Now this King Caidu is never at peace with his uncle the Great Kaan, but ever at deadly war with him, and he hath fought great battles with the Kaan’s armies.  The quarrel between them arose out of this, that Caidu demanded from the Great Kaan the share of his father’s conquests that of right belonged to him; and in particular he demanded a share of the Provinces of Cathay and Manzi.  The Great Kaan replied that he was willing enough to give him a share such as he gave to his own sons, but that he must first come on summons to the Council at the Kaan’s Court, and present himself as one of the Kaan’s liegemen.  Caidu, who did not trust his uncle very far, declined to come, but said that where he was he would hold himself ready to obey all the Kaan’s commands.

In truth, as he had several times been in revolt, he dreaded that the Kaan might take the opportunity to destroy him.  So, out of this quarrel between them, there arose a great war, and several great battles were fought by the host of Caidu against the host of the Great Kaan, his uncle.  And the Great Kaan from year’s end to year’s end keeps an army watching all Caidu’s frontier, lest he should make forays on his dominions.  He, natheless, will never cease his aggressions on the Great Kaan’s territory, and maintains a bold face to his enemies.[NOTE 2]

Indeed, he is so potent that he can well do so; for he can take the field with 100,000 horse, all stout soldiers and inured to war.  He has also with him several Barons of the imperial lineage; i.e., of the family of Chinghis Kaan, who was the first of their lords, and conquered a great part of the world, as I have told you more particularly in a former part of this Book.

Now you must know that Great Turkey lies towards the north-west when you travel from Hormos by that road I described.  It begins on the further bank of the River JON,[1] and extends northward to the territory of the Great Kaan.

Now I shall tell you of sundry battles that the troops of Caidu fought with the armies of the Great Kaan.

NOTE 1.—­We see that Polo’s error as to the relationship between Kublai and Kaidu, and as to the descent of the latter (see Vol I. p. 186) was not a slip, but persistent.  The name of Kaidu’s grandfather is here in the G. T. written precisely Chagatai (Ciagatai).

Kaidu was the son of Kashin, son of Okkodai, who was the third son of Chinghiz and his successor in the Kaanate.  Kaidu never would acknowledge the supremacy of Kublai, alleging his own superior claim to the Kaanate, which Chinghiz was said to have restricted to the house of Okkodai as long as it should have a representative.  From the vicinity of Kaidu’s position to the territories occupied by the branch of Chaghatai he exercised great influence over its princes, and these were often his allies in the constant hostilities that he maintained against the Kaan.  Such circumstances may have led Polo to confound Kaidu with the house