The obligations of the vanquished races and their relations with their conquerors were limited by periodical acknowledgement of their submission and, when it suited the conquerors pleasure, the opportunity of judging the merits of their disputes by their princes going not only to the Khan of the Golden Horde, but also frequently to the Grand Khan at the extremity of Asia on the Amoor. They met there the chiefs of the Mongol Tartar, Tibetan and Bokharian hordes and sometimes the Kaliph of Bagdad, or even legates of the Pope or the King of France. The Grand Khan held a high court where he tried to play off against each other these ambassadors from Europe who met to do him reverence. The insolent ambition of the Grand Khan knew no bounds. He desired at one time that the King of France should recognize him as Master of the World. This long road to the seat of the Mongol Empire was strewn with bones of ambassadors, and few who went ever returned.
The conquered people were obliged to pay a capitation tax which weighed as heavily upon the poor as on the rich. This tribute was paid either in money or in furs, or, if they refused, those who failed became slaves. To make matters worse the Khan for some time farmed out this revenue to merchants of Khiva who collected it with the utmost severity and who were protected by strong guards to put down revolts should the people prove obstinate.
Thus in 1264, in 1284, in 1318, in 1327, the inhabitants of various cities felt to their cost the heavy arm ready to strike them in case of any attempt at insurrection against the usurper. Later the princes of Moscow themselves farmed not only the tax from their own subjects but also from the neighboring countries, becoming the farmers-general of the invaders; in fact, this was the origin of the power and riches of the Muscovite princes.
Previous article Next article
From General Nelson A. Miles
Thrilling Stories of The Russian-Japanese War, 1904
