1S60.] Asiatic Sovereigns and Paper Currency. 187 



The Jesuit, Du Hakle, in his " Description de 1' empire de la Chine," 

 states that a few of the notes which were issued under these early- 

 Chinese kings, are still in existence,* and they are regarded with 

 superstitious reverence. They are greatly prized as talismans to 

 protect houses from evil, and it is held as an omen of the greatest 

 good fortune, if, in building a new house, they can get one to hang to 

 the main beam. He gives a picture of one of these notes, on which 

 we find the word tscliao as the current name.f The following is Du 

 Halde's translation of the Chinese inscription, " La cour des tresoriers 

 ayant presente cette requeste, il est ordonne que la monnoye du papier 

 aiusi marquee du sceau imperial des Ming, aye cours et soit employee, 

 de meme que la monnoye de cuivre. Ceux qui en feront de fausse, 

 auront la teste coupee. Celui qui les aura accusez et amenez, sera 

 recompense de deux cent cinquante Taels. De plus on lui donnera 

 les biens meubles et immeubles du coupable. Fait a telle annee, tel 

 mois, tel jour du regne de Hong vou." 



~We now turn to Persia, where we shall find a similar but less suc- 

 cessful attempt to have been made. 



In the dissolution of the empire which followed Chenghiz Khan's 

 death in 1226, and its division among his sons, his grandson Hulaku 

 Khan turned his arms to Persia, and after completing its conquest by 

 the taking of Baghdad and the overthrow of the Abbaside dynasty 

 of Caliphs, established himself on the vacant throne, founding the 

 Tl-khani dynasty. He died in 1264 and was succeeded by his son 

 Abaka Khan, who governed wisely and consolidated his father's 

 conquests. But after his death, in 1283, a scene of discord and con- 

 fusion ensued, until Ky Khatu succeeded to the throne in 1291. He 

 found the finances in great disorder, but instead of attempting to 

 restore them by economy, he plunged into all kinds of excess, and left 

 everything to a Wazir who was himself as extravagant as his master. 

 At length in 1294 affairs appear to have reached a crisis, and the 

 minister, at his wits' end to provide for the current expences of the 



* There is an interesting communication in the Royal Asiatic Society's 

 Joum. Vol. XIII. on the private paper currency now in use in some parts of 

 China. 



t Tschao is found in De Guignes' Chinese Diet., where it is explained, " papy- 

 rus sigillata qua ohm sinenses loco argenti utebantur." 



