Asia -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Mongols -- History; Polo, Marco, 1254-1323?; Voyages and travels
There is a word, _Takfúr_, applied similarly by the Mahomedans to
the Greek emperors of both Byzantium and Trebizond (and also to the
Kings of Cilician Armenia), which was perhaps adopted as a jingling
match to the former term; Faghfur, the great infidel king in the
East; Takfur, the great infidel king in the West. Defrémery says
this is Armenian, _Tagavor_, “a king.” (_I. B._, II. 393, 427.)
[“The last of the Sung Emperors (1276) ‘Facfur’ (_i.e._ the Arabic
for _Tien Tzŭ_) was freed by Kúblái from the (ancient Kotan)
indignity of surrendering with a rope round his neck, leading a
sheep, and he received the title of Duke. In 1288 he went to Tibet
to study Buddhism, and in 1296 he and his mother, Ts’iuen T’aï How,
became a bonze and a nun, and were allowed to hold 360 _k’ing_ (say
5000 acres) of land free of taxes under the then existing laws.”
(_E. H. Parker, China Review_, February, March 1901, p. 195.)—H. C.]
NOTE 2.—Nevertheless the history of the conquest shows instances
of extraordinary courage and self-devotion on the part of Chinese
officers, especially in the defence of fortresses—virtues often
shown in like degree, under like circumstances, by the same class,
in the modern history of China.
NOTE 3.—Bayan (signifying “great” or “noble”) is a name of very
old renown among the Nomad nations, for we find it as that of the
Khagan of the Avars in the 6th century. The present BAYAN, Kúblái’s
most famous lieutenant, was of princely birth, in the Mongol
tribe called Barin. In his youth he served in the West of Asia
under Hulaku. According to Rashiduddin, about 1265 he was sent to
Cathay with certain ambassadors of the Kaan’s who were returning
thither. He was received with great distinction by Kúblái, who was
greatly taken with his prepossessing appearance and ability, and a
command was assigned him. In 1273, after the capture of Siang-Yang
(_infra_, ch. lxx.) the Kaan named him to the chief command in the
prosecution of the war against the Sung Dynasty. Whilst Bayan was
in the full tide of success, Kúblái, alarmed by the ravages of
Kaidu on the Mongolian frontier, recalled him to take the command
there, but, on the general’s remonstrance, he gave way, and made
him a minister of state (CHINGSIANG). The essential part of his
task was completed by the surrender of the capital _King-szé_
(Lin-ngan, now Hang-chau) to his arms in the beginning of 1276. He
was then recalled to court, and immediately despatched to Mongolia,
where he continued in command for seventeen years, his great
business being to keep down the restless Kaidu. [“The biography of
this valiant captain is found in the _Yuen-shi_ (ch. cxxvii.). It
is quite in accordance with the biographical notices Rashid gives
of the same personage. He calls him _Bayan_.” (_Bretschneider, Med.
Res._ I. p. 271, note).]
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