Chapter V

HOW ABAGA SENT HIS SON ARGON IN COMMAND AGAINST KING CAIDU.

Abaga the Lord of the Levant had many districts and provinces bordering on King Caidu’s territories. These lay in the direction of the _Arbre Sol_, which the Book of Alexander calls the _Arbre Sec_, about which I have told you before. And Abaga, to watch against forays by Caidu’s people sent his son Argon with a great force of horsemen, to keep the marches between the Arbre Sec and the River Jon. So there tarried Argon with all his host.{1}

Now it came to pass that King Caidu assembled a great army and made captain thereof a brother of his called Barac, a brave and prudent man, and sent his host under his brother to fight with Argon.{2}

⚜ (Barac and his army cross the Jon or Oxus and are totally routed by Argon, to whose history the traveller now turns.)

NOTE 1.—The Government of this frontier, from Kazwin or Rei to
the banks of the Oxus, was usually, under the Mongol sovereigns
of Persia, confided to the heir of the throne. Thus, under Hulaku
it was held by Ábáká, under Ábáká by Arghún, and under Arghún by
Gházán. (See _Hammer, passim._)

We have already spoken amply of the Arbre Sol (vol. i. p. 128
_seqq._).

NOTE 2.—Barac or Borrak, who has been already spoken of in ch. iii.
of the Prologue (vol. i. p. 10), was no brother of Kaidu’s. He was
the head of the house of Chaghatai, and in alliance with Kaidu.
The invasion of Khorasan by Borrak took place in the early part
of 1269. Arghún was only about 15, and his father Ábáká came to
take the command in person. The battle seems to have been fought
somewhere near the upper waters of the Murghab, in the territory of
the Badghís (north of Herat). Borrak was not long after driven from
power, and took refuge with Kaidu. He died, it is said from poison,
in 1270.