CHINA. 



231 



tars. 



Tartars, and restored the tranquillity of the empire, and 

 was distinguished by his generosity and humanity, his 



A- L>. l-OO. j Qve u j- i earn j n g. j anc j abhorrence of luxury. During the 

 reign of his successors however, the Tartars of the East, 



Progress of t }, OU gij frequently repulsed, made uniform encroachments 

 upon the Chinese dominions ; and were generally arrest- 

 ed in their progress, not by the force of arms, but by the 

 promise of an annual pension or tribute. In the reign of 

 Ning-tsong, the power of the Western Tartars arose 

 under the famed Genghis- Khan, and, by their assistance, 

 the empire of the Eastern Tartars were completely sub- 

 dued. These victorious allies, however, soon began to 

 extend their conquests at the expence of their Chinese 

 friends ; and, under the voluptuous reign of Too-tsong, 

 gained easy and speedy possession of the Northern pro- 

 vinces of the empire. They next advanced into the 

 centre of the country with immense forces, seized upon 

 the succeeding prince, Tee-hien, who was only an infant, 

 and sent him into the deserts of Tartary; compelled his 

 brother Tein-tsong, who was next placed on the throne, 

 to take refuge in the most southern parts of Quang-ton, 

 where he died in the second year of his reign ; attacked 

 his successor, Tee-ping, a child like his two predeces- 

 sors, who was then on board his fleet under the care of 

 his prime minister ; and, after a most sanguinary contest, 

 in which 100,000 Chinese are said to have perished, ei- 

 ther by the sword or the water, gained a complete vic- 

 tory, and terminated the power of the Song-family. 

 The conqueror, called Ho-pee-lie by the Chinese, and 

 Kulbay-Khan by the Tartars, afterwards assumed the 

 name of Shee-tsoo, and founded 



The Twentieth Imperial Dynasty. 

 YUEN, or MOGULS. 



Twentieth Shee-tsoo, Kublay-khan 1260 



"'? Tching-tsong, Timoor-khan 1295 



Voo-tsong, Dgenesek-khan 1308 



Gin-tsong, Algiaptoo-khan 1312 



Yn-tsong, Tchytepola 1321 



Tay-ting, Yeson- Timor-khan 1324 



Ming-tsong, Cooshee-lay-khan 1329 



Ven-tsong, Daouat-moor-khan 1329 



Ning-tsong, Hintchipan 1333 



Shun-tee, Tocat-moor-khan 1333 



Shee-tsoo, though he was the first foreign prince that 

 governed the Chinese nation ; yet, by adhering as closely 

 as possible to their ancient laws and customs, by his 

 love of learned men, and his respect particularly to the 

 memory of Confucius, by his uniform equity, and pater- 

 nal tenderness towards all his subjects, he effectually re- 

 conciled them to his government. He even caused a pro- 

 clamation to be issued at his accession, permitting all 

 persons to continue in the same offices, which they 

 had enjoyed in the preceding reign ; and to this day the 

 reign of his family is styled by the Chinese, the wise 

 government." He was the author of the statute, which 

 appoints, that there should be but one calendar through- 

 out the empire, which should be compiled at court, and 

 published every year. He was the first sovereign, also, 

 who removed the royal residence to Pe-kinj and, to pre- 

 vent the frequent shipwrecks, which took place among 

 the vessels employed in bringing to the metropolis, by 

 sea, the tribute of the southern provinces, or in carrying 

 on the trade of the empire ; he constructed the great 

 canal, which extends nearly 1500 leagues, as will after- 

 wards be more particularly described ; and, which, be- 

 sides being one of the greatest wonders of the country, 



i^cetssion 

 if Tartar 

 i >rince. 



blic ca- 



A. 0. 1360. 



is one of the greatest benefits, which had ever been con- History, 

 ferred on the Chinese empire. The succeeding princes 

 of this dynasty were all distinguished by their private 

 virtues, as well as their excellent government ; but both 

 they and their Tartar followers, became gradually ener- 

 vated by the softer climate and luxurious productions of 

 China. Slum-tee particularly, though in other respects 

 a prince of considerable talents, sunk into habits of the 

 most effeminate indolence, and yielded himself entirely to 

 the influence of the Lamas of Tartary, who filled his pa- 

 lace with female singers and dancers ; and introduced 

 such a system of idolatry and debauchery, as at once 

 enfeebled the courage of the Tartar captains, and render- 

 ed them contemptible in the eyes of the nation whom 

 they had subdued. In the 14th year of the reign of 

 Shun-tee, a Chinese of the name of Shu, who had been 

 originally a servant in a monastery of Bonzes, put him- 

 self at the head of a troop of insurgents, made himself 

 master of several considerable cities ; repeatedly defeated 

 the imperial forces ; compelled the emperor to take re- 

 fuge in Northern Tartary ; and, ascending the throne by 

 the name of Tay-tsoo, founded 



The Tivenly-Jirsi Imperial Dynasty. 

 MIXG. 



U03 



Tay-tsoo 1563 



Kier.-ven-tee 1398 



Tching-Uoo-ven-tee, ? 



or Yong-lo . . . J 



Gin-tsong-tchao-tee . . 1425 



Siuen-tchong-tchang-tee 1426 



Yng-tsong 1436 



King-tee 1450 



Yng-tsong, restored . . 1457 

 Hien-tsong 1465 



Hiao-tsong . 

 Voo-tsong . 

 Shee-tsong . 

 Moo-tsong . 

 Shin-tsbng . 

 Kuang-tsong 

 Hee-tsong . 

 Hoay-tsong 

 Hong-kuang 



1488 Tvventy- 



1506 fim d y n 



1522 ty> 



1567 



1573 



1(520 



1621 



1628 



1614 



The founder of this dynasty ascended the throne with 

 universal applause ; and is celebrated as a prince of the 

 greatest piety and wisdom. The empire, however, did 

 not long enjoy the state of tranquillity and order, which 

 he had established ; and scarcely a single reign occurs in 

 the course of this dynasty, which is not marked with 

 the most bloody intestine commotions, or repeated in- 

 roads of the Northern Tartars. About the latter end w i, n ,h e 

 of the reign of Shin-tsong, the Niu-tche, or Eastern Tartar*. 

 Tartars, who had been reduced by the Western Tartars, 

 in the time of Genghis-Khan, again recovered their 

 strength, reunited their scattered principalities under one 

 sovereign, and commenced a succession of attacks upon 

 the empire of China, which terminated at length in its 

 total subjugation. About the year 1617, the Chinese origin of 

 mandarins had conducted themselves with unjustifiable the Tartar 

 insolence towards the Tartar merchants residing in Leao- invasion, 

 long j and had proceeded so far in their aggressions, as 

 to put their prince to death, after having treacherously 

 got possession of his person. Tien-ming, the son of the 

 deceased king, entered the Chinese territories at the 

 head of a powerful army ; but sent a proposal to the 

 emperor, in which he engaged to withdraw his forces, up- 

 on receiving satisfaction for the injuries, which he had 

 sustained. The mandarins, to whom the letter was com- 

 municated by the emperor, professed to hold ita author 

 in the utmost contempt, and disdained to vouchsafe any 

 answer whatever ; which exasperated the Tartar prince 

 to such a degree, that he vowed to sacrifice 200,000 

 Chinese to the manes of his murdered father. He marched 

 an army of 50,000 into the province of Pe-tche-lce ; but, 

 being checked in his progress by the Chinese forces, he 



i 



