IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| Cathay and the Way Thither : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
UNDER THE MONGOLS. 267
daily at the Sing, and to make themselves acquainted with all that passes there. And as the business to be transacted is very extensive, the Chingsang take their part in the writing that has to be done as well as the other members of the council whose positions we have detailed. Each takes his place, according to his degree, with a kind of table and writing materials before him. Every great officer has his Beal and distinctive bearings. It is the duty of certain of the clerks to write down the names of all who attend daily, in order that a deduction may be made from the allowances of those who are absent. If any one is habitually absent from the Council without valid excuse, he is dismissed.
It is the order of the Kaan that the four Chingsang make all reports to him.
The Sing of Khanbaligh is the most eminent, and the building is very large. All the acts and registers and records of proceedings of several thousands of years are there preserved. The officials employed in it amount to some two thousand.
Sing do not exist in all the cities, but only in the capitals of great provinces, which, in fact, form kingdoms ranking with Baghdad, Shiraz, Iconium, and Rtim.
In the whole empire of the Kaan there are twelve of these Sing ; but that of Khanbaligh is the only one which has Chingang among its members. The others have only dignitaries bearing the title of Shijangi to preside over them, aided by four Fanchan, and other members of council who have titles corresponding to their dignities.
The places where the Twelve Sing are established are, according to their respective precedence, the following :
1st Sing ; that of KHANBALIGH or Daïdu. 2nd. That of the country of the CHURCHE1 and the SOLANGKA which is
1 The Churché are the Yuché or Niuché of the Chinese, the ancestors of the modern Manchus. Solangka is the Mongol name of the northern
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