CHAP. LXIV. Conquefts of Zingis Khan and the Moguls from China to Poland.-Efcape of Conftantinople and the Greeks.-Origin of the Ottoman Turks in Bithynia.-Reigns and Victories of Othman, Orchan, Amurath the First, and Bajazet the Firft. -Foundation and Progrefs of the Turkish Monarchy in Afia and Europe.-Danger of Conftans tinople and the Greek Empire. of a and her LXIV. ROM the petty quarrels of a city and her CHA P. fuburbs, from the cowardice and difcord of the falling Greeks, I fhall now afcend to the victorious Turks; whofe domeftic flavery was ennobled by martial difcipline, religious enthusiasm, and the energy of the national character. The rife and progrefs of the Ottomans, the present fovereigns of Conftantinople, are connected with the most important fcenes of modern history: but they are founded on a previous knowledge of the great eruption of the Moguls and Tartars; whofe rapid conquefts may be compared with the primitive convulfions of nature, which have agitated and altered the furface of the globe. I have long fince afferted my claim to introduce the nations, the immediate of remote authors of the fall of the Roman empire; nor can I refuse myself to thofe events, VOL. XI. which, D d CHAP. which, from their uncommmon magnitude, will intereft a philofophic mind in the history of blood'. LXIV. Zingis emperor guls and Tarters, 1206 1227. From the fpacious highlands between China, Siberia, and the Cafpian Sea, the tide of emigration and war has repeatedly been poured. These ancient feats of the Huns and Turks were occupied in the twelfth century by many pastoral tribes, of the fame defcent and fimilar manners, which were united and led to conqueft by the formidable Zingis. In his afcent to greatness, that Barbarian (whofe private appellation was Temugin) had trampled on the necks of his equals. His birth was noble: but it was in the pride of victory, that the prince or people deduced his feventh ancestor from the immaculate conception of a virgin. His father had reigned over thirteen hords, which compofed about thirty or forty thousand families: above two thirds refufed to pay tithes or obedience to his infant fon; and at the age of thirteen, Temugin fought a battle against his rebellious subjects. The future conqueror of Afia was reduced to fly and to obey: but he rofe fuperior to his fortune, and in his fortieth year he had established his fame and dominion over the circumjacent tribes. In a ftate of fociety, in which policy is rude and valour is univerfal, the afcendant of one man must be founded on his power and refolution to punish The reader is invited to review the chapters of the fourth and fixth volumes; the manners f pastoral nations, the conquefts of Attila and the uns, which were compofed at a time when I entertained the wifh, rather than the hope, of concluding my history. his enemies and recompence his friends. His firft military league was ratified by the fimple rites of facrificing an horfe and tafting of a running ftream: Temugin pledged himself to divide with his followers the fweets and the bitters of life; and when he had fhared among them his horses and apparel, he was rich in their gratitude and his own hopes. After his firft victory, he placed seventy chaldrons on the fire, and feventy of the moft guilty rebels were caft headlong into the boiling water. The fphere of his attraction was continually enlarged by the ruin of the proud and the submission of the prudent; and the boldeft chieftains might tremble, when they beheld, enchafed in filver, the fkull of the khan of the Keraites ; who, under the name of Prefter John, had corresponded with the Roman pontiff and the princes of Europe. The ambition of Temugin condefcended to employ the arts of superftition; and it was from a naked prophet, who could afcend to heaven on a white horse, that he accepted the title of Zingis3, the most great; 2 2 The khans of the Keraites were moft probably incapable of reading the pompous epiftles compofed in their name by the Neftorian miflionaries, who endowed them with the fabulous wonders of an Indian kingdom. Perhaps thefe Tartars (the Presbyter or Prieft John) had fubmitted to the rites of baptifm and ordination (Affemann. Bibliot. Orient. tom. iii. P. ii. p. 487503.). 3 Since the history and tragedy of Voltaire, Gengis, at least in French, feems to be the more fashionable fpelling: but Abulghazi Khan must have known the true name of his anceflor. His etymology appears juft: Zin, in the Mogul tongue, fignifies great, and gis is the fuperlative termination (Hift. Genealogique Ddz. des CHAP. LXIV. CHAP. LXIV. great; and a divine right to the conqueft and dominion of the earth. In a general courcultai, or diet, he was feated on a felt, which was long afterwards revered as a relic, and folemnly proclaimed great khan, or emperor of the Moguls and Tartars". Of these kindred, though rival, names, the former had given birth to the Imperial race; and the latter has been extended, by accident or error, over the fpacious wilderness of the north. His Laws. The code of laws which Zingis dictated to his subjects, was adapted to the preservation of domestic peace, and the exercife of foreign hoftility. The punishment of death was inflicted on the crimes of adultery, murder, perjury, and the capital thefts of an horfe or ox; and the fiercest of men were mild and just in their intercourse with each other. The future election of the great khan was vested in the princes of his family and the heads of the tribes; and the regulations of the chafe were effential to the pleasures and plenty of a Tartar camp. The victorious nation was held facred from all fervile labours, which des Tatars, part iii. p. 194, 195.). From the fame idea of magnitude, the appellation of Zingis is bestowed on the ocean. 4 The name of Moguls has prevailed among the Orientals, and ftill adheres to the titular sovereign, the Great Mogul of Hindoftan. 5 The Tartars (more properly Tatars) were descended from Tatar Khan, the brother of Mogul Khan (fee Abulghazi, part i and ii.), and once formed a hord of 70,000 families on the borders of Kitay (p. 103–112). In the great invasion of Europe (A. D. 1238), they feem to have led the vanguard; and the fimilitude of the name of Tartarei, recommended that of Tartars to the Latins (Matt. Paris, p. 398, &c.). A LXIV. were abandoned to flaves and ftrangers; and CHAP. every labour was fervile except the profeffion of arms. The service and difcipline of the troops, who were armed with bows, fcymetars, and iron maces, and divided by hundreds, thoufands, and ten thousands, were the inftitutions of a veteran commander. Each officer and foldier was made responsible, under pain of death, for the fafety and honour of his companions; and the spirit of conqueft breathed in the law, that peace should never be granted unless to a vanquished and fuppliant enemy. But it is the religion of Zingis that best deserves our wonder and applaufe. The Catholic inquifitors of Europe, who defended nonsense by cruelty, might have been confounded by the example of a Barbarian, who anticipated the leffons of philosophy, and established by his laws a fyftem of pure theifm and perfect toleration. His first and only article of faith was the existence of one God, the author of all good; who fills by his presence the heavens and earth, which he has created by his power. The Tartars and Moguls were addicted to the idols of their peculiar tribes; and many of them had been converted by the foreign miffionaries to the religions of Mofes, of Mahomet, and of Christ. These various fystems in freedom and concord, were taught and practifed within the precincts of the fame camp; and the Bonze, the Iman, the • A fingular conformity may be found between the religious laws of Zingis Khan and of Mr. Locke (Conftitutions of Carolina, in his works, vol. iv. p. 535. 4to edition, 1777). |