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OCTOBER, 1885.]
CHINGHIZ KHAN AND HIS ANCESTORS.
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Thereupon Yanshi, who was aggrieved that Ping-i-bin had treated him haughtily, again changed sides and went over to the Mongols. Ping-i-bin was at the same time attacked in rear by Shi-tian-tsi, and was captured. Bidden to do homage to the Mongol ruler, he replied proudly that he was a subject of the great Sung empire, and would not serve another ruler. They accordingly put him to death with torments. Yan-shi now secured the submission to the Mongols of that part of Shantung, east of the river Tsing, of which Ping-ibin had taken possession. Meanwhile Li-tsinan, who was master of the north of that province, having fought several times with the Mongols and been' always defeated,' shut himself up in the town of Itu (Tsing-chau-fu in Ho-nan), where he was attacked by Mu-khu-li's brother, Taigun. He held out for & whole year, notwithstanding that famine raged inside and that the besieged had to feed on human flesh, but surrendered in 1227. Taison made over Shan-tung with the district of Khuai-nan in Kiang-su to him as a fief, for which he had to pay an annual tribute. Douglas says he was made Inspector of Shan-tung and Hwainan. Meanwhile Boru captured Chanti-fu whose governor, Wanian Aishin, was killed during the siege, and also captured Lin. tao-fa, and killed its commander, Toman-hushimen, and laid waste all the country between Fong-siang and King-chao. In the last month of 1227 the Mongols invaded the Sung empire by the three defiles of Ping-tsing (south-west of Sin-yang-chau in Ho-nan), U-yang (north-east of Jang-shan-hien of Te-gan-fu in Hu-kuang) and Koang-hien (south-west of Lo-shan-hien of Yu-ning-fu in Ho-nan), whereupon Ching-sun, believing they meant to attack Se-chuan, abandoned Mien-chan, and retired into the interior of the country.
The Kin Tartars had virtually lost to the Mongols Northern China, comprising Hope of Shan-tung, and all the districts of Koan-shen, and now concentrated their endeavours upon the defence of Ho-nan, of which Tung-kuan was the key. Notwithstanding their recent losses they still retained command of the country stretching from Lo-yang, San-men, and Si-tsin, eastwards
as far as Yuen-tsiao-chin, extending over more than 2,000 lis, and protected by 200,000 men; and to show the heroic materials of which the race was made, I would quote the siege of Si-ho-chau, which took place at this time. Its governor having defended it for a long time, saw that he must surrender, and told his wife, Tashi, that she had better see to her own safety, as the place was about to be lost. “Do you think," she replied in a firm voice, " that loaded with the favours of our princes I am going to sacrifice my duty to a weak love for life. No, I will not survive my misfortune. I had rather die than be wanting in fidelity." She thereupon took poison, and died a few hours later. Two of her sons drank what she had left, and died by her side, while her husband, Chin-ya, and several of his friends, ashamed of being beaten in courage by a woman committed suicide, and fell over the body of this heroine and her children. As many as twenty-eight of his friends preferred this end to surviving their defeat.
I have now brought down the account of the Mongol doings in China until Chinghiz Khân's return home, when he again is found on its borders. Before describing his last campaign, we will bring up the story of one of the dependencies of his empire to this point. When he set out for the West, as we have seen, he left behind as his vicegerent in Mongolia his brother, Ochigin (called Uachi by Gaubil and DeMailla), who, we are told, ruled with considerable prudence. In the year 1220, he received at his court the princess Tiao-li (called Yao-li-si, in the Kang-mu), who went to announce to him the death of her husband, Yeliu.Liuko, the tributary king of Liau-tung, who had had to sustain some severe struggles in his young kingdom. Ochigin received the princess with great pomp, and giving her the official seal, sent her home with some troops to rule Liau-tung until Chinghiz Khân's return. She ruled it, we are told, exemplarily. After Chinghiz returned home, and when he was engaged in his campaign against Tangat, which I shall describe presently, and in 1227 was encamped at Yen-chau-chuen near the Yellow River, the princess repaired
" Douglas says he defeated Chang-fu and made him prisoner in Shan-tung. 50 D'Ohason, Vol. I. pp. 368-370 ; Douglas, p. 101.
51 De Mailla, Vol. IX. p. 120. 62 De Maille, Vol. IX. pp. 120-121. - Gaubil, pp. 42 and 43; DeMailla, Vol. IX. p. 96.
