The Book of Akbar 111: Qaracar Nuyan.
The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 111
- Language
- English
Qaracar Nuyan.
111.1
Qaracar Nuyan was the noble son of Sughu Cijan and was of kingly mind and princely bearing. In the year of the Hog 562 (1167), Yesugai Bahadur died and in the same year, Temucin became thirteen and Sughu Cijan, the centre of the sovereignty and administration and leader of the armies, marched nearly contemporaneously with this, to the camp of annihilation. Qaracar Nuyan was then of tender age. The Nairun tribe left Temucin and joined the Taijiuts so that Temucin was in difficulties and entangled in misfortunes. At length, by heaven's aid, he was rescued from these whirlpools and terrible dangers and waged war with the Jamuqa, Taijut, Qanqarat, Jalair and other tribes. When he was over thirty, he became head of his own clan and family (the Nairun). On account of the opposition of various rulers of Turkistan, he went in his fortieth year, by the advice of Qaracar Nuyan to Avang Khan, the chief of the Kerayat tribe and who had an old friendship with Yesugai Bahadur. Temucin did good service for him and displayed pre-eminent excellence. His favour and intimacy with him and the loftiness of his rank came to such a point that the sweet savour of his sincerity was made fragrant by the pastile of friendship so that the great officers and relatives (of Avang Khan) became jealous.
111.2
Jamuqa, chief of the Jājarat tribe, joined with Sanku, the son of Avang Khan, to speak evil of him and they devised falsehoods against him whereby the heart of Avang Khān was drawn away from the right path and he began to entertain evil thoughts. Temucin became alarmed and escaped from that danger by the counsels and assistance of Qaracār Nuyan. Twice were great battles fought between them in which Temucin was victorious. When in his 49th, or as some say, his 50th year, he, in Ramazan 599 (May-June 1203), attained the rank of a sovereign and ruler of the world. When three years of his reign and rule had passed But Tengri, a seer of the invisible world and herald of the Divine Court, was inspired to give Temucin the title of Cingiz Khan or king of kings. Day by day, the star of his fortune rose higher and higher and year by year, the lightning of his majesty became more vivid. He acquired sway over all Cathay, Khotan, Northern and Southern China (Cīn u Mācīn), the desert of Qibcaq, Saqsin, Bulgaria, As, Russia, Alan, etc. He had four sons, Juji, Caghatai, Okadai, Tuli. He placed with Juji the management of feasts and hunting. Judiciary matters (yarghu) and the carrying out of punishment, in which administrative government is involved, were committed to the wisdom of Caghatai. Government and political matters were assigned to Okadai. The management of military affairs and the protection of the camp were made over to Tuli.
111.3
In the months of 615 (1218), he marched to Transoxiana against Sultan Muhammad, king of Khwarizm and the people of that country received the chastisement of capital punishment. When he had finished the affairs of Transoxiana, he crossed the Amu (Oxus) and turned his world-opening reins towards Balkh. He despatched Tuli Khan with a large army to Khurasan and after conquering Iran and Turan, he came from Balkh to Taliqan. From thence he went off to put an end to Jalalu-d-din Mangbarni and in Ramazan 624 (Aug. 1227), defeated him up to banks of the Indus. From thence he went to Transoxiana towards his permanent encampment (Karakoram). He died in the year of the Hog which was also that of his birth and accession, on 4th 624, in the borders of the country of Tangut. Before his death, he directed that when the inevitable event occurred, they should keep it secret until the affair of the people of Tangut was completed and that there might be no commotion in distant countries. His sons and officers carried out his instructions and took steps to conceal the event till the people of Tangut had come out and been made the forage of the sword. Then they marched off bearing the body (of Cingiz) in a chest, putting to death everybody whom they met, so that the news might not be quickly conveyed to the different countries. On 14th Ramazan of the same year, they brought the body to the great camp and proclaimed the death.
111.4
They buried Cingīz at the foot of a tree which he had, one day when hunting, approved as a site for his grave. In a short space of time, the branches became so thick that the tomb was hidden by them and no one could ascertain the spot. There is a strange mystery in this which cannot be understood, except by the wisdom of the wise and far-seeing, to wit, that as in life he was under God’s protection, so also in death did he come under God’s supervision, in order that the short-sighted might not put forth hands of disrespect against the place. Though to take much thought about a tomb is to make oneself ridiculous to mankind, yet as rulers have to deal chiefly with the superficial-minded, this providential guarding (of Cingīz’ tomb) is a great blessing. And why should not the Divine protection watch over one who was so great that an universe abode in the shade of his guardianship? Though this great man be in the eyes of the vulgar and even to the élite, at first glance, a leading exponent of Divine wrath, yet to the far-reaching view of the wise, élite of the élite, he is an emanation of Divine blessings. For in the kingdom of Divine justice of which human government is a ray, there can be no injustice or oppression, and everything which comes into existence in the world of evil is based on certain spiritual principles, the real nature of which the superficial cannot perceive and which cannot be comprehended save by the intellects of the far-seeing and awakened-hearted.
