ASIA. 



the political bodies of Asia, and in this position it has 



maintained itself for above 2000 years, whilst the power of 

 does not yet reckon 200 years. But every part of the immense surface 

 at the Chinese empire is not of equal importance. In the Russian 

 empire the Ural Mountains are the natural boundary of ita body, 

 whose head is placed in Europe, but whose limbs extend through the 

 whole north of Asia as far as Kamtehatka, and are a mere appendage, 

 which adds very little to the internal force of the body. Nearly the 

 same circumstances exist in China. The head of the Chinese empire 

 is at a short distance from the Pacific Ocean, on the eastern side of 

 the table-lands of Gobi and of Tibet, in the rich and fertile and 

 densely-populated lowlands of China, or in that part which is properly 

 called China (Chin). But all the other provinces to the north of the 

 Great Wall and to the west of ita western extremity must be 

 considered as an appendage, which is of comparatively very little 

 political importance with regard to the whole empire. By some 

 event this union might be dissolved and the exterior limbs separated, 

 which has actually taken place more than once on the change of the 

 reigning dynasties; but such events have not injured the proper 

 body of the empire, which has rather attained a greater concentration 

 of ita internal forces by this separation. These external provinces 

 or intermediate countries are only of importance to the government 

 by impeding foreigners from entering into immediate intercourse 

 with the natives of the Celestial Empire, and as a barrier against the 

 more western empires and nations. As provinces of inferior political 

 importance, but forming on impenetrable barrier to intercourse with 

 the neighbouring nations, we must consider all the countries extending 

 over the Chinese table-lands, the boundaries of which are nearly 

 coincident with those of the highlands of Eastern Asia. The Chinese 

 empire accordingly comprehends five great divisions of countries, 

 besides some of leas extent; and with respect to their political 

 relation towards the government, they may be divided into three 

 classes. The first class comprehends China Proper alone, the 

 permanent seat of government and the residence of the sovereigns, 

 either in the southern capital (Nanking) or in the northern (Peking), 

 as at present. The second class is composed of three great kingdoms 

 subject to the court of Peking Mantshuria on the north-east, the 

 native country of the present dynasty, which is of Tunguse origin ; 

 Mongolia on the north and north-west or the native country of all 

 Mongolia tribes; and Hami, Turfan, Khotan, Yarkand, Kosbgar, 

 and the mountainous Bokhara or rather Chinese Turkistun, which 

 are properly the native countries of the eastern Turkish Tartarian 

 tribes. The third class is composed of the protected countries, 

 which have only in part received Chinese institutions, such as Tibet, 

 Bhotan, Undes, Ladakh, and other small countries on the table-lands 

 toward the south and west ; and on the east the peninsula of Corea 

 and the island of Formosa, as well as the Liquejos or Liew-kiew 

 Islands. 



The BritM dominions in the East Indies are for the most part 

 in India or the peninsula within the Ganges. If we consider 

 only the immediate possessions of the British in India we find 

 that they have a population of about 100 millions on a surface 

 extending to about 700,000 square miles ; but their political 

 importance can only be duly estimated if we consider how thi.- 

 population is concentrated, and how easily accessible these countries 

 are by sea and by the great navigable rivers. But the British 

 influence U not limited to the immediate possessions of the three 

 presidencies of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay; it extends over a 

 great number of dependent and protected sovereigns, who possess a 

 territory of nearly equal extent with that of the East India 

 Company, and have under their rule about 53 millions of subjects. To 

 these we must add the island of Ceylon which belongs to the crown, 

 and U of the greatest importance as a well-situated and convenient 

 tattoo for the navy. Nepaul and Ava are the only important 

 states of India that remain independent of the British. By the peace 

 concluded at the termination of the Birroese war (1826) the posses- 

 sions of the Company were increased by the acquisition of Asam with 

 an area of about 18,000 square miles and a population of 600,000; 

 f Aracan with upwards of 20,000 square miles and a population 

 of about 250,000 ; and of the Tenamerim provinces of Ye, Tavoy, 

 and Mergui, with a surface of more than 30,000 square miles, but 

 a very scanty population, not exceeding 86,000 persons. In 1843 

 Sinde with an area of 70,000 square miles and a population of about 

 a million and a half; and in 1849 the whole of the Panjab with a 

 population of between three and four million*, were annexed to the 

 r.rituh empire in India, which has been further extended in the 

 present year (1863) by the annexation of the Birmese province of 



" 



Portuyutte, whose settlement* were formerly so numerous on 

 '"t* and in the islands of the Indian Sea, have preserved Goa 

 a few adjacent places, Daman, and a small portion of the 

 sula of Ouxerat with the fortress of Diu, a place important for 

 J*>n>ction of vemla. These possession* together with the 

 IA ^ySS '" ** b *J r of CmtaD "> China, and some districta of 

 Timor, Ac,, are supposed to contain about 60,000 square 

 mile., and (00,000 inhabitanta 



The /Vrsx* settlement* in Asia are confined to India, and com- 

 * government* of P.-ndicherry with *hc towns of Pondi- 



ASIA. 



cherry and Carical on the coast of Coromandel, and a few other 

 places, among which Chandernagore in Bengal, and Mahd on the 

 coast of Malabar, are the most important The whole area possessed 

 by the French does not exceed 200 square miles, with a population 

 of less than 200,000 individuals. 



