MANTCHOU DYNASTY.
The Mantchou historians have endeavoured to conceal their very modern rise as a kingdom, by veiling their origin in fables, and deducing their descent from a divinity; through these fables, however, it is not difficult to ascertain with a considerable degree of accuracy, their real descent. Their nation is evidently formed by the union of several Toungouse tribes, occupying the country, to the north of Corea, and on the banks of the river Amour. These tribes had by their former unions rendered themselves formidable to their neighbours; and in the time of the Sung dynasty, from A.D. 960 to 1278, had, under the Chinese name of the Kin, or golden dynasty, answering to the Mantchou name Aisin, subdued several northern districts of China. Their farther progress was interrupted by the Mongols, under Agodai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, who, in the thirteenth century, destroyed both the Sung dynasty, and its enemies, and founded the Yuen dynasty. The kingdom of Kin, or Aisin, being thus destroyed, its tribes returned to their original country, where they continued more or less independent of each other, and of their Mongol conquerors. Among the chiefs of their tribes, was one Aisin Keolo, or Gioro, whom the Mantchous make the son of a divine virgin, who became pregnant of him by eating a fruit, brought to her in the bill of a magpie. This Aisin Gioro, at first, ruled over three tribes; but subsequently, others submitted to him, and he became king of a nation, to which he gave the name of Mantchou, or Manchow, which signifies “the full or well-peopled country.” At this point, the thread of Mantchou history is broken, and even names disappear for three or four generations; nor is the history resumed, till the close of the sixteenth century, when the chief, who then governed the Mantchous, incensed at the murder of his father, and grandfather, by a tribe which had revolted from them, and become confederate with the Chinese dynasty of Ming, began to wage war against the latter. After thirty-three years, he had gained such power, and ruled over so many tribes, as well Mantchou as Mongol, that in the year 1616, he took the title of emperor, and adopted “Teenming, Heaven’s decree,” as his Kwo-haou or title. Previous to this event, in the year 1599, he appointed persons to form an alphabet for the use of his people, for, up to that period, the Mantchous possessed no written language. The alphabet which they adopted, was derived from, and improved upon the Ouigour and Mongol alphabets, the Mongol being a modification of the Ouigour, a derivative of the Syriac. During the rest of his reign, which continued eleven years longer, Teenming was at constant war with the Chinese, and dying, left the throne to his eighth son, who first adopted the title of Teentsung, which he retained for nine years, and then that of Tsungtih, which continued till his death in 1643; though not of so warlike a disposition as his father, he continued the war during the whole of his reign; owing to the dissensions which prevailed among the Chinese princes of the Ming dynasty, and the numerous revolts, which took place throughout the empire, he was enabled with little trouble, to take possession of Peking, the capital, and to found a new dynasty in China.
This monarch died while yet on the field of victory, leaving the throne to his ninth son, a child of six years old, to whom was given, the title of Kwohaou of Shunche. The young monarch was, immediately after his father’s death, carried into the city of Peking, and proclaimed emperor, amid the acclamations of the people. His reign, and the commencement of the Mantchou or Ya-tsing dynasty, dated from the year 1644.
When about fourteen years of age, one of the regents dying, and some dispute arising, as to who should take his place, Shunche laid aside his minority, and assumed all the functions of imperial power. He made few alterations in the old system of government, being fully occupied in strengthening the dominion, which had been obtained for him; for many Chinese princes still possessed parts of the empire, and assumed the imperial title.
The last of these named Yungleih, was not slain, till the closing year of Shunche’s reign, nor did his death put an end to all fears, for Chingchingkung, known to Europeans, under the name of Koxinga, still hovered about the coast, with a large fleet.
At Shunche’s death, in the year 1661, his third son succeeded to the throne, at the age of eight years, a regency of four chief ministers being appointed to govern during his minority. The new monarch’s Kwo-haou was Kanghe.
Soon after Kanghe’s accession, the regency compelled all the inhabitants of the maritime districts throughout China to retire thirty Chinese miles from the east; by which means the power of Koxinga was much weakened; but at the same time a great number of families were reduced to want. In the 12th year of his reign, 1673, there was a general revolt of the Chinese princes, who were yet living, but from their dissensions and petty jealousies among themselves, they were unable to effect any thing. It was not, however, till 1681, that they were finally subdued. In the following year, 1682, the western part of Formosa was wrested from the grandson of Koxinga, and has since that time remained in the hands of the Chinese.
The conquest of China being firmly established, Kanghe was now able to turn his attention to his own country, which he visited, attended by his whole court and an army of sixty thousand men. He also sent ambassadors to the frontiers, to settle with the Russians the limits of the two empires—nor did he confine himself to the possessions already obtained, but under pretence of assisting the Mongols, many of whom had become tributary to the Mantchou monarchs, previously to the conquest of China, he extended his possessions northeastward, into the country of the Soungarians, whom, as well as some of the tribes of Turkestan and of Thibet, he entirely subdued.
After a long and glorious reign of sixty-one years, Kanghe died in 1722, in the sixty-ninth year of his age, leaving the succession to his fourth son; but his fourteenth son taking advantage of his elder brother’s absence from the capital, seized on the billet of succession, and having changed the number four to fourteen, assumed the throne and the Kwo-haou of Yung-ching.