. misery! Our bitter enemies have followed us The moral of this short story is that in man even to this wood!" Thus the wit of Mr.' there is nothing great but mind.
CHINGHIZ KHAN AND HIS ANCESTORS.
BY HENRY H. HOWORTH, F.S.A.
(Continued from Vol. XIII. p. 304). XXIX.
this name from its silver mines. D'Ohsson During the siego of Samarkand Chinghiz calls it Nusret-kah i.e. hill of victory.)' It despatched, as we have seen, an army under was situated east of Kunduz, Marco Polo calls Subutai and Chepe in pursuit of Muhammad it Taican, and says it was a fine place with a Khwarizm Shah. At the same time he sent a great corn market, while the mountains to the second army under two chiefs, whom Abu'l. south were composed of rock salt, for which faraj calls Galak Noyan and Yasur Noyan, people came from all the countries round. Other towards Talikân. They apparently first mountains close by abounded in almonds and crossed the Oxus and made for Balkh, where, pistachios. The people of the district, although according to Ibn-al-Athir, the people asked good MusalmÂns, were much addicted to wine; for quarter, and the Mongols contented them- and wore nothing on their heads but a cord selves with putting & shahnah. They then some ten palms long twisted round it. They advanced to Ez-Zuzan and Maimand and were excellent huntsmen, and made their clothes Andakhui and Karyat (P), which they con- and shoes from the skins of the avimals they quered and put garrisons in, and did not captured. Wood describes it when he visited molest the inhabitants beyond taking the it as a small place, containing but 300 or 400 men as recruits for their armies.
hovels and situated about 300 yards from the They then reached Et ȚAlikán, a province, says river." the same author, containing a number of towns Ibn-al-Athir tells us the Mongols attacked and an inaccessible fortress called Mangarkoh. it valiantly for six months, night and This fortress was also apparently definitely called day, but as they could not take it they sent Talikan, and is otherwise described as unequals for Chinghiz Khan himself. The latter, who, led in loftiness, and 'as the strongest city of Asia, at this time had captured and desolated from its situation on a hill which Mirkhond Balkh, as I described in the previous paper, calls Basrakoh. Erdmann calls the hill Nokrekuh advanced to the assistance of his people, taking (i.e., the silver hill). De la Croix says it derived with him, according to Ibn-al-Athir, a large
Abu'l-faraj, Chron. Arab., p. 291. • The passage here quoted from Ibn-al-Athir be well An others from that author, I owe to my good friend, Dr. Rieu. See Erdmann, p. 415; D'Ohason, Vol. I.
p. 278; De la Croix, p. 286.
Yule's Marco Polo, Vol. I. pp. 160-161. • Wood's Oxus, p. 166.