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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
1
CHAP. XLVI. • THE CITY OF CARACORON
227
them. Thus they revolted from his authority and paid
him tribute no longer. And so things continued for a
time.
.
No'I'E I.—KARÁKORUM, near the upper course of the River Orkhon, is said by Chinese authors to have been founded by Búkú Khan of the Hoei-IIu or Uigúrs, in the 8th century, In the days of Chinghiz, we are told that it was the headquarters of his ally, and afterwards enemy, Togrul Wang Khan, the Prester John of Polo. [ ` ` The name of this famous city is Mongol, Kara, 'black,' and Kztren, 'a camp,' or properly ` pailing.' " It was founded in 1235 by Okkodai, who called it Ordu Balik, or " the City of the Ordu," otherwise " The Royal City." Mohammedan authors say it took its name of Karákorum from the mountains to the south of it, in which the Orkhon had its source. (D' Olzsson, ii. 64. ) The Chinese mention a range of mountains from which the Orkhon flows, called Wu-té kien slzan. (T'ang su u, bk. 43b. ) Probably these are the same. Rashiduddin speaks of a tribe of Utikien Uigúrs living in this country. (Bretsclzneider, Afed. Geog. 191 ; D' Olzsson, i. 437. Rocklzill, Rubruck, 220, note. )—Karákorum was called by the Chinese Ho-lin and was chosen by Chinghiz, in 1206, as his capital; the full name of it, Ha-la Ho-lin, was derived from a river to the west. ( Yuen shi, ch. lviii.) Gaubil (Holm, p. io) says that the river, called in his days in Tartar Karolza, was, at the time of the Mongol Emperors, named by the Chinese Hala Ho-lin, in Tartar language Na la KO lin, or Cara korin, or Kara Koran. In the spring of 1235, Okkodai had a wall raised round Ho-lin and a palace called Wang an, built inside the city. (Gaubil, Gentchiscan, 89. ) After the death of Kúblái, Ho-lin was altered into Ho-Ning, and, in 1320, the name of the province was changed into Ling p' (mountainous north, i.e. the Yin-shah chain, separating China Proper from Mongolia). In 1256, Mangu Kaan decided to transfer the seat of government to Kaiping-fu, or Shangtu, near the present Dolonnor, north of Peking. (supra in Prologue, eh. xiii. note 1.) In 1260, Kúblái transferred his capital to Ta-Tu (Peking).
Plano Carpini (1246) is the first Western traveller to mention it by name which he writes Caracoron ; he visited the Sira Orda, at half a day's journey from Karákorum, where Okkodai used to pass the summer ; it was situated at a place Ormektua. (Rockhill, Rubruck, 211 I I I. ) Rubruquis (1253) visited the city itself ; the following is his account of it : " As regards the city of Caracoron, you must understand that if you set aside the Kaan's own Palace, it is not as good as the Borough of St. Denis ; and as for the Palace, the Abbey of St. Denis is worth ten of it ! There are two streets in the town ; one of which is occupied by the Saracens, and in that is the marketplace. The other street is occupied by the Cathayans, who are all craftsmen. Besides these two streets there are some great palaces occupied by the court secretaries. There are also twelve idol temples belonging to different nations, two Maliummeries in which the Law of Mahomet is preached, and one church of the Christians at the extremity of the town. The town is enclosed by a mud-wall and has four gates. At the east gate they sell millet and other corn, but the supply is scanty ; at the west gate they sell rams and goats ; at the south gate oxen and waggons ; at the north gate horses. . . . Mangu Kaan has a great Court beside the Town Rampart, which is enclosed by a brick wall, just like our priories. Inside there is a big palace, within which he holds a drinking-bout twice a year ; . . . there are also a number of long buildings like granges, in which are kept his treasures and his stores of victual "
(345-6 ; 334).
Where was Karákorum situated ?
The Archimandrite Palladius is very prudent (l.c. p. 1 I ) : " Everything that the studious Chinese authors could gather and say of the situation of Karakhorum is collected in two Chinese works, Lo fun low wen kao (1849), and 11Tunrku. yew mu ki
VOL. I. P 2
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