M O G U L. 
but at laft advanced to the foot of one exceedingly high, 
which had no way over it but a very fmall path made by 
certain animals, called in the Tartar language archara. 
This path they found themfelves obliged to make ufe of, 
though it was fo ftrait, that only one could pafs at a 
time, and he was in the mod imminent danger of break¬ 
ing his neck at the leaf; falfe ftep. Having afcended the 
mountain on one fide by this path, they defcended by the 
fame on the other fide; and were agreeably furpriled to 
find themfelves in a moll delightful traft, interfperfed with 
rivulets and charming meadows, abounding with a vaft 
variety of delicious fruits, and enclofed on all fides by in- 
acceflible mountains, in fitch a manner as to Ihelter them 
from all future purfuits of the Tartars. Here they lived 
fome time, and gave this beautiful country the name of 
Irgana-Jwn, in aliulion to its fituation ; Irgana fignifying, 
in the old language of the Moguls, a “ valley,” and Kon 
a “fteep height.” 
In procefs of time thefe two families very much in- 
creafed. Kajan, whofe poflerity was the molt numerous, 
called his defcendants Kajath ; but the people fpringing 
from Nagos were divided into two tribes 5 one of which 
received the appellation of Nagojler, and the other that 
of Durlagan. 
Thefe two Mogul princes and their defcendants lived 
in this place for more than 400 years ; but the latter, then 
finding it too narrow for them, meditated a return to the 
country from which their forefathers had been driven. 
For fome time, however, they found this impracticable, 
as the path that conduced their anceltors had been long 
fince deftroyed. At laft they difcovered, that one part of 
the high mountain above-mentioned was not very thick 
in a certain place ; and alfo, that it confided entirely of 
iron-ore. To this, having before fet fire to a layer of 
wood, and another of charcoal, laid along the foot of the 
mountain, they applied feventy large bellows, and at laft 
melted the mountain in fuch a manner, that an open¬ 
ing was made large enough for a loaded camel to pafs; 
and through this paflage they all marched out with great 
j°y- ... 
The Moguls, having thus iflued as it were from a new 
world, overthrew the Tartars in their turn ; and con¬ 
tinued to be a very confiderable nation till the time of 
their great hero Temujin, afterwards called Gengis Khan, 
whom the)' r extol in the moft extravagant manner. It is 
difficult, however, to fay, at the time Temujin made his 
appearance, how far the dominions of the Moguls extend¬ 
ed, or in what eftimation they were held by their neigh¬ 
bours. It feems to be pretty certain that great part of 
the vaft region, now known by the name of Tartar}/, was 
then in a Hate of confiderable civilization, and likewil’e 
extremely populous, as we find mention made of many 
cities which the Moguls deftroyed; and the incredible 
multitudes whom they flaughtered, abundantly (how the 
populoufnefs of the country. On the eaft, the country 
of the Moguls and Tartars had the Great Defert which 
divides Tartary from China; on the weft, it had the em¬ 
pire of Charazm, founded by Mahmud Gazni; and on 
the fouth were the countries now known by the name of 
Hinuooftan, Siam, Pegu, Tonquin, and Cochin China. 
Thus it comprehended the eaftern part of modern Tar¬ 
tary, and all Siberia. This whole region was divided 
among a great number of aymachs, or tribes ; who had 
each one or more khans, according as it was more or lets 
numerous, or divided into branches. Among thefe that 
of the Kara-its was the moft powerful; their prince af- 
fumed the title of Grand Khan, and among the reft the 
Moguls were tributary to him; but, according to the 
Cliinefe hiftorians, both the one and the other were tri¬ 
butary to the emperor of Kitay or Katay. China was di¬ 
vided into two parts: the nine fouthern provinces were 
in the hands of the Chinefe emperors of the Song dynafty, 
who kept their court at Hang-chew, the capital of the 
province of Che-kyang ; the five northern provinces, ex¬ 
cepting part of Shen-ii, were poflelfed by the Kin,- a peo- 
Vol. XV. No. 1070. 
