The Travels of Marco Polo Volume I Part 99

NOTE 5.--The French writer cited under note 3 says of the city as it stands: "La ville est de la sorte coupee en echiquier a peu pres regulier dont les quadres circonscrits par des larges avenues sont perces eux-memes d'une mult.i.tude de rues et ruelles ... qui toutes a peu pres sont orientees N. et S., E. et O. Une seule volonte a evidemment preside a ce plan, et jamais edilite n'a eu a executer d'un seul coup aussi vaste entreprise."

NOTE 6.--Martini speaks of the public clock-towers in the Chinese cities, which in his time were furnished with water-clocks. A watchman struck the hour on a great gong, at the same time exhibiting the hour in large characters. The same person watched for fires, and summoned the public with his gong to aid in extinguishing them.

[The Rev. G. B. Farthing mentions (_North-China Herald_, 7th September, 1884) at T'ai-yuen fu the remains of an object in the bell-tower, which was, and is still known, as one of the eight wonders of this city; it is a vessel of bra.s.s, a part of a water-clock from which water formerly used to flow down upon a drum beneath and mark off time into equal divisions.--H.

C.]

The tower indicated by Marco appears still to exist. It occupies the place which I have marked as Alarm Tower in the plan of Taidu. It was erected in 1272, but probably rebuilt on the Ming occupation of the city. ["The _Yuen yi t'ung chi_, or 'Geography of the Mongol Empire' records: 'In the year 1272, the bell-tower and the drum-tower were built in the _middle_ of the capital.' A bell-tower (_chung-lou_) and a drum-tower (_ku-lou_) exist still in Peking, in the northern part of the Tartar City. The _ku-lou_ is the same as that built in the thirteenth century, but the bell-tower dates only from the last century. The bell-tower of the Yuen was a little to the east of the drum-tower, where now the temple _Wan-ning sse_ stands. This temple is nearly in the middle of the position I (Bretschneider) a.s.sign to Khanbaligh." (_Bretschneider, Peking_, 20.)--H. C.] In the Court of the Old Observatory at Peking there is preserved, with a few other ancient instruments, which date from the Mongol era, a very elaborate water-clock, provided with four copper basins embedded in brickwork, and rising in steps one above the other. A cut of this courtyard, with its instruments and aged trees, also ascribed to the Mongol time, will be found in ch.

x.x.xiii. (_Atlas Sinensis_, p. 10; _Magaillans_, 149-151; _Chine Moderne_, p. 26; _Tour du Monde_ for 1864, vol. ii. p. 34.)

NOTE 7.--"Nevertheless," adds the Ramusian, "there does exist I know not what uneasiness about the people of Cathay."

[1] Mr. Wylie confirms my a.s.sumption: "Whilst in Peking I traced the old mud wall,... and found it quite in accordance with the outline in your map. Mr. Gilmour (a missionary to the Mongols) and I rode round it, he taking the outside and I the inside.... Neither of us observed the arch that Dr. Lockhart speaks of.... _There_ are _gate-openings about the middle of the east and west sides_, but no barbicans." (4th December 1873.)

CHAPTER XII.

HOW THE GREAT KAAN MAINTAINS A GUARD OF TWELVE THOUSAND HORSE, WHICH ARE CALLED KESHICAN.

You must know that the Great Kaan, to maintain his state, hath a guard of twelve thousand hors.e.m.e.n, who are styled KESHICAN, which is as much as to say "Knights devoted to their Lord." Not that he keeps these for fear of any man whatever, but merely because of his own exalted dignity. These 12,000 men have four captains, each of whom is in command of 3000; and each body of 3000 takes a turn of three days and nights to guard the palace, where they also take their meals. After the expiration of three days and nights they are relieved by another 3000, who mount guard for the same s.p.a.ce of time, and then another body takes its turn, so that there are always 3000 on guard. Thus it goes until the whole 12,000, who are styled (as I said) Keshican, have been on duty; and then the tour begins again, and so runs on from year's end to year's end.[NOTE 1]

NOTE 1.--I have _deduced_ a reading for the word _Quescican_ (Keshican), which is not found precisely in any text. Pauthier reads _Questiau_ and _Quesitau_; the G. Text has _Quesitam_ and _Quecitain_; the Crusca _Questi Tan_; Ramusio, _Casitan_; the Riccardiana, _Quescitam_. Recollecting the constant clerical confusion between _c_ and _t_, what follows will leave no doubt I think that the true reading to which all these variations point is _Quescican_.[1]

In the Inst.i.tutes of Ghazan Khan, we find established among other formalities for the authentication of the royal orders, that they should be stamped on the back, in black ink, with the seals of the _Four Commanders_ of the _Four Kiziks_, or _Corps of the Life Guard_.

Wa.s.saf also, in detailing the different cla.s.ses of the great dignitaries of the Mongol monarchy, names (1) the _Noyans_ of the Ulus, or princes of the blood; (2) the great chiefs of the tribes; (3) the _Amirs of the four Keshik_, or _Corps of the Body Guard_; (4) the officers of the army, commanding ten thousands, thousands, and so on.

