6i4 APPENDIX 



by, Western Asia than it is even in these days. Early in the 

 seventeenth century China was in actual danger of experiencing 

 the savage onslaught of Kutaiba, the Arab conqueror of Central 

 Asia; for, after bringing the lands bordering on the Chinese 

 Empire under his subjection, the Arab general seriously con- 

 sidered the question of demanding the submission of the Celestial 

 Empire. On one occasion they even came to blows, the Chinese 

 army of 200,000 men being defeated ; but the flow of Islam 

 into Western China was finally arrested by the death of Kutaiba 

 and the overthrow of the Omeyide dynasty. The spread of 

 Islam is one of the marvels of history, and it is not strange that 

 an Empire with a number of Mohammedan protectorates, as 

 China has, should produce a "half-caste" element professing 

 this faith. 



In the days following the introduction of Islam into Central 

 Asia, China had dominion over many tribes of Turkish descent 

 who were the earliest to embrace the new religion. These people 

 came of a fighting race, and on several occasions were able to 

 aid China when troubles at home found her in a difficult position. 

 For example, we are told, that in the middle of the eighth century 

 some 4,000 " Arabs " (probably Uigur, Tadjik, or Usbeg Moham- 

 medans from the present-day Chinese and Russian Turkestan) 

 came to the assistance of the Emperor of China and helped 

 to quell a rebellion. These troops, we are expressly told, never 

 returned to their original home, but settled in the home pro- 

 vinces of China and married Chinese wives. It has been 

 suggested that these people were one of the sources from which 

 sprang the five or more millions of Mohammedans who now thrive 

 within the Empire. On other occasions, also, people of Moham- 

 medan faith settled in China. Records exist which tend to 

 show that, at the end of the eighth century, there were as many 

 as 4,000 families residing in Sianfu, who had originally come from 

 Central Asia. These people had entered China for various reasons, 

 and, owing to the difficulty of returning home, — caused by the 

 unsettled state of Central Asia at that date, — they had asked 

 permission to remain as settlers. The Chinese granted them 

 their desire, and used them as mercenaries, paying them a monthly 

 allowance. 



