By the HORIAD are no doubt intended the UIRAD or OIRAD, a name usually
interpreted as signifying the "Closely Allied," or Confederates; but
Vambery explains it as (Turki) Oyurat, "Grey horse," to which the
statement in our text appears to lend colour.
They were not of the tribes
properly called Mongol, but after their submission to Chinghiz they
remained closely attached to him. In Chinghiz's victory over Aung-Khan, as
related by S. Setzen, we find Turulji Taishi, the son of the chief of the
Oirad, one of Chinghiz's three chief captains; perhaps that is the victory
alluded to. The seats of the Oirad appear to have been about the head
waters of the Kem, or Upper Yenisei.
In A.D. 1295 there took place a curious desertion from the service of
Ghazan Khan of Persia of a vast corps of the Oirad, said to amount to
18,000 tents. They made their way to Damascus, where they were well
received by the Mameluke Sultan. But their heathenish practices gave dire
offence to the Faithful. They were settled in the Sahil, or coast
districts of Palestine. Many died speedily; the rest embraced Islam,
spread over the country, and gradually became absorbed in the general
population. Their sons and daughters were greatly admired for their
beauty. (S. Setz. p. 87; Erdmann, 187; Pallas, Samml. I. 5 seqq.;
Makrizi, III. 29; Bretschneider, Med. Res. II. p. 159 seqq.)
[With reference to Yule's conjecture, I may quote Palladius (l.c. p. 27):
"It is, however, strange that the Oirats alone enjoyed the privilege
described by Marco Polo; for the highest position at the Mongol Khan's
court belonged to the Kunkrat tribe, out of which the Khans used to choose
their first wives, who were called Empresses of the first ordo." - H. C.]
NOTE 7. - Rubruquis assigns such a festival to the month of May: "On the
9th day of the May Moon they collect all the white mares of their herds
and consecrate them. The Christian priests also must then assemble with
their thuribles. They then sprinkle new cosmos (kumiz) on the ground,
and make a great feast that day, for according to their calendar, it is
their time of first drinking new cosmos, just as we reckon of our new wine
at the feast of St. Bartholomew (24th August), or that of St. Sixtus (6th
August), or of our fruit on the feast of St. James and St. Christopher"
(25th July). [With reference to this feast, Mr. Rockhill gives (Rubruck,
p. 241, note) extracts from Pallas, Voyages, IV. 579, and Professor
Radloff, Aus Siberien, I. 378. - H. C.] The Yakuts also hold such a
festival in June or July, when the mares foal, and immense wooden goblets
of kumiz are emptied on that occasion. They also pour out kumiz for the
Spirits to the four quarters of heaven.
The following passage occurs in the narrative of the Journey of Chang
Te-hui, a Chinese teacher, who was summoned to visit the camp of Kublai in
Mongolia, some twelve years before that Prince ascended the throne of the
Kaans:[4]
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