Marco Polo's Voyage to Indian Seas: 56: Western Tartars
Sain was a great and powerful king, he was the first Western Tartar king.
He conquered Alania, Lac, Mengiar, Zic, Gucia and Gazaria. The inhabitants had all been Comanian, but having no unity or connection, lost their country, and were driven into various parts of the world, while those who remained, became servants of the conquerer. After him reigned successively Patu, Manga,
Mungletemur, Totamongur, and Toctai, the present sovereign. Having thus recounted the kings of western Tartars, I will now describe a great battle, fought between Alau lord of the East and Barka, the lord of the west, with occasion which led to it.
Note:-
1. Tartars also known as Tatar are a group of Turkic speaking people who lived in west central Russia, Kazakhstan and western Siberia. The term Tatar originated around 5th century CE among nomadic tribes in northeastern Mongolia and the area around Lake Baikal. They have been related to Cuman or Kipchak peoples. Mishar, also known as the Western dialects are used in the Tatar regions. They developed a traditional craftsmanship in wood, ceramics, leather, cloth and metal.
Genetic studies have shown that Volga, Crimean and Siberian Tartars are unrelated.
2. Alania: Alania was a medieval kingdom of Iranian Alans that flourished during 9th to 13th centuries, in northern Caucasus. (Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia) Black sea on the west and Caspian sea on the East) Caucasus mountains is on the north of the region. Georgia touches the base of the mountains.
3. There is no concurrence among the scholars about the various names mentioned in this section as to their identify or existence.
End of the Section
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