The sun., 1900-08-12

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peror by the soldiers. and. taking the title q
Taitsu. became the founder OF the Sung dynasty
An China submitted to him. except the province
Of Shensi and Kansuh. which now formed tn
Independent kingdom OF Hcs. A general am
nesty was granted. learning was encouraged
and time Of great prosperity for literature
and especially history. began. The Emperor
personal authority was considerably heightened
and the provincial Governors were deprivet
OF their power Of life and death The Princ'
OF Han, making war with the help Of the Xii
tans was repelled. and some OF the Tatars
including the ancestors Of the Kins and presen
Manchus made voluntary submission to the EN-
pire; but lat the hands Of the Khitans themselves
the Chinese suffered disastrous defeats and 4
humiliattng peace was made. Chintsong 1905
1929. who did much to reform the administra
ton during the early part OF his reign. sfterwarc
gave himself up more and more to the Taois
priests. and granted a large tract OF land neal
the Luns-hu Mountains to their High Pries
or Pope, thus greatly streng thening the po'
sition OF the sect During the reign Of his
successor the boy Emperor Jintsong l02s-
io64). the Empress Dowaeer administered
the Government and ruled WELL salt and tea
were exempted from taxation. and fortune
tellers and other mpostors who had multiplied
during the previous reign. were vigorously
suppressed
An essay in State socialism. that Is to say
IN attempt to improve the condition Of the
people by putting commerce. agriculture and
other industries under State control. sug-
gested by the Minister. wanganchi. historian
and scholar. was conspicuous failure. This
Is ono Of the innumerable examples Of the
truth that. so long as Chinese history exists.
We can call nothing new under the sun. The
Sung Enperors had. indeed. more pressing
matters TO attend to than the internal admins
tration Of the country. With such warlike
neighbors as the Khitans. It was impossible
to remain long at peace. and even the State
OF Hea inflicted upon one occasion disas-
trous defeat upon the Chinese troops and ex-
acted tribute from the Emperor,
Meanwhile among the Nuchs Tartars. tho
ancestors Of the present Manchu rulers Of
China, q certain Akouta, having raised himself
by his skill In arms. took the title OF Emperor
under the dynastic name Of Kin tGold) The
Khtans attacking him suffered defeat. but
renewed their victories over the Chinese. Re-
duced to desperate straits. the Emperor Hwet
song Ci0l-ii28) asked the Kins TO help him
TO expel the Khitans from his territory. The
help was readily given, the intruders were driven
out Of northern China and the Kins captured
Pekin. which had been the southern capital
OF the Khitan Empire. Hsse we may note
that. In very early times, Pekin had been the
chief town Of the little Chinese State Of Yan:
later on IL formed part Of the Wall Builders
Empire. and it was first captured by the Khitans
about the year ose A. d. To return to the Kins,
we observe that, like our own Saxon ancestors,
they were In no hurry to abandon the fine
country which their arms had won to the un.
warlike Chinese. but resolved to settle in It
themselves The Sungs we're compelled 70
be content with the South, but even there the
Kins would not leave them unmolested, and,
crossing the Yellow River they captured In
1927 Kai-fung-fu. the Sung capital. and took
the Emperor Kinesong prisoner. They then
retired and agreed TO divide the Middle Kingdom
with the Chinese. The Sungs transferred
their seat OF government to Nankin, and, al
though literature continued TO flourish among
them. their power was but q shadow Of what
1t had been. China however. has always con-
Quered her conQuerors, and the Klns soon
adopted Chinese civilization, Chinese customs
and Chinese institutions Pekin became the
capital OF their Empire. Between the two
nations which had divided China war went
on continuously. Kaotsung Ql27-lls3l, the
arst OF the southern Sung Emperors who sue
ceeded the captive Kinssong. removed his
capital from Nankin TO YanSchou. near the
sea. TO provide for his own safety Even this
city however. was taken by the enemy, and,
the Sungs became tributary to |
he kins. although. under one or two able !
Generals. they gained several victories over
hem, and they were always superior at sea.
)ne OF the Kin Emperors formed tho design |
II conquering the whole Of China tog ther !
with. Hea and Corea, but he was murdered. |
md the power Of the Kins began to wsne soon |
lfterward. although the Surgs were quite
inable to inhiot u decisive defeat on them.
Meanwhile. new power was rising destined
o expel both dynastics and TO subjueate al
most the whole Of Asia.
v.
The Mongos were originally a small tribe
u Tatars descended from the Hionenu,
nd 40 related to the Huns. They dwelt In
ents In the district southeast OF Lake Bsikal
semi-mythical hero named Budantsar had
lrst consolidated their power. and by sue
essful wars over the neighbortns tribes, they
'radually made their authority felt over a
considerable area. The ninth In descent from
'udantsar was Temuohin. who was born in
1872 As he grew up he showed himself in
very way qualified TO maintain the position
e had inherited, and. after having distin-
ushed himself In numerous wars, he WAS.
n 1908. proclaimed Genghis Khan Most Mighty
ihan) at a great meeting OF the Mongol Con-
ederacy. Having decided TO extend his do
ninions toward the east he first conquered
he Kingdom OF Hea, comprising. as We have
aid, the Chinese provinces Of Shens and Tam
uh; then. breaking through the Great Wall
e overran the Provinces OF Chih-n and shsnsi
nd penetrated to the Lao -Tung Peninsula.
he Kins being able to offer no efYect,ial resist.
nee. After annexlng almost the whole of |
no Kin Empire he died In 1877. exhortina his
blowers to complete the conquest Of China |
y the final extinction Of the Kins and the over |
brow OF the Sungs. who still maintained their
old upon the southern section Of the Middle
ingdom The first part OF the task was soon
erformed. The last Kin Emperor committed
icide and a small remnant Of his subjects
ed to the country northeast Of the Great Wall.
here they prospered. and whence, In the seven ,
'enth century. some Of their descendants.
nder the namc Of Manchus. were to emerge :,
nee more from their obscurity and to master
,e Celestial Empire. Kublai. a grandson of
enghiz. who was elected Grand Khan In 1890
red his capital at Pekin and the city became !
nown to the Mongols as Khanbalik. OF Cam
lluc. the city Of the khans Its position was {
lifted little to the northeast and new walls a
ere built on a magnificent scale. Kublai's '
a - l.