Father Iakinf Bichurin translated into Russian the annals of the first four Mongol great khans from the Yuan shi, the official history compiled for the Ming court in 1370, together with the commentary of the Tongjian gangmu, and added his own notes and a glossary of Mongol names. It gives the Chinese court view of the Mongol rise, the wars in China, the building of Karakorum and the western campaigns, including the attack on Rus. Nothing in it is eyewitness. This corpus copy is the 1829 St Petersburg edition.
How they knew
Compiled from others
Who “Tartar” means here
The text speaks of Mongols throughout. 'Tatar' appears only as the name of one steppe tribe (the Tatars, with branches like the 'White Tatars' in Bichurin's glossary) and, in the glossary key, as another word for Turkic speech.
Why read it
It lets a reader set the Chinese official record of the Mongol empire beside the Russian chronicles and the European friars, including the Chinese account of who first built Karakorum.
Watch out
A translation of a history written more than a century after the events, with Bichurin's additions not always marked off from the source; the bundle pages were mostly glossary and some quotes were found by searching the volume.
Editorial contextThe Chinese commentary says that Khorin (Karakorum) had been the town of a Uighur khan in Tang times. The Mongols first used it as their assembly place and in 1235 surrounded it with a wall about five li (Bichurin: about 3.5 versts) round. In the same year, the annal adds, Ögedei built the Wan'an palace there.
In the second month the Mongols surrounded Khorin with a wall. Khorin was formerly the town of the Uighur (Khoikhor) Pijia khan, who lived under the Tang dynasty. The Mongols earlier made it their place of assembly, and now surrounded it with a wall about five li in circuit.
Working translation
Original wording
Во вторый мѣсяцъ Монголы обвели стѣною Хоринь. Хоринь былъ прежній городъ Хойхорскаго Пиця-Хана, жившаго при династіи Тханъ. Монголы прежде назначили его сборнымъ мѣстомъ, а нынѣ обвели стѣною, имѣвшею около пяти ли окружности.
Tongjian gangmu (Chinese commentary), translated by Iakinf Bichurin, 1829
The Chinese compilers are writing long after the event; the Uighur capital (Ordu-Baliq) actually lay some distance from Karakorum, a point this source does not raise.
A Chinese picture of the far north-west: white nights and blue-eyed horsemen
Editorial contextThe Chinese annal describing the Mongol attack on the 'tribes of the state of Kincha' (Kipchak) says the land lay 30,000 li from China, that its summer nights were so short the sun barely set before rising, that it bred fine horses, and that its people were brave, with blue eyes and reddish hair. Bichurin notes on the facing page that this is the Mongol invasion of Russia in 1237.
In summer the nights are extremely short. The sun barely sets and at once rises again. This country produces excellent horses … They are courageous and brave … Their eyes are blue, their hair reddish.
Working translation
Original wording
Лѣтомъ ночи бываютъ чрезвычайно коротки. Солнце едва закатится, и тотчасъ всходитъ. Сія страна производитъ отмѣнныхъ лошадей … Мужественны и храбры … Глаза имѣютъ синіе (голубые), волосы рыжеватые.
Tongjian gangmu (Chinese annal), translated by Iakinf Bichurin, 1829
Editorial contextIn the Chinese biography of Möngke, the Kipchak chief Bachman fled to an island in the sea. When Möngke arrived, a strong wind drove the water off the shallows and his army crossed; Möngke declared that Heaven itself was opening the road. Bachman, captured, refused to kneel, saying 'I was the ruler of a state' and 'am I a camel, that I should kneel?', and warned that the water would soon return. The next sentence says Möngke then marched with Batu against Rus ('Oros').
By good fortune a strong wind drove the sea water off the shallow places, so that it was possible to cross. The khan, delighted, said: 'Heaven itself opens the road for me.' … The khan ordered him to kneel; but Bachman said: 'I was the ruler of a state, and can I value my life? Besides, I am not a camel: why should I kneel?'
Working translation
Original wording
По счастію, сильный вѣтеръ согналъ морскую воду съ мелкихъ мѣстъ, такъ, что можно было переправиться. Ханъ, обрадовавшись, сказалъ: »Само Небо открываетъ дорогу мнѣ.« … Ханъ приказалъ ему стать на колѣна: но Бацимакъ сказалъ: »Я былъ обладателемъ государства и могу ли дорожить жизнію? Сверхъ сего я не верблюдъ: для чего мнѣ становиться на колѣна?«
Yuan shi (biography of Möngke), translated by Iakinf Bichurin, 1829
An official dynastic history that presents the wind as a sign of Heaven's favour; not an eyewitness account.
The scan is too rough to double-check this quote by machine. Compare it with the page.
The fine print
How we know
compilation Assembled from earlier sources. The author did not observe it directly.
retrospective official history (Yuan shi, 1370) in Russian translation; not eyewitness
Research notes
Translation from Yuan shi and Tongjian gangmu; Bichurin did not identify passages by source consistently.
Why it matters
First Russian access to the Chinese official narrative of the Mongol empire, the counterpart to Persian (Rashid al-Din) and Russian chronicle testimony.