_Uiraca_ of D'Ohsson, the _Artacki_ or _Artackin_ of
Erdmann, are all various readings or forms of the same name, and are the
same with the Chinese form _Ulahai_ of De Mailla, and most probably the
place is the _Egrigaia_ of Polo.
We see also that Erdmann mentions another place _Aruki_ ([Arabic]) in
connection with Kanchau and Suhchau. This is, I suspect, the _Erguiul_ of
Polo, and perhaps the Irghai of Sanang Setzen.
Rashiduddin seems wrong in calling Ircaya the capital of the king, a
circumstance which leads Klaproth to identify it with Ning-hsia. Pauthier,
identifying Ulahai with Egrigaya, shows that the former was one of the
circles of Tangut, but _not_ that of Ning-hsia. Its position, he says, is
uncertain. Klaproth, however, inserts it in his map of Asia, in the era of
Kublai (_Tabl. Hist._ pl. 22), as _Ulakhai_ to the north of Ning-hsia,
near the great bend eastward of the Hwang-Ho. Though it may have extended
in this direction, it is probable, from the name referred to in next note,
that Egrigaia or Ulahai is represented by the modern principality of
ALASHAN, visited by Prjevalsky in 1871 and 1872.
[New travels and researches enable me to say that there can be no doubt
that _Egrigaia = Ning-hsia_. Palladius (l.c. 18) says: "_Egrigaia_ is
Erigaia of the Mongol text. Klaproth was correct in his supposition that
it is modern Ning-h'ia. Even now the Eleuths of Alashan call Ning-h'ia,
_Yargai_. In M. Polo's time this department was famous for the cultivation
of the Safflower (_carthamus tinctorius_). [_Siu t'ung kien_, A.D. 1292.]"
Mr. Rockhill (cf. his _Diary of a Journey_) writes to me that Ning-hsia is
still called _Irge Khotun_ by Mongols at the present day. M. Bonin (_J.
As._, 1900. I. 585) mentions the same fact.
Palladius (19) adds: "_Erigaia_ is not to be confounded with _Urahai_,
often mentioned in the history of Chingis Khan's wars with the Tangut
kingdom. Urahai was a fortress in a pass of the same name in the Alashan
Mountains. Chingis Khan spent five months there (an. 1208), during which
he invaded and plundered the country in the neighbourhood. [_Si hia shu
shi._] The Alashan Mountains form a semicircle 500 _li_ in extent, and
have over forty narrow passes leading to the department of Ning-hia; the
broadest and most practicable of these is now called Ch'i-mu-K'ow; it is
not more than 80 feet broad. [_Ning hia ju chi._] It may be that the
Urahai fortress existed near this pass."
"From Liang-cho
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