National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

R. S. From Báljúná Changíz moved to the banks of a river flowing at the foot of a
mountain on the border of Khitá, and here he mustered his army, which numbered
only four thousand six hundred men. From this he moved on to the Nor or Náwar
="Lake," and from there sent envoys to treat with the Kúnghrát tribe, who came and
joined him. He next sent envoys to arrange a peace with Aong Khán, but they
returned unsuccessful, and war followed. Changíz defeated Aong Khán, who fled for
asylum to Táyáng Khán, but he was attacked on the way by some nomad robbers,
who killed him and sent his head to their Chief; and he had the skull set in a gold
frame, and in memory of their old enmity used to address it with words of reviling.
Sanjún, on this occasion, escaped to Tibet, and thence made his way to Káshghár,
where he was executed by its Chief in 599 H.=1202 A.D.
Changíz by this victory subjugated all the Mughol tribes, and at the age of
forty-nine years ascended the throne at Shamán Gara, his favourite camp ground in
the same year 1202A.D. According to Mughol custom he was raised aloft on a pile
of felt carpets, and putting on the crown with magnificent ceremony, changed his
name from Tamúgin to Changíz.
Now, in the following year, 1203A.D., Táyáng Khán, Náymán, dreading the
power of the rising conqueror, sent envoys to arrange an alliance with Alácosh
Namugín, the King of the Angait, but he refused the advances made, and joined
Changíz, who was already on the march against the Náymán. His army camped on
the Gulbaty plain till the end of the summer harvest, and then the vanguard
advanced to the Altáy river, where it came up with the army of Táyáng Khan, and his
allies, the Makrit, Karait, Awrát, Jájrít, and other tribes.
Changíz defeated them all. Táyáng died of his wounds, and Koshluk, his
son, escaped to his uncle, Búyurúc Khan. The tribes of Tátar, Cayeay, Durmán,
and Sáljút submitted, but that of Makrit held out. Changíz returned for winter
to Shamán Gara, and in the spring marched against Toctá Begi, the ruler of the
Makrít. He, with his son, Ká̤rá Namoda, fled to Búyurúc Khán, the brother of
Táyáng Khán, and Changíz subjugated the Makrít. He then went against Tangút
or Cáshmín, destroyed its fort, and slew all who offered resistance, as was his
established rule.
Changíz after these victories extended his yásá-yúsún code over all the sub-
jugated tribes, whom he now incorporated into his military organization, framed
on the decimal system, by which the whole population capable of bearing arms was
enrolled in his army. They were divided into companies of ten called ón; of a
hundred, called yúz; of a thousand, called míng; and of ten thousand, called túmán.
And each of these was under a commander, called respectively Onbáshí, Yúzbáshí,
Míngbáshí, and Túmán Aghá, who was directly subordinate to the commander next
in superiority to him, so that each commander had direct control of only ten units:
thus the Túmán Aghá of ten Mingbashi, the Mingbashi of ten Yúzbáshi, the Yúzbáshi
of ten Onbáshi, and the Onbáshi of ten men. The system was rigidly enforced,
and governed by strict regulations for the conduct and responsibility of each rank.
And practically it worked with that success which enabled its originator to achieve
the surprising conquests that in less than ten years laid the whole of Asia at his
mercy, of which alas! it knew not even the semblance.
In the following spring he held a grand national assembly, or Curultáy, and,
mounted on a magnificent throne, confirmed the change of his name from Tamújin
to Changíz; established the yásá-yúsún, written now for the first time in the Uighúr
character, as the law of his realm; held high festival, and then set out on a campaign
against the resisting Búyurúc Khán. He was killed, and his country ravaged, but
his nephew, Koshluk, escaped to Toctá Begi, and they both retired to the country of
Arwish. Changíz returned from this campaign to quell a revolt in Tangút, and
then turned his arms against the Kirghíz on his western borders. They, however,
met him with a prompt tender of submission and tribute, and were in return granted
the privilege of holding their lands in Súyúrghátmísh, or "military fief," and Changíz
retraced his steps triumphant to Shamán Gara.

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