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0609 Notes on Marco Polo : vol.1
Notes on Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 609 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000246
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195. ÇAITON   593

(cf. also WANG Hui-tsu z, 26, 7 a). The same state of affairs must have prevailed c. 1330, i. e. at the time when the materials later used by the geographical section of the YS were compiled.

22. ( YS, 44, 4 b) : « In the 16th chih-chêng year, in the spring, the first month, on [the day] jên-wu (February 2, 1356), the Generalissimo's office (tu yüan-shuai fu) of the hsüan-wei shih-ssû of Fu-chien was changed to a ' moving Grand Secretariat ' of Fu-chien ». It is probable that the « moving Grand Secretariat » of Fu-chien re-established in 1356 had its seat at Ch'üan-chou as in 1297-1299. In such a case, the « detailed moving Secretariat » mentioned by PHILLIPS for 1358, but without any reference, would be the same «moving Grand Secretariat » of Fu-chien. But I cannot prove it.

Nor can I find any trace of the « detailed moving Secretariat » which PHILLIPS mentions as having been at Chang-chou in 1363 (read « 1362 »). In the pên-chi, s. a. 1362, I only find ( YS, 46, 2 b) that on May 24, 1362, «Sai-fu-ting (Saifu-'d-Din) of Ch'üan-chou took possession of the lu of Fu-chou. The p'ing-chang chêng-shih of the ' moving Secretariat ' of Fu-chien, Yen-chih-puhua (*Ä4i-buga = ÄRi-buya) attacked and defeated him. The remnant of the bands [of Saifu-'dDin] took to sea, and went back to their possession of Ch'üan-chou. The ts'an-chih-chêng-shih of the ' moving Secretariat ' of Fu-chien, Ch'ên Yu-ting, recovered the lu of Fu-chou. » Saifu-'dDin had rebelled and taken possession of Ch'üan-chou in 1357 ( YS, 45, 1 a). Perhaps it was on account of the rebellion of Saifu-'d-Din that the «moving Grand Secretariat of Fu-chien », expelled from Ch'üan-chou, had become a « detailed moving Grand Secretariat » at Chang-chou.

Although sometimes deficient in minor particulars, our information is comprehensive enough to make the main facts quite certain. For a score of texts referring to the change of the «moving Grand Secretariat » at Fu-chou and at Ch'üan-chou, there is in the whole of the YS only one mention of a «moving Grand Secretariat » at Chang-chou. That text (No. 13) speaks of a « moving Secretariat » re-established at Chang-chou on April 26, 1283, while there is in the pên-chi no earlier mention of its existence or of its suppression. On the other hand, our text No. 12 says that the «moving Secretariat » of Ch'üan-chou was abolished on April 1, 1283, and we see that same «moving Secretariat » of Ch'üan-chou existing again in February 1284 (text No. 14), without any former mention of its re-establishment. If we had only the YS, it would have been very tempting to think that the text referring to April 26, 1283, is corrupt and that what was then re-established was the « moving Secretariat » of Ch'üan-chou, not of Chang-chou. But there is, besides, the text of enigmatic origin according to which the «moving Secretariat » of Chang-chou must have existed in 1280; and also the « detailed moving Grand Secretariat » of Chang-chou mentioned by PHILLIPS for 1362. WANG Hui-tsu2, 26, 7 b, accepts the text of April 26, 1283, on Chang-chou, without having any other source to corroborate it. I do the same, though with considerable hesitation. There are many other cases where the items of information of the pênchi are incomplete. Moreover, the « moving Grand Secretariats », although they became in time almost equivalent to provinces, were originally emergency institutions, established on certain occasions, and suppressed when no longer necessary. At the time of the conquest of South China, there may have been a «moving Grand Secretariat » at Chang-chou, the existence of which was short-lived. More puzzling is the « detailed moving Grand Secretariat » of Chang-chou in 1362; but, with the rebellions which preceded the fall of the dynasty, emergency measures

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