Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

for itself. All these advantages, and this source of wealth, might be secured to Great Britain, by a firm and judicious line of policy on the part of her repre

sentatives in China.

FABULOUS HISTORY OF CHINA.

427

CHAPTER XXV.

Summary of the History of China-Fabulous and doubtful history— Certain history-Emperor Fo-hi supposed to be Noah-Alphabetical characters invented-Earliest European records given by Marco Paulo -The Yuen dynasty founded by Chi-tsow, in 1278-Marco Paulo's opinion of the Emperor-Ming Dynasty, founded by Chu-y-wen-chang -Anecdote of conjugal fidelity and filial piety-Court removed to Pe-kin from Nan-kin, by Tching-sow-The Tsing, or Pure Dynasty, founded by Shun-che, in 1644-Tartar rule established-Continuation of history down to the present Emperor Taou-kwang, or Reason's Glory-Table of the Ming and Tsing Dynasties-European sovereigns -Number of Emperors and Dynasties-Length of reigns.

ALTHOUGH there are treatises in the Chinese language, which give a period prior to the creation of the world, as the date of the rise of the Celestial Empire, yet the most distinguished of their philosophers and chronologists divide the history of the empire under three distinct heads, namely, the fabulous, doubtful, and

certain.

The fabulous portion of the history relates to the absurd idea entertained by some, that the empire was the offspring of Yan and Yin, or heaven and earth, according to the notions of the propagators of this theory, Pwan-koo, after the separation of heaven and earth, reigned for a period of forty-five thousand years; who was successively followed by three other Emperors, namely, Tien-te-hwange-se, Te-hwang-se,

and Yin-hwang-se, the united period of whose reigns amounts to thirty-six thousand years. All this fabulous portion, therefore, is rejected with ridicule by the philosophers and chronologists referred to.

The doubtful portion extends from about three thousand years before, to the middle of, the third century of the present era; much of the early portion of this period, according to these authors, must depend upon tradition. The Chinese system of cycles, or terms of sixty years, is said to have been invented about two thousand six hundred years before the Christian era; and little dependence can be placed upon any event in their history long anterior to this date.

Indeed, all Chinese authors of any note concur in commencing their history with the Emperor Fo-hi, who some consider identical with Noah; this monarch, about two hundred years after the deluge, reigned on the borders of the province of Shen-se, and subsequently in Ho-nan, in the centre of the empire: he is said to have cleared the country of forest from Ho-nan to the ocean. Fo-hi was chosen by his countrymen for his merit as their ruler, and by them was called Tien-se, the Son of Heaven, which title has been given to every succeeding Emperor of China.

Chinese authors describe man at this period as little superior to the beasts of the field; they say a man knew his mother but not his father, and living in a savage state, he cared only to satisfy the cravings of nature, devouring all parts of an animal for food, he threw away what he did not require when his hunger was satisfied, drinking the blood, and clothing himself with the skin.

ALPHABETICAL CHARACTERS INVENTED. 429

Fo-hi instructed his subjects to manufacture nets, with which he taught them how to catch birds and fish, and it was he who introduced the custom of rearing domestic animals and fowl. By these methods he provided for the maintenance of his subjects, and having thus created new wants, he thereby gave occupation to the people. From a desire to promulgate his laws and make known his will amongst his subjects, this monarch invented the eight Kou-a, or three lines, which by various combinations made sixty-four. These symbols represented various objects in nature, and gradually the Emperor taught his people the use of the characters, and as a means of adding supernatural importance to his invention, and to impress his laws more forcibly upon their minds, he declared that the eight Kou-a had been revealed to him in a vision, where he saw them accurately traced on the back of a horse-shaped dragon, which rose from the bottom of the sea. Having fully succeeded in impressing upon his subjects the supernatural origin of his alphabet, he next created mandarins, whom he styled dragons, one was called the flying-dragon, another the hiddendragon, a third the working dragon, and a fourth the relieving dragon. By this means the affairs of state were divided under separate departments, and the government of the empire reduced to system.

We regret that the limits of this work will not allow us to supply our readers with the early history of China as we had originally intended, and we must therefore content ourselves with an outline, commencing with the Yu-en dynasty, from which date

we have the earliest European records of Chinese history, furnished by Marco Paulo.

The Yu-en dynasty was founded by Chi-tson, who was the son of Tai-tsow, the chief of the western Tartars, and who, by right of conquest, ascended the imperial throne A.D. 1278. This dynasty continued for eighty-nine years, and was occupied by the reigns of nine Emperors. On ascending the throne, this Emperor made no alteration either in the laws or customs of the Chinese, and in a short period he succeeded in promoting order, and in securing the good will and affection of his subjects, by his equitable line of conduct; and to this day the administration of the Yu-en family is called in China, "the wise government." Tai-tson is represented by Marco Paulo as being a magnificent prince, endowed with a vigorous and energetic mind. During his reign the grand canal was dug, which is a lasting memorial of his policy and wisdom. This Emperor died in the eighteenth year of his reign and the eightieth of his age. The Mongol power continued during the reigns of the two successors to Tai-tsow, but the last three Emperors of the dynasty were opposed, or lost their lives through treachery. In these latter years the officers of the state were solely occupied by Mongols, and the Chinese became disgusted with a government in which they had no participation. When the last occupant of the throne, during this dynasty, began to confiscate the property of the Chinese, and distribute it amongst his Mongol adherents, he excited and roused the dormant spirit of the former, who, under the conduct of Chu-y-uen-chang, a ci-devant priest,

« AnteriorContinua »