86 HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 



began his conquests by a war against China, 1209. After passing the 

 Great Wall, he penetrated the interior and fired Pekin, which continued 

 burning an entire month, in 1215, subdued Bukhara and Chowaresem, 

 invaded Tangut, and destroyed I^anking. 



He died in 1227, and the conquest of China was completed by his sons and 

 his grandson, Batu. The latter humbled the caliphate at Bagdad, and 

 made the Turkish sultan of Iconium his vassal. Batu also directed the 

 Mongol invasion of Russia, 1237, and under him Beta advanced as far as 

 Silesia, 1241. He died in 1256. 



These immense conquests, so rapidly made, caused the empire to extend 

 from China to the Vistula ; but it was soon dissolved into single khanates. 

 Out of one of these districts arose the mighty Tamerlane, to restore for a 

 brief season the glory of his nation. He united the three Mongol tribes, 

 and made himself master of Asia Minor, Central Asia, Persia, and Hin- 

 dostan, in the last of which one of his successors, Baber, founded, in 1519, 

 the kingdom of the Great Mogul. 



Of the African states of this period Arabia was pre-eminent until 1254, 

 when Mamelouk Egypt rose to be the first in power and rank. 



Before passing on to a sketch of the civil condition of the nations of the 

 middle ages, we call attention to the objects represented in our plates as 

 illustrative of the period of whose history we have now completed the 

 outline. 



PI. 22, jig. 9, sword of the Prankish king, Childeric ; jig. 10 * and *, 

 forms of the chalice in the mass ; ji-g. 11 "' *• '^' ^^ specimens of the edging on 

 the tunic, the sandals and martial dress of Clovis ; jig. 12, the crown of 

 Clovis; jig. 13, clasp worn by Queen Chlotilda; jig. 14, 15," and*, girdle 

 ornaments •,j^p'5. 16-20, a style for writing, buttons, buckles, and rings \jig. 21, 

 one of 300 golden bees in the royal cloak of Childeric ; jig. 22, royal sceptre 

 of Lothaire 11. ; jigs. 23-25, throne and ottomans ; jig. 26 '^ and *, metallic 

 thrones of Dagobert ; jigs. 27 '^ and *, and 28, royal caps and crown of the 

 Merovingian family ; jig. 29, bishop's mitre ; jig. 30, seal of Childebert IH. ; 

 jig. 31 *, *, and *", sceptre, hand-of-justice, and crown of Charlemagne ; jigs. 

 32-34, three of Charlemagne's swords ; jig. 35 " and *, two of his shoes ; jig. 

 36 ** and *, part of his girdle and one of his spurs ; jig. 37, bishop's crosier ; 

 ji^s. 39 and 40, throne and ottoman ; jig. 41, chest for the preservation 

 of valuable objects ; fig. 42, flutes ; fig. 43 "• and *, incense vessels ; fig. 

 44, shears; fig. 44*, hand basket; figs. A^ and 46, hatchet and axe; 

 jvg. 47, small sword ; figs. 48 " and *, 49 '', *, % and '^, various cooking 

 utensils. (The objects included between figs. 39 and 49 belong to the age 

 of Charlemagne.) Figs. 50-52, lounge or sofa, chest, and money safe; 

 jig. 53, bed ; fig. 54 '^ to ', table utensils ; fig. 55 "■ and*, knives ; figs. 56 and 

 57, wine flagon and incensory ; fig. 58 '^ and *, iron and wooden chairs of 

 the ninth and tenth centuries ; fig. 59, writing-desk ; jig. 60, Xorman 

 chair ; fig. 61, royal chair ; fig. 62, a table ; and fig. 63, praying desk. 



PI. 23, fig. 2, travelling litter of a Prankish king of the eighth century 

 borne by two horses ; f.g. 1, wagon bearing a sick or wounded prince of 

 the thirteenth century. 

 258 



