▁(" Х ы тай ") ▁ ▁Ukrain ian : ▁Ки тай ▁( K y ta i ) ▁▁▁ ▁U z bek : ▁X ito y ▁( Х и той ) ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁evidence ▁that ▁either ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁or ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁C ath ay ans , ▁i . e . ▁Chinese , ▁travel led ▁officially ▁to ▁Europe , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁that ▁some ▁did , ▁in ▁uno fficial ▁capac ities , ▁at ▁least ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁During ▁the ▁campaign s ▁of ▁H ul agu ▁( the ▁grand son ▁of ▁G eng his ▁Khan ) ▁in ▁Pers ia ▁( 1 2 5 6 – 6 5 ), ▁and ▁the ▁reign s ▁of ▁his ▁success ors , ▁Chinese ▁engine ers ▁were ▁employed ▁on ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁Tig ris , ▁and ▁Chinese ▁ast ro log ers ▁and ▁phys icians ▁could ▁be ▁consult ed . ▁Many ▁diplom atic ▁communic ations ▁passed ▁between ▁the ▁H ul ag uid ▁Il kh ans ▁and ▁Christian ▁princes . ▁The ▁former , ▁as ▁the ▁great ▁k han ' s ▁lie g emen , ▁still ▁received ▁from ▁him ▁their ▁se als ▁of ▁state ; ▁and ▁two ▁of ▁their ▁letters ▁which ▁surv ive ▁in ▁the ▁arch ives ▁of ▁France ▁exhib it ▁the ▁verm il ion ▁impress ions ▁of ▁those ▁se als ▁in ▁Chinese ▁characters — per haps ▁aff ording ▁the ▁earliest ▁spec imen ▁of ▁those ▁characters ▁to ▁reach ▁western ▁Europe . ▁ ▁Tab g ach ▁ ▁The ▁word