The settlcmenta of the I>utch were formerly dispersed over the 

 coasto of both peninsulas of India, as well as over the adjacent 

 islands ; but they were obliged to abandon them by degrees ; and 

 since 1821 they have been limited to the island*. Their power begins 

 on the west with Sumatra, and extends beyond Java to the 

 Moluccas or Spice Islands. These possessions are roughly guessed 

 to comprehend a surface of about 612,000 square miles, and a popu- 

 lation of 16,500,000. 



These are the great empires and the colonies of the European 

 nations, among which the north, east, south, and centre of Asia are 

 divided ; but besides these there still exist some sovereignties, whirl], 

 though not powerful enough to influence materially the political 

 affairs of that continent, possess some importance in their immediate 

 neighbourhood. Such are the empire of Birma with a surface of 

 perhaps more than 200,000 square miles and a population of 10 

 million.", and the kingdoms of Siam and Annum, which latter com- 

 prehends the ancient sovereignties of Camboja, Cochin China, 

 and Tonkin, some petty but independent princes on the peninsula 

 of Malacca, on the island at the extremity of which is the important 

 British settlement of Singapore. Still we have to notice the most 

 eastern of all Asiatic countries, Japan, which consists of many islands 

 comprehending on area of more than 250,000 square miles, with a 

 very dense population estimated at 30 millions. 



The political relations of Western Asia are quite distinct from 

 those of its eastern countries. Other political bodies are here 

 predominant The influence of the British on the south and that of 

 the Russians on the north is here only subordinate ; and the empire 

 of China has no weight at all. In the lowlands on the banks of the 

 Jihon or Oxus and the Sihoun or Jaxartes political power is subjo< t 

 to continual changes and divisions, which put a limit to the extension 

 of the influence of the Chinese empire, though it projects like a wedge 

 between Siberia on the north and India on the south. Thi.- territory 

 of the nomadic tribes with its agriculture dispersed in the fash 

 oases, is probably the country of the MawBagetse of the ancients, the 

 Khorasmia and Mawar-al-Nahar of the Arabs, the Zagatoi of the 

 Mongols in the middle ages ; and contains at present the states 

 of Bokhara and Khiva, each of which may comprehend about 

 1 00,000 square miles ; and besides these many petty sovereignties 

 in the mountain regions, as Kunduz, BadakKhan, Turkiatan, &c. 

 All these countries must be considered as placed without th> 

 tical relations of Eastern as well as of Western Asia, and cannot be 

 enumerated among the civilised kingdoms, which have attained a 

 fixed and determinate form of government. 



The nations whose power is prevalent in Western Asia are the 

 Persians, the Afghans, the Arabs, and the Turks. Persia which 

 occupies the centre would doubtless exercise a decisive influent-" if 

 it still formed one entire and undivided empire ; but for nearly a 

 century this country has been divided into two sovereignties 

 Eastern Persia or Afghanistan, and Western Persia or Persia 

 Proper. Persia Proper comprehends upwards of 500,000 square 

 miles, and contains about 9 millions of inhabitanta The political 

 power of Afghanistan is lessened by the division of the country 

 into several petty states, but in the late war with the I 

 the Afghans displayed a bravery and a firinncHH of purpose .- 

 paralleled in the history of Asiatic nations. Both Persia and 

 Afghanistan preserve the importance which is secured to 

 by their geographical situation, as being the countries through 

 which the commercial intercourse between Eastern and Western 

 Asia is carried on, which influence is still considerably increased 

 by their being placed between the dominions of the Kussia- 

 the north, of the Turks on the west, and the British m India on 

 the south. 



Arabistan, the country of the Arabs, is of very little weight in the 

 political affairs of Asia, and has always been so since the dentmetion 

 of the caliphat It* inhabitanta are for the most part divided into 

 wandering tribes who are mostly in<le|>einli -nt of due another, and 

 therefore cannot act in union and with effect Some of them are 

 subject to the Turkish empire, but the Arabs and Turku consider 

 one another as personal enemies, and have frequently feuds. Though 

 this country is very thinly peopled it* inhabitanta may be estimated 

 at from ten to twelve mil lions, and it U divided into four considerable 

 sovereignties and a great number of smaller political bodies, which 

 however are often more or less dependent either on an Arabian 

 prince or a foreigner. The most powerful of the native A nil .inn 

 princes of the present day is the Imam of Muscat, to whom all the 

 south and south-east coasts of Arabia are tributary. For a long 

 time past the power of the Turkish emperor over Arabia has been 

 niina). 



The Turkish empire constitutes the lost of the three great powers 

 of Western Asia; but its power in Europe having considerably 

 declined, this has had a corresponding efl'cct on its political re!. 



The surface of the Turkixh empire in estimated at between 

 800,000 and 900,000 square miles, including its possessions on the 



