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


outline OF the state Of the East at the time.
II may be remembered that the story Of tie
travels of the Polo family opens In 1850.
Christendon had recovered from the alarm
into which it had been thrown some eigh-
teen years before, when the Tartar invasion
Of Europe had threatened"to enruif it,
Already the Tartars themselves were be-
coming an object OF curiosity rather than
fear, and soon became an object Of hope,
az possible help against the old Moham-
lnedan foe. The fraii Latin throne in Con-
stantinople. which had been established in
the early years Of the thirteenth
century. was still standing, but ,,Herin2
&. rs fall The successors of the Crusaders
still held the coast Of Syria, from Antioch
to Jaffa, though deadlier brcod OF enemits
han they had yet encountered was now
.oming to maturity in the dynasty OF the
Mamelukes, which had ono foot firmly
pkntsd in Cairo, the other In Damascus. The
ieaiousies Of the commercial republics sof
Italy were daily waxing more intense.
The condition of Gennese rade on the coasts
of the Egcan was greatly depressed through
the, pred hinance which Venice had acquired
here by the part which she had taken in
the expulsion OF the Greek emperors from
Const antinople, part which had won for
The Doge the lofty style of Lord Of Three
Eighths OF the Empire Of Romania. Genoa.
however. was but hiding her time for an
orderly revenge. and year by year her naval
,trength and skill were increasing. Both
he Venetian and Genoese rel uClics held
possessions and establishments in the por,s
of Syria, which were often the scene of
sanguinary conflicts between their citizens.
Alexandria was still largely frequented In
The intervals Of war, as the great emf orium
Of Indian wares but the facilities afford, d
by the Mongoi conquerors. who now held
the whole or nearly all of the ,ract from the
Persian Gulf to he shores OF the Caspian
and OF the Black Sea, were beginning to
give great advantage to the caravan
routes which debouched at the ports OF
Cilician Armenia in the Mediterranean
and at Trebizopd on the Enxine.
In Asia and eastern Europe when the
travels OF the Polo family began, scarcely
n dog might bark without Mancol leave.
from the borders of Poland and the Gulf
Of Scanderoon to the Amur and the Yellow
Sea. The vast empire which Zenshis
had conquered still owned q nominslly
supreme head in the Great Kaan-Polo
always writes kaan when he is speaking
OF the supreme sovereign Of the Mongols
subordinate Mongol princes could only be
styled Khan-but, practically, it was being
split np into several great monarchies
under the descendants Of the four sons
Of lengths, TO wit. Jnji, Chaghati, Okkodai
n,,I Fill or Ia. al
ready brewing, between them. -Hulaku,
third son OF TuH and brother Of two Great
Kaans, Mangku and khblai, had become
practically independent as ruler Of Persia,
Babylonia, Mesopotamia and Armenia,
though he and his sons. and his sons Sons
continued to stamp the name Of the Great
Kaan upon their coins. and to use the Chinese
seals Of State which the latter bestowed
upon them. Ilkhan WAS special title
assumed by Huiaku and his SUCCESSORS in
Persia. The Seljukian Sultans Of Iconium
whose dominion bore the proud title Of
Rum Rome), were now but the struggling
bondsmen CT the Ilkhans. The Armenian
Hayton In his Glicis n kingdom, he pleds ed
more sincere allegiance to the Tartar
enemy of his Moslem foes, Barka, son
OIL OuJi, tHC AuhHB PtHiCC VI INc HOube
of Zepghis to turn Mohammedan, reigned
on the steppes of the Volga. where stand
ing camp, which eventually became great
city under the name Of Sarai. had been
established by his brother and predecessor.
Batu. H..j .'-.
Chagatais descendants had for their
part settled upon the pastures of the Iii
and inthsvslisy Of the J ixartes, and ruled
the opulent dties of Sogdisna Kaidu,
the grandson Of OLkodai, who had been the
successor Of Zenghis in the Kaanship, re-
fused to acknowledge the transfer OF the
supreme authority to the House Of Tui,
and was. through the long life Of Knhlai, a
thorn in his side. perpetually keeping his
northwestern frontier in alarm. His i'm
mediate authority was exercised over some
part OF what we, should now can Turke-
stan and southern central Siberia, while
his hordes OF horsemen, his force OF charac-
ter and his cloae neighborhood brought
the Khans descended from Chagatai under
his influences; aud they generally acted In
concert with him.
The chief throne Of the Mongol Empire
mad just been ascended by Kublai, the most
able Of it's occupants after the founder.
He was the son Of Tuli and grandson of
ZsnghS. Before the death Of his brother
and predecessor, Mangkr, who died in 1853
vhila hesis0ipy an ol,soire fort ress of