The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-01-24
WAR SIX HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
The Hloedy Career Of Jsashiz. KmpereF 81
the Mems aeis-OVeF EiGhtsen Million Hn-
A. sft. A.. W~mw.

ths sisnHsls-Over Rinhtsen alillisn Hn-
maa BelnEs Killed In Twelve Years.
The destruction Of life and property
thus far during the actual Eastern war
has been immense, even according 20
the lowest figures Of both Russian and
Turkish official reports. But, even put
ting the Russian losses at III 900, II sug-
gests the changes which civilization has
slowly wrought Ia mankind - whose
natural state Hobbs declared 10 be war
when we contrast with IL the almost
incredible waste Of blood and treasure
during the Eastern wars waged by Jeng-
hiz Khan. in the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries.
Yissugri, the father Of that heree aud
mighty conqneror, rejecting a title Of
honor which the Kin Emperor Of China
offered him, styled himself Emperor Of
the Great MOngols. The MOngols, Of
which he was a typical representative,
as his son WRs 10 a still higher degree,
are first mentioned in the Chinese 4" His
tory Of the Yuen Dynasty, A. ID. 6lB-
e07, when, aud for = long time sub
sequently, they were subjects Of the
Turkish tribe Of Hiung-niuE. They
10 the Liam and Kin dynasties Of China,
until, under Yissugei, they established
their independence. They bad not only
the vices Of a nomAdic, fighting race,
but also many 0f its rude yirtnek. These
they might have communicated 30 their
vanauishtd foes had they not almost in
yAriRbly slain them, cutting them down
root and branch. Their distinguishing
characteristic was the brute, passionate
force which destroys but cannot npbuild,
and which although too generally idol
ized even IN this civilized age, is always.
with al lie fuss and noise, vastly inferior
10 the silent, enduring influence Of in
tellectnal and spiritual forces. fiEsugei,
on returning from a victorious campaign
in li54 against the chieftAin Temulin,
whom he had captured and put 10 death.
learned that his wife had given birth 10
her first-bOFn son. On examining the
infant. a piece of clotted blood was found
clinched IN his fist, and the superstitions
Mongol named him Tenulin, in memory
Of the yanquiEhed Tartar chief. Thus
the future conqneror Was stained with
blood at his very birth
When thirteen years old Temnlin
inherited his fathers throne and sword
He acquired al length undisputed Sway
over the tribes from the ArRun 10 the
Irish. On his return in i206 from @
successful raid into the kingdom OF
Hia, be held a great Durbar OF the
source Of the Onon, and caused himself
10 be proclaimed Jenghiz Khan, or Very
Mighty Khan. In 1909 he made another
incursion into Hia. Not long afterwArd,
when an envoy OF the relgning Kin
Sovereign announced his masters acces-
sion, Jenghiz vsuchsafed no reply, but
" Epat on the floor, and mounting his
horse rode away" He now began a
career unparalleled since the victories OF
ancient Rome. At Bnkhara, one OF the
numerous cities which he pillaged and
destroyed, he called himself "the
scourge OF God" As such he swept
over the fairest portion Of the earth,
devastating and depopulating it. Even
in retreating through conquered
provinces, JenghiE, "Rs hloodthirsty
after the battle as IN the heat OF the
fight, left behind him trail OF blood.
Briefly to sum up the rest OF his terrible
story, be pursued with relentless energy
and unsurpassed cruelty his extermiuat-
ing oonduests in Central Asia, in North
western India, in Eastern Russia, and IN
China, where, in 1880, after a struggle
of fifty years, the Mongols became mas
tiers OF the whole empire. Jenghiz
himself died on the 18th Of August, 1927,
in the mountainous region Of Linpan, at
the age Of sixty-six. His body was re-
moved into Mongolia, and in order to
keep his death secret, the escort killed
every one they met on the road. As
fitting close 20 his munderous career,
forty noble and beautiful girls shared
his tomb, that they might wait on him
in the land Of spirits" Mr.. Howorth,
in his History of the Moneols. from
the Ninth TO the Nineteenth Century,
eulogizes JenghiE as a greater leader
and statesman than either Alexander,
Napoleon, or Timour. But, before the
close Of the fourteenth century, the
Khans who succeeded him were CON-
pletely driven out Of China, and OF the
great Mongol Empire which he founded,
nothing remains but hideous ruins.
Even Mr.. Howorth admits that il does
make one hide ones face in terror 10
read thaterom l2ll TO 1923, 1910, 900
human beings persisted in China and
Tangut alone at the hands Of Jenghiz
and his followers Such was war SIX
hundred years ago.