THE LAND OF UNREST 383 



road between Eastern and Western Asia, has for ages 

 formed the camping-ground of " princely-shepherds " 

 and nomad-kings. These two locahties contain all the 

 principal historical associations of Dzungaria. 



Landmarks in the history of Dzungaria are difficult 

 to discern at so great a distance ; in fact, they are entirely 

 lost to view if we look back beyond the ninth century a.d. 

 Before that date all Inner Asia was the play-ground 

 or battle-field of numerous unsettled, roaming bands of 

 nomads, about whom we know very little. During the 

 first three dynasties of China (until 249 B.C.) her western 

 borders were not in relation with the Empire. At the 

 commencement of the Hun Dynasty the spirit of con- 

 quest resulted in the incorporation of Kansu as a pro- 

 vince, but no notice appears to have been taken of the 

 far western regions, such as Turkestan and Dzungaria, nor 

 is there any mention of them in the Imperial Annals, 

 before the reign of Chien-lung in the eighteenth century. 



Between the second century B.C. and the fifth century 

 A.D. one particular tribe — the Huns — caused great changes 

 and upheavals in Inner Asia. Emerging from the depths 

 of Manchuria, they harried the marches of China and 

 wandered across into Dzungaria on their way to Europe. 

 This great human flood, however, left no trace behind 

 it, and we have to wait until the ninth century a.d. 

 before we find any part of Dzungaria actually occupying 

 a position of importance. At that period the Uigurs, 

 being driven out by pestilence, famine, and Kirghiz 

 invaders from their home in MongoHa, migrated to 

 Southern Dzungaria, and set up their second kingdom 

 on the slopes of the Tian Shan mountains, with their 

 capital at Bishbalik — the site of the present Urumchi. 



The Uigur Kingdom embraced but a small portion 

 n— 5 



