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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
CHAP. XXIX. TARTARS OF THE PONENT
497
we demand justice against Nogai as the slayer of our
Father ; and we pray thee as Sovereign Lord to summon
him before thee and to do us justice. For this cause are
we come ! "1
(Toctai agrees to their demand and sends two
messengers to summon Nogai, but Nogai mocks at the
message and refuses to go. Whereupon Toctai sends a
second couple of messengers.)
NOTE 1.—I have not attempted to correct the obvious confusion here ; for in comparing the story related here with the regular historians we find the knots too complicated for solution.
In the text as it stands we first learn that Totamangu by help of Nogai kills Tolobuga, takes the throne, dies, and is succeeded by Toctai. But presently we find that it is the sons of Totamangu who claim vengeance from Toctai against Nogai for having aided Tolobuga to slay their father. Turning back to the list of princes in chapter xxiv. we find Totamangu indeed, but Tolobuga omitted altogether.
The outline of the history as gathered from Hammer and D'Ohsson is as follows :-
NOGHAI, for more than half a century one of the most influential of the Mongol Princes, was a great-great-grandson of Chinghiz, being the son of Tatar, son of Tewal, son of Juji. He is first heard of as a leader under Batu Khan in the great invasion of Europe (1241), and again in 1258 we find him leading an invasion of Poland.
In the latter quarter of the century he had established himself as practically in-. dependent, in the south of Russia. There is much about him in the Byzantine history of Pachymeres ; Michael Palaeologus sought his alliance against the Bulgarians (of the south), and gave him his illegitimate daughter Euphrosyne to wife. Some years later Noghai gave a daughter of his own in marriage to Feodor Rostislawitz, Prince of Smolensk.
Mangu- or Mangku-Temur, the great-nephew and successor of Barka, died in 1280-81 leaving nine sons, but was succeeded by his brother TUDAI-MANGKU (Polo's Totaznang u). This Prince occupied himself chiefly with the company of Mahomedan theologians and was averse to the cares of government. In 1287 he abdicated, and was replaced by TULABUGIJA (Tolobuga), the son of an elder brother, whose power, however, was shared by other princes. Tulabugha quarrelled with old Noghai and was preparing to attack him. Noghai however persuaded him to come to an interview, and at this Tulabugha was put to death. TOKTAI, one of the sons of Mangku-Temur, who was associated with Noghai, obtained the throne of Kipchak. This was in 1291. We hear nothing of sons of Tudai-Mangku or Tulabugha.
Some years later we hear of a symbolic declaration of war sent by Toktai to Noghai, and then of a great battle between them near the banks of the Don, in which Toktai is defeated. Later, they are again at war, and somewhere south of the Dnieper Noghai is beaten. As he was escaping with a few mounted followers, he was cut down by a Russian horseman. " I am Noghai," said the old warrior, " take me to Toktai." The Russian took the bridle to lead him to the camp, but by the way the old chief expired.- The horseman carried his head to the Khan ; its heavy grey eyebrows, we are told, hung over and hid the eyes. Toktai asked the Russian how he knew the head to be that of Noghai. " He told me so himself," said the man. And so he was ordered to execution for having presumed to slay a great Prince
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