Asia -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Mongols -- History; Polo, Marco, 1254-1323?; Voyages and travels
NOTE 6.—Ramusio’s version states that on learning Arghún’s death
(which they probably did on landing at Hormuz), they sent word of
their arrival to Kiacatu, who directed them to conduct the lady to
Casan, who was then in the region of the _Arbre Sec_ (the Province
of Khorasan) guarding the frontier passes with 60,000 men, and that
they did so, and then turned back to Kiacatu (probably at Tabriz),
and stayed at his Court nine months. Even the Geog. Text seems to
imply that they had become personally known to Casan, and I have
no doubt that Ramusio’s statement is an authentic expansion of the
original narrative by Marco himself, or on his authority.
Arghún Khan died 10th March, 1291. He was succeeded (23rd July) by
his brother Kaikhátú (_Quiacatu_ of Polo), who was put to death
24th March, 1295.
We learn from Hammer’s History of the Ilkhans that when Gházán,
the son of Arghún (_Casan_ of Polo), who had the government of the
Khorasan frontier, was on his return to his post from Tabriz, where
his uncle Kaikhatu had refused to see him, “he met at Abher the
ambassador whom he had sent to the Great Khan to obtain in marriage
a relative of the Great Lady Bulghán. This envoy brought with him
the Lady KÚKÁCHIN (our author’s _Cocachin_), with presents from the
Emperor, and the marriage was celebrated with due festivity.” Abher
lies a little west of Kazvín.
Hammer is not, I find, here copying from Wassáf, and I have not
been able to procure a thorough search of the work of Rashiduddin,
which probably was his authority. As well as the date can be made
out from the History of the Ilkhans, Gházán must have met his
bride towards the end of 1293, or quite the beginning of 1294.
Rashiduddin in another place mentions the fair lady from Cathay;
“The _ordu_ (or establishment) of Tukiti Khatun was given to
KUKACHI KHATUN, who had been brought from the Kaan’s Court, and who
was a kinswoman of the late chief Queen Bulghán. Kúkáchi, the wife
of the Padshah of Islam, Gházán Khan, died in the month of Shaban,
695,” _i.e._ in June, 1296, so that the poor girl did not long
survive her promotion. (See _Hammer’s Ilch._ II. 20, and 8, and I.
273; and _Quatremère’s Rashiduddin_, p. 97.) Kukachin was the name
also of the wife of Chingkim, Kublai’s favourite son; but she was
of the Kungurát tribe. (_Deguignes_, IV. 179.)
NOTE 7.—Here Ramusio’s text says: “During this journey Messers
Nicolo, Maffeo, and Marco heard the news that the Great Khan had
departed this life; and this caused them to give up all hope of
returning to those parts.”
NOTE 8.—This Princess of Manzi, or Southern China, is mentioned
only in the Geog. Text and in the Crusca, which is based thereon. I
find no notice of her among the wives of Gházán or otherwise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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