Moreover, in Rashiduddin, we find the identical plural form used by our author. He says that, after the sack of Baghdad, Hulaku, who had escaped from the polluted atmosphere of the city, sent "Ilka Noyan and Karabuga, with 3000 Moghul horse into Baghdad, in order to have the buildings repaired, and to put things generally in order. These chiefs posted sentries from the KISHiKaN ([Arabic]), and from their own followings in the different quarters of the town, had the carcases of beasts removed from the streets, and caused the bazaars to be rebuilt."

We find _Kishik_ still used at the court of Hindustan, under the great kings of Timur's House, for the corps on tour of duty at the palace; and even for the sets of matchlocks and sabres, which were changed weekly from Akbar's armoury for the royal use. The royal guards in Persia, who watch the king's person at night, are termed _Keshikchi_, and their captain _Keshikchi Bashi_. ["On the night of the 11th of Jemady ul Sany, A.H. 1160 (or 8th June, 1747), near the city of Khojoon, three days' journey from Meshed, Mohammed Kuly Khan Ardemee, who was of the same tribe with Nadir Shah, his relation, and Kushukchee Bashee, with seventy of the _Kukshek_ or guard,... bound themselves by an oath to a.s.sa.s.sinate Nadir Shah."

(_Memoirs of Khojeh Abdulkurreem ... transl. by F. Gladwin_, Calcutta, 1788, pp. 166-167).]

Friar Odoric speaks of the four barons who kept watch by the Great Kaan's side as the _Cuthe_, which probably represents the Chinese form _Kiesie_ (as in De Mailla), or _Kuesie_ (as in Gaubil). The latter applies the term to four devoted champions of Chinghiz, and their descendants, who were always attached to the Kaan's body-guard, and he identifies them with the _Quesitan_ of Polo, or rather with the captains of the latter; adding expressly that the word _Kuesie_ is Mongol.

I see _Kishik_ is a proper name among the Kalmak chiefs; and _Keshikten_ also is the name of a Mongol tribe, whose territory lies due north of Peking, near the old site of Shangtu. (Bk. I. ch. lxi.) [_Keshikhteng_, a tribe (_pu_; mong. _aimak_) of the Chao Uda League (_meng_; mong.

_chogolgan_) among the twenty-four tribes of the _Nei Mung-ku_ (Inner Mongols). (See _Mayers' Chinese Government_, p. 81.)--H. C.] In Kovalevsky, I find the following:--

(No. 2459) "_Keshik_, grace, favour, bounty, benefit, good fortune, charity."

(No. 2461) "_Keshikten_, fortunate, happy, blessed."

(No. 2541) "_Kichyeku_, to be zealous, a.s.siduous, devoted."

(No. 2588) "_Kushiku_, to hinder, to bar the way to," etc.

The third of these corresponds closely with Polo's etymology of "knights devoted to their lord," but perhaps either the first or the last may afford the real derivation.

In spite of the different initials ([Arabic] instead of [Arabic]), it can scarcely be doubted that the _Kalchi_ and _Kalakchi_ of Timur's Inst.i.tutes are mere mistranscriptions of the same word, e.g.: "I ordered that 12,000 _Kalchi_, men of the sword completely armed, should be cantoned in the Palace; to the right and to the left, to the front, and in the rear of the imperial diwan; thus, that 1000 of those 12,000 should be every night upon guard," etc. The translator's note says of _Kalchi_, "A Mogul word supposed to mean _guards_." We see that even the traditional number of 12,000, and its division into four brigades, are maintained. (See _Timour's Inst._, pp. 299 and 235, 237.)

I must add that Professor Vambery does not a.s.sent to the form _Keshikan_, on the ground that this Persian plural is impossible in an old Tartar dialect, and he supposes the true word to be _Kechilan_ or _Kechiklen_, "the night-watchers," from _Kiche_ or _Kichek_ (Chag. and Uighur), = "night."

I believe, however, that Persian was the colloquial language of foreigners at the Kaan's court, who would not scruple to make a Persian plural when wanted; whilst Rashid has exemplified the actual use of this one.

(_D'Ohsson_, IV. 410; _Gold. Horde_, 228, 238; _Ilch._ II. 184; _Q. R._ pp. 308-309; _Ayeen Akb._ I. 270, and _Blochmann's_, p. 115; _J. As._ ser.

IV. tom. xix. 276; _Olearius_, ed. 1659, I. 656; _Cathay_, 135; _De Mailla_, ix. 106; _Gaubil_, p. 6; _Pallas_, _Samml._ I. 35.)

["By _Keshican_ in _Colonel Yule's Marco Polo_, _Keshikten_ is evidently meant. This is a general Mongol term to designate the Khan's lifeguard. It is derived from the 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 Hindustan, 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 _Keshikchi_."

"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 va.s.sal princes and governors of the provinces, and of hostages. The watch of the Khan was changed every three days, and contained 400 men. In 1330 it was reduced to 100 men."

(_Palladius_, 42-43.) Mr. E. H. Parker writes in the _China Review_, XVIII. p. 262, that they "are evidently the 'body guards' of the modern viceroys, now p.r.o.nounced Kashiha, but, evidently, originally _Keshigha_."