111.5
His years were seventy-two complete and most of the seventy-third had also elapsed. Of them, twenty-five were spent in reigning and conquering. If we look to the dates of his birth and his death, as stated in histories, his age comes to seventy-four years and three months. Apparently the discrepancy is due to the difference between lunar and solar months and years, or it may be owing to some cause other than the ostensible one. During this period, the high matters of government and administration were made illustrious by the world-adorning counsels of Qaracar Nuyan. Why should not a potentate who hath such a kinsman (birādar) in blood and in spirit by his side as his director to dominion and fortune, brush with the head of majesty the highest zenith of conquest and rule? Verse. Qaracar and Cingīz are cousins (ibn-i-'am and). In conquest too, they are allied (qarīn-i-ham and).
111.6
When the drum of death was beat, the Khanship was made over to Okadai. The gist of this distressful occurrence is that when on the China expedition, he (Cingīz) had one night an intimation by a vision, that the time of leaving this mirage-like world was at hand. He called his sons, Qaracar Nuyan, the Commander-in-Chief, and the other nobles and pillars of his empire and after imparting to them counsels which might dominate mankind, he appointed Okadai as Khan. He sent to the treasury for the covenant which had been executed by Qaculi and Qabal Khan and which was the Altamgha of Tumana Khan and which his high-souled predecessors had successively signed, and had it read before the noble assembly. He observed, "I swore to this deed together with Qaracar Nuyan, do you also fulfil its conditions." He also had another deed drawn up between Okadai and his other sons and his kinsmen and made it over to Okadai.
111.7
Transoxiana, Turkistan, the borders of Khwarizm, the cities of the Uighurs, Kāshghar, Badakhshan, Balkh and Ghaznih as far as the Indus, he assigned to Caghatai Khan. He also made over the covenant of Qabal Khan and Qaculi Bahadur to Caghatai and said to him, "Depart not from the counsels of Qaracar Nuyan and regard him as your partner in rule and realm." He also established between them the bond of fatherhood and sonship. In this way the noble line (Akbar’s) came to be called Caghatai; otherwise the relationship of Caghatai and his ancestors with his Majesty, the king of kings, is one of glory and superiority not of propinquity and similarity. The Princes and Nuyans acted according to the testament. Good God! could there be such a breach of covenant by an eminently wise man like Cinglz Khan! The covenant which had been adorned by the seal-royal (Altamgha) of Tumana Khan should have been given to Okadai Qa/an and he should have been made over to be educated and succoured by the weighty counsels of Qaracar Nuyan so that the provisions of the compact might be carried into effect; or did they not produce that covenant till he (Cingiz) was carried away by the inbred forgetfulness of human nature, and thus the mark of censure in the book of his knowledge was obliterated by the line of obliviousness. It is strange too that old writers while treating of this subject with verbiage, cavilling and equivocation have not come to a right determination about it.
111.8
It appears as if the world-adorning Deity desired to remove from the frame of this lofty lineage, the disguise of the Commander-in-Chiefship which Tumana Khan had imposed but which had really been fashioned by the Divine artificers while completing the evolution of his Majesty, the king of kings, (and that so) a forgetfulness ensued which surpassed in excellence thousands of good designs. Inasmuch as the Divine protection was ever guarding this lofty line, no failure in the compact and agreement occurred on the part of Qacull Bahadur's descendants so that when the turn of sovereignty, which was due to their innate and acquired power of direction, arrived and they attained the divan-adorning Caliphate, there could be no reproach brought against them by the wise. Likewise this was the beginning of the rise of that light of fortune, his Majesty, the Lord of Conjunction (Timur) whose holy existence was the forerunner of the perpetual dominion of his Majesty, the king of kings. After his father's decease, Caghatai Khan made Peshbaligh his capital and having made over the control of the army and of the subjects to Amir Qaracar Nuyan, he spent most of his time in the service of Okadai Qa'an. Though Okadai was younger than himself, he shewed no slackness in performing his duties and in the minutiae of obedience and heartily observed the conditions of the will.
111.9
When Caghatai Khan arrived at his life's term, he appointed Amir Qaracar Nuyan administrator of the kingdom and made over his children to him. He died seven months before Okadai Khan, in the year of the Ox, Zi-l-qa'da 638 (May-June 1241). Qaracar Nuyan, in accordance with his promise, took charge of the management of the kingdom and after some time, made over to Qara Hulagu Khan, son of Mawatkan, son of Caghatai, the government of his grandfather's dominions. After some years, when Giyuk Khan, son of Okadai became Khan (i.e., Khaqan) Qaracar Nuyan deposed Qara Hulagu Khan, and appointed Isu Mangu, son of Caghatai in his room. Let it not be concealed that Okadai Qa'an had, during his sovereignty, nominated his eldest son, Kucu as his heir, but Kucu died during his father's lifetime. He then made his (Kucu's) son Shiraniun who was his favourite, his heir. When the Qa'an (Okadai) died, Giyuk Khan was in Russia, Circassia and Bulgaria (i.e., Great Bulgaria) and came to the great camp (i.e., the capital) three or four years afterwards He established justice and the cherishing of subjects. When Isu Mangu was covered with the veil of annihilation, Qaracar Nuyan again appointed Qara Hulagu to the government of the country and died during his reign in 652 (1254), full of honours and success, at the age of 89.