[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate) › [Ṭabaqāt-i Nāṣirī](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri) › [Tabakat-i-Nasiri](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty) › 286.1 # The Nāṣirī Generations 286.1 Tabakat-i-Nasiri 286.1 - **Language:** English ### [286.1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.286.1.1) Trustworthy persons have stated that Tuli was the youngest son of the Chingiz Khan; and it was he who destroyed the cities of Khurasan, as has been previously recorded respecting him, in the account of the downfall of the city of Hirat. He had four sons, the eldest being Mangu Khan, the second, Hula’u, the third, Irtuk Bukah, and the fourth, Kubla. When Kyuk went to hell, the sons of Chaghatae demanded the sovereignty; and they, having a great number of horsemen and dependents, did not consent to the sovereignty of Mangu Khan. The beginning of this matter was in this manner. When Kyuk departed from this world, all the great chiefs of the Mughal armies turned their faces towards Batu \[son of Tushi\] saying: 'It behoveth that thou shouldst be our sovereign, since, of the race of the Chingiz Khan, there is no one greater than thou; and the throne and diadem, and the rulership, befitteth thee best.' Batu replied: 'I and my brother, which is Barka, possess \[already\] so great a sovereignty and empire in this part, that to rule over it, together with possession of, and sway over, the states of Chin, Turkistan, signifying, "pain, ache, or affliction of the foot or leg," which some modern translators interpret as gout ; but gout is temporary, as far as moving about is concerned, while Batu's affliction was permanent, and precluded his undertaking a long journey. ### [286.1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.286.1.2) He was, consequently, unable to proceed from the Dasht-i-Kifchak to the ancient urdu and yurat of the Chingiz Khan, as was usual on such occasion, but he sent out envoys, by virtue of his position, to the different Shah-zadahs, and Amirs, saying: "Let each one get ready to come into Kifchak, so that we may hold a kuriltae of the different brothers, and brothers' sons, and consult as to whom we shall choose to succeed to the Khan-ship, since, on account of my paralysis, I am unable to proceed to Kalur-an, which is the original yurat and the seat of sovereignty of the Chingiz Khan." The agents of Batu in due course delivered their message, but Kara Aghul, son of Chaghatae, and the sons of Kyuk, declined to obey, saying : The ancient yurat and seat of sovereignty of the Chingiz Khan is U-tak or U-tagh and Kalur-an, and it is not at all necessary for us to go into Kifchak to hold a kuriltae; and Khwajah, the Nu-yin, Karyukur, and the Nu-yin, Timur, who were the Amirs of Kara-Kuram, they therefore sent to act as their deputies, and to sign anything that might be agreed upon among the Shah-zadahs. Siur Kuktibi Bigi, the mother of Mangu, however, having heard that the sons of Oktae Ka'an, Chaghatae Khan, and Kyuk Khan, refused to comply with Batu Khan's request, advised her sons, particularly Mangu, her eldest, to lose no time in proceeding to the presence of their Aka, and paying homage to him; and Mangu and his brothers set out without loss of time. ### [286.1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.286.1.3) Having reached the Dasht-i-Kifchak and the presence of Batu Khan, he received them with great favour, and paid Mangu great attention. Batu stated to the other Shah-zadahs present at the kuriltae then assembled, that he had already remarked Mangu's fitness for the Khan-ship, and, besides, reminded them that he had already experienced the good and evil, the sweet and bitter, of life, and the affairs of the world, had several times commanded armies, and had been held in estimation by Oktae Ka'an, the Shah-zadahs and Amirs, and the soldiery. Batu added : "The Ka'an sent him along with me, and my brothers, Urdah, Shaiban, and Tangkut, and others of the family of Juji, accompanied by his brother Korkan, and Kyuk, into the territory of Kifchak, and other countries, where he greatly distinguished himself. After that, when the Ka'an commanded that the Shah-zadahs should return, before they reached the Ka'an's presence he was dead. The Ka'an's will was, that Shiramun, his grandson, should succeed him, but Tura-Kinah Khatun set aside his commands, and set up her own son, Kyuk, in the place of his father, Uktae. Now it is proper that Mangu Khan should succeed, and he is worthy of succeeding ; and there is none other so fitting and capable of meeting the affairs of the empire and of the army. More than this, Mangu is the son of my uncle, Tuli Khan, the youngest son of the Chingiz Khan, and to whom appertained the charge of the great yurat; ### [286.1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.286.1.4) and as, according to the ordinances and usages of the Mughals, the dwelling-place of the father belongs to the youngest son, therefore the sovereignty belongs to Mangu." The others present acquiesced and, the right of Mangu having been determined, Batu despatched envoys to the Khatuns and sons of Uktae, and to Siur Kuktibi Bigi, Mangu's mother, and the other Shah-zadahs and great Amirs and ’Ajam, would be impossible. It will be advisable of the Dast-i-Rast, and Dast-i-Chap \[i.e. who, in the assemblies of the Chingiz Khan, and his son, Uktae, used to sit on the right and left, and who belonged to the Hazarah’s of the right and left wings. See note at page 1093\], saying, that “by the Shah-zadahs who, with their eyes, had seen the Chingiz Khan, and who, with their ears, had heard his laws and ordinances, the Shah-zadahs present in this kuriltae, it was deemed advisable, on the part of the army, and the people generally, to raise Mangu to the sovereignty.” ### [286.1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.286.1.5) Having thus selected Mangu, Batu Khan directed his brothers Urdah, Shaiban, and Barkae, or Barkah, as he is also called, the Shah-zadahs of the Dast-i-Rast, the whole family of Juji, Kara Hulaku, and others of the sons of Chaghatae, and the Shah-zadahs of the Kara Bilad, to prepare a great banquet in honour of the occasion, and to seat Mangu on the throne, but Mangu made some hesitation \[for form’s sake, probably?