--H. C.]

[1] One of the nearest readings is that of the Brandenburg Latin collated by Muller, which has _Quaesicam_.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE FASHION OF THE GREAT KAAN'S TABLE AT HIS HIGH FEASTS.

And when the Great Kaan 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 a.s.signed 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.[NOTE 1] [Further, you are not to suppose that everybody sits at table; on the contrary, the greater part of the soldiers and their officers sit at their meal in the hall on the carpets.] Outside the hall will be found more than 40,000 people; for there is a great concourse of folk bringing presents to the Lord, or come from foreign countries with curiosities.

In a certain part of the hall near where the Great Kaan holds his table, there [is set a large and very beautiful piece of workmanship in the form of a square coffer, or buffet, about three paces each way, exquisitely wrought with figures of animals, finely carved and gilt. The middle is hollow, and in it] stands a great vessel of pure gold, holding as much as an ordinary b.u.t.t; and at each corner of the great vessel is one of smaller size [of the capacity of a firkin], and from the former the wine or beverage flavoured with fine and costly spices is drawn off into the latter. [And on the buffet aforesaid are set all the Lord's drinking vessels, among which are certain pitchers of the finest gold,] which are called _verniques_,[NOTE 2] and are big enough to hold drink for eight or ten persons. And one of these is put between every two persons, besides a couple of golden cups with handles, so that every man helps himself from the pitcher that stands between him and his neighbour. And the ladies are supplied in the same way. The value of these pitchers and cups is something immense; in fact, the Great Kaan has such a quant.i.ty of this kind of plate, and of gold and silver in other shapes, as no one ever before saw or heard tell of, or could believe.[NOTE 3]

[There are certain Barons specially deputed to see that foreigners, who do not know the customs of the Court, are provided with places suited to their rank; and these Barons are continually moving to and fro in the hall, looking to the wants of the guests at table, and causing the servants to supply them promptly with wine, milk, meat, or whatever they lack. At every door of the hall (or, indeed, wherever the Emperor may be) there stand a couple of big men like giants, one on each side, armed with staves. Their business is to see that no one steps upon the threshold in entering, and if this does happen, they strip the offender of his clothes, and he must pay a forfeit to have them back again; or in lieu of taking his clothes, they give him a certain number of blows. If they are foreigners ignorant of the order, then there are Barons appointed to introduce them, and explain it to them. They think, in fact, that it brings bad luck if any one touches the threshold. Howbeit, they are not expected to stick at this in going forth again, for at that time some are like to be the worse for liquor, and incapable of looking to their steps.[NOTE 4]]

And you must know that those who wait upon the Great Kaan with his dishes and his drink are some of the great Barons. They have the mouth and nose m.u.f.fled with fine napkins of silk and gold, so that no breath nor odour from their persons should taint the dish or the goblet presented to the Lord. And when the Emperor is going to drink, all the musical instruments, of which he has vast store of every kind, begin to play. And when he takes the cup all the Barons and the rest of the company drop on their knees and make the deepest obeisance before him, and then the Emperor doth drink.

But each time that he does so the whole ceremony is repeated.[NOTE 5]

I will say nought about the dishes, as you may easily conceive that there is a great plenty of every possible kind. But you should know that in every case where a Baron or Knight dines at those tables, their wives also dine there with the other ladies. And when all have dined and the tables have been removed, then come in a great number of players and jugglers, adepts at all sorts of wonderful feats,[NOTE 6] and perform before the Emperor and the rest of the company, creating great diversion and mirth, so that everybody is full of laughter and enjoyment. And when the performance is over, the company breaks up and every one goes to his quarters.

NOTE 1.--We are to conceive of rows of small tables, at each of which were set probably but two guests. This seems to be the modern Chinese practice, and to go back to some very old accounts of the Tartar nations. Such tables we find in use in the tenth century, at the court of the King of Bolghar (see _Prologue_, note 2, ch. ii.), and at the Chinese entertainments to Shah Rukh's emba.s.sy in the fifteenth century.

Megasthenes described the guests at an Indian banquet as having a table set before each individual. (_Athenaeus_, IV. 39, _Yonge's Transl._)

[Compare Rubruck's account, Rockhill's ed., p. 210: "The Chan sits in a high place to the north, so that he can be seen by all...." (See also Friar Odoric, _Cathay_, p. 141.)--H. C.]

NOTE 2.--This word (G. T. and Ram.) is in the Crusca Italian transformed into an adjective, "_vaselle_ vernicate _d'oro_," and both Marsden and Pauthier have substantially adopted the same interpretation, which seems to me in contradiction with the text. In Pauthier's text the word is _vernigal_, pl. _vernigaux_, which he explains, I know not on what authority, as "_coupes sans anses vernies ou laquees d'or_." There is, indeed, a Venetian sea-term, _Vernegal_, applied to a wooden bowl in which the food of a mess is put, and it seems possible that this word may have been subst.i.tuted for the unknown _Vernique_. I suspect the latter was some Oriental term, but I can find nothing nearer than the Persian _Barni_, Ar.