The Travels of Marco Polo · Character
Kaidu
Also known as Caidou, Caidu
- Supporting
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 5
Kaidu feels like a distant pressure on the edge of the Kaan’s world: a powerful commander whose refusal to yield keeps the frontier uneasy. The account gives him no physical portrait, so his presence is defined by the scale of the force he commands.
- Gender
- male
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 5
- Books
- 1
Kaidu, grandson of Okkodai, refuses to recognize the transfer of supreme authority to the House of Tuli and remains a persistent challenge to Kúblái. His command of 100,000 horsemen makes the political dispute a constant military threat, keeping the north-western frontier in alarm. The account presents him chiefly through this resistance and the unease it creates, not through personal detail.
Description
The account gives no specific physical portrait of Kaidu: his age, build, complexion, hair, eyes, and facial features are not stated. Nor is a particular garment or accessory described. He is identified as a powerful Mongol commander, but his appearance should remain unspecified rather than inferred from his rank.
Connections
Family & partnersFriends & mentorsRivals
- C
Chagataicousin
The commentary identifies Kaidu and Chagatai as cousins and says Kaidu shared control of Samarkand and Bokhara with Chagatai’s khans.
- KK
Kubilai Khanrival
Kaidu is in bitter enmity with the Great Kaan and contests Mongol authority; the commentary notes their long wars.
Story so far
BOOK 1The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1
Appearances
Meet Kaidu in Bookworm
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