The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-10

n certain stage of civilization Whence this
civilization derived? II has been conjecturcd
that the first Chinese who settled In the Hoang-ho
valley may have migrated from the plains OF
Scnnacr; that they were a colony from Egypi;
or that thoy were Scythians by descent For none
Of these gucsses was any cogent evidence forth
coming until the late Professor Terrier de Lacou-
perie undertook 10 establish by many incontestable
proofs the theory that Nc first civilized settlers
in the Hoang- no basin had migrated eastward
from a region lying south Of the Caspian about
the twenty third century B. G. In support OF MS
hypothesis LacoupeTie was able 10 show marked
connection between many Of the primitive written
characters Of the Akkadian and Chinese Languages
well a distinct affinity between the religious,
social and scientific institutions and beliefs OF
the Akkadians and Chinese. In the twelve Pas
tors among whom the Emperor Yao (2,OS5-2,ooA
b. c. apportoned the Empire, he saw reflection
OF the twelve Pastor Princes of Susiana- In the
worship OF Shang-Ti and the six Honored Ones.
he recognized the supreme God and the six subordi-
nate deities Of the Susianans, In the knowledge
possessed by the Chinese Of astronomy and medi-
cine, he detected an identity with the condition
Of these sciences In Mesopotamia, and he also
drew attention TO the fact that the artificial water
ways Of China give II a striking likeness TO the
canals with which Babylonia is known 10 have
been intersectei at the epoch when the eastward
emigration OF Akkadians is supposed 10 have
taken place. 1t is certain that migrations on
vast scale and TO a great distance have been by
no means uncommon in Asiatc history. We
know that as late as the end OF the last century,
body Of X almucks numbering 600, 600 iourneyed
from the frontiers Of Russia to the confines OF
China This migration, which DE Quincy has
recounted in "The Flight Of Tarter Tribe" is but
example Of the movements which have fire.
quently taken place in the populations OF Asia
Plague famine. political disturbances, have all
been causes Of the nter1ow Of Eastern peoples
and there is nothing improbable In the supposed
transfer Of an Akkadian tribe from Mesopotama
TO the banks Of the Yellow River.
Nearly nineteen hundred years elapsed be-
tween the Emperor Yao and the celebrated 1sin
Chi Hwangu, the fourth Emperor Of tho short
lived Tsin dynasty GAG 200 B. c. Up 10 this time
China had been congeries Of states each Of which
was ruled by its own sovereign, and each OF which
owned only an uncertain fealty TO the head OF the
nominally predominant kingdom. Any sign of
weakness the part of the liege rord the signal
for rising on the part of the restless foudatories
II was while the country was in this disordcriy
condition that Confucus and Mcncius were born.
In spite OF the warnings Of these sages and those
OF Lao Tsze, the founder Of Taoism, the anarchy
continued until the ruler Of the Tsin principally
overpowered the imperial Chow State, and claimed
supremacy by right Of conquest II was Wang
Ching, the fourth sovereign OF this dynasty, who
built the Great Wall and constructed throughout
the empire admirable highways and bridges
which, even now although in ruins bear witness
to the sagacity of his centralzing measures
1t was not until b. C. 22l that he annihilated
feudalism and established the highly centralized
system which. with short Interruptions has con-
tnued to this day. Then il was that he changed
his name and style from his patronymic, Wang
Ching, 10 Tsin Chi Hwangti, which signifies the
first sovereign emperor Of the Tsns, as distinguish
ed from the assertor OF a mere suzeranty over
vassai princes. To the Capitalization of the
country the literary classes offered a determined
opposition. the features OF the feudal system be
ing inextrcably associated with the national
literature Therefore II was that, in b. c. 213, the
Emperor, who knew nothing OF half measures,
determined TO wrest from the lduddtoreS temporiS
acif the documentary evidences Of a feudal golden
age which they were 80 fond Of producing. With
this intention, Hwangt issued the famous edict
commanding that the whole Of the existing liter
AZURE Of China should be destroyed. only works
on divination and medicine being excepted. So
far as it was practicable, this decree was carried
out notwithstanding the determined resistance
OF the Literau, many of whom persisted at the
block rather than commit their cherished volumes
to the flames. To a considerable extent the
effects of the measure answered the purpose of the
sovereign, and the xampied prosperity which
the policy OF consolidation had secured for the
people brought its author general support Al
though he died in 200. and although his dynasty
lasted but a few years longer the Han dynasty
which came to the throne in b. G. 1874, was careful
not 10 revive the feudal system. but found all
classes of the people well content with the cen
tralZing policy that il longer needful TO
cut the nation adrift from its traditional litera-
ture All the stray copies Of the classics and other
works which had escaped destruction were
searched for, and such ancient texts other
wise irrecoverhble were taken down from the lips
OF veteran scholars This was the only part Of the
work Of the great Tsin Emperor which was re
versed The highly centralized system which Ma
poIeon l. devised for France has outived him less
than eighty years The similar system which
HwanEu devised for China has outlived him more
than twrutv-one centuries II the Han period is
universally regarded by Cinnamon az the most
glorious epoch in their history and II they know
prouder title than that Of the Sons of Han it is
because a literary revival conceded with the stud
Gus retention of centralized institutions, which
rendered possible the expansion Of the nation TO
Turkestan the west and TO Cochin CHINA on
the south
II is well known that the HISTORIAN Christians
entered China from Central Asia at early
date, but when. about the middle of the thirteenth
century, emissares Of the Pope also pcnetra ted
by the overland route to northern China.