[337] For the Kiang element, see Kingsmill, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (China Branch), vol. xxxvii. 29 and 34 seq. The Kiang appear to have been a branch of the Yüeh-ti or Lunar Race, to which reference is made on p. 49.
[338] It is to the "Mauryan" Man-tzŭ that Mr Kingsmill ascribes the excavation of the caves of Ssuch'uan (see [pp. 46] seq.). He says that they were evidently the work of a people who had made considerable progress in the arts, and that the art in its predominant features approaches more nearly to ancient Indian types than to Chinese (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, China Branch, vol. xxxv. p. 93). As I have already stated, there is not much evidence of a strong artistic instinct in the decoration of the caves. I agree with Mr Kingsmill, nevertheless, in ascribing the art, such as it is, to Indian influences.
[339] Gazetteer of Upper Burma, pt. i. vol. i. p. 267.
[340] 秦, pronounced Ch'in in modern Pekingese.
[341] In this connection Mr Kingsmill explains that the character hsiang (象), which means "elephant," was also originally pronounced Ser. I have already mentioned a mountain-pass called the Ta Hsiang Ling which is supposed to be named after either P'u Hsien's elephant or Chu-ko Liang. (See [p. 117] and [Note 14].) To the south of that pass there is another named the Hsiao Hsiang Ling, or Small Elephant Pass, which must be crossed on the way to the Chien-ch'ang valley. Mr Kingsmill would perhaps translate the names of these passes as the Great and Small Passes of the Ts'in or Ser; in which case we may regard Ts'in Shih Huang-ti as being a third claimant to the honour of giving a name to this pass.
[342] See Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (China Branch), vol. xxxvii. pp. 22-23.
[344] Hung Wu was the "reign-title" of the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, who reigned from 1368 to 1398. His successor, whose "reign-title" was Chien Wên, ruled from 1399 to 1402. With regard to the Yangtse being taken as the southern limit of China, this statement can only be accepted with an important modification, for all the southern provinces of China, including Yunnan, were at this time regarded as being within the empire, though the fact that they were chiefly inhabited by non-Chinese tribes made it somewhat anomalous to describe them as forming part of China proper. We have seen that Yunnan was annexed to the empire by Kúblái Khan in the thirteenth century. Towards the close of the following century the Yunnanese princes tried to reassert their independence, and the province was again reduced to complete submission by the generals of the emperor Hung Wu himself, who, in spite of his maps, never for a moment intended to relax the imperial hold on that distant province.
[345] By "indigenous race" M. Vial presumably means Lolos or Mo-so.
[346] That is, Kiang-su, the province in which Shanghai is situated. Nanking was at that time the capital of China.