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0585 Notes on Marco Polo : vol.1
Notes on Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 585 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000246
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187. CUGIU

569

Polo says that Qubilai had twenty-two sons from his four principal wives, and twenty-five from his concubines. These figures do not tally either with Persian or with Chinese sources. The Chinese genealogical tables list only ten sons (YS, 107, 8 b; cf. 95, 5-6); but TämRin must be added, and Rasid's list of twelve sons seems to be accurate. So I agree with YULE'S hypothesis that «twenty-two » (« XXII ») in Polo is probably a mistake for «twelve» (« XII »). In YULE'S list (Y, I, 361), some names are corrupt; moreover, the twelfth name is due to HAMMER'S corrupt duplication of that of Nomoyan. « Gantanpouhoa » is An-t'an-pu-hua, Altan-buqa, who was not a son, but a grandson of Qubilai. Except that the Chinese list omits Quridai, and reverses the order of Qutluq-tämür and Toyôn, it agrees with Ragid's. The list of twelve names is to be established as follows : 1, Dori; 2, Cinkim; 3, Mangala; 4, Nomoyan; 5, Kuridai; 6, Hügäci; 7, Oyruq6; 8, Ayaci; 9, Kököcü; 10, Qutluq-tämür; 11, Toyôn; 12, Tämâci.

Various opinions have been expressed in China on the personality and character of Qubilai; I cannot discuss them here. One point, however, may be noticed, and that is Qubilai's tendency to resort to the services of men who were not Mongols. He was more than once reproached by people of his own kin for showing favour to and placing confidence in Chinese or Mussulmans, but replied that they were more efficient. Although Polo did not hold at his Court the high position which the text, as written down by Rustichello, would make us believe, there can be no doubt that Qubilai treated him well. It seems as if the rough Mongol, once established in China, had come to feel the value of her ancient culture, without being hampered by the traditional prejudices of the literati. In that respect, and of course in rather different conditions, his long reign may be compared with that of the later Manchu Emperor K'ang-hsi.

187. CUGIU (< *SINGIU, cc. 154, 155)

chagu TA' chaguj TA3 chuçu, cuçu Z cingui LT cinguy, siguy FA

cogio G

cugiu F, L

cuguj, zinguj, zuguj VB

cuiguy P

cuyguy FB

engui VL gieza R guguin V sigui S

CHARIGNON was the first to propose what I believe to be the true solution (Ch, III, 101) : «Singiu» is the same as the modern Kuang-hsin in north-eastern Chiang-hsi. Polo's form represents f i 'JIj Hsin-chou, a name which goes back to 758, and which was replaced by Kuanghsin only in the Ming dynasty. In the Yüan dynasty, Hsin-chou belonged not to Chiang-hsi, but to the province the seat of which was at Hang-chou ( YS, 62, 7 a); Polo is correct on that point also. South of Hsin-chou, the road crossed the Wu-i Mountains to reach Ch'ung-an, Chien-