Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/406

Rh taken into captiyitj. Two years later the last scion of the Saogs perished at Yai-shan (see Chcu) Ping\ and the Mongols were masters of China. From 1264 Eablai fixed his capital at Peking, and in 1271, by the adyice of Lin Ping-chang, adopted the dynastic style 71^ Tflan. He^ent several expeditions against Japan, Bnrmah, Annam, Cambodia, and even Java; bnt the results were inconsiderable, although in 1287 envoys came from the islands of the Malay Archipelago, and even from Ceylon. A few local risings in China were easily suppressed, and in 1292 Bayan crushed the growing power of ]f|^ 1^ Heyduk, who was pressing on Samarcand. The Emperor was usually under the influence of some fayourite, of whom P9 ^ il§ Ahma (from 1270 until his assassination in 1282) and ^ ^ Sang-ko (fit>m 1288 to 1291) were the chief; and latterly, jealousy and suspicion caused him to be frequently changing the members of his Cabinet. From 1284 to 1291 Eublai encouraged extortionate taxation, and discontent and disorder resulted; yet in 1290 the population fell little short of 59 millions. In 1281 he lost his best helper, his wife; and two years later he married her sister, who interfered in the goyernment and constituted herself the only channel of communication with the Khan. In 1286 the Chinese were forbidden to carry arms, and three years later their bows and arrows were burnt. The Mongol written character was introduced in 1269; in 1280 the calendar was revised; and in 1287 the Imperial Academy was opened. The Yellow River was explored to its source in 1280; and paper money, in the form of bank-notes of from 50 to 1000 eashf was made current in 1285. Xublai was an ardent Buddhist, and sent an envoy to the Turfi&n to study the Sacred Books. Nevertheless he paid honours to Confucius , and to the great followers of the Master. In 1281 he caused all Taoist literature, save the Tao Te Ching, to be burnt as spurious or useless. He made Karakorum his summer, and Cambaluc, the