- There is no doubt that Kublai was proclaimed Kaan in 1260 (4th
month), his brother Mangku Kaan having perished during the seige of Hochau
in Ssechwan in August of the preceding year.
But Kublai had come into
Cathay some years before as his brother's Lieutenant.
He was the fifth, not sixth, Supreme Kaan, as we have already noticed.
(Bk. I. ch. li. note 2.)
NOTE 2. - Kublai was born in the eighth month of the year corresponding to
1216, and had he lived to 1298 would have been eighty-two years old.
[According to Dr. E. Bretschneider (Peking, 30), quoting the Yuen-Shi,
Kublai died at Khanbaligh, in the Tze-t'an tien in February, 1294. - H. C.]
But by Mahomedan reckoning he would have been close upon eighty-five. He
was the fourth son of Tuli, who was the youngest of Chinghiz's four sons
by his favourite wife Burte Fujin. (See De Mailla, IX. 255, etc.)
NOTE 3. - This is not literally true; for soon after his accession (in
1261) Kublai led an army against his brother and rival Arikbuga, and
defeated him. And again in his old age, if we credit the Chinese annalist,
in 1289, when his grandson Kanmala (or Kambala) was beaten on the northern
frontier by Kaidu, Kublai took the field himself, though on his approach
the rebels disappeared.
Kublai and his brother Hulaku, young as they were, commenced their
military career on Chinghiz's last expedition (1226-1227). His most
notable campaign was the conquest of Yunnan in 1253-1254. (De Mailla,
IX. 298, 441.)
NOTE 4. - NAYAN was no "uncle" of Kublai's, but a cousin in a junior
generation. For Kublai was the grandson of Chinghiz, and Nayan was the
great-great-grandson of Chinghiz's brother Uchegin, called in the Chinese
annals Pilgutai. [Belgutai was Chinghiz's step-brother. (Palladius.) - H.
C.] On this brother, the great-uncle of Kublai, and the commander of the
latter's forces against Arikbuga in the beginning of the reign, both
Chinghiz and Kublai had bestowed large territories in Eastern Tartary
towards the frontier of Corea, and north of Liaotong towards the Manchu
country. ["The situation and limits of his appanage are not clearly
defined in history. According to Belgutai's biography, it was between the
Onon and Kerulen (Yuen shi), and according to Shin Yao's researches (Lo
fung low wen kao), at the confluence of the Argun and Shilka. Finally,
according to Harabadur's biography, it was situated in Abalahu, which
geographically and etymologically corresponds to modern Butkha (Yuen
shi); Abalahu, as Kublai himself said, was rich in fish; indeed, after
the suppression of Nayan's rebellion, the governor of that country used to
send to the Peking Court fishes weighing up to a thousand Chinese pounds
(kin.). It was evidently a country near the Amur River." (Palladius,
l.c. 31.) - H. C.] Nayan had added to his inherited territory, and become
very powerful. ["History has apparently connected Nayan's appanage with
that of Hatan (a grandson of Hachiun, brother of Chinghiz Khan), whose
ordo was contiguous to Nayan's, on the left bank of the Amur,
hypothetically east of Blagovietschensk, on the spot, where still the
traces of an ancient city can be seen. Nayan's possessions stretched south
to Kwang-ning, which belonged to his appanage, and it was from this town
that he had the title of prince of Kwang-ning (Yuen shi)." (Palladius,
l.c. 31.) - H. C.] Kaidu had gained influence over Nayan, and persuaded him
to rise against Kublai. A number of the other Mongol princes took part
with him. Kublai was much disquieted at the rumours, and sent his great
lieutenant BAYAN to reconnoitre. Bayan was nearly captured, but escaped to
court and reported to his master the great armament that Nayan was
preparing. Kublai succeeded by diplomacy in detaching some of the princes
from the enterprise, and resolved to march in person to the scene of
action, whilst despatching Bayan to the Karakorum frontier to intercept
Kaidu. This was in the summer of 1287. What followed will be found in a
subsequent note (ch. iv. note 6). (For Nayan's descent, see the
Genealogical Table in the Appendix (A).)
CHAPTER III.
HOW THE GREAT KAAN MARCHED AGAINST NAYAN.
When the Great Kaan heard what was afoot, he made his preparations in
right good heart, like one who feared not the issue of an attempt so
contrary to justice. Confident in his own conduct and prowess, he was in
no degree disturbed, but vowed that he would never wear crown again if he
brought not those two traitorous and disloyal Tartar chiefs to an ill end.
So swiftly and secretly were his preparations made, that no one knew of
them but his Privy Council, and all were completed within ten or twelve
days. In that time he had assembled good 360,000 horsemen, and 100,000
footmen, - but a small force indeed for him, and consisting only of those
that were in the vicinity. For the rest of his vast and innumerable forces
were too far off to answer so hasty a summons, being engaged under orders
from him on distant expeditions to conquer divers countries and provinces.
If he had waited to summon all his troops, the multitude assembled would
have been beyond all belief, a multitude such as never was heard of or
told of, past all counting. In fact, those 360,000 horsemen that he got
together consisted merely of the falconers and whippers-in that were about
the court![NOTE 1]
And when he had got ready this handful (as it were) of his troops, he
ordered his astrologers to declare whether he should gain the battle and
get the better of his enemies. After they had made their observations,
they told him to go on boldly, for he would conquer and gain a glorious
victory: whereat he greatly rejoiced.
So he marched with his army, and after advancing for 20 days they arrived
at a great plain where Nayan lay with all his host, amounting to some
400,000 horse.
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