0*18 
pie of Eaftern Tartary, from whom are defcended the 
Mandlhoo Tartars, at prelent mailers of China. This vail 
dominion was named Kitay, and was divided into two 
parts ; that which belonged to China, was properly called 
Kitay, and the part which belonged to Tartary was called 
Kara-hitay, in which fome even include the territories of 
the Moguls, Karaits, and other tribes which are the fub- 
jeCt of the prefent hillory. The weftern part of the em¬ 
pire of Kitay was poflelfed by a Turkilli prince, who had 
lately founded a new kingdom there called Hija ; whofe 
capital city was Hya-chew, now Ning-hya in Shen-fi, 
from whence the kingdom took its name. To the weft of 
Hya lay Tangut; a country of great extent, and formerly 
very powerful; but at that time reduced to a low ftate, 
and divided among many princes ; fome of whom were 
fubjeCt to the emperor of Hya, and others to the empe¬ 
ror of China. All Tartary to the wellward as far as the 
Cafpian Sea, with the greater part of Little Buckharia, 
which then palled under the general name of Turliejlan, 
was llibject to Ghurkhan, Khurkhan, or Kaver Khan ; 
to whom even the Gazni monarchs are faid to have been 
tributary. This Ghurkhan had been prince of the Weft¬ 
ern Kitan, or Lyau ; who, driven out of Kitay by the 
king, fettled in Little Buckharia, and the country to the 
north, where they founded a powerful ftate about the year 
1124. 
Thus the Moguls, properly fo called, had but a very 
fmall extent of empire which could be called their own, 
if indeed they had any, when Temujin made his appear¬ 
ance. This hero is faid by the Tartars to have been of 
divine origin, fince his family could be traced no farther 
back than ten generations, the mother of whom was got 
with child by a fpirit. The names and tranfaclions of 
his predeceflors are equally uncertain and unimportant: 
he himfelf, however, was born in the year 1163, and is 
faid to have come into the world with congealed blood in 
his hands ; from whence it was prognofticated that be 
would be a great warrior, and obtain the victory over all 
his enemies. 
This prediction, if any fuch there was, Temujin moll 
literally fulfilled. At the time of his father’s deceafe, his 
fubjefils amounted to between 30,000 and 40,000 fami¬ 
lies ; but of thefe two-thirds quickly deferted, and Te¬ 
mujin was left almoft without lubjeCts. When only thir¬ 
teen years of age, he fought a bloody battle againlt thefe 
revolters ; but either was defeated, or gained an indeci- 
iive victory : fo that he remained in obfcurity for twenty- 
leven years longer. His good fortune at lail he owed to 
the friendlhip of Vang Khan, who ruled over a great num¬ 
ber of Tartar tribes to the north of Kitay, and has been 
heard of under the name o t' Prejler John among the Euro¬ 
peans. This prince tookr Temujin under his protection ; 
and, a rebellion being afterwards raifed againll himfelf, 
Temujin was made his general, and the khan was kept in 
pofleflion of his throne 5 loon after which Temujin fubdued 
the tribes which had revolted from himfelf, treating them 
at the fame time with the utmoll barbarity. 
This happened in the year 1201; but Vang Khan, in- 
Head of continuing the friend of Temujin, now became 
jealous, and refolved todeftroy him by treachery. With 
this view, he propofed a marriage between Temujin’s 
fon Juji and his own daughter, and another between Te¬ 
mujin’s daughter and his own Ion. Temujin was in¬ 
vited to the camp of Vang Khan, in order to celebrate 
this double marriage ; but, receiving intelligence of lbme 
evil intention againft him, he exculed himfelf to Vang 
Khan’s mefiengers, and defired that the ceremony might 
be put off to fome other time. 
A few days after the departure of thefe mefiengers, Ba- 
du and Kilhiik, two brothers, who kept the horles of one 
of Vang Khan’s chief domeftics, came and informed Te¬ 
mujin, that the grand khan, finding he had milled Ids 
aim, was refolved to let out inftantly, and lurorife him 
next morning, before he could iulpeCt any danger. Te¬ 
mujin, alarmed at this intelligence, quitted his camp in 
7 £ the 
