The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-04
II.

We have said that the site OF karg kor-
UNI, which for q time We s he seat of the Greet
Kaans and capital OF the Mongol Empire,
has been visited and more fully described
since the last edition of Yule's Marco Polo,
and that the new information has been in
corporated in the work by the present
reviser. In the fory-sixth chapter Of
Polo's narrative we read that sCaracorum
is a city of some three miles in compass.
1t is surrounded by strong earthen ram
part for stone Ia scarce there, and beside
1t there is a great citadel, wherein is fine
palace where the Governor resides. 1t Is
the first city that the Tartars possessed
after they issued from their own country"
Where was karakOrlm situated, and when
we're the Tartars first known by that namep
NJ Cordier's notes on these subjects de-
serve particular attention. We are told that
recent rese riches have fully confirmed
the belief that the Urdenitso Monastery
occupies the site Of Karakorum, near the
bank Of the Orkhon. between the present
river and the Kokchin, or old Orkhon. Tie
monastery OF Urdenitso, founded A. D.
1856 was erected on the ruins of the city
which once had been built by order of
Ckkodai Kaan, and in which he had es-
tablshed his residence. 1t was here, too,
that. after the expulsion Of the Mongols
from China, Togontemur again fixed the
Mongol court This vast monastery still
exists, one English mile or more east of
the Orkhop. Its location has been astro-
nomically determined by Jesuit miss ion
aries. and it is marked on the Russian
mays OF Mongolia. Prof Pozdneiev, who
visited the place in 1871 believed that the
square earthen wall surrounding the mon
astery of Urdenitso, and measuring about
an English mile in circumference, may
we'll be the very wall Of ancient Karakorum.
According to work of the thirteenth CEN
fury quoted by the late Prof. G.. Deveria
the DISTANCE between the old capital of the
Uighur, Kara Balgasun. on the left bank
Of the Orkhon, north of Urdenitso, and the
Karakorum of the Mongols would be
about thirty miles, and such is the actui
space between Urdenitso and Kara Bel
gasun According to Prof. A. A. Heikel,
when the brillia t epoch Of the power OF
the descendants of Zenghs was at an end
the city Of Karakorum fell into oblivion.
and toward the year 1880 there was
founded in the centre Of this historically
celebrated region OF the Orkhon the most
ancient Of the Buddhist monasteries Of
Mongolia, this of Urdenitso. 1t was built.
according to a Mongol chronicle, on the
ruins Of the town reared by Okkodai. son
Of Zenghs Kaan. that is to say. on the an
Gent Karakorim
Karakorum continued to be the capital
OF the Mongol Empire until 1858, when
Mang,i Kaan decided to transfer the seat
OF Government to Shangtu, near the pres
ent Dolonnor, north of Pekin. In 1890 his
successor. Kublai Kaan. transferred his cap
itai to Ta.tu (Pekin), Plano Carpini G24e)
IL the first Western traveller to mention the
place by name. He terms it Caracoron.
and came within half days journey Of
IT, Rubruquis visited the city In 1853.
The following is his account of it: AS re-
CARDS the city Of Caracoron, you must
understand that II you set aside the Kaan's
own palace. it is not a. good m the borough
OF St. Denis, and, az for the palace, the
Abbey of st. Denis is worth ten Of It.
There are two streets in the town. one of
which Ii occupied by the Saracens, and
in that is the market place. The other
street In occupied by the Cathayans.
who are all craftsmen. Besides these two
streets there are some great palaces &C.