\], when his brother, Mukae, or Muka Aghul, got up, and said: “Have we not all stipulated and signed our hands that we would not act contrary to the command of the Sa-in Khan, Batu, how therefore can Mangu hesitate to accede to his commands, and neglect to give ear to his words?” All present applauded this speech of Mukae’s, and Mangu therefore signified his willingness. Then, as was customary, Batu Khan arose, seated Mangu on the throne, and saluted him as Ka’an, and all present, following his example, did the same. Batu then held the goblet to him, and, followed by the others, bent the knee to him nine times, opened his girdle, doffed his cap, and acknowledged his fealty to him. It was then determined that a great kuriltae should be summoned to meet at Kalur-an to confirm this decision; and, accordingly, all those who attended this one departed for their own yurats, and the accession of Mangu became noised abroad in all parts. ### [286.1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.286.1.6) Batu then directed his brothers, Barkae and Buka Timur—the Fanakati says Urdah and Shaiban also went—to accompany Mangu, with a large army, to the Margah of Kalur-an \[referring to the urdu of the Chingiz Khan\], and, in the presence of the Shah-zadahs, to seat him on the throne there likewise. Mangu’s mother used all her influence, which was very great, to induce the adverse party to attend; and most of the Shah-ling and others signified their approval of the choice of Mangu, all save a number of the sons of Uktae and Kyuk, and Yassu-Munga, Kara Aghul, and Buri, sons of Chaghatae, who were using all sorts of stratagems to prevent the installation of Mangu, and our author was wrong in supposing that only the sons of Chaghatae were plotting against him. They despatched an envoy to Batu Khan, notifying their dissent from the succession of Mangu, and stated that it had been previously determined that the sovereignty should continue in Uktae’s family, and demanded why, such being the case, he had set up another. Batu replied that he had done so by virtue of his position as head of the tribes and family, and because he and others deemed Mangu best fitted to rule a vast empire; and that no one else among them was capable of ruling it—a work which could not be entrusted to boys. He exhorted them to think better of the matter. In this discussion the time prescribed by Batu for the installation of Mangu on the throne in Kalur-an passed; ### [286.1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.286.1.7) and the next year \[647 H.\] came round, and still the affairs of the empire remained without order or splendour. All the efforts of Mangu and his mother to propitiate and persuade the hostile party were of no avail: the more she and others endeavoured to do so, the that we should raise to the sovereignty Mangu Khan, the more obdurate the others became. This year coming to a close also, Mangu, in accord with Batu’s brothers, sent envoys to all his kinsmen, requesting them to assemble in Kalur-an; and despatched Shalamun, the Bitik-chi—a writer, or secretary, from the Turkish eb—to Ughul Kuimish, the chief Khatun of Kyuk Khan, and her sons, Naku and Khwajah, and another Bitik-chi to Yassu-Mangu \[also written Manga\], saying: “Most of the members of the Urdu of the Chingiz Khan have here assembled, and the kuriltae is entirely delayed, through your non-attendance, for a long time. If you are of one mind, and desire to see the affairs of the empire disposed of, amicably and in accord, attend; but, understand, that nothing will be left in abeyance for you any longer.” They saw there was no help but to appear, and therefore Naku Aghul set out, and the Nu-yin, Kadak, and several other Amirs of Kyuk Khan, and Yassu Mangu, and Buri, sons of Chaghatae Khan, proceeded from their urdus, and went to the presence of Shiramun, grandson of Uktae, and all these Shah-zadahs met together at an appointed place. Afterwards, Khwajah, son of Kyuk, joined them; ### [286.1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.286.1.8) and, under the supposition that the kuriltae would not, and could not, be held without them, they proceeded very leisurely. It so happened, however, that Barka Khan had previously written to his brother, Batu, saying, that it was now two years since the sons of Uktae, Kyuk, and Chaghatae had been summoned to attend, and they would not, and were constantly occupied in their ambitious and seditious designs. In reply, Batu gave orders, saying: “Place ye Mangu on the throne, and, if they or either of them do anything contrary to the yasa of the Chingiz Khan, let their heads pay the forfeit.” --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.286.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.sultanate.tabaqat-i-nasiri~en-raverty.286.1) · Pramāṇa