Of Bk. IV.). So also Janibek, the son of
Uzbek, in 1344, confers privileges on the Venetians, "eisdem dando
baissinum de auro"; and again Bardibeg, son, murderer, and successor of
Janibeg, in 1358, writes: "Avemo dado comandamento [i.e. Yarlig] cum le
bolle rosse, et lo paysam."
Under the Persian branch, at least, of the house the degree of honour was
indicated by the number of lions' heads upon the plate, which varied
from 1 to 5. The Lion and Sun, a symbol which survives, or has been
revived, in the modern Persian decoration so called, formed the emblem of
the Sun in Leo, i.e. in highest power. It had already been used on the
coins of the Seljukian sovereigns of Persia and Iconium; it appears on
coins of the Mongol Ilkhans Ghazan, Oljaitu, and Abusaid, and it is also
found on some of those of Mahomed Uzbek Khan of Kipchak.
[Illustration: Seljukian Coin with the Lion and Sun.]
Hammer gives regulations of Ghazan Khan's on the subject of the Paizah,
from which it is seen that the latter were of different kinds as well as
degrees. Some were held by great governors and officers of state, and these
were cautioned against letting the Paizah out of their own keeping; others
were for officers of inferior order; and, again, "for persons travelling on
state commissions with post-horses, particular paizah (which Hammer says
were of brass) are appointed, on which their names are inscribed." These
last would seem therefore to be merely such permissions to travel by the
Government post-horses as are still required in Russia, perhaps in lineal
derivation from Mongol practice. The terms of Ghazan's decree and other
contemporary notices show that great abuses were practised with the Paizah,
as an authority for living at free quarters and making other arbitrary
exactions.
[Illustration: "TABLE D'OR DE COMMANDEMENT," THE PAIZA OF THE MONGOLS.
FROM A SPECIMEN FOUND IN E. SIBERIA.]
The word Paizah is said to be Chinese, Pai-tseu, "a tablet." A trace
of the name and the thing still survives in Mongolia. The horse-Bai is
the name applied to a certain ornament on the horse caparison, which gives
the rider a title to be furnished with horses and provisions on a journey.
[Illustration: Second Example of a MONGOL PAIZA, with Superscription in
the Uighur Character, found near the River Dnieper, 1845.]
Where I have used the Venetian term saggio, the French texts have here
and elsewhere saics and saies, and sometimes pois. Saic points to
saiga, which, according to Dupre de St. Maur, is in the Salic laws the
equivalent of a denier or the twelfth part of a sol. Saggio is possibly
the same word, or rather may have been confounded with it, but the saggio
was a recognised Venetian weight equal to 1/6 of an ounce. We shall see
hereafter that Polo appears to use it to indicate the miskal, a weight
which may be taken at 74 grains Troy.
