IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
CHAP. XIII. TIIE GREAT KAAN'S TABLE
381
word Keshik, meaning a guard by turns ; a corps on tour of duty. Keshik is one of the archaisms of the Mongol language, for now this word has another meaning in Mongol. Colonel Yule has brought together several explanations of the term. It seems to me that .among his suppositions the following is the most consistent with the ancient meaning of the word :—
" we find Kishik still used at the court of IIindustan, under the great kings of
Timur's House, for the corps on tour of duty at the palace The royal guards
in Persia, who watch the King's person at night, are termed héshik<hi."
" The Keshikten was divided into a day-watch called Turgaut and a night-watch Kebteul. The Kebte-ul consisted of pure Mongols, whilst the Turgaut was composed of the sons of the vassal princes and governors of the provinces, and of hostages. The watch of the Khan was changed every three days, and contained 400 men. In 133o it was reduced to too men." (Palladius, 42-43.) Mr. E. II. Parker writes in the China Review, XVIII. p. 262, that they " are evidently the ` body guards ' of the modern viceroys, now pronounced Kasl,ïha, but, evidently, originally Kêshi,Tha." —II. C.]
CHAPTER XIII.
THE FASHION OF THE GREAT KAAN'S TABLE AT HIS HIGH FEASTS.
AND when the Great Keaan sits at table on any great
court occasion, it is in this fashion. His table is elevated
a good deal above the others, and he sits at the north
end of the hall, looking towards the south, with his chief
wife beside him on the left. On his right sit his sons
and his nephews, and other kinsmen of the Blood
Imperial, but lower, so that their heads are on a level
with the Emperor's feet. And then the other Barons
sit at other tables lower still. So also with the women ;
for all the wives of the Lord's sons, and of his nephews
and other kinsmen, sit at the lower table to his right ;
and below them again the ladies of the other Barons
and Knights, each in the place assigned by the Lord's
orders. The tables are so disposed that the Emperor
can see the whole of them from end to end, many as
they are.' [Further, you are not to suppose that every-
body sits at table ; on the contrary, the greater part of
the soldiers and their officers sit at their meal in the hall
i
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