Chapter Eight

[198] [After] plundering the Merkit people, [Chinggis Qahan] gave Döregene, one of the two wives (the other being Tügei) of Toqto’abeki’s eldest son, Qudu, to Ögödei Qahan. ⁴⁴⁹ Half of the [captured] Merkits rebelled and barricaded [themselves] inside the Taiqal ⁴⁵⁰ Barricade. Chinggis Qahan then gave orders for Sorqan-shira’s son Chimbai to take command and sent him to surround and attack the barricaded Merkits with the soldiers of the leftflank [army]. Chinggis Qahan pursued Toqto’a, who, together with his two sons Qudu and Chila’un and a handful of men, had turned and fled for their lives. Chinggis Qahan spent the winter on the southern side of the Altai [Mountains]. In the spring of the Year of the Ox, ⁴⁵¹ while [Chinggis Qahan] was crossing the Arai, ⁴⁵² Güchülük of the Naimans, whose people had been captured, rebelled against [Chinggis Qahan] and, together with a small number of men, united with Toqto’a of the Merkits. They joined forces [to attack] at Buqdurma, ⁴⁵³ the source of the Erdish [River]. [Each] put his soldiers in order. When Chinggis Qahan arrived, he and they fought each other. Toqto’a fell, hit by a stray arrow. ⁴⁵⁴ Unable to bury his bones or take away his body, his sons cut off his head and to take with them. [Even] together, the Naimans and Merkits were unable to stand [firm]. Instead, they retreated across the Erdish, where most of them drowned. A few managed to cross the Erdish, [after which] they split up. Güchülük Qan of the Naimans travelled through [the territories of] the Ui’urtais and the Qarlu’uts before going to join the Gür Qan of the Qara-kitads, who was camped on the Chui River in the land of the Sarda’uls. The sons of Toqto’a the Merkit—Qudu, Qat, ⁴⁵⁵ and Chila’un—and other Merkits set off through the [territory of] the Kanglins and the Kimcha’uts. From there, Chinggis Qahan returned across the Arai to [his] base camp. Chimbai had finished off the Merkits at the Taiqal Barricade. Chinggis Qahan then issued a decree [concerning these] Merkits: Those who should be killed have been killed. The rest have been treated as war spoils by [our] soldiers.’ The Merkits who had formerly submitted again rose up in rebellion at the base camp. [Fortunately], those of our retainers [left behind] in the base camp managed to overcome them. Chinggis Qahan then issued a decree: ‘I said that I would let them stay together as a [tribe], but they revolted.’ So he divided the Merkits [and sent groups of them off] in all directions until they were no more.