[93] In the History of Herodotus, if this be meant above, the name of Esculapius does not occur. The denomination of Rumí may be applied to Asia Minor, Turkey, the whole ancient and modern empire of the Greeks and Romans; in so vast a space there was certainly more than one town with a temple and an oracular statue of Esculapius. One circumstance is singularly true in the above account of Apu, to wit: that Esculapius was formerly called Apius, Αρωγὸν αὐδήσουσιν Ἠπίου γόνον: adjutorem invocabunt Æsculapii filium—(see Lycophron, v. 1054); and that he was often confounded with the sun, as son of Apollo, who also was the sun, and of the nymph Coronnis, who was the daughter of Phlegyas, that is, “the heat of the sun.”
[94] Saklapes probably stands for Serapis. It is known that Serapis and Bacchus were the sun of autumn and the sun of spring. Serapis bore sometimes the character of the Egyptian Chmún, surnamed Esculapius. To predict and to resuscitate were powers attributed to Apollo-Esculapius. As the latter, so had Serapis a serpent. He was also Osiris. Helios-Serapis and Jupiter-Serapis are read upon bronzes. Temples of Serapis were numerous in Asia, Thracia, Greece, and Italy. I shall only mention that of Antium, and that at Rome, on an island of the Tiber, beyond the pons Palatinus.
[95] Jangís khan, originally called Tamujin, was, according to Chinese and Moghul authorities (see Geschichte der Ost-mongolen von Isaak Jacob Schmidt, Seite 376), born in the year of the Hejira 558 (A. D. 1162), in Dilun Jalún. It was in the year 1206 of our era that he received, in a general assembly of submissive Tartars, the name of Jangis-khan, “Great Khan:” his own tribe, which was that of Moghuls, before him called Bida, he raised to pre-eminence over all the Tartars.
[96] This is a work of Naśer eddin Túsi (about whom, see vol. II. p. 417, note 2, and p. 449). He was the favorite minister of Hulagu Khan, whose arms he had successfully directed against Baghdad and the Khalif. The Khan, after his conquests, took up his residence at Maragha, in Aderbigan; there he assembled philosophers and astronomers to cultivate science, under the direction of Nâśer eddin. In our days the place is still shown where the observatory of this astronomer was situated, and where he compiled the astronomic tables, known under the name of Jal-khanní.
[97] Jangis Khan had four sons, whose rank of seniority is differently stated by different authors, and among whom he divided his vast empire. Octáyi was to rule all the countries of the Moghuls, Kathayans, and others extending towards the East. He died in the year of the Hejira 639 (A.D. 1241). Châtayí was to possess Mawer ul nahir, Turkistan, Balkh, and Badakhshan. He died in the year of the Hejira 638 (A.D. 1240). Jují was to reign over Desht, Kapchak, Kharizm, Khizer, Bulgaria, Lokmin, Alan, As, Russia, and the northern countries. He died in Hejira 624 (A.D. 1226), during his father’s life. Tuli Khan received for his share Khorassan, India, and Persia; he died soon after his father; but his sons, Manjuka, Koblai, and Hulagú became celebrated in history.
[98] Jangis Khan, during his terrific career, in the fourteenth year of slaughter, devastation, and conquest, fell upon the empire of Kharism and Ghazni. Muhammed of the Seljuks was driven from all his possessions, and died a fugitive. He had before divided his empire between his four sons, to one of whom Jelál eddin, he had assigned Kharizm, Khorassan, Mazinderan, Ghazni, Bamian, Ghor, Bost Takanad, Zamigdand, and all the Indian provinces. This prince, retiring before superior forces towards Ghazni, gained two battles over the Moghuls, but was at last obliged to fly to the banks of the Indus. There, closely pressed by the enemies, who murdered his captive son seven years old before his eyes, he threw his mother, wife, and the rest of his family, at their own desire, into the water, and then swam, with a few followers, across the river, before his admiring pursuers, who followed him no further.
[99] Jangis Khan died in the year of the Hejira 626 (A. D. 1228), in his sixty-sixth year. He left an empire which extended from the Indus to the Black sea; from the banks of the Wolga to the remote plains of China; and from the arid shores of the Persian gulf to the cold deserts of Siberia. Having, in his early age, been driven by his subjects from his home, he passed several years under the protection of a Christian prince, Awenk Khan, or Ungh Khan, known to Europeans under the name of Prester John; and was therefore supposed by some to have adopted the Christian religion: thus much is true—he and his successors protected the Christians and persecuted the Muhammedans, until Nikudár Oglan professed the Muhammedan faith, in A. D. 1281, and drove the Christians out of his empire.
[100] The duration of Jangis Khan’s dynasty reckoned from the year of the Hejira 599 (A. D. 1202) extended by fourteen princes to 736 (A. D. 1335), comprising 137 lunar, 133 solar, years. It does not appear that change of religion, by itself, had any influence upon the decline and fall of this dynasty.
Section IV.—Upon the sayings of his Majesty (Akbar), dwelling in the seventh heaven.