Chungeez Khan is said to have had more than five hundred wives and mistresses; but of this number, five only were distinguished above the rest.
The first of these was the daughter of the chief of the Kunkoorat, Boorut Kochin. This lady was the mother of his eldest children.
Second. Gunjoor, or Gunjwur, the daughter of Altan Khan, the King of Khatai.
Third. Koozi Sozoon, the daughter of Naimanuk Khan, the chief of the Naimans.
Fourth. Pusloon, the daughter of Chabukto, and
Fifth. Kowlan, the daughter of Tair Asoon.
Of these, however, the first was the greatest favourite, as she had borne Chungeez Khan four sons and five daughters.
Of his sons, the eldest was Joji Khan.
The second, Chughutai Khan.
The third, Ooktai; and
The fourth, Tooli Khan.
These four sons were each appointed by Chungeez Khan to a particular duty, viz.
To Joji was committed the care and charge of hunting expeditions.
Chughutai was appointed to the administration* of warlike measures, and the order and arrangement of the army.
Ooktai Khan, whose abilities surpassed the rest of his brethren, was appointed to preside over the political affairs of the state.
Tooli Khan, who was also called Baligh Noyan, had the superintendence of the horses and cavalry; also the arrangement of the encampments, as quarter-master-general.
Besides these, Chungeez had five sons by other ladies.
Chungeez, having obtained possession of Khatai, and the territory to the eastward, to the boundary of Almaligh,* now, in concert with the tribes and families of the Moghools, divided the whole among his sons and Kurachar Noyan, who was descended from his uncle; also among his relations of all degrees.
He also placed all his relations under the particular protection and patronage of one or other of his sons, and strove by every means to establish firmly the ties of friendship and consanguinity between them.
This was his constant endeavour, and one day, having assembled all his sons and relations, he took an arrow from his teer kush, or quiver, and broke it. He next took out two, and did the same. He went on thus increasing the number by one each time, until at last he had so many in his hand he found it impossible to break them; he then handed them round to all his family present, the strongest of whom found they also were unable to break them.
He then addressed his sons and relations, and told them this was precisely their case: that as long as they remained in concord and united, no one would be able to prevail against them or injure them; and the reverse; that it was indispensable one of them should be constituted king, and that all the rest should be obedient to him, and serve him with one heart and accord, to the end that quarrels might not arise among them, and, in consequence of such quarrels, their enemies overcome them: for, he observed, although the title of king was confined to an individual, yet in fact all his sons and relations were partners and participators in the possession of the country and its wealth.