Travels Of Marco Polo: Fifty Nine

Now, I must mention a very great battle which was fought in the kingdom of Vociam. In the year of our Lord 1272, the great Khan sent a mighty captain named Nescardin with 12000 men to defend the province of Caraian.  He was a prudent man, very strong in arms and skill in war.  The soldiers with him were good and brave.  Now the King of Mein and of Bangala were afraid that he would invade their country.  But they were confident that they could destroy the whole army of Khan, who then, would never venture such an attempt in future.  They assembled therefore 60000 horses and foot, 2000 elephants each of which had on its back a castle well fortified and defended by twelve, fourteen or sixteen men.  The king of Mein came with the above army to the city of Vociam, where was the array of Tartars, and took post in a plain at the distance of three days' journey.  Nescardin was alarmed at the sight of enemy forces, but he took courage, thinking his fighters were most brilliant and valiant.  He therefore marched forward, and pitched his camp near a forest, filled with lofty trees into which elephants could not enter.  The Tartars advanced, but their horses were frightened by the moving castles upon elephant backs.  They refused to move.  The Tartars immediately alighted and tied horses to the trees. Then the Tartars began shooting volleys of arrows towards the forces on elephant's back. Though the forces of king of Mein fought fiercely, the Tartars were more accustomed to battle.  The men on elephant backs were wounded severely.  The elephants also received a multitude of arrows and they took to flight and rushed to the forests. In their flight through the thick forest the wooden castles were destroyed together with their equipment.  At this opportunity, the Tartars untied their horses, and rushed upon the warriors of the king of Mein.  A fierce battle followed. Mighty blows. Swords struck with swords. Noise and cries. At length, by mid day the forces of king of Mein gave way. The king, and those who survived took to flight.  The Tartars captured some of the enemy men, and these fugitives helped the Tartars to tame the elephants some of which gone berserk in the hue and cry of battle. The great khan's army got about two hundred elephants and a few captives. All of them were employed in his army. The land of king of Mein was annexed to the empire of Kublai Khan.
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The places and people mentioned in the paragraph are not seen in the public domain. Many of the narratives connected with the battle are mere stories, and not an eyewitness account. Most probably the traveller was in the northeastern countries of Indian subcontinent.

End of the Section 

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